- State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe says the Ministry of Finance will present a time-bound programme on relaxing import restrictions to the IMF by the end of June: also says it’s not suitable to divulge the information since no final decision can be taken by them.
- Representatives of associations representing Small, Medium and Large construction companies from all Provinces, Architectural & Engineering Associations, Construction Industry Development Authority, and Chamber of Construction Industry inform the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Alleviating the Impact of the Economic Crisis that 1 mn jobs have been lost due to the collapse of the construction sector.
- Sri Lanka’s Official Reserve Assets increase by 26.2% to USD 3,483mn in May 2023, compared to USD 2,761mn in April 2023; analysts point out that “hot-money” inflows of over USD 500mn in the past 3 months into the T-Bills & Bonds of the Govt by Foreign Investors, is included in such Reserves: analysts also point out that such “hot-money” investments have enabled those investors to make massive gains due to the sudden LKR appreciation and very high T-Bill & Bond interest rates.
- Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa claims that more than 400 properties of SME industrialists have been seized under the Parate execution law, within the first 4 months of 2023: daily newspapers carry large numbers of advertisements of Parate auctions.
- Kilinochchi Magistrate’s Court grants bail to Tamil National Peoples’ Front leader and MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam who was arrested over an incident in Jaffna between him and the Police: Pivithuru Hela Urumaya leader and MP Udaya Gammanpila thanks the Police for doing so.
- Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia of US Treasury Department, Robert Kaproth concludes official visit to Sri Lanka: meets President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, Ministers Ali Sabry & Kanchana Wijesekara, State Minister Shehan Semasinghe and CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe: reaffirms the US would explore areas in which its engagement can help Sri Lanka to overcome its economic challenges and continue its structural reforms.
- SJB MP Harsha de Silva finally appointed the Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance, ending a long tussle between the opposition and the ruling party: appointment made on a proposal by President Ranil Wickremasinghe.
- Police use water cannons and tear gas to disperse the members of the Inter-University Students’ Federation attached to the Sri Jayewardenepura University near the Wijerama junction.
- DG Health Services, Dr. Asela Gunawardena says 2 women who returned to Sri Lanka from overseas have been diagnosed with monkeypox: the monkeypox – infected mother & daughter are under medical care at the Infectious Diseases Hospital.
- Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan in the 3rd Cricket ODI by 9 wickets; AFG 116 (22.2): Dushmantha Chameera 63/4, Lahiru Kumara 29/2, Wanindu Hasaranga 7/3): SL 120/1 (16 overs): Dimuth Karunaratne 56*, Pathum Nissanka 51; Sri Lanka win series 2-1.
