- SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne asks Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to disclose the identities of his (the Speaker’s) legal advisors from whom the latter had sought legal advice before ruling that the Parliament-approved Domestic Debt Optimisation motion was not open to a legal challenge.
- Finance Ministry relaxes restrictions on importing motor vehicles for public transport including buses, lorries, tankers/bowsers and trucks: State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya asserts that the same items imported during the restricted period & lying uncleared in ports will also be released, subject to a surcharge of 30%.
- Sri Lanka Ports Development Authority to raise tariffs in accordance with the Govt’s revenue enhancement plans: approval granted to revise the tariff structure of navigation, stevedoring, harbour tonnage, container operations, conventional cargo operations, etc:
- President Ranil Wickremesinghe announces plans to transform Mannar into an energy hub: also says an inter-city express train service between Thalaimannar and Colombo will commence on 15 September to enhance connectivity between the two cities.
- An IMF team is scheduled to visit Colombo from September 14 to 27 to conduct its 1st review of the Extended Fund Facility arrangement for Sri Lanka.
- Assn of Medical Specialists media spokesman Ashoka Gunaratne says SL may have to bring down specialist doctors from overseas in the next couple of years or reduce the size of the cadre in given hospitals, if specialist doctors continue to leave the country.
- NPP’s Dr Nalinda Jayatissa says the airtime of state-owned Channel Eye had been sold secretly to VIS Broadcasting (Pvt) Ltd for Rs.250 mn per month, effective for 6 months from June 30: alleges that the Minister of Mass Media had submitted a Cabinet Paper after the Rupavahini employees and people who were aware of the deal objected to it.
- Cabinet approves the termination of what was once described as the largest-ever FDI agreement between the BOI and Hambantota Oil Refinery after years of protracted inaction by the investor to fulfil the stipulations of the agreement.
- Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera says the Chinese oil company Sinopec which is expected to start operations in Sri Lanka on Sep 20, will be allowed to sell fuel at less than the maximum retail price set by the Govt.
- Top Cricketer Wanindu Hasaranga, 26, informs Sri Lanka Cricket that he is retiring from international Test cricket: the highly talented Hasaranga has not been a regular member of the Test squad over the last 2 years, and has played only 4 Tests.
