- Committee on Public Accounts instructs Excise Dept to dispense with its current system of imposing lenient penalties for large-scale fraud and irregularities connected to the production of liquor: advises the Dept to mete out severe punishment such as cancellation of licences of firms that continue to be involved in the counterfeit sticker racket & non-payment of tax.
- Govt Radiologists say Teaching Hospitals at Anuradhapura & Karapitiya have 18-month-long waiting lists for MRI scans: Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children has a waiting list of 1 year for MRI scans.
- Hearing of petitions filed by Ministers Manusha Nanayakkara & Harin Fernando challenging the decision taken by the SJB to oust them from the Party and disqualify them of their Parliamentary seats, commences before the Supreme Court.
- Ministry of Finance announces that SL has reached “an agreement on the key principles and indicative terms of a debt treatment with China Exim Bank”: also says that, “in principle”, the agreement covers approximately USD 4.2 bn of outstanding debt: no further details disclosed: previously, the IMF had stated that it is unaware of any such agreement.
- Supreme Court orders all state universities in the country to submit a report before 10 November’23 on all reported incidents of ragging at state universities and the measures taken to prevent ragging during the last 3 years.
- Business tycoon and MP Dhammika Perera who recently announced that he would contest the Presidency from the SLPP, says SL does not have any system, although there is a clamour for a “system change”: also says a system change should start with the education sector: celebrates the 4th anniversary of his “DP Education Online Education System”.
- Speculation mounts that moves are underway to abolish the Executive Presidency before the Presidential Election next year on the grounds that “no candidate or political party will be able to secure an over 50% win at the polls”: reports also emerge that discussions to this effect have already been held by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, and that Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has already drafted a cabinet paper to change the electoral system.
- The 11th Edition of the Galle Dialogue International Maritime Conference organised by the SL Navy in partnership with the Ministry of Defence and Geopolitical Cartographer starts in Galle: inaugural ceremony held under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
- Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva says the Govt has engaged an international consultant to “bring valuable insights and best practices to guide the restructuring efforts of SriLankan Airlines”: the decision to hire the Consultant also expected “to maintain transparency”.
- President Ranil Wickremesinghe directs Govt officials to prioritize immediate requirements of SL citizens in Israel, especially their safety, in the light of the ongoing conflict between Israel & Hamas.
