- A high-level meeting on Sri Lanka’s preparations for the upcoming Mutual Evaluation (ME) by the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering was held yesterday (23), led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake: Discussions focused on anti-money laundering and countering terrorism financing (AML/CFT) efforts, with an emphasis on legal reforms, capacity building, and inter-agency cooperation: The President emphasised collaboration and accountability to ensure compliance and improve Sri Lanka’s financial system.
- SJB MP Nalin Bandara says preliminary investigations have revealed that the erroneous identification of Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara as “Dr” on the Parliament website originated from a document provided by the office of Leader of the House, Bimal Rathnayake: Bandara criticised the government’s previous claims of a conspiracy and urged Nanayakkara to clarify the matter: He also criticised the JVP’s General Secretary for restricting media access.
- The first National Conference for Families of Missing Persons in Sri Lanka, organised by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), was held in Colombo, bringing together 51 families from diverse communities: The conference allowed participants to share experiences, discuss challenges in finding missing loved ones, and engage with authorities, including the Minister of Justice and officials from the Office on Missing Persons: Key issues raised included the need for answers, support, and acknowledgment of their suffering: This event follows the success of the ICRC’s Global Family Conference held last year.
- The tri-forces security provided to former Presidents will be removed starting December 23, as announced by Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala: The Defence Ministry has instructed the tri-forces commanders to implement this change, with police security now being assigned to ensure the safety of former Presidents.
- Deputy Minister of Labour Mahinda Jayasinghe has opposed a recent circular banning school teachers in the Western Province from conducting paid tuition classes for their own students during school hours, after school, or on weekends and public holidays: Jayasinghe stated that the Governor has instructed the suspension of the circular pending a review and policy decision: The circular, issued by the Western Province Secretary of Education, warns of disciplinary action for violations.
- Sri Lanka’s export performance in November 2024 showed a marginal overall increase of 0.04% YoY, reaching US$ 1.269 billion: While merchandise exports fell 5.6% YoY, services exports grew by 20.89%: Notable export gains included tea, spices, and coconut products: Cumulatively, merchandise exports grew 6.44% to US$ 11.611 billion, and services exports rose 7.39% to US$ 3.174 billion, with strong performances from key markets like the USA, UK, and India.
- Foreign reports indicate that a Sri Lankan organisation posing as an IT company is recruiting locals fluent in Japanese to target Japanese nationals with investment scams: A former employee revealed that victims had transferred up to 30 million yen ($192,000) to the organisation: The scam involved over 100 workers in Colombo, who made fraudulent investment calls to Japan while concealing their location using an app.
- The Public Utilities Commission (PUCSL) will begin oral sessions for gathering public opinions on the electricity tariff revision from December 27: This follows a proposal by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to maintain current tariffs for the next six months, while the PUCSL suggests a 10%-20% reduction: Public submissions began on December 17, with the final report expected on January 17.
- Veteran film director Sudath Mahaadivulwewa has been appointed as the Chairman of the National Film Corporation, with the appointment taking effect from December 23.
- Moody’s upgraded Sri Lanka’s long-term foreign currency issuer rating to ‘Caa1’ from ‘Ca’ with a stable outlook, following the approval of a $12.55 billion debt overhaul by the country’s creditors: Moody’s noted improvements in Sri Lanka’s credit fundamentals, with reduced external vulnerability and government liquidity risk: Additionally, Fitch Ratings raised Sri Lanka’s rating to ‘CCC+’ from ‘Restricted Default’.
