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Govt. targets 960 MW BESS capacity by mid-2027

Energy Minister Anura Karunathilake yesterday said the Government will add close to 960 MW of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) capacity by the end of 2027 as it looks to absorb a growing daytime solar surplus.

He said this at a ceremony to connect a 10 MW/40 MWh system in Anuradhapura, the first of 13 built by Storex Ltd., to the national grid. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake was also at the event. The 13 systems under this project will total 130 MW/520 MWh in combined capacity once complete. Storex expects the remaining 12 systems to be connected within the next two to three months.

Karunathilake said the country currently generates close to 3,000 MW of solar power during the day, against average daytime demand of around 2,800 MW. Night-time demand rises to roughly 3,100 MW, and with El Niño conditions, forecasts indicate this could rise further by February next year, a gap the Minister said battery storage is intended to close by shifting surplus daytime solar generation to the evening peak.

Karunathilake said the Government is implementing projects with a combined capacity of 160 MW targeted for completion before the end of 2026. Bids have also been called for separate battery storage projects of 400 MW, 250 MW and 150 MW, some of which are at the evaluation stage, with the Minister targeting completion within the first six months of 2027.

Karunathilake said the storage build-out is intended to allow greater integration of renewable energy into the grid while reducing the cost of night-time generation from fossil fuels.

BG Pathum fight back to hold Sailors

BG Pathum United fought back to secure a 1-1 draw against Singapore’s Lion City Sailors in their AFC Champions League Two Group F fixture on Thursday.

Patrik Gustavsson’s second-half goal levelled the score after Marko Nikolic scored an own goal in the 25th minute in a contest that the Thai League 1 club largely controlled.

Both teams came close to scoring within a minute of each other — BG Pathum’s Fabio Kaufmann fired a shot from outside the box in the eighth minute that goalkeeper Victor Aznar managed to block, while Bart Ramselaar’s effort from a comparable range narrowly missed the target.

Left unmarked, Joao Magno had a chance he failed to capitalise on after meeting a cross from Pathum captain Chanathip Songkrasin in the 14th minute, though his header lacked enough force to test Aznar.

The Thai club fell behind in unfortunate circumstances when Giovanni Haag’s free-kick in the 25th minute landed among a group of players, deflected off the unlucky defender Nikolic, and beat a helpless Saranon Anuin.

Pathum’s Anthony Belmonte tried his luck with a low shot from short range that Aznar comfortably gathered, bringing the first half to a close with the Sailors ahead on the scoreboard despite not managing a single shot on target.

Surachai Jaturapattarapong’s team were rewarded for their strong opening to the second half when Gustavsson equalised just six minutes after the restart, calmly lifting the ball over an advancing Aznar after receiving a precise pass from Chanathip.

Chanathip nearly added his name to the scoresheet in the 57th minute when his effort from the right side struck the crossbar, while a free Gustavsson failed to connect properly with a header from just outside the six-yard box shortly after, following a delivery from Fabio Kaufmann.

Aznar reacted quickly to keep out a close-range header from Raniel Santana in the 81st minute, before Nikolic’s effort from a tight angle inside the right side of the six-yard box clipped the crossbar, denying Pathum a victory over the side that finished runners-up in the 2024/25 season.

Coach Surachai described the match as an entertaining one, noting that although his team had less control of proceedings than their Singaporean opponents, they still created a number of scoring opportunities. He pointed out that the Sailors played aggressively and put heavy pressure on his squad throughout the game.

He also explained that squad fitness levels meant the team had to make rotations and substitutions across both halves, which had some impact on the team’s overall performance.

Pathum United will next take on Bangkok United in Thai League 1 action on Sunday.

Nyashinski loses bid to keep multi-million Tecno deal secret

Rapper and songwriter Nyamari Ongegu (Nyashinski) has suffered another setback in a copyright infringement case filed against him by a Nigerian music producer.

The celebrated rapper will now be compelled to produce contract documents on a multi-million-shilling brand ambassador deal he signed with Tecno Kenya in May 2023, potentially revealing how much he was paid under the agreement.

