- Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardene testifies before the Parliamentary Committee to look into the matter of Financial Bankruptcy: says he did not declare a financial bankruptcy on 12th April ’22, and only announced the inability to pay some debts: asserts that therefore, the “financial bankruptcy” is a misinterpretation.
- United Entrepreneurs’ Forum President Tanya Abeysundera claims there were nearly a million SMEs in this country, but that the economic management of President Ranil Wickramasinghe & CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe has caused that number to collapse to just about 300,000.
- Japan stresses urgency of finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding on Debt Re-structuring between the Official Creditor Committee and the SL Govt: highlights the need for transparency & comparability in agreements with all Creditors.
- SJB Badulla District MP Chaminda Wijesiri resigns as an MP: Nayana Wasalathilaka fills the Parliamentary seat thereby falling vacant.
- GMOA & FUTA welcome the Govt’s recent decision to double the “Disturbance, Availability & Transport” allowance paid for Govt doctors and the 25% increase in the study allowance given to university teachers.
- UK’s Princess Anne and spouse Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence visit SL: the visit to mark 75 years of diplomatic relations between UK & SL: SL had been colonised by Portugal, Netherlands & UK for 443 years from 1505 to 1948.
- Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera says there are around 20,000 private zoos in China, and many have expressed hopes of acquiring SL toque macaque monkeys for exhibition in their zoos.
- Cabinet grants approval to a proposal to enhance 1,500km of roads under the 100,000km Roads Programme, where work had been inaugurated but suspended.
- National Construction Assn Chairman Susantha Liyanaarachchi says the country’s business community is prepared to confront any potential measures of suppression by the Govt: his comments likely to be in response to a recent statement by Presidential Chief of Staff Sagala Ratnayaka that the Govt would take action against “individuals spreading misinformation regarding the recent increase in VAT”.
- Afghanistan Cricket Board says Afghanistan will undertake an all-formats tour of SL in February’24: will play a one-off Test followed by 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is.
