Jun 8 (Island) The 2025 audit of Samurdhi Bank couldn’t be carried out due to its failure to complete the auditing process for 2023 and 2024. This transpired when Auditor General Samudika Jayaratne appeared before the CoPF on the progress of the National Audit Office’s Annual Programme for 2026. Parliament said that the procurement process required to outsource the audits to external parties had not yet been finalised. While initial estimates indicated that approximately 300 officers would be required to more..

Jun 8 (NW) Vehicle number plate printing in SL officially resumed today after being suspended for more than a year. The process was formally relaunched on Monday at the Dept of Motor Traffic’s Vehicle Inspection and Training Centre in Werahera under the patronage of Deputy Minister Prasanna Gunasena. Printing activities had been halted after the contract of the private company that had been responsible for producing vehicle number plates for the past 22 years expired in April last year. more..

Jun 8 (TM) With the forecast pointing towards El Niño conditions later this year, State authorities in charge of water, agriculture, and irrigation are assessing potential impacts and implementing strategies to manage resources, anticipating reduced rainfall leading to drought conditions. NWSDB Chairman Chandana Bandara stated that the board had already conducted discussions on necessary measures and begun several programmes to mitigate the effects of the expected more..

Jun 8 (NW) The Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus has instructed relevant authorities to ensure that all ongoing investigations into the Anuradhapura child abuse case are conducted strictly in line with court orders, while also calling for forensic and medical reports to be obtained without delay. Caucus further directed the National Child Protection Authority to monitor proceedings in A'pura, Attanagalla, and Dambulla courts, and urged measures to minimize repeated trauma more..

Jun 8 (CT) Sri Lanka must urgently deepen trade reforms and strengthen its regional and global economic integration if it is to remain competitive in an increasingly fragmented global trading system, Secretary to the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security & Cooperative Development K.A. Vimalenthirarajah said on Friday (5). Addressing a Pathfinder Foundation roundtable titled Sri Lanka, RCEP and the Emerging Global Trading Order, he warned that the global economy is more..

Jun 8 (TM) Despite receiving more than Rs. 6 billion in donations for Cyclone Ditwah recovery efforts, no disbursements have been made from the Govt’s Rebuilding Sri Lanka initiative to date, officials from the National Audit Office (NAO) informed the COPF last week. The officials further revealed that no statutory fund existed under the name Rebuilding Sri Lanka, raising questions over the legal status, transparency, and oversight of the recovery programme. more..

Jun 8 (Island) Trincomalee District TNA MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam has submitted a motion to Parliament calling for the immediate repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), arguing that the controversial law has enabled arbitrary detention, torture and the targeting of minority communities for more than four decades. In his motion, now published in the Addendum to the Order Book of Parliament, the MP urged the Govt to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act, No. 48 of 1979, in its entirety more..

Jun 8 (NW) University of Vavuniya and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) have signed a MoU aimed at strengthening academic cooperation between the two institutions. The agreement was signed recently at IIT Madras in Chennai, in the presence of SL’s Deputy High Commissioner in Chennai, Dr. Ganesanathan Geathiswaran. The University of Vavuniya delegation was led by Vice-Chancellor Prof. A. Atputharajah and included senior academic and administrative officials representing more..

Jun 8 (FT) Uncertainty is no longer an occasional disruption in governance; it has become the defining condition within which govts must operate. Economic volatility, technological disruption, environmental change, and evolving social expectations are increasingly interconnected. These forces interact in complex and often unpredictable ways, creating challenges that cannot be effectively managed through traditional approaches. In such an environment, governance systems designed more..

Jun 8 (FT) Institute of Certified Management Accountants of SL, known as CMA SL, has taken another step forward in promoting cost accounting practices in the country by introducing a comprehensive set of standards to be adopted not only by cost accountants, but also by SL private and public institutions. CMA SL is a professional body incorporated in 2009 by an Act of Parliament. Since its inception, it has been providing professional qualifications to Sri Lankans wishing to acquire competency in management accounting, more..