This follows the High Court’s dismissal of an appeal in which Nyashinski had sought to prevent disclosure of the contract and its financial details.

Sources familiar with the deal told Business Daily that the deal that made Nyashinski the face of Tecno’s Camon 20 smartphone was worth about Sh12million.

Nyashinski’s legal troubles in the matter date back to 2023, when Nigerian music producer Sam Are Eliapenda filed a case at a Magistrate’s Court accusing the rapper of infringing his copyright when he entered into the endorsement deal with the Chinese smartphone manufacturer without his consent.

Eliapenda produced the beats for Nyashinski’s hit song Wach Wach, which was prominently featured in Tecno’s Camon 20 marketing campaigns following the endorsement deal.

The producer argued that, as the creator of the music used by Tecno in commercials featuring Nyashinski, he was entitled to a share of the earnings from the contract. Eliapenda told the court that he had unsuccessfully tried to reach an agreement with Nyashinski before turning to the courts.

In his plea, the producer asked the Magistrate’s Court to compel Nyashinski to produce the endorsement contract and related financial records so that the amount he received from the deal could be established.

On August 9, 2024, the court ordered Nyashinski to produce details of the contract, including bank transaction records and royalty reports on the disputed song, to help settle the matter.

The Magistrate’s Court said that the sought contract documents were necessary and relevant for a fair determination of the suit.

Nyashinski, however, moved swiftly to the High Court, filing an appeal on August 21, 2024 against the magistrate’s decision.

He faulted the magistrate’s ruling, arguing that it failed to provide directions, safeguards and/or mechanisms to ensure that his personal data, financials, legal obligations and personal brand are protected from blackmail, extortion, exploitation, fraud and abuse.

The rapper insisted that releasing the documents would expose his trade secrets, putting him at a commercial disadvantage and exposing him to potential losses.

He also faulted the magistrate for incorrectly extending the scope of privity of contract by allowing the music producer to seek the documents he has no contractual rights to access, insisting that the contract document does not bear a material connection to the core issue of the case.

Further, the rapper argued that disclosing the contract and the amount he was paid would breach a non-disclosure clause between him and Tecno. He further insisted that the producer had not given the court a meaningful reason for demanding the contract because he was not a party to the agreement between Nyashinski and Tecno.

But the producer argued back, stating that availing the contract is crucial in determining the losses he has suffered as far as his 50 percent publishing rights of the song Wach Wach, which was heavily used in the promotion of the Tecno Camon 20, is concerned. Eliapenda also accused Nyashinski of contradiction, having initially told the Magistrate Court that there existed no such contract as he was paid in cash.

The High Court initially gave Nyashinski reprieve on the appeal, suspending the execution of the magistrate’s ruling pending the hearing and determination of the appeal.

‘On careful consideration of the application, there is no doubt that the applicant (Nyashinski) stands to suffer loss if no orders are granted in the event the appeal succeeds. That is so because the fear the applicant has will be long realised with no possibility of reversal. Once the documents are released on discovery, then the process intimated to by the applicant will automatically set in motion. The application therefore is merited. There be a stay of execution of the ruling delivered by Hon Selina Muchungi pending determination of the appeal,’ the High Court ruled in 2025.

That reprieve has now been lifted.

Last Friday, the High Court dismissed Nyashinski’s appeal, effectively clearing the way for the disclosure of the documents and ending the temporary stay that had shielded the contract from disclosure.

‘The magistrate exercised proper discretion in finding that the 1st applicant (Nyashinski) and Tecno Mobile should produce the documents requested by the 1st respondent (Sam Are Eliapenda Jedidiah). The Magistrate’s finding was sound in law. Appeal dismissed with costs to the 1st respondent,’ the court ordered.

With the appeal dismissed, the matter now returns to the Magistrate’s Court, where Nyashinski will be required to produce the contract and related financial records.

The documents could reveal the finer details of the Tecno deal, including the financial value attached to the endorsement, before the copyright case proceeds to its substantive hearing and trial.

The bone of contention on the matter is largely pegged on the ownership rights of the song Wach Wach, which was used in a commercial advertisement.

