01. President Ranil Wickremesinghe calls on Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa and the whole Opposition to take prompt action and rebuild nation together without resorting to “fallacious arguments”: stresses the Opposition’s allegations regarding the restructuring of domestic debt have been proven false.
02. China’s flag carrier Air China reinstates services between Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) and Chengdu Tianfu International Airport with three flights a week from Chengdu-Colombo-Chengdu on July 03, 2023: First flight arrived at BIA at 20.20 hrs. on 3rd July with 142 passengers.
03. Finance State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya says the calling of applications for the interest-free student loan scheme for those who have sat for the GCE AL exam in 2019, 2020 and 2021 to pursue higher education in private universities will commence from today; stresses those who wish to obtain this scheme should follow job-oriented courses: 5,000 eligible students expected to apply.
04. State-run LP Gas vendor LITRO announces that the price of a 12.5kg domestic gas cylinder will be slashed below Rs. 3,000 from midnight today: This will be the fourth consecutive price reduction approved by LITRO this year.
05. CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe says SL must adopt new industrial strategies to direct the country’s industries towards a growth path; adds the industrial sector must focus on export-oriented growth in the necessity to revisit the National Industrial Strategy in line with dynamics in international markets; stresses SL should transform into an industrial sector of high-technological development, and the entrepreneurs should be supported to gain access to global markets.
06. CoPF Chairman and SJB economic guru MP (Dr.) Harsha De Silva says the government’s DDO strategy should be carried out in a manner in which it affects both the ordinary working people and the rich people alike; adds in the government’s failure to comply with this necessity, the Opposition had opposed the DDO plan; laments the EPF, which the ordinary working people will resort to following their retirement for the rest of their lives, has been affected by the DDO plan.
07. Civil Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva says the restructuring of state-owned SriLankan Airlines will be completed in six months; warns the jobs of the employees at the flag carrier are at stake if immediate restructuring measures are not implemented: The State-Owned Enterprises Restructuring Unit of the Finance Ministry has taken key initiatives to provide recommendations on restructuring SriLankan Airlines.
08. Finance Ministry sources say government treasury cash flow management assures the availability of adequate funds to operationalise government fiscal policy during the 1Q’23 via implementing agencies efficiently and effectively: The Ministry’s total receipts to the treasury in the form of revenue and other sources amount to Rs. 650 billion in the 1Q’23, with a tax revenue realisation of Rs. 578 billion, an increase of 56% from Rs. 370 billion in the corresponding period last year.
09. The Asian Development Bank appoints Takafumi Kadono as the new Country Director for Sri Lanka: Kadono who assumed office on Monday, succeeds his predecessor Chen Chen who ended his term on June 30, 2023.
10. Skipper Chamari Athapaththu strikes fantastic unbeaten knock of 140 in 80 balls with 13 fours and 9 sixes as Sri Lanka Women’s Cricket Team recorded eight wickets win with 13 balls to spare (D/L method) over New Zealand Women’s Team in their third and final ODI game played at Galle International Cricket Stadium: SL Women’s Cricket Team also records first series win 2-1 with this victory.
