- CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe says it will be more difficult for SMEs to get loans from banks if the “Parate” execution laws are removed: asserts banks will be reluctant to give loans if there is no way of recovery when there is a default: refutes Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapakshe’s claim that “parate” execution provisions are “archaic”, and says the term may be archaic but that other countries have stringent debt recovery laws as well.
- UNP decides to field President Ranil Wickremesinghe as its Presidential candidate at the upcoming election tipped in Sept’24.
- All Health personnel, spanning administrative officers, health management assistants, development officers, assistants and hospital health assistants to embark on a strike today: demand the “Disturbance, Availability & Transport” allowance of Rs.35,000.
- US Ambassador to SL Julie Chung urges law enforcement operatives to adhere to the rule of law & due process while combating drug trafficking: echoes concerns raised by the Human Rights Commission regarding alleged human rights abuses during the recent “Yukthiya” Operation: meanwhile, many persons express concerns about the US Ambassador’s remarks and say those amount to an interference into the internal affairs of SL.
- Nationwide programme to be initiated at school level to detect Leprosy in the light of an uptick in cases: 1,550 leprosy cases logged in 2023: 315 cases from Colombo District: 168 from Gampaha: 151 from Kalutara.
- State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya says applications have been received for 10 new casinos although approval is yet to be granted by the Govt.
- CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe says exchange controls imposed in the recent past will be relaxed: also says the provisions of Foreign Exchange Management Act will be relaxed in line with the observed improvements in the liquidity position of the domestic forex market: previously, Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapakshe has lamented that over USD 50bn had been retained outside the country by exporters due to the Foreign Exchange Management Act passed in 2017.
- CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe says “good faith negotiations” are in progress with commercial creditors to reach an “in-principle” agreement soon: also says agreement is expected to be reached within the next 2 months: analysts point out that although the CB and IMF had expected Bi-lateral & Private Creditors to agree to “hair-cuts” of 60% of their loans, not a single creditor has so far agreed to even a single dollar “hair-cut”.
- National Savings Bank announces that Shashi Kandambi has been appointed as it’s 1st ever Woman CEO/GM in its over 50 years existence: Kandambi previously served as the Senior Deputy General Manager of Int’l Banking at Sampath Bank.
- SL Cricket announces “free entry” for the public to watch the 3rd Cricket ODI between SL & Zimbabwe today at certain stands of the Premadasa Stadium: aim is to boost crowd attendance which had dropped drastically in line with the severe economic contraction.
