Apr 9 (SO) Political analyst and former diplomat Dayan Jayatilleka shares his take on India-SL relations as PM Narendra Modi visits Colombo. He raises serious concerns about SL’s growing dependence on India in key sectors such as energy, infrastructure, and defence, warning that such entanglements could undermine the island’s autonomy and strategic space. Jayatilleka also called for a more balanced foreign policy, more..

Apr 9 (CT) At long last, SL has a fresh and complete Census Report in hand. Census of Population and Housing 2024, compiled by the DCS, has now been handed over to Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. It is a commendable achievement, not merely for the volume of data collected but for the sheer logistical undertaking it required. Yet, as we digest its findings, there is a lingering discomfort: why has something so fundamentally necessary been treated more like a luxury than a national necessity? more..

Apr 9 (TM) The last six years have been tough for SL. We have seen the disastrous security failures of 2019 and the aftermath of mismanaging accountability pre/post incident, weathered the Covid-19 pandemic, survived the ensuing socio-political climate, was battered, bruised and brought to our knees by the worst economic crisis. We had just managed to get on track towards recovery, when the US Prez took a baseball bat to the world trade order and slapped a 44% tariff on SL exports more..

Apr 9 (SO) The US was born as the result of people from thirteen colonies protesting against taxation without representation imposed by the British monarch. Several centuries later, another leader — this time the President of the US himself — has imposed heavy taxes on the world without representation from Congress, the body constitutionally empowered to levy taxes. With the stroke of a pen, Prez Donald Trump has sent more..

Apr 9 (DM) Indian PM Narendra Modi concluded a 3-day visit to SL last week, his fourth visit to the country and the first since the election of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the JVP-led NPP govt. In some ways, the irony was rich for the JVP, whose megalomaniac leader, Rohana Wijeweera, conducted must-attend classes for the party cadres about the danger of Indian Expansionism. Those youngsters then, who survived the state counter-terror unleashed against their equally nihilistic more..

Apr 9 (ST) Like the renowned Socrates, who gathered a vast array of thinkers to debate the issues of the day, Gotabaya Rajapaksa rounded up his Viyathmagarians with great aplomb, thinking he could show brother Mahinda, a small-time lawyer, his governance skills. That was not all Gota, as he was called in his brief stay in the president’s house, hoped to achieve, stamping his political legacy in the shape of Napoleon Bonaparte. He never intended or even thought that a riff-raff, more..

Apr 9 (Island) Hardly a day passes in SL without the government and the Opposition locking horns and trading allegations of deception, lying and corruption. Deputy Minister Nalin Hewage, who is at the forefront of the govt’s propaganda campaign against the ruling NPP’s political rivals, has caused quite a stir by making a false claim about SL’s economic recovery process. Politicians as well as their mistruths, half-truths and blatant lies are rarely, if ever, out of the news in this country. more..

Apr 9 (Island) In a historic first for SL, a defence pact was signed last week by Prez AKD with PM Modi of India, to the surprise of the people of SL who had no inkling that such a thing was on the cards. It has justifiably given rise to agitated discussion in this country, not only due to the secrecy surrounding the contents of the pact, but also due to its sudden emergence. For a seriously consequential decision such as this, there had been zero discussion in the public domain, more..

Apr 9 (ST) Vijitha Rohana Wijemuni, a former naval rating who gained notoriety after assaulting then Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi with his rifle butt on July 30, 1987, remains suspicious of Indian intentions in SL and says the govt needs to be transparent about the agreements it plans to sign with its southern neighbour. “There was secrecy when the Indo-Lanka Accord was signed in 1987, and even now the public are unaware of more..

Apr 9 (FT) Bileeta Ltd., a pioneering Sri Lankan technology company, is marking its 15th anniversary in 2025. From its inception, Bileeta has been at the forefront of innovation and digital transformation, driving enterprise digitalisation in the AI era. What started as a bold vision to develop a world-class ERP platform has grown into a globally recognised provider of next-generation enterprise solutions, empowering organisations across various sectors. In 2010, Bileeta was established with more..

Apr 9 (SO) Commonwealth Games Association (CGA) of SL proudly hosted the eqUIP19 2025 programme from 1 to 4 April 2025 at Occidental Paradise Dambulla, marking the first time this flagship initiative was held in Asia. The milestone event brought together young sports leaders from across the region, underscoring SL’s growing influence in global sports development. eqUIP19, a pioneering initiative of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), is designed to develop more..

