- Govt’s domestic debt stock passes USD 50bn after the first 6 months of 2023, with an increase of 28% during the period: analysts say Govt is continuing to borrow from the domestic market at a premium.
- Minister Bandula Gunawardane says the Cabinet has decided to consider the supply of drinking water as an urgent and priority requirement until sufficient rainfall is received: also says around 84,000 families in 17 districts face a shortage of drinking water.
- UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara says the UNP’s Party Convention, originally scheduled for 10 Sept, has been indefinitely postponed due to ongoing adverse weather conditions across the country.
- Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa calls for an international probe into the Easter Sunday 2019 terror attacks.
- Supreme Court determines that the new Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill is not inconsistent with the Constitution and can be passed in Parliament by a simple majority: the bill was challenged in the SC in terms of Article 121(1) of the Constitution.
- Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena says it is essential that there is no holdback of reform of State Owned Enterprises and the Govt places new legislation to lock in this critical step to ensure sustainable socio-economic growth: also says the SOE reform measures already in place and those in the pipeline will help minimise their losses while providing efficient services to the public.
- State Urban Development Minister Thenuka Vidanagamage says the National Housing Development Authority had to allocate Rs.1,537mn annually for nearly 2,100 workers recruited from the Hambantota district during Sajith Premadasa’s tenure as the Housing Minister from 2015 to 2019.
- Minister Nimal Siripala Silva says the Mattala Airport has lost a billion rupees so far in 2023: earnings Rs.163mn, while expenditure Rs.1,200mn: the airport was built with a USD 189mn loan at 2% interest rate from the Exim Bank of China payable in 15 years.
- Ovin Gamage & Desandhi Gamage secure top positions in the “Below 1700 Rating Category” at the UAE 2023 Asian Amateur Chess Championships: Desandhi wins the gold and placed overall 2nd: tournament organized by the UAE Chess Federation on behalf of FIDE and the Asian Chess Federation.
- Sri Lanka beats Afghanistan in the Asia Cricket Cup 2023 – Match 6, by 2 runs: SL 291/8 (50 overs); Kusal Mendis 92, Pathum Nissanka 41; AFG all out 289 (37.4 overs): Kasun Rajitha 79/4.
