Sri Lanka’s navy provided interest free loans to forty sailors this week as part of a range of benefits provided for its troops, as defense spending continues to dominate Sri Lanka’s budget.

Loans worth Rs. 500,000 each were granted to the sailors, reports an official military website. The loans are part of a range of benefits granted to the military.

A total of 1,151 sailors have been granted interest free loans so far said the navy, totaling a sum of at least Rs. 576.2 million. At least an additional 4,000 more sailors are also set to receive loans.

The Sri Lankan military continued to intrude on Christmas festivities in Jaffna this month, despite government pledges to withdraw the military from civilian activities.

Sri Lanka received its first instalment from China for Hambantota Port totalling US$ 292.1 million, the Central Bank confirmed on December 26. 

The sum was credited to Sri Lanka by China Merchant Port Holdings (CMPort) in line with the long lease of Hambantota Port to the Chinese state owned company. 

The whole programme is expected to see a US$ 1.12 billion investment by CMPort. 

Read more here and here. 

The Sri Lankan government has sought an emergency supply of fertiliser from Pakistan after farmers raised concerns of supplies running out. 

The government's news portal reported that the Sri Lankan president, Maithripala Sirisena "immediately contacted Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi" requesting assistance. 

Mr Abbasi has pledged 41,000 metric tons of fertiliser for immediate delivery, with 75,000 metric tons in the near future. 

The Indian government offered Sri Lankan officials training towards understanding India's method of governance, PTI reports. 

Forty-five day long training courses have been introduced, starting on January 15, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said in a statement. 

"The training courses aim to give Sri Lankan government officials an understanding of India’s approach towards governance and rural and urban development," the statement noted. 

The residents of a Mullaitivu village are still unable to return to their homes despite announcements by the Sri Lankan Army that their lands have been released.

Sri Lanka's Department of Archaeology has been given the authority to take control of land in Sampur which is claimed to be the site of a Anuradhapura era Buddhist stupa. 

A team of archaeologists claimed to have made the discovery on November 11 during an excavation. 

One day after the alleged discovery, the site was reportedly demolished by unidentified persons. 

In a statement announcing the department's take over of the disputed land, Sri Lanka's Speaker, Karu Jayasuriya pledged to action against those responsible.  

The Sri Lankan government attempted to play down the impact of the decision by the United States to end its preferential duties from January 1, 2018. 

"The US GSP applies to 120 countries and there is nothing special or significant to Sri Lanka. Once it was removed, the cost of exports will rise only by about 3% in tariff," Sri Lanka's national policies and economic affairs deputy minister, Harsha De Silva was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying. 

The "USD 173 million worth of exports which received GSP benefit is not a big amount of our total exports of about USD 11,000 million. This will make a negligible impact," he reportedly further added. 

Despite repeated calls for the military to withdraw from civilian life in the North-East, Sri Lankan soldiers involved themselves in a religious ceremony held at a Saiva temple in Trincomalee last week.

The United States announced that from January 1 2018, Sri Lanka will not receive any preferential duties under Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program.

In a press release today, the US Embassy in Colombo said that in the case of Sri Lanka, “the United States Congress did not re-authorize GSP before adjourning for the year”.