According to the split sheet contract terms – which is a written agreement outlining how ownership and royalties are divided among collaborators on a song – Nyashinski owns 100 percent of the master rights to the song. However, the rapper and the producer split the publishing rights to the song, with each owning 50 percent.

Eliapenda argues that he is entitled to a percentage of the millions Nyashinski made from the endorsement deal, based on his publishing rights ownership of the song.

The producer maintains that Nyashinski cannot claim his rights are superior to his.

‘The rights of the appellant are not superior to the rights of any other persons; thus, the appellant cannot claim privacy after publicly disenfranchising me of millions of shillings through the copyright-infringing advertisement made together with him and the 2nd respondent and now claim privacy,’ he states in his court pleadings.

However, in his defence, Nyashinski maintains his deal with Tecno wasn’t a publishing deal as Eliapenda claims but rather one which included image rights, appearance, video/photo shoots, and social media association.

Nyashinski further argues that, through his company, GETA International, he signed a fair use agreement with Tecno for the use of the song Wach Wach, which he had every right to, as he owns 100 percent Master Rights and didn’t need any consent from the producer.

When are policy decisions actually made?

Maybe the best way to understand Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s confounding decision to reinforce the Thai government stance on foreigners as hostile – ordering ‘errant’ visitors be summarily deported – is by understanding how some conclusions in this country are so foregone they appear unshakeable, while others are treated as inconceivable regardless of their grounding.

A case in point: Seeing the headline ‘Bangkok governor defends switch to electric rubbish trucks’ was a little surprising at first glance.

Considering Thailand’s fervently proclaimed green-mindedness and its enthusiastic appetite for electric vehicles, it seems obvious that if any aspect of the capital could benefit from the introduction of a modern, low-carbon innovation, it would be waste collection.

Yet it turned out that Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt’s proposal to replace the current diesel-fuelled fleet of the city with close to 1,400 electric trucks was not so straightforward.

The argument he made was that the switch would cut energy costs by about 4.75 billion baht, or 54%, over five years while also significantly cutting greenhouse gas emissions, noise pollution and the PM2.5 fine-dust pollution that is an annual plague on the entire country.

By his office’s calculations, 1,347 EV garbage trucks would consume 4.01 billion baht worth of electricity over five years, compared with the 8.76 billion baht that would be needed to fuel diesel engines. Leasing these new trucks was also said to reduce the financial burden on the city by 7-10%.

Mr Chadchart appeared just as perplexed as this writer over the resistance the idea was facing, noting that the solution has already been adopted in Pattaya, Phuket and Nonthaburi.

Council not convinced

Ultimately, the Bangkok Metropolitan Council rejected the electrification plan, citing questions over procurement and staffing for the replacement fleet.

Councillors were unconvinced that the terms for the switchover plan were sound, and that Bangkok has the infrastructure to support the change. They also expressed fears of corruption and that the designs could too easily be compromised by ill-intended forces.

These reservations echoed many points brought up by the People’s Party, which is known for its rigorous vetting of projects of public interest while serving as the opposition in parliament.

Suphanat Minchaiynunt, a People’s Party MP for Bangkok, rightfully pointed out that the capital’s administration had actually budgeted over 10 billion baht across the past three years for EV rubbish truck projects, but they repeatedly became stalled or cancelled, leaving the earmarked cash in limbo.

He said the latest proposal, requesting some 6 billion baht, did not even include terms of reference, which could mean the council was approving spending on contractors it may not want in the end.

Pilot projects were planned to prove the concept, Mr Suphanat said, but only a limited selection of companies were invited to take part and in the end no specific pilot project was ever run.

Pre-empting the governor’s point, the MP said the model of EV and the leasing format for the trucks being used in other cities differed from what was being put to the council, voiding the argument that the Bangkok plan was already in effect elsewhere.

This is all well and good. The council found reasonable doubts about a project with a hefty bill and erred on the side of caution, throwing it back to the drawing board.

So what if the city has been reviewing this worthwhile idea since 2023? It will be ready when it is ready.

Contrast all this, though, with the recently implemented TH-AI Passport project.

