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China not against debt restructuring: President

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The Chinese Government expects Sri Lanka to commence negotiations with China’s Exim Bank on debt restructuring, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said.

The President said this while addressing the 2022 Economic Summit organised by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce at Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo yesterday (05).

The President said that the talks with China were delayed due to the Chinese Communist Party’s Conference and added that the talks will be expedited as the Conference has ended.

He also said that China has not objected to Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring.

Meanwhile, the President said Sri Lanka should pay more attention to green hydrogen for a sustainable future.

He said the private sector should focus more on this sector, which has greater potential than the solar energy industry.

The President pointed out that land laws should also be reconsidered and changes should be made to make them more accessible to investors, adding that what Sri Lanka urgently needs is a new economy and not reforms.

The President said that Sri Lanka can easily be transformed into a major supply center and that visionary steps are being taken to achieve this goal.

President Wickremesinghe said that Colombo Port is planned to be extended up to Ja-Ela and more than 30 acres of Colombo has been allocated for the development of the port.

The President said the Eastern Container Terminal (ECT) should be given for development, and that Japan was the first to get involved in this.

He emphasized that maintaining a small port will not do much service to the economy, and that the port should be promoted aggressively and Sri Lanka should be made a major supply centre.

The President said that the Trincomalee Port is being developed and the Hambantota Port has had a great positive impact on the local maritime sector.

The President also said that the agricultural sector should be developed by using new technology.

Apart from this, he said that education can make a large contribution to Sri Lanka’s economy.

Parameswaran Iyer, Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog (National Institute for the Transformation of India), who delivered the keynote speech at the Economic Summit, said that India will invest in Sri Lanka and support Sri Lanka in the energy sector, telecom, solar and wind power and port sectors.

He said that India’s Adani company is investing more than 650 million USDs mainly in the port sector.

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IMF grants waivers despite obligation breach & erred reporting

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The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reviewed non complying purchases made by Sri Lanka under the 2023 Extended Arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) as well as inaccuracies of information reported to the IMF.

However, the IMF has decided to grant waivers and not pursue further action, citing corrective measures and a commitment to reform by Sri Lankan authorities.

Following the Executive Board’s discussion, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair – Mr. Kenji Okamura, has issued the following statement:

“The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reviewed non complying purchases made by Sri Lanka under the 2023 Extended Arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (“EFF”), as well as a breach of obligations under Article VIII, Section 5. The noncomplying purchases arose as a result of the provision of inaccurate information by the authorities on the stock of expenditure arrears at the first, second, and third reviews under the EFF.

“The inaccuracies in information provided to the IMF were inadvertent and arose because of weaknesses in the timely reporting of arrears by line ministries to the Ministry of Finance, as well as a misunderstanding by the authorities of the definition of “arrears” under the Technical Memorandum of Understanding. 

“The Executive Board positively considered the authorities’ corrective actions, the fact that arrears repayments will be accommodated within the existing fiscal envelope, and the authorities’ commitment to improving public financial management procedures in line with the new PFM law, to reduce the risk of accruing arrears or inaccurate reporting of information going forward. In view of the above, the Executive Board agreed to grant waivers for the nonobservances of the quantitative performance criterion that gave rise to the noncomplying purchases and decided not to require further action in connection with the breach of obligations under Article VIII, Section 5.”

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Abdul Wazeeth appointed to Parliament from SLMC national list

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Abdul Wazeeth of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) has been appointed as a Member of Parliament, the National Election Commission has announced.

His appointment comes following the resignation of former MP M. S. Naleem, who had entered Parliament through the SLMC National List after the 2024 parliamentary election.

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Tense situation in Kahawatta as residents clash with police

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Police had been compelled to use tear gas to control a tense situation that erupted between residents and police in Kahawatta following the funeral of a youth who was shot dead recently.

The funeral was held today (July 03) and the clash had broken out shortly afterwards.

Residents had expressed anger over the handling of the and had hurled stones at the police, reports say.

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