- Govt Medical Officers Assn Spokesman Dr Chamil Wijesinghe says patients seeking treatment at the state-run hospitals are asked to buy almost all medicines from the private sector: also says there are “issues” with the quality of the drugs used in Govt hospitals and doctors & nurses are now afraid to administer drugs to patients.
- PM Dinesh Gunawardena says 800 schools have been closed in the country: urges education officials to focus deeply on protecting & preserving existing ones: laments that these schools built by “elites” in distant regions have been closed.
- Court Productions Room at the Hulftsdorp Court Complex broken into once again: the 2nd unauthorised entry in 1 month: authorities yet to identify those individuals responsible for the twin break-ins.
- Minister of Justice Wijedasa Rajapaksha says there are no moves to scrap the Executive Presidency as it is “a difficult task”: asserts there is no way it can be done through the present Parliament: also says that however, a new electoral system has been proposed.
- President Ranil Wickremesinghe appoints a 9-member Commission headed by former Chief Justice Priyasath Dep to prepare proposals for electoral reforms.
- Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption informs Fort Magistrate’s Court that it will not pursue the discovery of Rs.17.85 mn cash from former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s room at the President’s House in July, 2022, because of lack of evidence.
- Reportedly US-funded think-tank “Verité Research” raises concerns about SL’s IMF programme transparency & performance: highlights that, by end-September’23, only 40 out of 71 trackable commitments have been achieved: asserts this finding reveals a growing lack of transparency in the programme’s progress and a failure to meet the commitment to increase government transparency.
- Excise Commissioner temporarily suspends the Soft Liquor Licences (beer, wine etc.) given to establishments registered with the Tourism Development Authority, with immediate effect.
- Police Media Division announces that the public could now report incidents of Police personnel misconduct on the ‘118’ hotline: this hotline was initially established by the Ministry of Public Security to report crimes, but has now been extended.
- Minister Mahinda Amaraweera says although prices of chemical fertilisers including urea may increase due to escalating tensions between Russia & Ukraine, and Palestine & Israel, the prices of fertilisers provided to farmers in the country will not be increased.
