- Govt declares Friday, June 30, a special bank holiday, leading to a 5-day bank holiday from June 29 to July 3: analysts say the govt wants a long weekend to provide a buffer for the potential adverse market reaction to the worrisome Domestic Debt Re-structuring announcement: CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe who had continuously insisted that domestic debt will not be re-structured, now says the safety of local deposits will be assured and interest will not be affected.
- Parliamentary Affairs Committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday to seek approval for the restructuring of domestic debt proposal: SJB MP Harsha Silva who was strongly advocating an IMF programme which has led to debt re-structuring, now says he is opposed to domestic debt re-structuring.
- SJB Activist & Investment Advisor Niroshan Padukka reiterates that a massive scam occurred via the Treasury Bill issues totalling Rs.200 billion by the Central Bank on 31st May 2023 and 2nd June 2023: insists that the T-Bill Issues were made at interest rates of around 25% per annum when the secondary market rates of such T-Bills were around 16%: says the loss suffered by the Govt is around a staggering Rs.25 billion: also says a complaint in this regard will be lodged with the Bribery & Corruption Commission today.
- Chief Govt Whip orders all ruling party MP to remain in Colombo this week: overseas travel specifically cancelled: order reportedly made since the debt re-structuring proposal is scheduled to be tabled in Parliament for adoption this week: analysts and stakeholders fear the worst, considering the anxiety of the ruling party in relation to the debt re-structuring.
- Immigration Dept says 911,689 passports have been issued in 2022, the highest number in the last 5 years and 529,138 more than in 2021.
- Airline Pilots’ Guild says the cadre of Pilots at SriLankan Airlines which should be 330 is only 250 as a result of shortsighted, arbitrary and callous decisions of the management: points out that SriLankan Airlines pays wages which are well below industry standards, to its Pilots.
- Airport & Aviation Services Chairman G A Chandrasiri says 19 potential investors and strategic entrepreneurs have participated in the bidding process for Public-Private Partnership investment opportunities at Mattala Rajapaksa Int’l Airport.
- Senior Consultant Physician Dr Ananda Wijewickrama says 75% of the reported dengue cases involve people older than 15 years: asserts over 47,000 cases have been reported since January: points out that the majority of the patients recorded so far are from the Colombo and Gampaha districts.
- Sri Lanka defeats Ireland in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2023 by 133 runs: Sri Lanka – 325 (49.5): Dimuth Karunaratne 103, Sadeera Samarawickrama 82, Dhananjaya De Silva 42*, Charith Asalanka 38; Ireland – 192 (31): Wanindu Hasaranga – 79/5: Hasaranga has now taken 5 wickets or more in 3 consecutive ODIs, a feat hitherto carried out by the great Pakistani fast bowler Waqar Younis, 33 years ago.
- Sri Lanka, Scotland, Oman, Zimbabwe, Netherlands and West Indies qualify for the Super 6 stage of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier Tournament.
