Sep 1 (FT) Standard Chartered SL CEO Bingumal Thewarathanthri has made the case for Sri Lanka to consider an IMF Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) after completing its current EFF in 2027, arguing that continued engagement could support investor confidence and external market access while allowing greater policy flexibility. Speaking at a recent Global Research Briefing hosted by Standard Chartered, Thewarathanthri said the approaching end of the EFF raises a broader question more..

Sep 1 (FT) Sri Lanka’s long-awaited global destination marketing campaign is set to face a further delay of nearly one year, Deputy Minister Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe said, just days after Sri Lanka Tourism unveiled a roadmap envisaging the launch of its Rs. 5 billion global branding campaign in March 2027. Speaking at the launch of the National Tourism Strategic Planning Consultancy (2026-2031) and Global Promotional Campaign Roadmap Consultancy, more..

Sep 1 (FT) Total exports reached a record $ 10.48 billion in the first seven months of 2026, up 5.48% year-on-year (YoY), putting the country just past the halfway mark of its ambitious $ 20 billion full-year export target despite mounting global and geopolitical headwinds. The latest performance, disclosed by the EDB, surpassed the previous January-July record of $ 9.94 billion set last year, with the expansion increasingly being more..

Sep 1 (TM) SL is targeting $ 1.5 billion in export revenue from its plastic and rubber industries by 2030, while strengthening environmental sustainability, with the Govt planning to upgrade waste management and recycling systems in all newly developed industrial parks, Minister Sunil Handunnetti said in Rubexpo 2026 on Sunday. Speaking at the event, Handunnetti said: “We view the plastic and rubber sectors as industries, integrated with other sectors, more..

Sep 1 (DM) Sri Lanka’s engine displacement-based automotive taxation framework is creating severe market distortions, effectively penalising globally acclaimed, highly efficient hybrid vehicles while disproportionately favouring electric vehicle-first architectures, according to leading equities and research firm JB Securities. The current fiscal structure restricts consumer choice across the domestic market, systematically shutting out world-renowned fuel-efficient models with more..

Sep 1 (FT) Sri Lanka is preparing to fundamentally reshape its tourism model, shifting the focus from simply increasing visitor numbers towards extracting greater economic value from each tourist, retaining more visitor spending locally and spreading tourism-led growth beyond established destinations. The shift will underpin a new National Tourism Strategic Plan for 2026-2031, alongside a 5-year Global Destination Communication more..

Sep 1 (NW) Sri Lanka's GovPay digital government payment platform has surpassed LKR 5 billion in transactions, with more than 300 govt institutions using the platform. The milestone was announced by the Ministry of Digital Economy, describing it as a significant step in the country’s move toward a digitally enabled public service system. The ministry said GovPay allows members of the public to make govt payments securely and conveniently from anywhere and at any time. more..

Sep 1 (FT) Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) returned to positive territory in August, with both benchmark indices posting their first monthly gains since April, snapping three consecutive months of declines. Year-to-date, the ASPI had declined 5.68% and the active S&P SL20 was down 2.4%. The ASPI gained 0.99% during August, while the S&P SL20 rose 1.17%, reversing part of July’s 5.09% and 4.27% losses, respectively. The rebound follows a weak 3-month stretch from May through July more..

Sep 1 (FT) Board of Investment of SL (BOI) recently hosted a tailored knowledge-sharing workshop led by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), focused on Austrade’s strategy and practices for promoting and attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Workshop follows an earlier session on Austrade’s Trade Promotion and Facilitation program and forms part of an identified activity under the bilateral Trade & Investment Facilitation Agreement (TIFA) Action Plan more..

Sep 1 (Island) The ICRC mission in Colombo said on Sunday, they honoured the thousands of people around the world who are either missing or separated from their families due to armed conflict, violence, disasters and migration, standing in solidarity with families who endure the pain of not knowing the fate of their loved ones. The text of the statement: “In Sri Lanka, thousands of families of missing persons from all communities across the country are still waiting for answers. more..

Sep 1 (TOI) Kumar Sangakkara is a name that needs no introduction. Everyone who follows cricket or even who doesn’t, knows the SL cricket legend. But what people don’t know is that back in 2008, Kumar Sangakkara along with his wife Yehali bought a house inside Galle Fort, also known as the Dutch Fort or the Ramparts of Galle. Couple were already in love with its scenic coastal location, but were not aware of what was inside the fort. more..

Sep 1 (SO) Among the majestic tuskers and elegantly adorned elephants that brought splendour to the historic streets of Kandy during the 2026 Esala Perahera, it was not the famed tuskers Wasana, Miyan Raja or Sinha Raja who stole the spotlight on social media this year. Instead, one tiny, gentle elephant with a little tuft of hair captured the hearts of devotees and visitors alike. Walking through the sacred surroundings of the Sri Dalada Maligawa, Dewmini, SL’s only known more..

Sep 1 (DM) SL has learnt many painful lessons from depending too heavily on the outside world. Fuel shortages taught us about energy security. Food shortages reminded us about agricultural security. The economic crisis showed us the dangers of depending on foreign exchange to pay for almost everything we need. But there is another area where SL remains heavily dependent on imports - medicines. Around 85% of SL’s pharmaceutical requirements are still met through imports. more..

Sep 1 (Island) The government is preparing to meet the challenge of the UN Human Rights Council next month. A Sri Lankan delegation led by Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath is expected to attend the 63rd session of the UNHRC in Geneva, where the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights will present a written update on Sri Lanka. The government has already submitted its response to the advance version of the report prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. more..

