Apr 23 (NW) The Australian High Commission in Sri Lanka has confirmed that both the mission and SL’s Ministry of Finance are aware of irregularities in payments owed to the Australian Govt. SL authorities have launched an investigation into the matter and are coordinating closely with Australian officials, who are assisting the inquiry, Australian HC said. The HC further said that Australia remains committed to supporting SL’s path toward debt sustainability. more..

Apr 23 (AD) Standard registration number plates for new vehicles can be issued from the end of May this year, DMT has announced. This was revealed when officials from the dept appeared before the CoPF. Motor Traffic Dept also stated that a new system allowing vehicle owners to obtain personalized number plates displaying their names will be introduced soon. Chairman of the Committee, MP Harsha de Silva noted that previously vehicle number plates more..

Apr 23 (AM) NPP MP Najith Indika says there was no reason to bring forth four witnesses requested by the opposition before the Parliamentary Special Committee investigating the release of 323 containers from the Colombo Port without mandatory physical inspection. Indika revealed that the opposition could not provide valid reasons to summon the witnesses. “At yesterday’s meeting we did not oppose the summoning of any witness. This is an investigative committee, more..

Apr 23 (AM) A suspect who allegedly posed as the husband of PM Harini Amarasuriya’s private secretary in an attempt to secure admission for two students to a leading school in Borella was arrested yesterday, the Colombo South Crimes Division said. The suspect is a 40-year-old resident of Borella. Police said he had also posed as a Wing Commander of the SL Air Force and attempted to win the confidence of the school principal by claiming he had performed a parachute jump during more..

Apr 23 (NW) The Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Harshana Suriyapperuma, says that efforts are being made to recover as much as possible of the USD 2.5 million that cyber criminals obtained from the Ministry of Finance. Harshana Suriyapperuma further said that these hackers had entered the relevant system through email. He further said that the Australian High Commissioner and the creditor had been informed regarding this incident. more..

Apr 23 (AD) The Colombo Magistrate’s Court today ordered that organized criminal Dinush Chathuranga, alias Keselwatte Dinusha, who was arrested in India and brought back to Sri Lanka, be remanded until May 05. The suspect, who was the subject of an international Interpol Red Notice, had been arrested while hiding in India and brought to Sri Lanka, where he was initially held under detention orders. The order was issued when the suspect in question, who remained in custody, more..

Apr 23 (EN) National Development Bank (NDB) said it has appointed Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India to conduct a forensic review of the facts and circumstances relating to the fraud incident. “This Forensic Review will examine the circumstances surrounding the fraudulent transactions, including any lapses in controls, oversight and governance. Its findings, including any interim updates and the final report, will be submitted directly by Deloitte to the Central Bank of SL.” more..

Apr 23 (FT) A child presents to a busy private clinic with persistent headaches. The consultation is brief. There is no structured documentation template, no escalation pathway and no system to ensure follow-up. Weeks later, the family seeks help elsewhere with worsening symptoms. Everyone involved is competent. Everyone is well-intentioned. Yet the system has failed the patient. In SL, we often attribute such gaps to resource limitations. But many of our quality challenges are not purely about resources. more..

Apr 23 (FT) Two common characteristics of the twenty-first century smoker are: (1) they are well aware of the health-risks associated with their habit of choice; and (2) they have repeatedly tried to quit but somehow found themselves back at the mercy of a smoke. Being as technologically and medically advanced as we are, it is hard to believe that we have been unable to come up with solutions to an issue that over a billion people across the world are facing. It begs the question more..

Apr 23 (TM) A USD 2.5 million payment linked to a bilateral agreement between Sri Lanka and Australia has come under scrutiny after it was allegedly diverted through fraudulent email instructions, with lawyers and civil society organisations now urging the Finance Ministry and key State financial agencies to take clear responsibility and ensure a full public account of what happened. more..

Apr 23 (Island) President’s Counsel Maithri Gunaratne has urged the Parliament to intervene in an ongoing investigation conducted by the Treasury into the wrongful payment of USD 2.5 mn loan instalment to a third party instead of the country that gave the loan to the Govt of SL. Gunaratne, in a letter addressed to Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremaratne copied to leaders of all political parties represented in Parliament, General Secretaries of those political parties, COPF, more..

