Mar 16 (DM) Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has issued a circular instructing judges to make use of online or virtual platforms wherever feasible, particularly when extending the remand periods of prisoners, in order to help reduce fuel consumption in the country. The circular, which applies to all High Court judges, Judicial Officers and Presidents of Labour Tribunals, provides guidance on the functioning of courts in light of the prevailing fuel rationing introduced by the Government. more..

Mar 16 (DN) SL’s investment climate has improved under the present Govt, but still requires significant elevation in policy consistency, bureaucratic efficiency and speedy approval of proposals to boost investor confidence, Chinese Ambassador to SL Qi Zhenhong said. He said SL needs One-Stop Shops (OSS) for investment and should fast track the approval process for investment proposals. He highlighted the mechanisms adopted in this regards at Shanghai and added foreign investors more..

Mar 16 (AD) Approximately 133 kg of heroin have been found aboard the multi-day fishing trawler seized by SL Navy in seas south of Dondra, according to Deputy Minister Aruna Jayasekara. The vessel was brought to the Dikkowita Fisheries Harbour a short while ago, where an official inspection was carried out. Upon inspection, a total of six sacks containing 123 packets of heroin weighing 133 kg were found on board more..

Mar 16 (AD) President of the Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA), Gemunu Wijeratne, stated that private passenger buses are currently facing numerous difficulties in obtaining fuel from depots belonging to Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB). He noted that if fuel distribution continues through SLTB depots, the number of buses operating daily could be limited to 50%. Pointing out that there are nearly 13,000 private buses operating across Sri Lanka, more..

Mar 16 (AD) Farmers will be provided with 15 litres of fuel per acre for harvesting and 20 litres per acre for ploughing (land preparation) without the need for a QR code, according to the Commissioner General of the Dept of Agrarian Development, Dhammika Ranatunga. The Department of Agrarian Development has announced that fuel will be supplied to farmers outside the standard QR-based quota system. Ranatunga stated that the CPC has granted its concurrence for this initiative. more..

Mar 16 (AD) The Government has decided to declare Wednesdays of every week as a holiday for government sector employees with effect from March 18, after taking into consideration the current fuel situation in Sri Lanka. The announcement was made by the Commissioner General of Essential Services, who stated that the decision had been taken in view of the prevailing fuel constraints in the country. more..

Mar 16 (EN) Sri Lanka is exploring positioning its capital city as the gaming hub using innovative technology mainly from Chinese firms, the Deputy Tourism Minister said. SL’s gaming and integrated resort sector has rapidly transformed from a fragmented collection of small-scale clubs into a multibillion-dollar engine for high-end tourism. The island nation inaugurated a two-day Global Game Connect (GGC) 2026 summit, which commenced Monday at Cinnamon Life’s City of Dreams, more..

Mar 16 (AD) Chairman of the National Transport Commission (NTC), P. A. Chandrapala, stated that arrangements are being made to provide a weekly fuel quota ranging from 60 to 360 litres for passenger transport buses. He noted that the exact quantity of fuel allocated will be determined based on the distance travelled by each bus. He further stated that until the proposed systematic framework is fully implemented, the fuel requirements of private buses will continue to be supplied through more..

Mar 16 (DM) Power & Energy Ministry said that there would be no power cuts in the country despite the recent increase in diesel prices, dismissing concerns that the higher fuel costs could disrupt electricity generation. Ministry officials said no decision had been taken to impose power cuts at present, stressing that the country currently has adequate fuel supplies to maintain electricity generation. According to officials, sufficient stocks of diesel and furnace oil are being supplied by more..

Mar 16 (DM) Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) has formally handed over its historical records to the National Archives Dept of SL, placing over a century of the nation’s commercial history into the care of the country’s official custodians of heritage. The historical archive being handed over spans from the CCC’s founding in 1839 to 1973 and includes correspondence, meeting minutes, reports, ledgers and publications that chronicle the development of trade, enterprise and industry in SL. more..

Mar 16 (TM) SL’s two Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) providers, State-owned Litro Gas Lanka and LAUGFS Gas, have reached a conceptual understanding that will enable both companies to expand national storage capacity while sourcing additional LPG. “We have signed a MOU that allows Litro to utilise storage at the LAUGFS terminal, while both companies continue to procure additional gas either jointly or separately. more..

