September 2024

Presidential Election Update – 18.11.2019 Presidential Election on 16th of November is one of most peaceful elections in Sri Lanka. Mr Gotabhaya Rajapaksha was selected as the president of Sri Lanka with 52.3 % clear mandate from Sri Lankans.  Sri Lanka is moving towards an Election Period. It is announced that presidential election to be held on 16th of November 2019. This is going to be the nationwide most competitive election. However, this is going to be the start of a wave of elections. Waves of Elections Presidential election is the most decisive election in Sri Lanka. Since the president has executive powers ( They were substantially reduced by reforms) whatever the party wins the presidency has more power to control the country. Especially there is more possibility to win the parliamentary election (2nd biggest) when a new president was elected from an election. All most all the candidates in 2019 are freshers and the party will have the best opportunity to win the elections to come. READ – Tour Operators & Travel Agents in Sri Lanka How the Sri Lankan Election System Works If you are interested in knowing about the election system and how the public reacts during them, you can read this part or else you can skip to the next section.   There are 4 major elections are taking place in Sri Lanka. Presidential Election Parliamentary Election Provincial Council Elections Local Authority Members’ Election (Please refer https://elections.gov.lk/web/en/ for more) President of Sri Lanka The Sri Lankan president has executive powers in decision-making. Even though the 20th amendment to the constitution has substantially controlled the power, still the president has the authority to appoint commanders three forces, a solicitor general, and secretaries to the ministries. Therefore the election to select the president is the most decisive political event in Sri Lanka.   Presidential Election is held every 4-5 years in Sri Lanka. Parliament Sri Lanka’s parliament has 225 seats. Out of 225 seats, 196 members will be selected from the general election in 22 electoral districts of Sri Lanka. Balance 29 members are allocated proportionally for each party based on the number of votes they get from the election and the parties can appoint an independent person as a member of the parliament. The current parliament needs to be resolved on or before August 2020. However, since none of the parties have parliamentary majority seats, it is most likely to dissolve the parliament very soon after finishing the presidential election in November 2019. Provincial Council Sri Lanka has been divided into 9 provinces considering the ethnic demography, geography, historical social development, etc. as a step of power-sharing among the minorities of Sri Lanka. Provincial councils have regional authority powers on specific areas such as schools, health, transport, etc. Please read here for more information on the power-sharing structure. The provincial council has linked to the executive presidency by the governor and the chief minister is the political leader of the province. There are provincial ministers for some sectors of the province. All the provincial councils have expired from the 09th of September 2019 and few provinces expired for more than a year. (News Link). Therefore soon after the presidential election, it is expected to declare the provincial council election. Local Authority The local council is at the bottom of the political structure of Sri Lanka. There are 341 total local authorities in Sri Lanka (24 municipal councils, 41 urban councils and 276 divisional councils). Please read here for more information. Since the local authorities are the closest authority for the locals, people consider local levels when it comes to local council elections. Types of Different Elections 1. Presidential Election As I have mentioned above, this is the most competitive election in Sri Lanka.  Sri Lankan elections used to be violent years ago but it has changed now, especially around the year 2000 as the community is more educated on the democratic system and its applications. However, because of the competition, during the pre-election campaigns, there are lots of meetings and rallies that will take place all around the country. Most of the mass meetings will take place in public places such as grounds, and city open spaces, and therefore, it can create traffic jams around the area. It is advised to avoid all these election rallies or meetings. 2. Parliamentary Election As the second competitive election which will elect 196 members for the parliament, parliamentary election also gather lots of crowds for rallies and meetings. Unlike the presidential election, the parliamentary election is more targeted on districts of the country, therefore more events can be seen outside the main cities. 3. Provincial Council Elections Provincial Council Elections can take place in one or more provinces of the country in a single day. Sometimes, most of the province’s elections are held in a single day. Most of the regional politicians compete for the seats and therefore it has a regional importance rather than a national importance. Comparing to the presidential and parliamentary elections, less money is involved and therefore events are also lower than them. 4. Local Councils Election Local election has only local importance and most of the local individuals are competing with each other for the council positions. Other than a few mass rallies which are taking place to show the political party’s strength, most of the other meetings are not lot crowded. It hardly affects the day-to-day lives of the people, but it is advised to avoid any mass public gatherings during the election period. Precautions You Must Follow 1. Avoid Any Gatherings Even Though the recent Sri Lankan Elections are comparatively peaceful, it is advised to avoid any place which has a possibility of violent eruption. Large gatherings have the potential to convert to election violence. 2. Avoid Main Cities Most of the election tension is witnessed around the main cities such as Colombo, Kandy, Galle etc. It is advised to avoid these cities or be vigilant when you visit city areas. 3. Election Celebrations Warnings As a country of cricket,

