Apr 17 (FT) Inland Revenue Department has recently issued updated Advance Personal Income Tax (APIT) tables, which are crucial for both employers and employees to understand. The APIT tables for the Year of Assessment (Y/A) 2025/26 have been published, taking into consideration the recent changes introduced via Inland Revenue Amending Act No. 02 of 2025. These changes include an increase in personal relief to Rs. 1.8 million for the Year of Assessment, more..

Apr 17 (FT) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has hit the campaign trail, which means he is going all out to win. The two main Opposition parties, center-right and center-left, the SJB and the SLPP, are not. By its unclarity and refusal to hit the AKD-JVP-NPP govt hard, either on the lopsided IMF and debt restructuring deals or the undisclosed AKD-Modi agreements, the SJB and SLPP are each fighting with one hand voluntarily tied by themselves, behind their respective backs. more..

Apr 17 (FT) A high-level delegation will travel to the US next week to hold direct discussions with the US Trade Representative following Trump administration’s decision to impose a steep 44% tariff on SL exports. Move comes after a series of virtual meetings with US authorities and a detailed review of the crisis, which threatens SL’s single largest export market. EDB Chairman confirmed the trip, noting that final composition more..

Apr 17 (DN) The grounds of Ramanathan College in Maruthanarmadam came alive on Wednesday, as the Northern Province celebrated the Sinhala and Tamil New Year 2025 with a vibrant festival designed to connect younger generations with traditional games and cultural practices that are fading from memory. Organised by Dept of Cultural Affairs, under the Northern Province Ministry of Education, Cultural Affairs, Sports, and Youth Affairs, in collaboration with the Dept of Sports, Tourism Bureau and more..

Apr 17 (CT) The CEB urged owners of rooftop solar systems to temporarily disconnect their units only if they received an SMS notification from the Board, and only until 3 p.m. Meanwhile, the CEB has deactivated all thermal power plants in operation, as electricity demand plummeted during the New Year holiday period. CEB stated that these measures were implemented to prevent grid instability, due to the significant reduction in electricity demand during the New Year holiday period. more..

Apr 17 (DM) The CEB said yesterday that many rooftop solar panel owners across the country gave a positive response by agreeing to turn off their systems during the daytime (until 3 p.m.) from April 13 onwards. A CEB spokesperson said the request was made to protect the electricity system during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year holidays. Since the weather has been very sunny, solar panels have been producing a lot of electricity more..

Apr 17 (TM) Electricity Consumers’ Association (ECA) has lodged a complaint with the CIABOC, calling for an investigation into an alleged conflict of interest involving Chairman of CEB, Dr. Tilak Siyambalapitiya. In the complaint addressed to the CIABOC, General Secretary of the ECA claimed that a particular private company, which provides consultancy services, is owned by Dr. Siyambalapitiya, and that the said company has been providing services to CEB, more..

Apr 17 (ST) At least five local commercial banks are eyeing Standard Chartered SL (SCB) wealth and retail banking business in the country, industry officials said. These banks are currently evaluating the SCB portfolio, they added. The move aligns with SCB’s parent company’s commitment to concentrating resources where the group has the most distinctive client proposition. The bank will continue to serve priority clients as usual during the transition period, expected to take 15-18 mo, more..

Apr 17 (AD) SL Police announced that an extensive security and traffic management plan will be implemented ahead of the exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic, which is set to begin on April 18 at the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy. Special exposition will commence on April 18 at 3.30 p.m. and continue until 5.30 p.m. on the same day. From April 19 to 27, the relic will be on public display daily from 12.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. Police state that more than two million local and int'l devotees are expected more..

Apr 17 (AD) Several schools in Kandy town and surrounding areas will remain closed from April 21 to April 25 in view of the special exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic. A total of 50 schools in Kandy town and surrounding areas will be closed during this period. The special exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic is scheduled to take place at the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on April 18. Thereafter, it will continue daily for ten days, from 12:00 noon to 5:30 p.m. more..

Apr 17 (AD) CEB has deactivated all thermal power plants in operation as electricity demand plummeted during the New Year holiday period. One generator at the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant was deactivated from April 11, while operations at the Kelanitissa Power Plant, powered by naphtha, were halted on the morning of April 12. As of now, no thermal power plants are operational, with CEB prioritising hydroelectric and other renewable more..

