Time change from April 14

COLOMBO: The Cabinet approved to turn the clock back by 30 minutes from April 14 midnight, this being the first midnight after the dawn of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year.

Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe submitted the memorandum to turn the clock back, a Government Information Department release said.

He said in his memorandum that since the majority of the people will be celebrating the Sinhala and Tamil New Year and the auspicious time for the dawn of the New Year has already been fixed according to the present clock, the time will be changed from April 14 midnight after the New Year has dawned.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet also approved to provide tax holidays of 15 years to 25 years to Coal Based Power Project at Trincomalee, according to the Memorandum submitted by Power and Energy Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne.

It also approved the custom duty waivers and sales and other local taxes and duty waivers for all project related items during the project's construction period. Cabinet also approved to custom duty waivers, sales and other local taxes and duty waivers for all project related items during their project expansion period beyond the construction stage.

The benefit of the tax holidays will be passed on to customers as this will reduce the tariff for purchase of electricity by the Ceylon Electricity Board from the Joint Venture Company.