Apr 23 (NW) A senior police officer has appealed to the public to avoid obstructing the Walk for Peace, refrain from crowding the route, and allow the monks to continue their journey peacefully. The officer said Aloka the Peace Dog, the certified service canine accompanying the procession from Dambulla, became unwell and received treatment after heavy crowds and disruptions along the route yesterday. He said large numbers of people, media crews and onlookers attempting to take selfies, more..

Apr 23 (DM) SL’s economic recovery is entering a more fragile phase, with the Central Bank warning that rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are beginning to test the resilience built through recent stabilisation efforts, even as domestic conditions remain broadly supportive of growth. CB, in its latest macroeconomic outlook released Monday, noted that while the economy has regained a degree of more..

Apr 23 (TM) Opposition members of the Parliamentary Committee probing the release of 323 containers from the Colombo Harbour without mandatory physical inspection have formally requested that several high-ranking officials be summoned to give evidence. The committee has been tasked with investigating the circumstances surrounding the release of the containers, which were not subjected to required inspections, and to present its findings, recommendations & more..

Apr 23 (TM) Despite India–SL energy cooperation projects being discussed during Indian Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan's recent visit to SL, the Energy Ministry stated that no immediate implementation is planned for either the proposed gas pipeline or the Trincomalee energy hub projects, as initial steps remain to be completed. Energy Minister Anura Karunathilaka said that with regard to the proposed gas pipeline, a feasibility study has not yet been carried out, and there is no more..

Apr 23 (FT) SL’s per capita GDP at current market prices rose to an all-time high of $ 5,003 in 2025, extending the recovery from the contraction seen during the economic crisis. Increase follows a steady rebound over the past 3 years, with per capita income rising from $ 3,464 in 2022 to $ 3,818 in 2023 and $ 4,546 in 2024, before crossing the $ 5,000 mark in 2025. Data reflect a reversal of the decline recorded in 2019-2022. Per capita GDP fell from $4,080 in 2019 to $3,850 in 2020 more..

Apr 23 (NW) Asia Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), which operates Hiru TV, has rejected a letter of demand sent over a news report concerning Minister K.D. Lal Kantha, stating the claims of defamation will not be accepted. In a legal response dated April 21, lawyers for ABC said the April 16 news report was not intended to defame Lal Kantha and was published without malice. Company said a subsequent internal review found calculation errors in figures relating to Minister’s declaration of more..

Apr 23 (NW) Deputy Minister of Finance Dr Anil Jayantha says complaints have been filed with law enforcement agencies following a cyber theft incident involving unauthorised access to the computer system of the Department of External Resources under the Ministry of Finance. He said the incident occurred during communication and fund settlement activities between Australian Export Finance Agency and Treasury, more..

Apr 23 (FT) The Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) recorded a sharp increase in the market value of its listed equity portfolio in 2025, rising to Rs. 188.85 billion as at 31 December from Rs. 148.25 billion a year earlier, reflecting a broad-based recovery in share prices. The increase of over Rs. 40 billion comes despite a reduction in the number of listed holdings, with the portfolio declining to 59 companies in 2025 from 65 in 2024. A comparison of the two year-end disclosures shows that more..

Apr 23 (NF) Cabinet has approved the appointment of a special expert committee to obtain recommendations aimed at resolving issues that have arisen in housing projects launched by the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA). It has been revealed that during the 2015 to 2019 period, a total of 2,562 housing projects had been planned for implementation under the NHDA. The total number of houses expected to be constructed under these projects stood at 64,407. more..

Apr 23 (AD) The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vijitha Herath has held a telephone conversation with Abbas Araghchi, Foreign Minister of Iran. During the call, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expressed appreciation for the SL govt’s efforts in the rescue operation for the sailors of the IRIS Dena and for assisting in the transfer of the bodies of the crew of the IRIS Dena and other Iranian naval personnel back to Iran, according to the Iranian Embassy in Sri Lanka. more..

Apr 23 (DN) SL’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) presidential candidacy has turned into a 3-way contest after two candidates, Rohan Perera and Deva Henry, decided to withdraw their nominations ahead of the April 25 election at the Sports Ministry in Colombo. Perera, a member of the Canoeing and Kayaking Association and Henry, President of the Ski and Snowboard Federation, said that they are expected to officially submit their withdrawal letters to the Election Committee more..

