- Chief Negotiator of Free Trade Agreements at the International Trade Office set up under the Presidential Secretariat, K J Weerasinghe says, “we hope to commence negotiations on the ETCA with India later this month”.
- Around 3,000 workers from Sri Lanka Telecom, Sri Lanka Insurance Corp and the State Banks protest in Colombo, Matara, Kalutara, Badulla and Negombo, against “Privatisation”: they also protest against the Govt’s austerity measures.
- IMF Chief Kristlina Georgieva says she had a “fruitful exchange” with her Chinese counterparts this week on her repeated calls for accelerating debt treatments for countries like Zambia and Sri Lanka.
- President’s Senior Advisor Ruwan Wijewardene says the Japanese Govt has agreed to recommence the multi-billion dollar Light Rail Transit project funded by Japanese loans, after the conclusion of the IMF negotiations: the LRT project was abandoned in 2020 with the objective of reducing Sri Lanka’s Forex borrowings: Sri Lanka is currently facing a severe debt crisis and has defaulted on its external debt.
- Ministry of Agriculture says 1,092 heads of cattle and goats have died due to the shock of prevailing cold weather in the Northern and Eastern provinces: as a consequence, President orders the suspension of the transportation of beef and mutton at district and provincial levels with immediate effect.
- COPF Chairman and SJB’s Economic Guru MP Dr Harsha Silva says the COPF has approved the regulations under the Casino Business (Regulation) Act No.17 of 2010 which are expected to enable the establishment of a Casino Regulatory Authority by 30th September 2023.
- President Ranil Wickremesinghe pledges to assist the University of Colombo to improve its quality: participates at the “Back to the Faculty” alumni programme at the Law Faculty as the first alumnus of the Colombo Law Faculty who became the Executive President.
- Police Media Spokesman says the Police Mounted division has lost 7 horses due to feed shortage amid import bans: also says each horse is worth around USD 35,000 and there are around 50 horses that are being maintained currently.
- Former CB Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal says the Rupee had been “fixed” at around Rs.365 per USD for the past 7 months: warns the Rupee is likely to depreciate rapidly and substantially when the IMF programme commences officially and the Monetary Board is precluded by the IMF from “fixing” the Rupee thereafter.
- Head of International Cricket Council’s Anti-Corruption Unit Alex Marshall to investigate allegations of match-fixing during the recent Test series between Sri Lanka and Pakistan: Sri Lanka Cricket had invited the ICC to undertake this investigation based on a claim by SJB MP Nalin Bandara in Parliament that the 2-match Test series played in July was “fixed”.
