- President’s Media Division says the IMF has praised SL for successfully completing the 1st review, due to the positive start & commitment to reforms that have a substantial impact on the domestic population: also says the IMF has commended the SL Govt for its courage in publishing the Governance Diagnostic, considered a pioneering effort in Asia.
- IMF Communications Director Julie Kozack says the goal of IMF’s current mission to SL is to follow up on program targets & commitments while SL is restructuring its debt after the country defaulted: however, Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardene has recently insisted at the Parliamentary Select Committee on Bankruptcy that he and CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe had not announced a “default’.
- President Ranil Wickremesinghe leaves for Davos, Switzerland to participate at the World Economic Forum.
- Billionaire businessman Dhammika Perera who has recently announced that he would be the Presidential Candidate from the SLPP, marks the establishment of the first “DP Silicon Valley IT Office” at the Uddhakandara Rajamaha Vihara, Tissamaharama.
- SL Navy enlists its first batch of women’s cadets with 3 women officer cadets joining the executive branch of the SL Navy for the first time in its history.
- One of the World’s largest Travel sites – Tripadvisor ranks Colombo as the world’s 7th best cultural destination for tourism: the ranking is based on readers’ votes received over a 12-month period in 2022.
- Commissioner General of Rehabilitation says 24 inmates of the Kandakadu Rehabilitation Centre were hospitalised while 90 inmates escaped, following a clash at the facility: 62 escapees however apprehended by Police while 28 inmates are still at large.
- Transport Minister Bandula Gunaardena says the Transport Board will introduce a “QR code enabled payment system” for state-run buses to mitigate losses of upto Rs.10mn per day: also says some bus drivers & conductors do not return the day’s total earnings to their respective depots, daily.
- New Secretary to the Ministry of Technology Dr Dharmasri Kumaratunge also appointed as Chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Commission.
- SL Under-19 Cricket team led by Sineth Jayawardena leaves for South Africa to take part in the ICC U-19 World Cup: Head coach Jehan Mubarak says the players have good potential & skills, but must develop a good “mind-set” for the World Cup.
