Sri Lanka Original Narrative Summary: 05/01
1.Import of gold coins and the supply of locally manufactured jewellery subject to 18% VAT after 1st Jan’24.
2.President Ranil Wickremesinghe says the issue of resettling displaced persons can’t continue indefinitely, and that there should not be any “displaced persons” by 2025.
3.Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Natural Resources & Sustainable Development Chairman Ajith Mannapperuma MP says payment of compensation to fishermen hit by the damage caused by the fire-ravaged freight ship X-Press Pearl has been affected due to the lack of coordination among the Marine Environment Protection Authority, Fisheries Ministry and Attorney General’s Dept.
4.President Ranil Wickremesinghe says SL will send a Navy ship to the Red Sea to counter the Houthi attacks.
5.Health authorities decide to administer an additional vaccination dose against measles to infants aged between 6 – 9 months: accordingly, an MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) Supplementary Immunization Activity scheduled on 6th Jan’24 at all immunization clinics in 9 high-risk health districts.
6.Bakery Owners’ Assn says it is yet undecided on increasing prices of bakery products even though the cost of transportation has increased with the recent increase in VAT.
7.Young SL inventors present solutions to waste problems to potential investors: EcoSort from the University of Sri J’pura, wins the competition with their “smart dust-bin” for waste segregation.
8.Fort Magistrate’s Court issues order preventing CEB Trade union leader Ranjan Jayalal and others from entering the Presidential Secretariat, President’s House, Finance Ministry premises, Central Bank and the Galle Face premises.
9.Homagama Base Hospital suspends all major surgeries due to the lack of surgeons.