Mar 16 (AD) Legendary SL fast bowler Lasith Malinga in collaboration with Singer Sri Lanka kicked off the Singer Pace Hunt with Lasith Malinga, a national fast-bowling talent search and development programme aimed at identifying and nurturing SL’s next generation of pace bowlers. The inaugural selection session of the programme was held at the Sugathadasa Stadium, drawing an enthusiastic group of young cricketers from across the island who aspire to represent Sri Lanka more..

Mar 16 (Island) Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, conducted an inspection tour of two large-scale pharmaceutical manufacturing companies in SL, Kelun LifeScience (Pvt) Ltd, and Celogen Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, located in the Pallekele Investment Zone, in Kandy, on Friday (13). Nearly 400 types of medicines are currently manufactured by these two institutions, and they are the only companies in SL to have received EU Good Manufacturing Practice quality certification. more..

Mar 16 (Island) Govt led by NPP has yet to fulfil its key promises made to local manufacturers prior to coming to power, SL United National Businesses Alliance (SLUNBA) has said. SLUNBA Chairperson Tania Abeysundara said the alliance had repeatedly requested a meeting with govt leaders to discuss the growing challenges faced by the local manufacturing sector but had so far received no response. more..

Mar 16 (AD) President of the Vehicle Importers’ Association of SL (VIASL), Prasad Manage, says that vehicle importers have encountered difficulties due to the QR code–based fuel quota system introduced by the govt for fuel distribution. He stated that vehicle importers are facing challenges in obtaining fuel for imported vehicles under the current system and emphasized the need for an appropriate arrangement to address the issue. He explained that vehicles arriving at the Hambantota Port more..

Mar 16 (NW) The Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance has launched its latest tactical campaign burst, Love Sri Lanka, Always, positioning the island as a destination to discover and rediscover year-round. The initiative was unveiled as part of a global digital rollout aimed at reshaping travel perceptions and addressing the challenge of demand-driven seasonality. Malik Fernando, Co-Chair of the SL Tourism Alliance, said: “Sri Lanka is a destination that constantly surprises and delights. more..

Mar 16 (AD) Colombo Magistrate’s Court today ordered that the complaint filed against former MP Hirunika Premachandra and 14 others, over allegations that the suspects caused public inconvenience, be taken up again on August 17, 2026. The complaint was filed over allegations that the suspects caused public inconvenience by staging an unauthorized street drama near Independence Square in 2022. The case was taken up before Chief Magistrate Asanga S. more..

Mar 16 (DM) Education Ministry has not taken any decision to suspend school activities or introduce distance learning programs due to the fuel queues that emerged following the reimplementation of the QR code system. Several sources from the ministry said that no such decision has been taken so far and schools are expected to continue their normal operations. However, the Education Ministry Secretary, Nalaka Kaluwewa, along with several other ministry secretaries and heads of more..

Mar 16 (AD) Managing Director of the CPC, Mayura Neththikumara stated that a fuel tanker arrived in SL this morning, and arrangements have been made to commence unloading of its cargo within the day. Vessel carries 18,000 metric tons of diesel, 17,000 metric tons of petrol, and 3,000 metric tons of super diesel, Managing Director confirmed. He noted that all currently ordered vessels are arriving as scheduled and more..

Mar 16 (Island) PM Harini Amarasuriya stated that the weakening of public trust in information disseminated through the media is extremely dangerous for a society, and emphasized that people must be mindful of the truthfulness of information before sharing it on social media. PM made these remarks while addressing the Sandeshaya Media Awards Ceremony held on 14 March at the Kularathne Hall of Ananda College, Colombo. The event was organized with the aim of more..

Mar 16 (AD) The leader of the PHU Udaya Gammanpila, stated that his party is ready to reveal the mastermind behind the Easter attacks to the country on March 31. He made this announcement today (16). Gammanpila further stated that after conducting an investigation for over a year, he has prepared a book titled Uncovering the Mastermind of the Easter Attacks. The book will be officially present on March 31 at 3.30 p.m. at the Sri Sambuddhatva Jayanti Mandiraya, he said. more..