Though a national initiative rather than a Bangkok-only project, the programme to provide artificial intelligence access to millions of Thais could be likened to the EV garbage truck proposal, in that both are about introducing modern, paradigm-shifting innovations for the greater good of the public.

Just like the waste trucks, the TH-AI Passport plan encountered suspicions of malfeasance from the People’s Party.

Specifications locked

Documents presented by the opposition appeared to indicate that companies were prepped to take on relevant contracts almost a year prior to the project being introduced, that specifications were designed to favour certain suppliers and that the actual technical plan for the 1.6-billion-baht undertaking wouldn’t support its stated purposes.

The party’s fears were strong enough that it submitted its evidence to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), calling for a serious probe.

The government’s defence against these accusations? Simply that due process was undertaken to the satisfaction of involved officials, that Thailand risks being left in the past if it does not quickly adopt AI into daily life and, as of this week, that more than 1 million people registered to take part in the project. Surely, a free handout that many people want should be above reproach?

Similar rationales, similar contentions. One project deemed not worth the risk, the other fast-tracked to deployment.

The selective rigour is exactly how these issues, distant from one another as they are to the government’s recent fervour for deportation, relate.

Certain outcomes, as decided by those currently in office, are fixed points. Thailand needs the AI passport just like it needs to take a hard line against foreigners who ‘disrespect public sensibilities’.

The issue is not that these decisions are inherently flawed, it is that they seem to be pre-determined and based on an opaque consideration process that is becoming increasingly insular.

How much faster can a conclusion aligned with the initial wishes of top officials be reached, before the process of consideration is removed entirely?

Planning for tomorrow: Building resilience in an age of compounding risks

The Philippines knows the loss and cost of disasters. In October 2023, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Mindanao, affecting more than 1.6 million people, damaging over 113,000 homes and displacing more than 92,000 residents. Infrastructure damage reached P1.3 billion, while agricultural losses were estimated at P29.8 million, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) through the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).

Such disasters can quickly and profoundly reverse decades of development gains. Beyond destruction and damage, their impact on sectors such as health, education and transport, as well as on tightly connected supply chains and rapidly growing urban areas, can turn one shock into cascading social and economic disruption. Repeated shocks, often intensified by climate change, are also stretching communities, local capacities and financing resources.

Resilience is therefore not only a humanitarian or environmental imperative. It is increasingly an issue of economic security, sustainable development and regional stability.

The ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Disaster Resilience, held in Metro Manila on September 15 to 16, provided an important opportunity to strengthen regional cooperation and exchange experience on disaster risk reduction and management. Across Southeast Asia, countries face similar pressures: denser cities, exposed coastlines, climate-related hazards, and economies linked through food systems, logistics, labour mobility and trade. A disruption in one place can affect livelihoods, prices, services and supply chains beyond the area first hit, including across borders.

The Philippines brings considerable experience to this regional conversation, starting with its institutional architecture for disaster risk reduction and management. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, supported by the Office of Civil Defense, provides a platform for coordination across national government agencies, local governments and other partners. This structure gives the country an important basis for aligning preparedness, response, recovery and long-term risk reduction.

This institutional framework is matched by an evolving policy setting. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan provides the overall framework, while its Midterm Review and the Accelerated Disaster Resilience Action Plan, or ADRAP, offer an opportunity to accelerate coordinated and accountable implementation, sustain momentum, focus collective efforts, and further connect resilience with public finance, infrastructure, land use, social protection and local governance.

Science and technology can change how countries see, anticipate and manage risk, in the Philippines and across ASEAN. Hazard mapping, early warning platforms, geospatial data and interoperable digital systems can help make risk visible before losses occur, identify exposed communities, guide contingency planning and support faster decisions during emergencies. The development of a Digital Readiness Strategy Operational Plan with the Office of Civil Defense, the Department of Science and Technology and other government agencies can help unlock the growing role of digital systems in resilience. When these tools inform budgets, infrastructure, land-use decisions and local preparedness early enough, they can help prevent risk from becoming loss.