Jun 8 (FT) IMF has revised down SL’s economic outlook and approved temporary adjustments to its reform program in response to the economic fallout from the ME conflict and Cyclone Ditwah, while maintaining the program’s long-term fiscal and debt sustainability objectives. IMF Executive Board last week completed the combined Fifth and Sixth Reviews under SL’s EFF, enabling an immediate disbursement of SDR 508 million, more..

Jun 8 (NW) Former State Intelligence Service Director, Major General (Retd.) Suresh Sallay, has been admitted to the Colombo National Hospital for emergency medical treatment. Hospital sources said he was transferred to the hospital’s emergency treatment unit shortly after admission after his condition reportedly required urgent attention. Sallay has been held in remand custody of the CID in connection with investigations related to the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks in SL. more..

Jun 8 (AD) Police say ongoing investigations into the reported theft of Rs. 35 million from a state-owned bank in Horana have increasingly pointed towards an alleged internal financial fraud rather than an external robbery. Assistant Manager of the bank, who is currently being questioned under detention orders, was taken to the bank premises for further inquiries. During the exercise, he is reported to have provided a detailed statement on the alleged manner in which funds were misappropriated. more..

Jun 8 (AD) The wife of former Head of the SIS Major General (Rtd) Suresh Sallay has stated that her husband served the country for 38 years, dedicating his life, and that the time has now come for the public to show gratitude for that service. She made these remarks when she visited the CID today (7) to meet Suresh Sallay, who has reportedly begun a fast unto death in protest. She further said that although she had asked more..

Jun 8 (TM) Central Bank of SL (CBSL) sold $ 223.3 million in the domestic foreign exchange market during the month of May. After purchasing $12 million during the same period, the net amount of dollars sold by the Central Bank for the month totalled $ 211.3 million. This marks the largest monthly dollar sale conducted by the CBSL since 2024. The amount sold in May 2026 alone exceeded the total dollar sales for the entire year of 2025 ($ 205.3 mil) and the total for 2024 ($ 183 mil). more..

Jun 8 (ST) SL is currently in the process of preparing to reapply for EU’s GSP+ before March 2027. The reforms are being made to comply with the 27 international conventions related to human rights, labour, and the environment. Over 80% of SL’s exported products to the EU receive tariff concessions under GSP+. The EU market accounts for approximately € 3.7 billion in SL exports, yielding a substantial trade surplus. Because the current framework expires on Dec 31, 2027, more..

Jun 8 (FT) With the aim of supporting the SL Govt’s broader anti-corruption reform agenda, Govt of Korea, together with its national anti-corruption agency, Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission, UN Development Program (UNDP) Seoul Policy Centre, in partnership with the CIABOC and UNDP SL, launched the outcomes of the Anti-Corruption Initiative Assessment (AIA) on Saturday at the BMICH. Drawing on Korea’s experience in integrity assessments, this program worth $ 100,000 more..

Jun 8 (DM) Commuters across SL could face major transport disruptions from tomorrow as private bus operators have decided to cut services by 50%, citing mounting losses, rising fuel costs, and the govt's failure to grant fare relief. The Chairman of the Lanka Private Bus Owners Association, Gemunu Wijeratne, announced that private bus operators would restrict services from June 8 after authorities failed to respond positively to requests for a bus fare revision and fuel-related relief measures. more..

Jun 8 (NW) Govt has launched a programme to restart and complete 25 major health sector construction projects that were abandoned midway, with an estimated Rs. 76 billion required to finish the developments. The projects, located at key hospitals and health institutions across the country, are being implemented under the guidance of Minister Nalinda Jayatissa. Projects include construction work that commenced between more..

Jun 8 (TM) The Dept of Meteorology has forecast showers and thundershowers across several parts of the country over the 36 hours starting from last evening and warned of heavy rainfall and strong winds associated with the active south-west monsoon. According to the weather forecast issued at 4 p.m. yesterday (7), showers or thunderstorms are expected at times in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-Western Provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya districts. more..

Jun 8 (TM) Ministry of Education is introducing a 3-pronged approach to minimise the harmful effects associated with tuition classes, particularly in online spaces, following complaints received by the Ministry. Deputy Minister Dr Madhura Senevirathna said that the Ministry had already taken several steps to address the issue. "We cannot directly monitor or regulate tutors because tuition is a private sector activity. However, in digital spaces, we have room to regulate certain aspects, more..

