- Public Utilities Commission approves power tariff increase of a staggering 18% for domestic consumers: users above 180 units to pay Rs.89 per unit: hotels & industry rates hiked by 11%: this is the 3rd massive increase in Power rates in about 1 year.
- Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene condemns conduct of Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe & SLPP MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage who had promoted “mob aggression” against Constitutional Council members: says calling on the public to surround the residences of CC members and agreeing to join such actions was unconscionable & unethical: warns Parliament will not tolerate such behaviour: also says the Justice Minister’s attempt to belittle the CC reflects poorly on his position.
- IMF Staff Mission says it has taken note of a “tentative agreement” between SL & Exim Bank of China: previously, Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardene had hailed the same agreement as a “landmark agreement” while CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe had urged the Chinese authorities to disclose its details: IMF Mission also says SL is the first country in Asia to publish the “Governance Diagnostic Report”.
- IMF Mission says sustaining the reform momentum is of paramount importance to steer the economy towards a sustained recovery & to foster stable, inclusive economic growth: welcomes authorities’ commitment to increase tax revenue, strengthening tax administration & eliminating tax evasion: asserts it is crucial to maintain “cost-recovery” in electricity pricing.
- IMF to provide “technical assistance” to SL for the introduction of a “Property Tax” that will likely come to effect in 2025 as a key source of additional income: analysts say such a tax could take the form of Wealth tax, Gifts tax, and Inheritance tax.
- State Minister Diana Gamage admitted to the Sri Jayawardenepura Hospital pertaining to an alleged assault by SJB MP Sujith Sanjaya Perera: Speaker says a Committee has been appointed under the Deputy Speaker to inquire into “the incident that is alleged to have taken place between State Minister Diana Gamage and SJB MP Sujith Sanjaya Perera”.
- Pravir Samarasinghe, Group CEO of the Havelock City Development says its newest state-of-the-art Shopping Mall built at a cost of USD 130 mn & spanning over 200,000 square feet, has been officially opened in Colombo 5.
- Increase in dengue cases reported, as compared to the previous month: by 18th October’23, 66,368 cases reported for the year: highest number of cases from the Colombo district.
- Some SLPP MPs who joined hands with the Opposition plead with the SLPP Party hierarchy not to proceed with disciplinary action against them: this situation is following the Supreme Court ruling that led to the loss of the parliamentary seat of former Minister Naseer Ahmad.
- The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Alleviating the Impact of the Economic Crisis states that nearly 200 Govt-owned businesses and institutions have not submitted their annual reports to the Parliament in the past 2 years: orders the Dept of Public Enterprises to take steps to submit the annual reports of those institutions to Parliament before the 30th October’23.
