Lottery agents in Sri Lanka end protests

After the board decided to suspend the agents that were against increments on the sector, the protest was called off.

Sri Lanka.-  A discussion between President Maithripala Sirisena and All Island Lottery Dealers’ Association (AILDA) president Krishan Marambe set the terms to call off the protest that it was taking place in Sri Lanka. The National Lotteries Board and the Development Lotteries Board had decided to suspend the agreement that they had reach with the agents that were protesting against the price increment on the sector.

“Even it took some time now we have an assurance that our issues would be solved. Therefore, we called off our protest and would be starting work tomorrow onwards,” said Marambe. Sri Lanka’s authorities are set to rise the current price of lottery tickets, which agents consider that it would affect the sales. The government had warned them earlier this week that if they didn’t stop the strike, new agents would be hired. The Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake said on Monday that the protests were unacceptable and that the government was ready to take measures.

DLB chairman and CEO Romesh Jayawardhana, said: “According to the agreement, we have the power to suspend the people who protested if they do not sell lottery tickets for a period of one month. We have identified the people who were behind the protest, and we will take legal action against the ones who damaged the property of the DLB.”