- Elections Commission informs all political parties that distribution of Postal Voting Documents for the LG election, which were due to be sent out today, cannot be done as the Government Printer has refused to print them until due payments are made: Postal Voting postponed indefinitely.
- MP Patali Champika Ranawaka calls on Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana to release the necessary funds for LG election: warns the Supreme Court judgement on the Easter Attack compensation case held that the Ministry Secretaries can be held personally liable for failure to fulfil the duties constitutionally assigned to them.
- Ratings agency S&P Global cuts its long-term issue rating on state-owned SriLankan Airlines’ foreign currency-denominated bond: says it lowered the rating on the SLA 2024 USD 175 mn Bond to ‘D’ from ‘CC’ because both the issuer and Govt of Sri Lanka (as guarantor), had missed a coupon payment of about USD 6.1 mn.
- Transport Minister Dr Bandula Gunawardena says around 7,000 road construction projects that were being implemented in various parts of the country, have been stopped: laments the Central Expressway has stopped due to not receiving funds from China’s Exim Bank after the bankruptcy announcement, and that the 40 km stretch from Kadawatha to Mirigama will now cost a lot more.
- Cabinet Spokesman says the Govt of Japan has agreed to provide a grant of USD 38 mn to carry out essential health services and purchase fuel.
- Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera says the Govt owes Rs.17 bn to the fertilizer companies for supplying fertilizer: the supplier companies ask for the arrears at a discussion with the Minister pertaining to import of fertilizer for the Yala Season this year: Minister says the arrears will be settled in “due course”.
- Special team of CID sleuths scheduled to go to Indonesia to investigate the mysterious death of billionaire businessman Onesh Subasinghe in an apartment complex in Jakarta, while vacationing with his Brazilian wife Rosa Silva, his daughter and his wife’s assistant.
- Police arrest 2 Army soldiers over the incident of a woman, 25, being fatally shot when a weapon misfired during a raid at Dematagoda when they were attempting to take a suspect into custody.
- Cabinet decides to introduce a new Excise Act to replace a 111-year old Excise Ordinance: advise the Legal Draftsman to formulate a draft Excise Bill.
- Sri Lanka Cricket increases the match fees of the National Women Cricketers for the year 2023, from USD 250 to USD 750 per match, per player: in addition, each player to get USD 250 as a winning bonus.
