President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, currently on a three-day official visit to India, was formally welcomed today (16) at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the President of India.
The ceremonial reception began with President Dissanayake being escorted to the Rashtrapati Bhavan by a horseback parade. He was warmly greeted by Indian President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The event included a 21-gun salute, marking the occasion with full state honours. Following the formalities, President Dissanayake inspected a guard of honour presented by the Indian Armed Forces.
Subsequently, representatives from both nations were introduced to the leaders. The event was attended by a large number of state officials and diplomats.
After the reception, President Dissanayake visited the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial at Rajghat to pay his respects. To commemorate his first official overseas visit, he planted an Ashoka tree at the Gandhi Darshan premises near Rajghat and signed the guest book.
Later in the day, President Dissanayake is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bilateral discussions. Additionally, he will hold a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu tonight.
The President is also set to meet with Indian Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and Health Minister J.P. Nadda for further discussions.
Furthermore, discussions with prominent Indian business leaders are planned, focusing on potential investment opportunities in Sri Lanka.
Several spells of light showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in the Nuwara-Eliya, Kandy, Galle and Matara districts today (July 04), the Department of Meteorology said.
Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Uva province and in the Ampara and Batticaloa districts during the afternoon or night.
Meanwhile, fairly strong winds of about 30-40 kmph can be expected at times over the Western slopes of the central hills and in the Northern, North-central and North-western provinces and in the Trincomalee and Hambantota districts.
The general public has been requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
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.”
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.