Oct 17 (AD) The IMF has commended Sri Lanka’s continued progress under its economic reform program, highlighting strong growth momentum following the country’s recovery from a deep economic crisis. At a press briefing presenting the latest regional economic outlook, Krishna Srinivasan, Director of the IMF’s Asia and Pacific Department, and Thomas Helbling, Deputy Director, provided an update on SL’s economic more..

Oct 17 (FT) Inland Revenue Department has exceeded its tax revenue target for the first nine months of 2025, collecting 102% of the estimate, according to data presented to the Parliamentary Committee on Ways and Means. The dept collected Rs. 1.64 trillion by the end of September, against an expected Rs. 1.61 trillion, reaching 75% of its full-year goal of Rs. 2.19 trillion. The figures were reviewed during a recent committee session chaired by MP Wijesiri Basnayake. more..

Oct 17 (DM) All female parliamentarians and parliamentary staff have decided to wear pink on a selected day in the next parliamentary week to support Breast Cancer Awareness. They also agreed to request for a debate in Parliament on Breast Cancer Awareness. A special awareness session on breast cancer prevention and related programmes was held recently in Parliament for the Women Parliamentarians' Caucus in line with Global Breast Cancer Awareness Month or Pink Month. more..

Oct 17 (Island) It was revealed at a meeting of the COPE that the Construction Industry Development Authority (CIDA) had spent Rs. 15.01 million on legal proceedings relating to a lawsuit filed by a Director of Finance sent on compulsory leave in 2021. It was further disclosed that Rs. 600,000 had been paid per court appearance to an attorney representing the Authority in the case. more..

Oct 17 (NW) SL Police HQ has issued a public alert urging citizens to exercise caution when obtaining loans via the Internet or mobile phones, following an increase in complaints related to deceptive lending practices. A significant number of institutions are currently advertising loans online and through mobile platforms, often attractively presenting these offers. In some cases, unsolicited phone calls are also used to promote the availability of instant loans without any collateral requirements. more..

Oct 17 (NW) Sri Lanka Customs has recorded its highest-ever single-day tax revenue, collecting Rs. 2,470 million on October 15, 2025, the Department announced today. According to Director General of Customs, the total revenue collected so far this year amounts to Rs. 1,867 billion, placing the department on track to surpass its annual target of Rs. 2,115 billion. Officials said vehicle import taxes remained the main source of income, significantly contributing to the custom revenue. more..

Oct 17 (CT) Maternal High Dependency Unit (HDU) and a four-storey ward complex at De Soysa Maternity Hospital, constructed to provide safe and advanced maternal healthcare, were officially opened to the public yesterday by Minister Nalinda Jayatissa. The construction of the Maternal HDU cost Rs 249 million, with the first phase of the project focusing on completing the structural work for the ground and first floors. 4-storey building now houses a 10-bed HDU on the ground floor, more..

Oct 17 (Island) SriLankan Airlines scored a hat-trick, winning the title of Leading Int'l Airline in South Asia under the Visitors’ Choice Awards category at the South Asian Travel Awards (SATA) 2025, for the third consecutive year, placing the airline at the pinnacle of aviation in the region. The airline directly connects to 33 destinations in 21 countries across the Indian Subcontinent, the Middle East, Far East, Europe & Australia. This includes major cities in 5 South Asian countries, covering 3-quarters of the region. more..

Oct 17 (TM) SSP Hemal Prashantha, who served as the Director of the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB), was transferred in connection with an ongoing investigation against him. Prashantha is reportedly facing allegations of misusing Rs. 5 million allocated for informants, administrative shortcomings, and failing to carry out proper drug raids over a three-month period. An investigation into the alleged misuse of the Rs. 5 million more..

Oct 17 (TM) Three Police teams are currently interrogating six suspects, including the female suspect connected to the murder of organised crime suspect Sanjeewa Samararatne alias Ganemulla Sanjeewa, Ishara Sewwandi. It is reported that several important details related to Samararatne’s murder have been revealed during the questioning of Sewwandi. Sewwandi, one of the main suspects in the murder of Samararatne, was recently arrested in Nepal during a special operation more..

Oct 17 (CT) Environmental activist Ananda Dissanayake has warned that the failure to construct modern, technologically advanced elephant fences is a key reason behind the growing human-elephant conflict across Sri Lanka. Dissanayake said most existing elephant fences are over 20 years old and have long since deteriorated. He stressed that without adopting modern technology, the conflict will worsen, leading to increased loss of human life, crop damage, and destruction of property. more..