The local level is where this agenda is tested and sustained. Local governments make many of the decisions that determine how risk is managed: where development takes place, how infrastructure is built, how communities are informed and how essential services continue during emergencies. Through the Strengthening Institutions and Empowering Localities Against Disasters and Climate Change, or SHIELD Programme, supported by the Australian Government, UNDP is working with national and local partners country-wide to connect risk-informed planning, science-to-practice tools and local resilience financing. It has supported local governments in using climate and hazard information for investment decisions, preparing bankable resilience proposals and developing tools that help identify public, private and blended sources of financing. This experience can be relevant to other countries in Asia and the Pacific, including ASEAN Member States, as they seek to connect local risk reduction, science and financing more effectively.

For ASEAN, resilience is increasingly a regional development issue because risks move across borders through people, markets, infrastructure and ecosystems. Strengthening national systems, using science more effectively and investing in local preparedness can therefore contribute not only to safer communities, but also to more stable and connected regional development.

Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry releases video on participation in counterterrorism operation [VIDEO]

Azerbaijan’s Internal Affairs (MIA) has released a video highlighting its participation in the counterterrorism operation.

According to the ministry’s post, the 44-day Patriotic War and the localized counterterrorism measures conducted in September 2023 were important stages in the historic process that resulted in the full restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The ministry noted that during the fighting, MIA military personnel and police officers carried out their assigned duties with a high level of professionalism, courage and dedication.

‘The heroism of the martyrs, the bravery of the veterans and the perseverance of the military personnel will forever hold a place in Azerbaijan’s chronicle of victory,’ the ministry said.

ED Council OKs changes to railway, airport projects

The Economy and Development (ED) Council, chaired by President Marcos, approved changes to the North-South Commuter Railway’s (NSCR) operations and maintenance and the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) public-private partnership (PPP) projects.

In a statement, the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) said the ED Council approved the changes during its Sept. 16 meeting.

For the NSCR in particular, the ED Council approved changes in the parameters, terms and conditions to encourage firms to submit competitive proposals for the rail project that will link Central Luzon, Metro Manila and Southern Luzon.

Partial operations of the railway are expected to start in December next year.

‘The NSCR is an investment in opportunity,’ said DEPDev Secretary and ED Council vice-chair Arsenio Balisacan.

‘Improved mobility will expand access to jobs, markets, education and services across regions, reflecting our commitment to a more productive, resilient and inclusive economy,’ he added.

Also approved was the extension of the concession period for the MCIA for longer investment recovery.

Apart from enabling necessary airport improvements, the extension will reduce the pressure to increase passenger service charges.

Under the contract variation, MCIA concessionaire Aboitiz InfraCapital Cebu Airport Corp. commits to provide nearly P15 billion for capacity augmentation and investments.

During the meeting, the ED Council also approved changes in the scope, cost and implementation timelines of three development projects.

These are the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s Supporting Innovation in the Philippine Technical and Vocational Education and Training System Project, the Department of Public Works and Highways’ Road Network Development Project in Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao and the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Reducing Food Insecurity and Undernutrition with Electronic Vouchers Project.

In the same meeting, the ED Council directed a further review of proposed guidelines on class suspensions.

Through the review, the aim is to provide clear protocols for schools and local government units during tropical cyclones, earthquakes, storm surges, poor air quality volcanic hazards and extreme heat.

‘Refining this policy is a matter of urgency,’ Balisacan said.

‘We must protect our learners and teachers while ensuring the continuity of education in the face of evolving risks,’ he added.

Earlier, he said that class suspensions affect not just learning outcomes but overall economic activity.

Two defence volunteers killed in Narathiwat attack

Two territorial defence volunteers were killed and 16 others injured, six of them seriously, when a six-wheel truck carrying them was hit by a roadside bomb and then came under gunfire in Sukhirin district of Narathiwat on Friday afternoon.

The attack occurred at about 3pm as the volunteers were returning from a boat race at the annual fair in Muang district, said Pol Col Praphot Lomkhet, chief of the Sukhirin police station.

Police and soldiers rushed to the scene in Blukaya-ing village Moo 2 in tambon Rom Sai and found a six-wheel truck overturned with its wheels pointing skyward. Several injured and deceased personnel were trapped beneath the vehicle. Rescue workers took them to Sukhirin Hospital.

