- President Ranil Wickremesinghe says the country is looking at the New Year 2023 after having undergone the bleakest of times, immense hardships, as well as the uncertainties and hopelessness of the last year.
- National Dangerous Drugs Control Board Chairman Shakya Nanayakkara says nearly 120,000 people use heroin in Sri Lanka: also says nearly 400,000 people use marijuana: further says the number of people using cigarettes and alcohol is decreasing while there is an increase in people using narcotics including ‘ICE’.
- Urban Development Authority earns more than USD 500,000 via the sale of 11 middle-class housing units at the Viyathpura Housing Scheme under the scheme to sell UDA-built apartments for foreign currency to Sri Lankan migrant workers.
- State Finance Minister says Govt will not rely on “money printing” by the Central Bank in the new year, as it hopes to meet govt finances from increased taxes: Sri Lanka has already increased taxes to boost the tax revenue by 70% in 2023: in the last 9 months of 2022, under Governor Weerasinghe, “money printing” was a staggering Rs.868 bn.
- Notorious underworld gangster, Mohamed Najim Mohamed Imran, alias ‘Kanjipani’ Imran, sneaks into Rameswaram, India days after his release on bail by a Court in Sri Lanka: Tamil Nadu intelligence sounds alert to “mount a vigil along the coastal districts”.
- CEB Union General Secretary Ranjan Jayalal says a hartal will be launched island-wide in 2023 over the increase in electricity tariffs and hours-long power outages.
- People’s Bank appoints Clive Fonseka as Acting CEO/General Manager of the Bank with effect from 1st January 2023: Fonseka is a veteran banker with over 30 years of experience in local and global banks specialising in Treasury operations.
- Govt to impose tax of Rs.2 on each beedi stick at the production level from today: Excise Dept estimates the move to generate an additional Rs.3 bn in revenue.
- SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara says the SLFP is discussing with other centre-left parties in the Opposition, on the possibility of forming an alliance under the UPFA or forming a new alliance to contest the upcoming Local Govt election: also confirms his party is negotiating with independent SLPP MPs, including Dullas Alahapperuma as well.
- Sri Lanka’s Women’s Fide Master and Fide Instructor Suneetha Wijesuriya honoured during the recently concluded 44th Chess Olympiad championship in Chennai, India: Suneetha becomes the only Sri Lankan from 48 Asian countries to be recognised at the ceremony.
