- State Finance Minister Shehan Semasinghe informs Parliament that the beneficial interest rates for the year 2022 provided for the Central Bank Staff EPF was 29.27%, the Private Sector Workers’ EPF was 9.00%, and the ETF was 8.75%.
- Resilience indicator published by Washington-based Center for Global Development states Sri Lanka & Argentina remain very vulnerable amid a worsening in global financial conditions: Policy-makers in Argentina which is following an IMF programme since January 2022, have raised its Central Bank policy rate to 133%, and more than tripled its policy rate from 38% that prevailed in January’22.
- NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake says his Party may have to reach out to individual MPs of other parties if the NPP is victorious in an election but unable to secure 113 seats: asserts it would have to do so if the election result indicates that voters have attempted to form an NPP Govt as opposed to relegating it to its traditional role of “the security guard of Parliament”.
- Cabinet approves a proposal to initiate the establishment of an Economic Commission to replace & merge the Board of Investment & Export Development Board.
- President Ranil Wickremesinghe declares the postal service as an “essential public service”, in the face of a threat by Postal employees to stage a strike prompted by the executive action of the Govt “taking-over” the Nuwara-Eliya Post Office for a different purpose.
- Minister Bandula Gunawardene says he agrees with the President’s decision to implement a project at the site of the historic Nuwara Eliya Post Office: affirms that by relocating the Post Office to another location and using the area for a viable project ensures new income avenues to the people in the area, employment opportunities, & also boost tourism.
- State Minister Anupa Pasqual says his Ministry is “actively crafting” fresh legislation to improve the rights & well-being of differently-abled individuals: emphasizes the Govt’s commitment to ensure such persons are no longer considered a dependent population and are not relegated to 2nd-class status.
- Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe tells Parliament that the President’s security was breached when he went to watch the LPL finals as some “underworld figures” who happened to be body guards of SLC chief Shammi Silva were also there: asserts “the President should decide whether he wants Roshan Ranasinghe or ‘betting’ Shammi against such a backdrop”: calls for the passports of SLC officials to be impounded.
- US announces a USD 553 mn project to build a “deep-water shipping container terminal in SL’s Port of Colombo” to compete with China in international development financing: Chinese Ambassador in SL Qi Zhenhong says Chinese enterprises are keen to invest in the North while the Chinese Embassy donates 5,000 boxes of dry rations worth Rs.37.5 mn to needy families in Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, & Mannar in 10 “donation ceremonies” held in District Secretariats, Buddhist temples, Hindu kovils, & Churches.
- Popular Cricket Website reports that Umpire Richard Illingworth who officiated at the SL vs Bangladesh Cricket match had told SL batsman Angelo Mathews that he had 30 seconds left to be ready to face when he walked in to bat: Mathews is the first and only batter in international Cricket who had been given out, “timed-out”.
