- Countrywide survey reveals that approximately 45% of Sri Lankans believe the USD2.9bn IMF programme will make matters worse for the economy in the future: 28% believe it will make matters better.
- Former SLPP Chairman and rebel MP Professor G L Peiris asks as to whether President Wickremesinghe intends to postpone the next Presidential election by claiming the Govt lacked sufficient funds for conducting elections: says he is raising the issue since UNP Chairman MP Vajira Abeywardena has recently said the Govt wouldn’t be able to meet the basic requirements of the people if funds were allocated through the 2024 Budget for the Presidential election.
- Tourism Development Authority Chairman Priantha Fernando notifies General Managers of the Colombo City tourist hotels that Minimum Room Rates have been introduced from 1 October 2023 for different hotel categories: $100 for 5-star hotels, $75 for 4-star, $50 for 3-star, $35 for 2-star, & $20 for 1-star.
- Police arrest 6 persons on suspicion of being involved in the assault on TNPF MP Selvarajah Kajendren in Trincomalee while the MP was taking part in a procession to commemorate the death anniversary of LTTE member Rasaiah Parthipan also known as Thileepan.
- Former CB Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal says he had warned in April’22 that the external debt re-structuring attempt by the Govt would definitely lead to local debt re-structuring as well, although many persons in authority had rejected such warning and claimed that will never happen: also says that unfortunate outcome has now happened, and the local retirement funds have been badly affected, as fore-warned.
- Analysts warn the expected 0.5% of GDP equivalent reduction in retirement funds earnings each year over a 10-year period, will amount to about 30% loss in the future value of retirement funds, and that the dollar value loss over 10-years will be a staggering USD4.5bn, which is 50% more than IMF loan: say that, in effect, the Govt is forcing a “bailout” from the working people to satisfy the IMF and external bondholders.
- United National Businesses Alliance Chairperson Tania Abeysundara says the policy decisions taken by the Govt and Central Bank have resulted in a gradual and painful decline in the country’s SME sector: also says their organisation had cautioned that by the end of 2023, at least 1 million people would be left unemployed, and that today, it has sadly become a reality.
- President Ranil Wickremesinghe participates at the United Nations 2023 SDG Summit, under the auspices of UN General Assembly.
- Secretary to the Minister of Higher Education Dilshan Jayakody says Minister Suren Raghavan has introduced an advisory committee consisting of the Police, Ministry of Defense, Presidential Secretariat and the Human Rights Commission, to deal with bullying and ragging in universities.
- SJB National Organizer and MP Tissa Attanayake says an investigation has to be conducted to determine as to whether politics was involved in Sri Lanka’s defeat in the Asia Cup Final on Sunday: asks whether Sri Lanka’s defeat on Sunday was a “birthday gift” for Indian PM Narendra Modi whose birthday fell on Sunday, September 17.
