- Supreme Court finds several officials as having violated the Fundamental Rights of several petitioners by failing to take action to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks despite receiving sufficient intelligence information: orders those persons to pay compensation as follows: Rs.100 mn by former President Sirisena: Rs.75 mn each by former IGP & former SIS Director: Rs.50 mn by former Defence Secretary & Rs.10 mn by National Intelligence Director.
- Fitch Ratings downgrades the National Long-Term Ratings of 10 Sri Lankan banks following the sovereign downgrade and recalibration of the agency’s Sri Lankan national rating scale.
- CEB Chairman Nalinda Ilangakoon says the Kelanitissa Power Station might shut down today as the CEB does not have funds to purchase naphtha from the CPC: CEB General Manager Engineer Rohan Seneviratne says the CEB has put the owners of renewable energy power plants into difficult situations with banks by failing to pay them about Rs. 40 bn.
- Public Administration Ministry Secretary Neel Hapuhinna says he had written to District Secretaries asking them not to accept deposits for the election earlier this week following a decision taken by the Cabinet.
- Bangladesh’s Central Bank grants 6 more months to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to repay the USD 200 million SWAP after receiving a request to extend the repayment period due to its prolonged economic crisis.
- Elections Commission Chairman Nimal Punchihewa says the EC would hold the Local Govt election before 19th March unless a Court order prevents it: denies rumours that the EC is divided on the question of conducting the poll.
- World Bank cuts Sri Lanka’s growth prospects to a negative 4.2% for 2023, sharper than IMF’s forecast: also cuts last year’s growth to negative 9.2%: warns that more than one-third of the island’s population is food insecure.
- Head of the National Construction Association Susantha Liyanaarachchi says many small industries will collapse due to the Govt’s decision to increase electricity tariffs: warns the construction industry is already on the verge of collapse, and the next tariff hike will be the last nail in its coffin.
- Govt allows Qatar Charity Fund to open a country office after the QCF pledged USD 11 mn in aid: 2 years ago, the Govt had banned the charity by referring to an alleged role of the QCF in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombing.
- India wins the 2nd Cricket ODI by 4 wickets in Kolkata: SL 215 (39.4 overs): IND 216/6 (43.2 overs): India leads the 3-match series 2-0 with one match remaining.