Fair Pay Policy We are maintaining a fair-pay policy, which means all the parties involved in your tour were paid fairly not just by considering the industrial payment policies but their life standards, which are well above the industry average. Support the Local Economy We are very much interested in promoting local owned independent hotels if they fit in to your requirements. This is to make sure the benefits of the tourism industry among locals. Most of the employees of the hotels that you are staying, are local and coming from rural backgrounds. Tourism industry in Sri Lanka is one of the main industries which has the potential to eradicate poverty. Concern on Environment our tour arrangements have minimum usage of papers as most of the arrangements are done electronically. We have tried to use minimum plastic for your tour and plastic water bottles you will use will be sent to a recycling plant. Finally & Most Importantly it’s you… We will ensure that the price you will pay is fair and without a large profit margin. You will receive our best service as we do not have any competition or hunger for profits. We are strongly against the tourist traps common in developing countries like ours. None of these are included in our travel itineraries. Your highest satisfaction and the guilty free holiday is our ultimate target

Contents of the Article 1. Introduction on Sri Lankan Currency 2. Currency Notes of Sri Lanka 3. Currency Exchange in Sri Lanka 4. Places to Exchange 5. ATM Machines & Other Electronic Payment Methods 6. General Tips As a small island nation located in the south of Asia, the currency of Sri Lanka is not familiar with the other people around the globe. Similarly, Sri Lankan people also not familiar with the other currencies as most of the countrymen are not exposed to the world. This article is to help whoever would like to know about the Sri Lankan currency mainly for those who travel in Sri Lanka and searching the information for educational purposes. “RUPEE” – The Name of the Currency of Lots of Countries in Asia “Rupee” is a word derived from the sanskrit language and its basic meaning is “Silver Coin”. Rupee used to be the official currency name of a number of countries in Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa from the colonial period. But it is still being used as the currency in countries such as Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal & Seychelles.    Even though the name is the same, the value of the currency is totally different from each other. Ex – Sri Lanka Rupee to Indunesian Rupiah exchange rate is 1- 72**.  (** Rounded spot exchange rate on 06th May 2021) 1. Introduction on Sri Lankan Currency LKR is the only valid & accepted currency in Sri Lanka and it is vital to note that none of the other Rupee currencies such as Indian Rupees or Nepal rupees are not accepted in Sri Lanka. On the other hand LKR currency can not use in any other country outside the Sri Lanka. History of the Currencies in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka has a rich history and economic prosperity which goes back to ancient times. More than 2500 years of written history proves that the strategic location of the island used to be a busy economic activity since ancient civilizations of the world. A detailed article about the history of Sri Lankan Currency including the types of currencies, their usage, and evaluation is available on the website of Sri Lankan Central Bank. Sri Lankan “RUPEE” – LKR International currency code for Sri Lankan Rupee is – LKR. Please visit the list of all the currency codes in IBAN website.  Historical Movement of Exchange Rate Sri Lankan rupee has a negative trend against United States Dollar for more than 70 years after its independence from British Colonials rulers in 1948. Please find below the rate chart from xe.com Even though historical trend has a huge negative trend after war end in 2009, overall economy looks healthy as the economy is boosting. Strengthening of the US dollar in recent years has a negative impact on all the currencies in the world including Sri Lanka. Current Condition of LKR Currency exchange rate has a strong connection with its economic condition. Soon after ending the war, there was a capital flow into the country, but the country could not capitalise the opportunity by maintaining the constant economic development with a long term strategic plan. While, industries like tourism, clothing, information technology has been maintaining a healthy development rate, total exports are still negative against the imports. Therefore current and near future condition of LKR looks vulnerable. 02. Currency Notes of Sri Lanka After 1948 in which Sri Lanka gained independence from the British Colonial days, there have been plenty of different prints of Sri Lankan currency. Some of these have been outdated by now, however, there are many versions currently in circulation as well. Since you are new to the currency, you might find it a tad hard to memorize all the valid notes. If you would like to know about the currency notes in detail – Please visit the page of Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Invalid notes in Sri Lanka Unlike in India, the issues on using old or expired currency notes has not reported in Sri Lanka. Therefore there is minimal risk of catch in to expired currency notes in Sri Lanka. However knowing the currency is always helpful to use it when you are travelling in Sri Lanka. 03. Currency Exchange Advantage of exchange Rate One of the main reasons to travel in South Asian country is to get the advantage of the value of the currency against the currency you hold . You get higher value in most cases against the currencies like Indian Rupee, Pakistan Rupee or Sri Lankan rupee. But my experience is most foreign tourists who travel in these countries won’t get the advantage due to lack of knowledge. This is a detailed guide about currency in Sri Lanka for the people who are planning to travel Sri Lanka. Where Can I buy Sri Lankan Currency LKR Sri Lankan rupee is a closed currency, which means it is not available to buy or sell outside of Sri Lanka. (Read More on Closed Currency) If you try to buy the currency in a Currency Exchange Outlet outside Sri Lanka, it is impossible or too expensive. Best Rates for LKR If you are a regular traveller you might be aware that buying the currencies at the Airport is one thing you have to avoid or make it minimum wherever you travel. Each and every currency bureaus in Airport has ridiculously high profit margins. So if you can manage to come outside from the Sri Lankan Airport at Katunayake, there are a couple of currency bureaus in Negombo and lots in capital city Colombo -Fort. My advice is to get the support from your agent or guide to find those places. At Feel SL Holidays our dedicated team will guide you to buy LKR in  best rates most importantly with higher transparency. Just keep in mind that if you are changing the currencies from the outlets in Colombo Fort, make sure to bargain for a better rate. My advice is just visit them by yourself