About 20 metres away, officers found a crater measuring two metres deep and three metres wide. Debris from an improvised explosive device, believed to have been assembled inside a 50-kilogramme cooking gas cylinder, was scattered across the road and nearby areas.

The two deceased volunteers were identified Irin Kaewrawangand Nattanat Kaewsupo.

According to the investigation, the 18 territorial defence volunteers were travelling in the truck back to their base in Sukhirin district after taking part in the boat race.

When the vehicle reached the scene, an unknown number of assailants hiding in dense roadside vegetation detonated a bomb planted beneath the road surface, causing the truck to overturn and be thrown across the road.

The attackers then opened fire on the volunteers, who returned fire with their weapons. The assailants subsequently fled, using their familiarity with the area to evade capture.

Authorities believed the attack was carried out by insurgents in retaliation for the killing of two suspected bomb-makers during a security operation in the Tawae mountain range in Narathiwat on Sept 9.

Thailand’s liberal gold regime at risk

Investment in gold has long been regarded as a hedge against economic uncertainty, particularly during periods of heightened volatility. Yet gold is increasingly being used as a means of converting grey money into legitimate money, raising concerns about its broader impact on the country’s economy and society.

As a result, regulatory oversight aimed at tracking the origin and destination of gold held by individuals, whether the funds involved are legitimate, grey or illicit, has become a focus of government monitoring.

The Bank of Thailand previously required transactions involving gold purchases made through applications to be reported when their value exceeded 10 million baht or 2kg. This measure resulted in a 70% decline in unusual transactions in this category.

However, such measures may be insufficient. Central bank governor Vitai Ratanakorn and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas recently discussed introducing a transaction tax on gold trading. The Finance Ministry said the purpose of the tax was not to generate revenue, but rather to enable authorities to more effectively track who is buying and selling gold to whom.

Mr Vitai said if a tax were imposed on gold transactions, it could be set at a very low rate, such as 0.01% of the value of the gold transaction. For a transaction value of 70,000 baht, the tax would amount to just 7 baht.

What are the current taxes related to gold?

When an individual purchases gold from a traditional gold shop for personal savings or collection, rather than for commercial purposes, any subsequent sale of the gold is exempt from personal income tax. There is also no value-added tax (VAT) liability arising from the purchase and sale of the gold itself.

If gold is purchased for speculative purposes, such as through an app on a regular basis with the intention of systematically profiting from gold trading, the Revenue Department may determine that the activity does not constitute personal investment or collection. Income derived from such gold trading would be considered assessable under the law, meaning the resulting profits must be included in the calculation of income tax.

However, the making charge or the goldsmith’s fee on gold jewellery remains subject to VAT.

For investments such as gold futures or digital gold, profits earned from the investment are considered assessable income.

When will the gold transaction tax be introduced?

Policymakers believe Thailand may need to tax gold transactions to prevent money laundering. However, technocrats who translate policy into measures remain hesitant, concerned that such a levy could affect the domestic gold trade.

The current priority is to establish a regulatory framework for gold trading that prevents it from becoming a channel for money laundering. The Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) and the central bank are expected to jointly draft legislation governing both online and offline gold trading.

A digital system would be used to track gold trading data, providing authorities with up-to-date information more quickly.

Gold market supervision remains subject to two limitations: the absence of a dedicated regulatory authority, and limited access to comprehensive data on gold trading activities.

Although the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) oversees cash transactions, gold trading involves more complex dimensions than cash transactions alone.

How was gold trading regulated in the past?

According to a 1997 study by Thailand Development Research Institute focused on gold trading liberalisation, gold bullion trading in Thailand was once subject to strict government controls as part of wartime measures.

The Exchange Control Act of 1942 empowered the finance minister to issue laws and regulations governing the international movement of currency and the cross-border movement of gold. That same year, the ministry issued the Royal Decree Controlling the Export of Certain Goods Outside the Kingdom (No.8), which prohibited the export of gold, platinum, gems and precious stones from the country without special permission from the finance minister or a person designated by the minister.

