- LKR appreciates further against the USD: According to the CB, average exchange rate down to Rs.296.58: CB data also shows a massive increase in Foreign Investors’ T-Bill & Bond holdings from 17.02.23 onwards in an amount of Rs.135.7 bn, coinciding with the LKR appreciation from Rs.364.58 per USD to Rs.302.09.
- ADB approves another loan of USD 350 mn as a “special policy-based loan to provide budget support for economic stabilisation”: loan to be a part of a broader package of financial assistance anchored by IMF.
- Marine Environment Protection Authority, quoting the Navy, says there is no chemical or oil leak reported from the wreck of MV X-Press Pearl: adds samples were obtained from the sea area for further investigation.
- Fort Magistrate remands Ven. Rajangane Saddhatissa Thera who was arrested by Police in Anuradhapura for making statements that could disrupt religious harmony: remand order valid till 7th June.
- SJB MP Dr Harsha de Silva calls for urgent support for exports & SMEs: warns of a bigger crisis in the absence of a Govt plan: Silva was in the forefront demanding an IMF programme with flexible exchange rates, higher interest rates and debt default & re-structuring, which has now crippled the Sri Lankan SMEs.
- Finance State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya says a new Court will be set up to hear cases relating to taxes: laments legal cases relating to taxes and related fraud have been languishing in the legal system, creating a severe backlog.
- President Ranil Wickremesinghe decides to establish a special Police Unit to investigate and prosecute groups or persons, who try to disturb religious harmony in the country: instructs his adviser and Chief-of-Staff Sagala Ratnayake to discuss the matter with the IGP and take necessary action immediately.
- Department of Animal Production & Health requests people to refrain from eating beef due to viral disease rapidly spreading among cattle in the North Western Province.
- Former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake says State Owned Enterprises are set to undergo reforms and other public enterprises engaged in commercial activities also face “performance optimisation” under public-private ownership: out of 527 SOEs, 52 identified as strategically important and are to be operated with private sector investment.
- Two of Sri Lanka’s emerging top young players Mahesh Theekshana and Mahesha Pathirana play for Chennai Super Kings who win the IPL Cricket Tournament 2023 Final, defeating Gujarat Titans by 5 wickets in the last ball of their innings: : GT: 214/4 (20) lose to CSK: 171/5 (15) under Duckworth – Lewis system.