Oct 17 (TM) Medical & Civil Rights Professional Association of Doctors (MCPA) alleged that a large quantity of substandard and expired medicines and surgical equipment imported in previous years is still being stored in warehouses at several locations across the country. MCPA President Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa claimed that information has emerged suggesting that stocks of these substandard drugs and medical equipment have been hidden in areas including in Kerawalapitiya, Galle, Iranamadu more..

Oct 17 (CT) Ministry Irrigation has launched a project titled Uthurumeda Maha Ela to ensure a sufficient water supply to the North Central Province (NCP) during both the Maha and Yala seasons, while also addressing the drinking water needs of local residents. Under this project, water will be transported to the North Central Province from the Moragahakanda-Kalu Ganga Reservoir. In the first phase, canal will be constructed from Moragahakanda Reservoir to more..

Oct 17 (DM) Sri Lanka is charting an ambitious course to position itself as a regional leader in the digital economy, building its competitiveness on governance, data protection and artificial intelligence (AI) and defining trust as its national value proposition. Chief Advisor to Prez Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya said the govt aims to expand SL’s digital economy fivefold, from about US$ 3 billon to US$15 billion, within four years, more..

Oct 17 (DN) Professional golfer Vijitha Bandara fired a steady one-over-par 74 to reclaim the top spot on the overall leaderboard, while Kaya Daluwatte, the only female competitor in the field, produced a stunning performance to finish third overall after the third round of the Sri Lanka Golf October Ranking Tournament held at the Victoria Golf Resort in Digana, Kandy yesterday. Bandara, who had the second-best score of the day, moved ahead with a total gross of 222, just one stroke clear of more..

Oct 17 (DN) Sri Lanka women’s team is ready to put up a good challenge against South Africa in their world cup cricket fixture today(17) at R. Premadasa International cricket stadium commencing 3pm.Skipper Chamari Athapaththu said her team will take plenty of confidence from their batting efforts against the White Ferns in their last game at this same venue which ended in a no result due to rain. However SL will hope rain won’t affect this game as they need to collect full points. more..

Oct 17 (DM) In a significant signal of deepening economic ties, India is actively considering pathways to enable SL entities, including the govt and commercial businesses, to issue bonds denominated in Indian Rupees (INR), according to remarks by the Indian Deputy High Commissioner to SL Dr. Satyanjal Pandey. Speaking as the Guest of Honour at the Bridging Borders II financial dialogue in Colombo on Oct 15, Dr. Pandey described more..

Oct 17 (FT) SL’s tea industry must embrace climate-resilient cultivation and Geographical Indication (GI) certification to secure its long-term sustainability and competitiveness, Tea Research Institute (TRI) Deputy Director of Research – Production Dr. Shyamantha Bandara said. Speaking at a panel discussion at the Perspectives on Geographical Indications in SL forum in Colombo, Dr. Bandara said the industry must modernise cultivation systems and integrate GI standards to withstand more..

Oct 17 (FT) In a move aimed at accelerating the country’s transition towards renewable energy and sustainable industrial growth, the Govt has announced new regulations granting duty and tax exemptions for the import and local purchase of capital goods used in priority development projects. The regulation, issued under the powers vested in Finance, Planning and Economic Development Minister Anura Kumara Disanayake by Section 101(1) of the Customs Ordinance, more..

Oct 17 (FT) The Great Place To Work® Sri Lanka CXO Forum, held recently in Colombo under the theme Unlocking Multigenerational Leadership Through Shared Values, convened senior leaders and industry experts to discuss the future of workplace culture through resilience, inclusivity, and future-readiness. Great Place to Work Sri Lanka CEO Kshanika Ratnayaka urged organisations to embrace change by building cultures rooted in shared values, trust, and inclusivity, while more..

Oct 17 (Island) Speculation was rife in some quarters, following the recent arrest of runaway criminal suspect, Ishara Sewwandi, in Nepal, where she fled via India in February after the murder of Ganemulla Sanjeewa, that an electricity tariff hike would coincide with a media circus over her extradition. SL govts are notorious for timing tax and tariff hikes for such events. Time was when fuel price increases were announced while the country was celebrating wins in int'l cricket matches. more..

