- President Ranil Wickremesinghe says the country’s development has been based on four pillars – fiscal and financial reforms, investment drive, social protection and governance, and state-owned enterprise transformation; delivers the measures taken by the government in the past nine months to assist the Sri Lankan economy to recover, as well as the next stages in the state’s social, economic and political reform agenda; vows nobody will be allowed to drag the country back to the state it was in a year ago.
- Chief of Defence Staff, General Shavendra Silva sends a letter of demand to MP Wimal Weerawansa over making ‘defamatory remarks’ in his recently launched book “Nine: The Hidden Story” accusing him being complicit in a conspiracy to overthrow the government; alleges the MP of bringing him into disrepute.
- Renowned economy news aggregator Bloomberg citing Standard Charted PLC and BMI warns despite the recent appreciation of the Sri Lanka Rupee, which climbed 1.4% to 289.91 per dollar on Wednesday, the Rupee is forecast to decline to 350 by the end of December, 2023, as the government moves to loosen import controls and secure a debt restructuring deal; adds the currency’s 27% gain this year has seen it capture the best spot returns globally, supported by rising tourist arrivals and inflows into the bond market.
- Tourism Minister Harin Fernando says Israel and Sri Lanka agree to launch direct flights in a bid to boost tourism: Flights are expected to attract around 2,000 – 5,000 Israeli tourists to Sri Lanka during May to September travel season.
- CBSL Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe says Sri Lanka will settle the US$ 200 million loan from Bangladesh in August or September: In April 2023, Bangladesh extended the repayment period by six more months.
- The Collective of Opposition Parties appoints several committees to study the proposed bills to be brought by the government, including the proposed Broadcasting Authority Bill: The Committee to study the Broadcasting Authority Bill chaired by Prof. Charitha Herath and comprises MPs Imthiaz Bakeer Markar, Gayantha Karunathilaka, Dr. Harsha De Silva and Eran Wickramaratne.
- IMF delegation led by its Dep. MD Kenju Okamura visits the Colombo Port City; observes the Port City operations and holds a long discussion regarding their contribution to the country’s economy and future plans: Okamura acknowledges the Port City operations are being handled smoothly: The delegation also draws their attention to the existing legal framework and the manner in which concessionary tax policies are implemented for foreign investors.
- China’s Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong says he believes that Sri Lanka will overcome the prevailing economic crisis very soon and approach the path of development; asserts China will provide all support required for this purpose.
- ‘Leno’ the Jaguar, who was acquired by the Dehiwala Zoom from the Best Zoo in the Netherlands last January, and a female Jaguar named ‘Leah’, who was acquired in 2019 from the Artis Zoo in the Netherlands, were housed together: The move comes in with the resumption of the international animal exchange programme that was temporarily suspended during the Covid pandemic.
- Star spinner Rashid Khan will be sidelined for Afghanistan’s opening two matches of the three-ODI series against Sri Lanka due to a lower back injury: Khan set to miss the first two ODIs of the series against Sri Lanka but expected to return for the third and final match.