Apr 17 (AD) Police suspect that the shooting incident that took place near the Gampaha public bus stand last night (15) is a targeted revenge attack linked to an ongoing feud between two rival criminal gangs. According to police, two unidentified individuals on a motorcycle opened fire at a moving small lorry. At the time of the shooting, the two individuals travelling in the lorry exited the vehicle and ran into a nearby shop, police said. Police confirmed that neither of them sustained any injuries. more..

Apr 17 (FT) Former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday warned over the serious economic threat posed by the US’s new reciprocal tariff policy on Sri Lankan exports, cautioning that over 100,000 jobs could be lost if urgent action is not taken. Wickremesinghe called the situation an economic emergency; urging the Govt to act swiftly and inform the public about its response. “As tariffs increase, consumer demand for goods declines. This is not a hypothetical situation, it is already unfolding. more..

Apr 17 (DN) SL has named a powerful 35-member national rugby squad for the crucial Asian Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship Play-Off against Malaysia, to be played on April 19 at the Racecourse Grounds in Colombo. Team was selected by the National Selection Committee, led by Sudath Sampath, after a competitive trial match held at the same venue on April 11. The squad has been going into intense training under veteran head coach Sanath Martis, supported by forwards more..

Apr 17 (DN) Lyceum Int'l School Wattala and St. Benedict’s College Kotahena emerged girls and boys overall champions at the Ritzbury Relay Championship organised by the SL Schools Athletic Association and concluded recently at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium Diyagana. Lyceum Int'l School Wattala obtained 130 points to clinch the girls overall title while St. Benedict’s with 155 points won the boys overall title. More than 3000 School athletes took part this three-day event more..

Apr 17 (AD) EPF has strengthened its position as the leading entity in the superannuation sector, accounting for 81% of the sector’s total assets by the end of 2024. Fund’s net worth rose by 12.6% year-on-year to Rs. 4,375.7 billion, up from Rs. 3,886.7 billion in 2023, primarily driven by robust investment returns and a rebound in net contributions. Total contributions received during 2024 increased by 11.3% to Rs. 234.4 billion, more..

Apr 17 (FT) Sri Lanka-German Business Council (SLGBC) of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce hosted its Members’ Day at Hilton Colombo Residences recently, bringing together industry leaders, diplomats, and business professionals to celebrate and enhance trade relations between Sri Lanka and Germany. Ambassador of Germany to Sri Lanka Dr. Felix Neumann delivered the Keynote Address, reaffirming Germany’s long-standing commitment to SL’s economic development. more..

Apr 17 (TM) Farmers’ groups claim that despite the Yala farming season already being underway and expected to continue over the next few months, farmers are yet to receive the fertiliser subsidy allocated for paddy cultivation. “This year’s Yala farming season has begun. The sowing of paddy in the Eastern Province has concluded, and the plants are now one to two weeks old,” National Agrarian Unity organisation President Anuradha Thennakoon said. He added that despite this progress, more..

Apr 17 (DN) Skipper Sadeera Samarawickrama struck a fabulous unbeaten century to guide SL ‘A’ to victory over Afghanistan ‘A’ in the second match of the tri-nation One Day Tri-Series played on Tuesday (15) in Abu Dhabi. This was SL’s second consecutive win, following a 45-run victory over Ireland ‘A’ at the same venue on Saturday. Afghanistan ‘A’ opted to bat first after winning the toss and managed to post 248 runs for 8, in 50 overs. Afghan skipper Darwish Rasooli struck a superb century, more..

Apr 17 (FT) The Colombo stock market was positive on the first day of trading yesterday after the Sinhala-Tamil New Year holidays amidst low turnover. The active S&P SL20 gained by over 29.95 points or 0.65% whilst the benchmark ASPI improved by over 99.68 points or 0.64%. Turnover was Rs.792.76 million involving 30.23 million shares. However, the foreign investors remained net sellers, with a net outflow of Rs. 50.1 million. The bourse staged a comeback from previous session more..