Oct 17 (FT) Labour Minister Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando yesterday declared that Sri Lanka is setting sail towards a bold new future in ocean-based industries, aiming to position itself as the premier destination for Blue Economy investment in South Asia. Delivering the keynote address at Marine Summit: Voyage Sri Lanka 2025, organised for the second consecutive year by the EDB, Dr. Fernando outlined more..

Oct 17 (FT) Lanka Ashok Leyland, a joint venture between the Govt of Sri Lanka and Ashok Leyland Ltd, of India, has announced robust financial results for the first half of the financial year ending 30 Sept 2025. CEO Umesh Gautam said: “We are proud of our strong first-half performance, with a profit of Rs. 1.17 billion and total revenue reaching Rs. 7.75 billion. This growth is a testament to our robust partnership with the Govt of SL and the valuable support from the Ministry of Industry.” more..

Oct 17 (TM) As SL joins the global community in marking the World Food Day this year, under the theme Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future, the message is clear: achieving food security and nutrition for all requires collaboration that transcends institutional boundaries, sectors, and generations. In a world of increasing shocks and stresses, no single actor can shoulder this responsibility alone. SL stands at a critical juncture. Despite commendable progress in reducing more..

Oct 17 (TM) Sri Lanka has pinned its hopes on economic recovery aided by the growth of its digital economy. In doing so, SL must navigate the complex and evolving cybersecurity landscape to ensure that the digital economy which the island states build remains resilient, reliable, trustworthy and effective. The challenges faced by SL in traveling down this road was addressed at an expert gathering held last week in Colombo under the ADB’s Serendipity Knowledge Programme (SKOP), more..

Oct 17 (ST) Have you ever encountered a situation where a doctor’s prescription is illegible and cannot, in some cases, even be read by the pharmacist (who generally is able to read such handwriting)? According to current practice, prescriptions by doctors appear as a scrawl or scribble, not legible, with the patient often left wondering whether he or she is getting the right medicine. The wrong medicine, because the prescription was not clearly read by the pharmacist, can be disastrous more..

Oct 17 (SO) SL’s oldest airport at Ratmalana — once the gateway to the island before Katunayake took over in 1967 — is preparing for a long-awaited transformation. The Govt has approved a Rs 3 billion project to build a modern airfield facility complex, signalling a renewed effort to revive the airport’s role in domestic and business aviation. This will be a major step in modernising Sri Lanka’s Air Traffic Management (ATM) infrastructure. more..

Oct 17 (GV) The Mannar peninsula, a wind-blown stretch of land known for its migratory birds, shallow lagoons and resilient fishing villages, now finds itself at the centre of one of SL’s fiercest environmental and social battles. Once promoted as a beacon of sustainable energy, the Mannar Wind and Solar Project has instead ignited widespread community resistance, allegations of land grabbing and accusations of heavy handed state response. The conflict reflects a deeper dilemma: more..

Oct 17 (DM) When the economy collapsed in 2022, one of the hardest lessons was that energy insecurity can cripple the entire system. Power cuts, fuel queues, and import shortages didn’t just darken homes but also the country’s economic prospects. Two years later, the govt has stabilised the energy supply, but the underlying vulnerability remains. SL still imports nearly all its fuel, spends billions in foreign exchange on petroleum and coal, and depends on weather patterns for hydropower. more..

Oct 17 (TM) Sri Lanka’s path out of crisis appears steadier than it has been in years. Inflation has settled near target, reserves are rebuilding, and the economy, once shrinking at record pace, has returned to growth. Yet, as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded its Fifth Review mission in Colombo last week, the takeaway was that the recovery is real, but its durability depends on how fast the country can finish what it started. more..

Oct 17 (CT) In Sri Lanka, outrage itself has become a crime. The story of Senior Lawyer Gunaratne Wanninayake is now being rewritten by those who wish to silence discomfort: a man who reacted to the sight of a colleague assaulted within a court is being portrayed not as a witness to violence but as the villain of the scene. The govt’s declaration that legal action will be taken against him for obstructing police duties and threatening a police constable is more than a charge sheet more..

Oct 17 (CT) The 2025 Nutrition Report, issued by the Family Health Bureau (FHB), sheds light on some grim nutritional realities in a country that is otherwise progressing seamlessly, politically and economically speaking. Malnutrition, lack of variety in nutritional choices, food inflation, and poverty were discussed endlessly during the economic crisis. Stories surfaced of how some students had to resort to consuming young coconut flesh for meals, and these were used repeatedly as more..