- President’s Secretary requests all Party Leaders to submit their proposals and suggestions regarding the 13th Amendment to the Constitution on or before August 15th, as agreed during the All-party Conference on July 26th.
- Analysts say Sri Lanka’s inflation rate, which has supposedly dropped to single digits for the first time in months in July 2023, may still face headwinds from rising water, food and energy prices: point out that the drop in the inflation figures is due to the statistical base effect.
- PM Dinesh Gunawardene says the Govt continues to maintain the public service despite suggestions to make a reduction in the cadre of the public sector.
- State Finance Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya says import restrictions on another 300 items will be relaxed by the first week of September: analysts expect the LKR to suffer a further sharp depreciation when that happens.
- Litro Gas Chairman Muditha Peiris now says although there has been an increase in LP gas prices in the world market, there will be no price revision in Litro domestic LP gas prices: Laugfs Gas CEO says their domestic LP gas prices will also remain unchanged.
- Former Foreign & Constitutional Affairs Minister and SLPP MP Professor G L Peiris says the next Presidential election will have to be called in exactly one year’s time: also says a President elected by Parliament can’t call an early Presidential election: the count down of one year for the next Presidential election begins.
- Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says the Mihintale Rajamaha Viharaya’s outstanding electricity bill of Rs.4.1 mn has been settled by the SJB Party cadres and other donors: slams the Govt for disconnecting the power supply to the sacred area of Mihintale.
- State Minister of Agriculture Mohan Priyadarshana De Silva says the Govt intends to re-cultivate 11,000 acres of abandoned paddy lands before the end of this year in order to prepare for a potential food crisis: also says the Govt has allocated Rs.420 mn for this purpose: critics say these measures are far too little and far too late to avert the impending food crisis.
- Convenor of the SJB trade union wing, Samagi Joint Trade Union Alliance, Ananda Palitha says the Govt had increased the price of fuel to enable Sinopec to maximise profit: also says the first consignment of fuel was brought in by Sinopec on 30 July which had 95 octane petrol and super diesel, while the second consignment contained 92 octane petrol.
- State Tourism Minister Diana Gamage says the officials who are due to host the prestigious World Travel Awards Grand Finale show in Colombo, had to face unmanned service counters at the BIA when they visited Sri Lanka.
