- State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe says the IMF Board approval on the USD 2.9 bn loan package over 4 years (working out to USD 362 mn bi-annually) could extend even beyond Jan ’23: asserts all efforts will be taken to obtain the first tranche during Q1 of 2023.
- Bloomberg Newswires report Sri Lanka’s commercial creditors have stated the country must recast both foreign and local currency liabilities: previously, CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe had assured a domestic debt re-structure would not be done, although it was known that under a IMF-backed re-structuring scheme, all creditors except multi-laterals have to be given “equal treatment”: analysis shows Sri Lanka became vulnerable to default after increasing its ISB holdings by USD 10 bn from 2015 to 2019 while Weerasinghe was the CB Senior Deputy Governor.
- Cabinet Spokesman Minister Bandula Gunawardena says proposal to further increase electricity tariffs was not presented to the Cabinet: Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara says electricity tariffs will be definitely revised in January 2023 and a report will be submitted to Cabinet on 2nd January 2023.
- State Finance Minister Ranjith Siambalapitiya says vehicles confiscated by Customs for various reasons will be used for raids by the Sri Lanka Police for drug prevention.
- Chargé D’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Colombo Hu Wei meets President Ranil Wickremesinghe: the two parties have reportedly reviewed Sri Lanka’s debt issues, bi-laterally and multi-laterally.
- Headline inflation as per the NCPI drops to 65.0% in Nov’22 from 70.6% in Oct’22: inflation in Nov’22 mainly due to the higher price levels in both food and non-food groups.
- CEB Engineers’ Union President Nihal Weeraratne says operations at Norochcholai Coal Power Plant will halt in January 2023 as coal stocks will run out by 31st December 2022: conflicting reports & claims emanate from the Lanka Coal Co and CEBEU regarding the available stocks of coal.
- Minister of Energy Kanchana Wijesekara says the statement made by the Electricity Engineers’ Union of a 10-hour power cut due to lack of coal is false: also says legal and disciplinary action will be taken against them.
- President Ranil Wickremesinghe appoints former HNB and Commercial Bank Chairman Dinesh Weerakkody as the Chairman of the Board of Investment: Other board members to be Dr. Dushni Weerakoon, Chandani Wijewardena and Eraj de Silva.
- National Zoological Gardens Deputy Director Dinushika Manawadu announces the birth of twin baby nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) and four blue & yellow macaw chics (Ara ararauna) at the Dehiwala Zoo: affirms both animal and bird species are in good health and ready for public viewing.
