- Chief Justice appoints a Special Trial-at-Bar at the request of the Attorney General to hear the case filed against 42 suspects over the murder of MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala and his Security Officer on May 9, 2022: case to be taken up on June 19.
- Public Utilities Commission says the reduction of electricity tariffs from 1st July onwards would be in the range of about 3% from the current tariff.
- SLFP Chairman Maithripala Sirisena informs that disciplinary action will not be taken against the 6 party members, including Nimal Siripala de Silva and Mahinda Amaraweera, who accepted Ministerial and State Ministerial positions.
- Foreign investors’ high-interest loans to Govt via Treasury Bills & Bonds rises by USD 76.1mn last week at staggering interest rates of approximately 24% per annum: CBSL weekly data shows that such “hot-money” inflows have now reached nearly USD 650mn in the face of the rapid LKR appreciation and huge interest rates: warnings by economists and analysts in relation to such speculative investments, increase.
- Index of Industrial Production in April 2023 decreases by a significant 8.2% to 80.1, compared to April 2022: mainly contributed by decreases in the manufacture of Wearing apparel (-30.5%), Other non-metallic mineral products (-27.8%) and Rubber and plastic products (-40.0%).
- Department of Archeology DG Professor Anura Manatunga submits resignation from the post: last week, President Ranil Wickremesinghe pulled up the DG over an issue pertaining to the allocation of lands to an Archaeological site.
- Reports suggest that the District Leaders of the SLPP had decided not to attend the meeting summoned by the President on Monday: according to Party insiders, the SLPP had noted that if such a meeting is being called for, the SLPP hierarchy must be informed.
- Foreign Ministry spokesperson says it is considering reports about Sri Lankan refugees being held in Diego Garcia, a militarized atoll just south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean, since October 2021: also says the group has been given an opportunity to return to the country on their own will.
- State Finance Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya says the Govt is expecting to fulfil all agreements reached with the IMF before September, notwithstanding allegations that the Govt has only fulfilled 25 out of 62 agreements reached with the IMF.
- Ministry of Finance is reported to have approved the doubling of the price of a lottery ticket from 1 July to Rs.40 from Rs.20: President of the Lottery Agents’ Association Krishantha Marambe says that currently agents get a Rs.3.50 commission on a lottery ticket, and if lottery ticket prices are increased, their commissions too should be proportionately increased.