Mar 16 (FT) SL’s electricity generation mix showed a modest shift towards oil-based power in the week ending 12 March compared with the final week of February. This broadly follows a cyclical pattern for this time of year but is more concerning now as global energy markets remain volatile amid the ongoing Middle East conflict and rising oil prices. Thermal fuel-based generation accounted for 23.1% of total output in the week ending 12 March, more..

Mar 16 (AD) Minister Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, stated that both parties have reached an agreement to publish a unified set of auspicious times (Avurudu Nekath Seettuwa) for this year’s Sinhala and Tamil New Year. Minister noted that the final consensus was reached during discussions with the author of the Epa Panchanga Litha, Indika Epa Seneviratne; the author of the Thirasara Panchanga Litha, Chamath Kothalawala; and members of the alternative astrology group. more..

Mar 16 (NW) Today, the management of MAS announced to employees at the Thurulie facility the decision to relocate manufacturing operations of the plant to nearby facilities following the severe damage caused to the plant by Cyclone Ditwah in late 2025. Thurulie is one of the multiple factories operated by MAS and its partners within the MAS Fabric Park (MFP) in Thulhiriya. Despite significant efforts to restore operations, technical assessments indicate that the long-term viability of more..

Mar 16 (FT) The on-going attacks on Iran and the ensuing counter attacks on US allied Arab oil infrastructure and selected traffic in the Straits of Hormuz, is now more than 2 weeks old. And there’s nary any indication, or indeed any real reason to be optimistic of the sudden emergence of silver linings. Much like flotsam in these turbulent seas, our 2 countries, SL and Maldives, need to first acknowledge our relative inability to affect the outcome. Instead, we will need to trim our more..

Mar 16 (FT) A new generation Sinhala song, written for defending those who had participated in the Aragalaya of 2022 and now going viral on YouTube, has two lines which offer stark advice to SL leaders. A rough English rendering of these two lines goes as follows: “What a pity, it’s hilarious that those educated elite, clad in ties and coats, standing in a queue with a begging bowl in the scorching heat of the Sun”. Two other lines in the same song mocking those who had been in power since more..

Mar 16 (TM) Govt’s sudden decision to reintroduce the economic crisis-era QR-based fuel rationing system plunged the country into confusion yesterday, as the public scrambled to register for the new quotas while long queues began forming once again at filling stations. Thousands rushed to access the online portal to register or update their fuel quota details, but the system soon buckled under the heavy traffic, with the website crashing more..

Mar 16 (DM) Ride-hailing platform PickMe yesterday called on policymakers to revisit fuel allocation policies and prioritise app-based taxis should fuel rationing return, arguing that shared mobility services move more people with less fuel and play a critical role in sustaining daily economic activity. The company said that while SL is not facing a crisis similar to the severe shortages experienced during the economic meltdown, the current global uncertainty around energy supplies more..

Mar 16 (TM) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake directed officials to study the possibility of work-from-home option for certain categories of public servants in view of the Middle East tension-related issues, as the SL Govt Officers' Trade Union Association (SLGOTUA) suggested the Govt should either increase the fuel quota allocated to them or introduce a hybrid work system. Prez issued these instructions during a discussion with Ministry Secretaries and heads of State institutions more..

Mar 16 (FT) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday instructed senior Govt officials to strengthen contingency planning to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of essential services as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East raise concerns over potential economic and supply disruptions. The high-level meeting between the Prez, Ministry Secretaries, and Heads of key institutions reviewed preparedness measures more..

Mar 16 (FT) Govt Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has called on the Govt to urgently resolve fuel and transport difficulties faced by doctors, cautioning that the current fuel quota system could affect the functioning of public health services. In a statement issued yesterday, the GMOA said the State hospital system operates around the clock throughout the year and requires doctors and other healthcare workers to travel frequently across the country to deliver medical services. more..

Mar 16 (NW) The launch of the QR code app on Sunday morning overwhelmingly, in the comments studied, resulted in frustrated resignation. Govt started to ration fuel on Sunday morning. On Twitter alone, this resulted in considerable chatter around both the need for such a system, and very serious problems associated with the re-launch of a platform that was first developed, and deployed in August 2022. In order to get a sense of public sentiment at a greater scale, I studied 4,000+ comments more..