Jun 8 (FT) Senior business leader and Ceylon Biscuits Ltd., Group Chairman Ramya Wickramasingha passed away on Saturday. Over the years, his vision built opportunities for millions of people through CBL and placed Sri Lanka on the global map, but it was his humanity that made him truly remarkable. For the employees of CBL Group, Wickramasingha was not only a leader but a father figure, someone who cared deeply for people, who listened, guided, and inspired with kindness. more..

Jun 8 (FT) UNP has questioned the accuracy of a recent report produced by a local think tank comparing the number of pieces of legislation passed between the Maithripala Sirisena Govt and the Anura Kumara Dissanayake Govt in the first 18 months. In what appears to be an effort to present an image of the current Govt working to a legislative agenda, UNP said the report by Verité Research has focused solely on the quantity rather than the quality of the legislative efforts by the two Govts. more..

Jun 8 (FT) SL’s workers’ remittances climbed to a record high in May, whilst lifting cumulative earnings in the first five months of 2026 to an all-time high, underscoring the resilience of migrant worker earnings despite geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The inflows rose 36.2% year-on-year (YoY) to $ 847 million in May, marking the fifth consecutive month of robust growth and one of the strongest monthly performances on record. more..

Jun 8 (SO) Micro-credentials will play a key role in creating a more flexible, adaptable and skills-based workforce in Sri Lanka while providing professionals with formal recognition for competencies gained through short-term learning programs, Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya said. She was speaking on the second day of a two-day workshop on developing a National Micro-Credentials Framework for Sri Lanka, in Colombo recently. more..

Jun 8 (FT) Private sector borrowing from the banking system moderated in April, with total outstanding credit increasing by Rs. 100.6 billion month-on-month (M-o-M) to Rs. 10.8 trillion following the sharp expansion recorded in March. This is the third-lowest monthly expansion in private sector credit during the past 12 months, after Rs. 83 billion in Jan 2026 and Rs. 87 billion in April 2025. The highest was Rs. 263 billion in Nov 2025, followed by Rs. 258 billion in March 2026. more..

Jun 8 (TM) Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara has rejected claims that the Govt is seeking to extend the retirement age of superior court judges in SL. “I have no knowledge of any such matter, and I do not believe there is any active proposal or discussion taking place regarding an extension of the retirement age of judges at this time,” Nanayakkara said. His remarks came amid concerns raised by several parties, more..

Jun 8 (FT) The one-of-a-kind Prime Marina at Port City has already attracted reservations for over 300 units, crossing the halfway mark even before its ground breaking, its promoters revealed on Friday. At the opening of the Prime Marina Sales Suite at Port City Colombo, the media was told that the 550-unit luxury residential development has already drawn reservations for 337 units. The Prime Marina is a $ 57.6 million ultra-luxury waterfront residential project by a joint venture between more..

Jun 8 (FT) Govt’s fiscal position strengthened significantly during the first quarter of 2026, with the Govt recording a sharp increase in revenue and maintaining the Budget in surplus, according to latest data released by the Central Bank. Govt recorded a primary surplus of Rs. 709.6 billion during January-March 2026, up 78.5% from Rs. 397.47 billion in the corresponding period of 2025, reflecting continued improvement in revenue collection and fiscal consolidation efforts. more..

Jun 8 (FT) Home Lands Group has appointed globally acclaimed cricket legend Mahela Jayawardene as the company’s Brand Ambassador, ahead of the highly anticipated Grand Launch Weekend of Central Park Boulevard Port City Colombo, the largest real estate launch in SL, taking place from 12 to 14 June at Cinnamon Life Colombo. Widely regarded as one of SL’s greatest sporting icons, Jayawardene has built an extraordinary legacy founded on excellence, leadership, more..

Jun 8 (FT) Sri Lanka has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening cooperation with France and the European Union (EU) in key areas including sustainable development, trade, investment, and climate action, as the French development agency—Agence Française de Développement (AFD) marked 20 years of engagement in the country. Deputy Minister Arun Hemachandra attended the 20th anniversary celebration of AFD in SL, alongside French Ambassador to SL Rémi Lambert, more..