When World War II ended in 1945, demand for gold bullion surged amid post-war inflationary pressures and concerns over the baht’s stability.

Restrictions on gold trading meant only certain businesses were permitted to import gold. For example, in 1952 the Finance Ministry granted exclusive import rights to Saha Thanikit Co, led by Bangkok Bank’s founder, Chin Sophonpanich, making the company an authorised gold importer.

Gold import tariffs were previously as high as 35%, before gradually falling to 5% in 1991 and then to 0% in 1992. The combination of high tariffs and a limited number of authorised importers drove a portion of the gold trade underground.

The reduction in gold import tariffs prompted the Finance Ministry to later liberalise gold imports, moving away from the previous system in which imports were monopolised by a small number of authorised importers.

In 1991, the FPO issued a notification on rules, procedures and conditions for registration as an importer or exporter, allowing private companies to import gold bullion, subject to three conditions.

Registration is required, with the FPO approving the criteria, procedures and conditions as proposed by the finance minister. Registered importers and exporters were required to present their registration documents to customs officials each time they imported or exported gold. The registration licence is valid for a maximum of three years.

Each gold importer is required to specify the quantity of gold it plans to import. The actual quantity imported cannot be less than the prescribed level, effectively establishing a minimum import requirement, forming part of the ministry’s policy to promote the expansion of the gold jewellery industry.

In addition, importers were required to submit monthly reports to the FPO specifying the dates and quantities of all cross-border transactions. The office reserved the right to revoke a registration if the licence holder failed to comply with the conditions and requirements of registration.

German MPs engage Sri Lankan Parliament on youth, women and community reconciliation

A delegation from the South Asia Parliamentary Group of the German Bundestag engaged Sri Lankan lawmakers on parliamentary reforms, women’s political participation, youth involvement and efforts to build trust among ethnic and religious communities during an official visit to Parliament on 16 September.

The delegation, led by German MP Nicklas Kappe and comprising MPs Gerold Otten, Johann Saathoff and Ulle Schauws, was received by Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvi Salih, who hosted a luncheon with members of the Sri Lanka-Germany Parliamentary Friendship Association.

The delegation was accompanied by Chargé d’Affaires Sarah Hasselbarth, Staff Member of the Parliamentary Secretariat Katerina Bienert, and Senior Adviser-Political Affairs Dharini Daluwatte.

The discussions, attended by Friendship Association Chair and Minister Harshana Nanayakkara and other MPs, covered parliamentary procedures and the committee system, alongside the need to strengthen women’s political leadership and participation and encourage greater involvement of younger people in politics.

Participants also exchanged views on growing interest among young people in integrity and respect for the law.

The talks further touched on the resolution of ethnic and religious issues and the importance of building trust among communities, placing reconciliation and social cohesion alongside institutional and political participation.

Following the luncheon, the German delegation joined a joint roundtable with three Ministerial Consultative Committees and two Sectoral Oversight Committees, providing a more focused exchange on economic, infrastructure and strategic policy issues.

The participating bodies included the Ministerial Consultative Committees on Energy; Finance, Planning and Economic Development; and Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, as well as the Sectoral Oversight Committees on Economic Development and International Relations and Infrastructure and Strategic Development.

Sectoral Oversight Committee Chairpersons MPs Lakmali Hemachandra and S. M. Marikkar, together with other committee members, participated in the discussion.

The roundtable addressed areas identified by the German delegation, including waste management, water supply and treatment, power and energy, as well as wider economic and strategic development issues.

The engagement allowed both sides to exchange perspectives on the roles, activities and priorities of parliamentary committees, while providing an opportunity to share experiences on policy oversight and institutional processes.

The visit comes as part of efforts to deepen parliamentary-level engagement between Sri Lanka and Germany, with the discussions spanning governance, inclusion, reconciliation and sectoral development.

Parliament officials, including Acting Secretary General Hansa Abeyrathne and Director of Legislative Services M. Jayalath Perera, also participated in the engagements.

The Sri Lankan Parliament said the visit contributed to strengthening parliamentary dialogue, cooperation and mutual understanding between the two countries.