Apr 9 (FT) Chamber of Lankan Entrepreneurs (COYLE) said it is seeking to collaborate and offer support to Govt officials by assembling a panel of export oriented industry specialists in this time of need. COYLE is a vibrant community of entrepreneurs, inclusive of a number of well-experienced Export Revenue generating entrepreneurs and manufacturers. Various products and services operated by our members generate some of the highest income in the export more..

Apr 9 (DM) SL’s tourism recovery is facing significant headwinds, with new projections suggesting that the island nation will fall half a million visitors short of its ambitious 3 million arrival target this year. According to First Capital Research (FCR), the country will likely welcome just 2.5 million tourists in 2025, resulting in approximately US$ 4 billion revenue below the targeted US$ 5 billion revenue. Even by 2026, FCR predicts Sri Lanka will still miss its 3 million target by about 200,000 arrivals. more..

Apr 9 (FT) On his first visit to the north as the BoI Chairman Arjuna Herath sought support from the relevant Govt officials to speed up the initial steps to ensure that the infrastructure facilities of the proposed investment zones in Kankesanthurai, Paranthan, and Mankulam can be finished promptly. He said this will ensure that investors can begin construction of their projects by the end of the third quarter of this year. more..

Apr 9 (DM) SL’s banks and finance companies ended 2024 on a strong note, disbursing a substantial volume of loans to the private sector as declining interest rates and a recovering economy reignited credit demand. According to CB’s Annual Economic Review 2024, licensed finance companies recorded a significant Rs.277.1 billion increase in outstanding private sector credit last year, reflecting robust growth of 21%. By comparison, licensed commercial banks extended Rs.789.6 b more..

Apr 9 (TM) Govt declined to provide details about the MoUs signed between Sri Lanka and India during the visit of Indian PM Narendra Modi, calling on journalists and the public to obtain information through Right to Information (RTI) requests instead. These remarks were made by Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, at the weekly Cabinet media briefing in response to questions raised by the media regarding publication of the contents more..

Apr 9 (Island) SL Olympians, together with the Dept of Forest Conservation, conducted a tree planting programme at the premises of D. S. Senanayake National School, Dambulla. SL Olympians conduct a tree planting programme every year at a selected school in one province. Accordingly, this year’s event was successfully held with the participation of Olympians, students and a large number of enthusiasts at Dambulla. Name plates of 77 living Olympians out of the 107 who more..

Apr 9 (AD) A meeting between Secretary to the Prez, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake and relevant ministry officials was held today (8) at the Presidential Secretariat regarding the development plans to be implemented in SL under three zones, in collaboration with the Surbana Jurong Institute of Singapore and 18 Ministries. During the meeting it was discussed in detail regarding the plans for the Colombo Metropolitan Region, Eastern Development Plan and the Greater Hambantota Project. more..

Apr 9 (FT) Cabinet of Ministers on Monday approved tabling a report in Parliament detailing the deviation of headline inflation from the target set under the Monetary Policy Framework of the Central Bank of SL Act. No. 16 of 2023. The move comes after the CBSL failed to meet the set inflation target for two consecutive quarters in 2024. As per the agreement on the monetary policy framework signed on 3 Oct 2023 between the Finance Minister and CBSL under the provisions of Section 26(1) of the Act, more..

Apr 9 (NW) SJB MP Jagath Vithana alleged that former Prez Ranil Wickremsinghe funded the efforts to elect Maithripala Sirisena into power during the 2015 presidential election. MP said Wickremesinghe offered monetary support on the condition that that Arjuna Mahendran be made the CB Governor. “He doubled and tripled the money that we gave, and he is still to be found. Why am I not summoned? Why am I not being questioned?” He said referring to former CB Governor Arjuna Mahendran more..

Apr 9 (TM) Govt stated that the agreement reached with the Indian Govt regarding the pharmaceutical sector is to recognise the Indian Pharmacopoeia in SL, and that this will not affect the powers and functions of the NMRA. Minister of Health Nalinda Jayatissa said that recognising the Indian Pharmacopoeia would simplify the work done by the NMRA in importing and certifying medicines, in a context where 85% of SL's imported more..

Apr 9 (FT) Cabinet of Ministers on Monday approved the disposal of several State-owned lands on long-term leases, paving the way for new mixed development projects under Urban Development Authority (UDA). The move is expected to attract suitable investors through a transparent procurement process based on Govt Appraiser valuations and UDA planning regulations. The approved leases include; 1) three parcels of land in Sellakatharagama measuring 42.03, 20.28, more..