Apr 17 (ST) Sri Lanka’s population is gradually increasing, though at a slower pace, the Census and Statistics Department has revealed. The Department, in its findings released this week said the annual average growth rate has been comparatively reducing, Accordingly, the population growth rate, which was 0.7% at the time of the 2012 census, has decreased to 0.5% in the 2024 census. Reasons for the decrease more..

Apr 17 (FT) The Global Franchise Forum (GFF) is set to host its Sri Lanka edition on 27 April at the Sheraton Hotel, Colombo. This premier event will bring together top global brands, investors, and entrepreneurs to explore expansion opportunities in the burgeoning SL market. The forum has garnered support from prominent organisations, including the Indo-SL Chamber of Commerce, Ceylon National Chamber of Industries (CNCI), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) SL, more..

Apr 17 (EN) Over 80 participants from SL electronic and electrical companies attended a wire harness competition and technical session organized by Int'l Electronics Manufacturing Association (IPC), which sought to attract young people to the sector. Participants gained an understanding about IPC standards’ requirements, assembly functionality, proper soldering & assembly techniques, assembly procedure adherence & overall product quality requirements in wire harness assembly. more..

Apr 17 (EN) Sri Lanka’s remittances coming from its overseas expatriate workers rose to near record high and gained 21.1% to $693.3 million in March 2025 compared to the same month last year, helped by more expatriates using the official banking channels. Sri Lanka’s witnessed record high monthly remittances of $702.1 million in July 2020, data showed. The March remittances were the second best in the history of the country. more..

Apr 17 (Island) As a 16-year-old sitting my GCE O/L exam, I never realised the gravity of these words. Presented to us as an afterthought when discussing the history of our country, I could not see how an entire community and their story of struggle were erased. Nor could I understand the importance of this brief statement against the backdrop of endless historical political reforms. Our texts drew attention to the needs of locals and how labour could be easily acquired from elsewhere more..

Apr 17 (SO) SL’s police have reopened several major corruption cases, particularly those involving members of former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa’s family under the new Govt. These include investigations into the unexplained wealth of Rajapaksa’s second son, Yoshitha Rajapaksa, connected to the latter’s maternal grandmother Desi Aachchi, and allegations against his first son, Namal Rajapaksa, involving misappropriation of funds in the Krrish property deal and irregularities more..

Apr 17 (Island) Much publicity has been given to a recent incident where Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake acted swiftly to rescue a small girl lost in a large, milling crowd at an NPP election rally in Sammanthurai. A viral video shows the Prez lifting the bewildered girl and placing her beside him to ensure her safety. What would have happened to her but for his timely intervention? One may recall that Dissanayake did something similar during his presidential election campaign as well; more..

Apr 17 (CT) As SL celebrated the Sinhala and Tamil New Year with customary festivities, an unusual silence echoed across the country’s thermal power plants. For the first time in recent memory, CEB deactivated all Thermal Plants in operation, including a Generator at the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant and Kelanitissa Power Plant. This unprecedented move was attributed to a dramatic drop in electricity demand during the holiday period, leading CEB to rely entirely on hydro & renewable energy more..

Apr 17 (TM) In the wake of the controversial custodial death of Sathsara Nimesh, Police has announced plans to install CCTV cameras inside detention cells – a move aimed at addressing mounting public outrage and calls for accountability. SSP Buddhika Manatunga confirmed that discussions were underway and implementation was imminent. However, Minister Ananda Wijepala has cautioned that surveillance alone is not more..

Apr 17 (ST) It was during the British parliamentary election that brought the Labour Party to power after some years of conservatism that I heard a prominent activist damn the stream of promises flowing from the lips of seasoned politicians. He was recalling the days of Conservative politician Boris Johnson, who promised many things except the moon when Britain voted Brexit—Britain’s exit from the European Union—which Johnson said would make Britain blossom. Instead of blossoming, more..

Apr 17 (DM) Avurudu (Sinhala & Tamil New Year) is that time of the year when a majority of the population return to their hometowns to spend quality time with loved ones. While Avurudu is the season to engage in rituals and make merry, it is also a season where people express careless and reckless attitudes. Today, it is common to see more road accidents due to reckless driving, lack of discipline and patience on the roads. A video posted onto a social media platform indicated more..