- President Ranil Wickremesinghe urges foreign employment agencies to attract tourists from countries employing Sri Lankans, with support from the Ministry of Tourism: praises economic recovery efforts and stresses the need for an export economy and worker training: Minister Manusha Nanayakkara highlights the role of agencies in securing US$ 12 billion in foreign exchange.
- Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa urges for an urgent national strategy to combat child poverty in Sri Lanka: cites international data showing 25% of children live in poverty, with 42% facing multidimensional poverty: proposes a Presidential Task Force and localised action through District Secretariats, criticising the government’s inaction on this critical issue.
- NPP anti-corruption activist Wasantha Samarasinghe claims the government is selling the Hilton Hotel in Colombo for significantly less than its original valuation: Initially valued at $124 million, it is now appraised at $41.5 million: alleges corruption involving senior officials and the President’s office, and questions the drastic price drop despite the Rupee’s appreciation against the Dollar.
- The Ministry of Tourism approves a Rs. 1 bn global marketing campaign for tourism, covering digital ads and infrastructure upgrades: Efforts include streamlining visa processes and improving tourist facilities with Rs. 113 million allocated for site improvements: The Ministry will issue permits for upgraded vehicles and introduce paying wards at hospitals: Tourist arrivals from July 1-21 totalled 127,925, with India as the top source market.
- Education Minister Susil Premajayantha vows to address teacher-principal union grievances within the week: Several unions began a two-week work-to-rule campaign on the 22nd, protesting salary discrepancies: During this period, teachers and principals will only perform regular duties: assures school activities would remain unaffected, while Ven. Ulapane Sumangala Thero criticised unions for pursuing political agendas.
- Sri Lanka’s inflation rate rose to 2.4% in June from 1.6% in May, driven by increased costs in transport, alcoholic beverages, and tobacco: Transport inflation increased to 7.5%, and alcoholic beverages and tobacco saw a rise to 27.1%: Food inflation climbed to 1.9%, while non-food inflation grew to 2.7%: However, water, electricity, and gas costs decreased.
- Dr. Ranga Jayakody, a marketer and philanthropist, calls for lowering the public sector retirement age to boost efficiency, reduce state costs, and address strike disruptions: argues this change would alleviate youth unemployment, counteract the ‘Brain Drain,’ and improve public service delivery by introducing younger talent: also proposes legal reforms for mandatory retirement at age 50.
- The Cabinet approves a programme to assist individuals who have pawned gold jewellery due to the economic crisis: The initiative includes a 10% annual interest subsidy for loans up to Rs. 100,000, taken on or before June 30, 2024: This measure aims to support low-income borrowers amid a significant rise in gold pawning.
- The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment discusses a QR code-based system for PET plastic bottle recycling at a recent parliamentary meeting: Despite 450,000 tons of plastic imported annually, only 50,000 tons are recycled: The committee is exploring deposit-return schemes with QR codes and extending the proposal deadline: also recommends making the Extended Producer Responsibility system mandatory.
- Sri Lanka and India’s unbeaten starts in the Women’s Asia Cup have propelled several players up the ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings: Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu and bowlers Inoshi Priyadharshani and Udeshika Prabodhani made notable gains: India’s Harmanpreet Kaur, Shafali Verma, and Richa Ghosh also climbed the rankings: Meanwhile, England’s Sophie Ecclestone and Sarah Glenn, and Australia’s Beth Mooney, retain top positions.