Apr 9 (FT) Minister Nalinda Jayatissa responded to growing controversy over a statement made by Deputy Minister Nalin Hewage regarding the country’s official reserve levels at the time the new Govt assumed office. He presented verified data sourced from the CB, detailing the country’s reserve figures from Sept 2024 to March 2025. “In Sept 2024 when we took office, the official reserves stood at $ 5.99 billion, in Oct it was at $ 6.47 billion, in Nov it was $ 6.45 bil and in Dec it was $ 6.12 bil. more..

Apr 9 (FT) Cabinet of Ministers on Monday approved drafting a new legislation aimed at protecting the rights of plant species, addressing a long-standing legal gap in the country’s intellectual property framework. Although the existing Intellectual Property Act No. 36 of 2003 includes legal provisions for publishing rights, technical planning, patents, trademarks and business rights, it currently lacks coverage for the protection of rights related to plant species. more..

Apr 9 (Island) The govt would not extend the suspension of parate executions that was now effective, Deputy Minister of Finance Harshana Suriyapperuma told Parliament. Suriyapperuma said so in response to a question raised by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, who asked about the govt’s plans regarding a relief package to assist small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) struggling to repay loans. Pointing out that about 263,000 SMEs had closed down, more..

Apr 9 (FT) The Cabinet approved the revision of the national minimum monthly and daily wage structure for private sector employees. The new wage structure will take effect in two stages, beginning from 1 Apr 2025 while the second stage revision will begin on 1 Jan 2026. “The national minimum monthly wage will increase by Rs. 9,500 rising from the current Rs. 17,500 to Rs. 27,000. This will further increase by Rs. 3,000 more..

Apr 9 (ST) Govt’s capital market policy is to bring isolated savings and scattered savings together, to create platforms to formulate these savings and recognise them as single investments, a top govt minister said. Govt has not ruled out the option of state-owned enterprises to raise capital through the capital markets, he added, noting that the govt has appointed a separate committee to look at state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and other govt entities, & come up with appropriate solutions for them. more..

Apr 9 (TM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has personally written to US Prez Donald Trump on ways to mitigate the impact and reduce the tariffs imposed recently, Deputy Minister Prof. Anil Jayantha Fernando announced in the Parliament. He said that the White House has also acknowledged the letter sent by Prez Dissanayake. Prof. Fernando stressed that the new Govt is focused on reducing the trade deficit with the US in response to the reciprocal tariffs announced by Trump. more..

Apr 9 (EN) US Customs and Border Protection will start to collect the 44% tariff against SL and a number of other countries from midnight while new taxes on China would go up to a total of 104% for daring to retaliate, Prez Donald Trump said. “CBP is working closely with other govt agencies to implement Liberation Day announcements and will continue to provide detailed guidance to promote compliance and uniform enforcement across more..

Apr 9 (FT) The Adani saga appears to have raised its head again. A recent headline news claimed that SL has lost $ 1,000,000,000 foreign direct investment. This immediately raises the question, to what extent Sri Lanka is prepared to demean its sovereignty and national pride, for the so-called benefits of Foreign Direct Investment. No doubt, FDI is a recognised means of attracting capital for development and is touted as a way forward to achieve projects and growth trajectories. more..

Apr 9 (FT) While the buzz in media circles last week was about senior investigative journalist Namini Wijedasa’s US Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award 2025, the slow burn in the same arena was still over a baffling lack of progress in emblematic media cases demanding justice for slain scribes. Where the blood of assassinated editor Lasantha Wickrematunge runs as cold as the trail of suspects who carried out his slaughter at whoever’s behest, there can be no real celebration more..

Apr 9 (FT) Port City Colombo participated as a Platinum Partner at the Invest Sri Lanka Business Forum 2025, held on 3 April in Bangkok, Thailand. The event was organised by the Embassy and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka in Thailand in collaboration with the Thai-SL Chamber of Commerce. The aim of this premier occasion was to promote Sri Lanka as an emerging foreign direct investment (FDI) destination to prospective investors from across the Southeast Asian region. more..

Apr 9 (CT) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa questioned in Parliament whether the Govt has a proper plan to safeguard micro, small, and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs), as the Parate Law has now been reactivated. He stressed that successive Govts have failed to provide a lasting solution to the challenges faced by MSMEs, a vital segment of the country’s industrial base. He said the Parate Law, which empowers banks to auction properties of loan defaulters without court proceedings, more..

Apr 9 (AD) Election Commission has announced that Samantha Ranasinghe of the NPP has been elected as a MP to fill the vacancy created by the passing of NPP Kegalle District MP, Kosala Nuwan Jayaweera. Ranasinghe, who served as the Rambukkana Electoral Organizer of the NPP during the 2024 parliamentary election, was next on the NPP list based on the preference votes obtained. According to the official announcement, more..