- President Ranil Wickramasinghe has announced that both the presidential election and the subsequent general election will take place as scheduled. He emphasized his commitment to fostering economic stability within the country and expeditiously transitioning Sri Lanka into an export-oriented economy. Furthermore, highlighted ongoing discussions aimed at reinstating Sri Lanka’s status as a debt-paying nation on the global stage. These deliberations are anticipated to conclude by June and July.
- IMF staff and the Sri Lankan authorities have reached staff-level agreement on economic policies to conclude the second review of the 4-year EFF-supported program and the 2024 Article IV Consultation. Once the review is approved by IMF Management and completed by the IMF Executive Board, Sri Lanka will have access to SDR 254 million (about US$337 million) in financing, bringing the total IMF financial support disbursed under the arrangement to SDR 762 million (about US$1 billion), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said.
- MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake, leader of the National Peoples Power (NPP), is set to engage in multiple public meetings across Canada this weekend. Departing for Canada in preparation for these gatherings, he will speak at events in Toronto on Saturday, March 23, 2024, and in Vancouver on Sunday, March 24, 2024.
- The vote on the no-confidence motion against Speaker of the Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, was defeated in the Parliament,following a three-day debate. The Speaker survived the no-confidence motion, moved by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), by a majority of 42 votes.
- The Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has informed the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) that they accepted all recommendations from COPF report on salary revisions, the Chairman of the COPF, MP Dr. Harsha de Silva said: also mentioned that President Ranil Wickremesinghe will appoint a committee to review salaries as soon as possible, until which salary increases will be deferred from next month.
- Four persons including Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) activist Duminda Nagamuwa and youth activist Lahiru Weerasekara, who were arrested during the demonstration by the ‘Jana Aragala Viyaparaya’in Colombo yesterday, have been remanded until March 27 by the Fort Magistrate’s Court.
- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched a new country partnership strategy (CPS) for Sri Lanka covering the period 2024–2028. The strategy will focus on restoring the country’s macroeconomic stability, reviving growth, and establishing the foundation for sustainable recovery and resilience.
- The Shell brand will enter the Sri Lankan fuel retailing market later this year after Shell Brands International AG (“Shell”) and RM Parks (Private) Limited signed a retail brand license agreement, and affiliates of Shell and RM Parks (Private) Limited signed a product supply agreement.
- Parliamentarian and President’s Counsel M. A. Sumanthiran has formally requested that the Fundamental Rights application, which previously challenged the Speaker’s conduct during the passage of the Online Safety Bill and was subsequently dismissed, be reexamined in the presence of a new Supreme Court bench.
- Sri Lanka Cricket has denied that they exploited any loopholes after the Wanindu Hasaranga Test ban fiasco has grabbed the headlines in recent times. Hasaranga, who had retired from the longest format of the game in August last year, performed a U-turn and was subsequently selected for the Test series against Bangladesh. However, in a major turn of events, the ICC would slap him with a ban on Tuesday, March 19.
