- Opposition Leader and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa alleges there are drug addicts in Parliament: wants all MPs to be screened before the ordinary people are tested.
- Public Utilities Commission Chairman Janaka Ratnayake says the Ministry of Energy should reduce the price of diesel as well: Petroleum Corporation Trade Union Leader Ananda Palitha claims the reduction of the petrol price was not carried out according to the price formula.
- CB Governor Dr Nandalal Weerasinghe says exporters should bring proceeds within a month: also says to reduce credit period offered to foreign buyers: admits there’s no “bridging finance”: laments foreign suppliers are refusing to accept Letters of Credit of local banks.
- Food inflation (YoY) in September rises to an astronomical 94.9%, up from 93.7% in August 2022: transport inflation rises to a staggering 150.4%.
- Colombo Stock Exchange closes early due to S&P SL20 index dropping over 5%: ASPI drops by 281 points (2.83%) to end the day at 9,650: Turnover Rs. 2.5 bn.
- Banks curtail private credit for the 4th consecutive month in August: Banks’ asset quality deteriorates: large numbers of borrowers default due to soaring interest rates and spiralling inflation: over 8% GDP “contraction” expected this year, from 4% GDP “growth” expected before debt default was announced.
- SJB MP Harsha de Silva says law must be applied equally to all those responsible for economic crimes: analysts say when Silva was Economic Policies State Minister, Sri Lanka raised its forex borrowings by 65% from 2015 to 2019, and ISB borrowings tripled from USD 5.0bn to USD 15.0bn: current debt crisis mainly attributed to this forex borrowing spree.
- SLFP communique states the recently set up National Council is a devious attempt by Government to obtain approval indirectly for its decisions from other parties in Parliament: also states it’s an attempt to mislead the international community that there is political stability in the country.
- Catholic Bishops’ Conference President and Bishop of Kurunegala His Lordship Harold Perera tells President Ranil Wickremesinghe that victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage had been denied justice: urges the government to
bring perpetrators of the massacre to justice. - Past President, Small Hydro Power Developers Association Prabath Wickremasinghe says Sri Lanka’s renewable energy industry is experiencing a brain drain of engineers: laments close to 50 engineers have migrated and the industry is unable to replace them.
Sri Lanka Original Narrative Summary: 04/10
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