- President’s Secretary Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake officially informed the Secretary General of Parliament that Speaker Ashoka Ranwala’s resignation has been accepted by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake: Ranwala tendered his resignation on December 13 amid controversy over his educational qualifications, marking the first resignation of a Speaker in the country’s history: Ranwala clarified the issue, stating he could not immediately provide certain documents related to his doctorate: A new Speaker is expected to be elected on December 17.
- Political sources indicate that following the resignation of Speaker Asoka Ranwala, three candidates—Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih, MP Lakshman Nipuna Arachchi, and MP Nihal Galappaththi—have been proposed for the position: This comes after controversy over Ranwala’s doctorate.
- The Sri Lanka Police Headquarters disclosed that Rs. 1.1 billion is spent annually on the security of former presidents, with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa receiving the largest allocation of over Rs. 326 million: The government has decided to limit security personnel to 60 officers, with periodic reviews by a committee: Armed forces personnel also support these security arrangements.
- The Sri Lankan Parliament is re-checking and updating MP information on its website after discovering fake titles: The authorities are investigating those responsible for updating the site: An error was found where the title “Dr.” was mistakenly placed before the name of Minister Harshana Nanayakkara, despite him not holding a doctoral degree: The mistake has been corrected.
- The Customs has detected weevils in 50,000 kg of imported rice and labelling issues in another 25,000 kg: Importers have been ordered to re-export the affected consignments or face confiscation: The government authorized private rice imports starting December 4, with 2,300 metric tons received by December 13: About 90% of these imports have been cleared by Customs.
- The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has initiated an investigation into nearly 6,000 vehicles fraudulently registered in Sri Lanka, allegedly imported without paying customs duties: The vehicles have been seized and handed over to Sri Lanka Customs for further inquiry: An online portal has been launched to allow the public to verify the legal import status and duty payments of vehicles.
- The Public Utilities Commission (PUCSL) has started studying electricity tariff revisions, following a report from the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation on fuel prices for electricity generation: The commission confirmed that the study is underway and will release a detailed report on December 17: A 21-day public consultation period will also begin on the same day.
- The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) projects that over 311,000 Sri Lankan workers will go abroad for employment in 2024, marking the highest departures in a year: As of December 13, 300,162 workers have left, with a notable increase in male workers (60%): Kuwait remains the top destination: Remittances from migrant workers have totalled $5.96 billion by November 2024.
- The Ministry of Finance announced the successful expiration of its Consent Solicitation and Exchange Offer for International Sovereign Bonds (ISBs), with a 98% participation rate: This marks a significant step in Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring, showing investor confidence in the country’s recovery plan: The bond exchange results will be released on December 16, with finalisation on December 20, 2024: President Anura Kumara Disanayake highlighted the debt relief’s role in supporting economic recovery and long-term fiscal stability.
- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) have suspended all payments to Sri Lanka’s National Olympic Committee (NOCSL), except for Olympic scholarships for athletes: This decision follows concerns over ethics violations, including allegations against Secretary General Maxwell de Silva: In response, NOCSL held a meeting and decided to hold an early election before March 2024, following IOC recommendations.
