- Vérité Research Executive Director Dr Nishan de Mel says the debt restructuring process will take about another one year: laments process is very slow: also says ability for the economy to be revived will be weakened as a result: questions competency of present economic management team to deal with the crisis.
- Central Bank “money printing” (CB holdings of Treasury Bills) jumps by a staggering Rs.12.8 bn per day in week ending 16th December: “money printing” under Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe reaches astronomical high of Rs.873 bn in about 8-1/2 months at an average of around Rs.100 bn per month, even without paying forex debt: about 50% higher than under previous Governors Cabraal and Lakshman.
- Supreme Court fixes 3 Fundamental Rights petitions challenging the legality of the Presidential Pardon granted to former MP Duminda Silva for argument on 7th February 2023: previously, former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was also added as a respondent in the Petition
- Brigadier Ravi Herath says over 15,000 military personnel have come forward to resign from their respective services following announcement of a general amnesty period by the Ministry of Defence to tri-forces absentees.
- Several SLPP heads of local authorities inform President Wickremesinghe that they are ready for local polls: SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam accompanies them for the meeting.
- Print media organisations inform Economic Stabilisation Committee that many of their member organizations are unable to pay salaries to permanent staff and that the economic crisis had decreased newspaper printing by 60-70%: lament the amounts allocated for advertisements has also decreased by around 70%.
- Reserve Bank of India approves 5 Sri Lankan banks to open ‘Vostro’ accounts for Indian trade with Sri Lanka through an Indian Rupee trade settlement mechanism: move necessitated due to Asian Clearing Union discontinuing Sri Lanka from list of participating countries after the debt default.
- Initial investigation into the death of businessman Dinesh Schaffter reveals that he had been planning to meet former cricket presenter Brian Thomas: Police probe continuing.
- Market price of eggs increases after suspension of the Consumer Affairs Authority’s maximum retail price order on eggs, by the Court of Appeal: previously, the CAA declared that a white egg be sold at Rs.43 and a brown egg at Rs.45.
- Sports Act amended to prohibit dual citizens from contesting for any post of a sports body: maximum age limit to hold a position also fixed at 70.
