- State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitya says the Govt will announce its debt restructuring strategy in May: laments the debt to GDP has risen to 128%, but will be brought down to 95% in 5 years, after imposing massive haircuts: according to the CBSL Annual Report 2022, “Debt to GDP” was 91% in 2005 and brought down to 69% by 2014, but jumped again to 81% by 2019.
- IMF Asia & Pacific Dept Director Krishna Srinivasan says debt in Sri Lanka was assessed to be “unsustainable” by the IMF and that’s why there had to be a path towards restoring debt sustainability before the IMF programme could be approved: confirms that includes restructuring debt to all creditors – private, official, and to some extent, domestic: however, CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe had been consistently insisting that local debt will not be re-structured.
- Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera expresses regret that only 2 MPs have submitted ideas and proposals in relation to the proposed Agriculture Policy: laments over the MPs’ lack of interest in the Policy.
- Director of Primary Health Services of the Ministry of Health Dr Priyantha Atapattu says 350 doctors have left the country over the past 9 months, without Ministry approval: also says 2,837 specialist doctors and 23,000 doctors are required for the country.
- Vietnamese Buddhist monks residing in Sri Lanka bring down decorations from Vietnam to showcase at the Vesak zone 2023 organized by the Gangarama Temple, Hunupitiya.
- Public Health Inspectors’ Union Chairman Upul Rohana says at least 7,160 “dansal” have been registered in view of the Vesak festival: also says all dansal, registered and unregistered, will be monitored by PHIs on Vesak Day and the following day to ensure hygiene and public safety for which 3,000 Inspectors will be deployed.
- CB says its Official Reserve Assets increased by USD 61 mn (2.2%) to USD 2,755 mn in April’23 from USD 2,694 million in March’23: also says the reserve includes SWAP from People’s Bank of China of USD 1.4 bn, which had been previously ignored by former Finance Minister Sabry when announcing the Reserves level in Parliament.
- Ceylon Teachers’ Union General Secretary Joseph Stalin says even though the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations had requested the President for a discussion regarding the issues relating to the scrutiny of GCE A/L answer scripts, the President has left the country without giving them an appointment: also says the issues relating to the scrutiny of A/L answer scripts have gone from bad to worse.
- Colombo Stock Market makes a modest gain from its 3-month low, but turnover slumps to an abysmal low of Rs.252 mn.
- Former NZ star Scott Styris says Sri Lanka’s pacer with the slinging action Matheesha Pathirana has the ability to bowl at quicker speeds than the legendary Lasith Malinga: because of Pathirana’s pin-point yorkers and accuracy in the death overs, the 20-year-old pacer has emerged as a rising star for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL and has drawn attention from all over the world.
