- Most Venerable Dr Pallegama Siriniwasa Nayaka Thera, 69, Atamasthanadhipathi, passes away: final rites on October 22 in Anuradhapura.
- JVP leader Anura Dissanayake says Sri Lanka would have been in a dire situation if India had not provided “cash” funds over USD 3.8 bn in 6 months: from October 2021 to April 2022, India’s assistance has been in the form of a RBI SWAP, ACU deferral and Fuel and Trade Finance: proposed IMF assistance is only USD 2.9 bn over a period of 4 years, with heavy conditions.
- President Ranil Wickremasinghe says IMF has stressed the need for a common platform with Sri Lanka’s 3 main creditors Japan, China and India: also says no alternative but to restructure country’s debt: warns harder times are inevitable.
- Fitch Ratings says “rated Sri Lankan corporates in consumer-goods retail, power generation and homebuilding will be among the most affected if the economic crisis deepens or continues.
- Central Bank accepts only Rs.16 bn out of Rs.75 bn T-Bills offered: short by a massive Rs.59 bn: keeps interest rates unchanged: 3 mths-33.0%: 6 mths-32.5%: 1Yr-29.6%: “money printing” so far under Gov. Weerasinghe rises to a staggering Rs.654 bn @ Rs.3.5 bn per day.
- State Tourism Minister Diana Gamage says beautiful women from 80 countries will compete in Sri Lanka for the title Miss Tourism 2022, in a pageant to be held in December.
- Leader of the House Susil Premajayanth says there’s no Constitutional provision to form a “People’s Council” which is similar to Parliament.
- US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu meets President Ranil Wickremesinghe: appreciates President’s efforts in rebuilding the economy: says President is the right person to get the country out of the present crisis.
- Sri Lankan Ambassador in Russia, Professor Janitha Liyanage discusses the significance of a long term credit line to Sri Lanka to procure fuel from Russia, with the Russian government.
- Opposition MP and former Justice Minister Thalatha Atukorale calls for relocation of the female wards of the country’s prisons to their own separate premises: says it would be “good for everybody”.
Sri Lanka Original Narrative Summary: 20/10
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