Apr 23 (FT) The Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) recorded a 13.6% increase in net worth to Rs. 4.9 trillion at end-2025, up from Rs. 4.4 trillion a year earlier, according to the CB Annual Economic Review 2025. The expansion was supported by higher member contributions and investment income. Total contributions rose by 15.6% to Rs. 270.8 billion, while refunds to members & legal heirs declined by 6.4% to Rs. 176 b. more..

Apr 23 (FT) Insurance Association of SL President Lasitha Wimalaratne said the industry will tighten credit practices in motor insurance, with a phased shift towards a cash-before-cover model from 1 May. He said the current practice of extending credit of between 30 and 90 days will be reduced as part of efforts to bring greater discipline to the sector. “We are introducing revised credit guidelines for motor insurance. The current 30 to 90-day credit period will be reduced to 30 days more..

Apr 23 (FT) Advocata Institute yesterday warned that the recent increase in domestic Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) prices remains insufficient, effectively shifting the cost burden onto lower-income households through indirect cross-subsidies. The economic policy think tank said the shortfall between the cost of LPG and its retail price is being covered by charging higher prices to industrial users, costs that are then passed on to consumers through higher prices of goods and services. more..

Apr 23 (FT) Asia Siyaka Commodities said the escalation of tensions between the US, Israel & Iran significantly impacted tea exports in March, following the bombing of Iran on 28 Feb and subsequent retaliatory attacks on Israel and Gulf States. The resulting closure of the Strait of Hormuz caused severe disruptions to shipments, with exports in the first two weeks of March falling sharply. Cargo already in transit was rerouted, and, more..

Apr 23 (FT) Cabinet has approved steps to draft legislation to establish a new apex body aimed at streamlining the country’s industrial and enterprise development framework. “It was approved to instruct the Legal Draftsman to prepare a Bill to formally create the new authority,” Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. Proposed SL Industrial Transformation and Innovation Authority will consolidate three existing institutions; Industrial Development Board, National Enterprise Development Authority, more..

Apr 23 (FT) Dialog Axiata has announced a strategic partnership with OREL Corporation Ltd, bringing together complementary strengths in digital platforms and device innovation to enhance smart living experiences in Sri Lanka. As part of this collaboration, the two companies will work together across both digital entertainment and smart home solutions. This includes integrating the Dialog Play Smart TV App into OREL’s smart TV range, enabling customers to access a wide range of content more..

Apr 23 (FT) Finance, Planning and Economic Development Ministry yesterday said cyber hackers had breached its systems, resulting in a reported loss of $ 2.5 million which was part of a bilateral payment to Australia. Ministry said it has already lodged complaints with law enforcement agencies and other relevant institutions regarding the theft committed by cyber hackers who breached the computer system of the External Resources Dept of Finance, Planning & Economic Dev. Ministry. more..

Apr 23 (FT) Dubai-based Dnata Airport Services Ltd., has won the contract to provide ground handling services (passenger, ground handling and cargo handling) to SriLankan Airlines in Dubai Int'l Airport for three years. The Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal by Ports and Civil Aviation Minister Anura Karunathilake to award over 40 million AED (Rs. 3.5 billion) contracts after bids were called from registered suppliers for the long-term agreement of ground handling for 3 years. more..

Apr 23 (Island) Advising people to use water sparingly, the Meteorology Dept yesterday said the rain expected in the coming weeks would be insufficient to raise water levels in upper catchment reservoirs. Most hydropower reservoirs, including Rantambe, Victoria, Upper Kotmale, Maussakele, Samanalawewa, Castlereigh, Kotmale and Dayaraba, contain water below 60% of their capacity. However, the water levels in more..

Apr 23 (Island) Speech delivered, in Colombo, by His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith at the 7th Year Commemoration of the Easter Sunday Bomb Victims. Most Venerable Omalpe Sobitha Nayaka Thero, Ven. Sirs, Most Rev. Dr. Andrzej Józwowicz, Apostolic Nuncio in SL, Most Rev. Dushantha Rodrigo, Bishop of Colombo of the Anglican Church, Most Rev. Anton Ranjith, Auxiliary Bishop of Colombo and the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Batticaloa, more..