- Parliament Media Unit quotes Secretary-General Kushani Rohanadeera that Party Leaders had approved a motion to appoint a Select Committee to ascertain whether the privileges of MPs have been violated by the former members of the Election Commission: Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says the Govt move is to intimidate public officials.
- Gampaha Magistrate’s Court orders the Range Forest Officer of Gampaha to appear before Court on July 21, to submit facts pertaining to the removal of the endemic endangered tree “Crudia Zeylanica” also known as “Pandu Karanda” from the area of Daraluwa in Veyangoda, along the path of the Central Expressway: previously, the Highways Minister Bandula Gunawardene has said the endangered tree was cut down as per a Cabinet decision.
- While the Census Dept has reported that the economy had undergone severe contractions of 8.4%, 11.8%,12.4% & 11.5% in the last 4 quarters (2Q22, 3Q22, 4Q22 & 1Q23), the Inland Revenue Dept says Sri Lankans paid Rs.697 bn as taxes to the IRD in the first half of 2023, compared with only Rs.362 bn in 2022, indicating an increase of Rs.335 bn (92%).
- Popular local newspaper reveals that their findings of interviews indicate that people living at the grassroots level and middle-income earners are “cutting corners” to deal with the ever-increasing cost of living: also reveal that such situation has brought the daily life of many households to a standstill.
- Health Minister Keheliya Rabukwella appoints a 5 member expert committee headed by Professor Chandima Jeewandara to probe recent deaths in Govt hospitals and various other issues reported in Govt hospitals.
- Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera says 512,000 hectares of paddy fields were cultivated in the “Yala” season after 10 years, due to President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s new fertiliser policy: also says that under the Agriculture Modernisation Programme, it is planned to achieve 80% of the agricultural production output of the country’s consumption by 2025.
- JVP Propaganda Secretary and NPP MP Vijitha Herath says the Govt is planning to introduce a 12-hour workday: also says the Govt is trying to deprive the workers of their legitimate rights by abolishing 13 Acts including the Shop and Office Employees Act and the Wages Boards Ordinance, at the behest of the IMF.
- Secretary of the GMOA Dr. Haritha Aluthge says one of the main reasons for the sorry state of affairs in the health sector is corruption: urges the Health Minister to show his sincerity by sacking officials who are facing serious allegations: adds that health officials had ignored the repeated warnings of professional organisations.
- SL Buddhist Lawyers’ Association President, Uditha Egalahewa says that the SLBLA strongly condemns the partisan and selective approach of the Bar Association with regard to the issuance of statements, although it agrees with the sentiments expressed by the BASL to uphold the rule of law and safeguard the independence of the judiciary.
- President of the Trichy based “Indian Origin Upcountry Tamils Front” M S Selvaraj says those Tamils of Indian origin who were repatriated to India under the Sirima-Shastri Pact are living in a state of limbo for over 6 decades: also says the Group would demand an “international intervention” into their miseries, socio-economic backwardness, and the division of their families from India, Sri Lanka and UK at the International Court of Justice: Tamil Progressive Alliance Leader and SJB MP Mano Ganesan also participates at the meeting.