Sep 1 (ST) Six years after Harry and Meghan made their much-publicised dash to freedom to escape the tyranny of a racist Britain, the disgruntled duo crawled back to the sceptred isle on Thursday after their American dream turned out to be pie in the sky. The news that Harry and Meghan were returning back and trying to creep into the royal fold left Britain alarmed and the royal family terrified and distraught beyond measure. If members of the royal household had got the jitters about more..

Sep 1 (TM) As global tech giants race to secure the massive computational backbones required to fuel generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), SL is poised to step onto the digital real estate stage. However, following a flurry of preliminary discussions with international hyperscalers and key infrastructure players, the island now faces a sobering reality check: ambition is plentiful, but foundational readiness remains tethered to more..

Sep 1 (TM) As international climate agencies issue fresh warnings regarding a powerful El Niño event strengthening across the Asia-Pacific region, Sri Lanka finds itself caught in a compound environmental crisis. While several Southeast Asian nations prepare exclusively for scorching droughts, our island faces another volatile scenario: an agonising dry spell currently scorching heavy agricultural zones, closely followed by forecasts of an unseasonal deluge. more..

Sep 1 (TM) When a massive section of hanging glacier sheared away high in the Himalayas at over 5,000 metres, the catastrophic consequences were felt far down the river valleys of Nepal. Millions of tonnes of ice and rock plunged into the gorge below, sending a seismic shockwave across the region before damming the Lhende Khola. What followed was a devastating outburst flood, a torrent of mud, ice, and debris moving with the lethal density of liquid concrete. more..

Sep 1 (SO) SL is facing a growing economic risk due to the prevailing dry weather conditions and the possible development of strong El Niño effects, with agriculture, hydropower generation, food security, water supplies and the exchange rate among the areas identified as vulnerable. The potential economic consequences have emerged as the authorities attempt to manage an immediate shortage of water while more..

Sep 1 (Island) Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala recently claimed that efforts to bring back former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran, a citizen of Singapore, wanted in connection with the 2015 Treasury bond scam, had run into a brick wall as the latter was living under a different name in Singapore. According to information received by the CID, Mahendran had changed his name to Harjan Alexander, Wijepala said. Mahendran has denied Minister Wijepala’s claim as baseless. more..

Sep 1 (DM) One cannot look at SL’s constitutional history without a profound sense of regret. Opportunities for meaningful constitutional reform have repeatedly appeared and been squandered. Gots have promised new constitutions; political leaders have spoken of reform; commissions have been appointed, and proposals have been produced. Yet the 1978 Constitution remains. The reasons are depressingly familiar: political opportunism, indecisiveness, lack of political will and, more..

Aug 31 (NW) Since the present govt assumed office on Sept 21, 2024, SL authorities have brought back 66 suspects linked to organized crime and drug trafficking who had fled abroad. Police HQ reports that investigations into 113 cases involving these suspects have resulted in the freezing of assets worth Rs. 6,000 million (Rs. 6,000,154,630.75). Of this, Rs. 5,423 million in assets belong to 102 drug trafficking suspects, while Rs. 209 million belong to three organized crime figures. more..

Aug 31 (TM) The National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) is seeking the assistance of Meta to address tobacco promotions originating from outside Sri Lanka, it is learnt. NATA Chairman Dr Ananda Rathnayake said the authority was able to monitor tobacco promotions originating within Sri Lanka through social media platforms, but faced difficulties when such promotions came from overseas. “We can monitor the promotions that happen from here via social media. more..

Aug 31 (TM) A large number of vehicles kept in Customs custody for as long as 8 years have deteriorated to the point where most are no longer fit for use, according to the 2025 Annual Performance Report of SL Customs. 329 vehicles held on land obtained from a private company in Mattakkuliya and another 108 vehicles kept at the Ruhunupura Port premises had been left parked in yards for prolonged periods, causing most of them to deteriorate more..

Aug 31 (NW) Govt Dental Surgeons’ Association today issued a statement clarifying its stance on the proposed 22nd Constitutional Amendment and the Cabinet decision to separate specialist medical and dental services. Association stated that recent media reports attributing views on the 22nd Amendment to its members were inaccurate. It noted that neither the Executive Committee nor the Central Working Committee had discussed the amendment, nor had any official statement been released. more..

Aug 31 (NW) Vavuniya recorded SL’s highest maximum temperature on Monday (31), reaching 38.8 degrees Celsius. Several other areas, particularly in the North, North Central and Eastern regions, also recorded high temperatures. Polonnaruwa recorded a maximum temperature of 38.4°C, followed by Trincomalee at 38.1°C, Monaragala at 37.1°C and Anuradhapura at 37.0°C. Mullaitivu recorded 36.7°C, while Maha Illuppallama recorded 36.1°C and Mattala 35.6°C. more..

Aug 31 (NW) SL’s national cricketers have won their legal battle against the Inland Revenue Department (IRD), with the Court of Appeal quashing a decision that classified contracted national players as employees of SLC for tax purposes with retrospective effect. A Court of Appeal bench comprising President Justice Rohantha Abeysuriya and Justice Priyantha Fernando delivered the judgment in open court more..

Aug 31 (NW) Court of Appeal today heard a petition seeking to nullify the parliamentary seat of MP Archchuna Ramanathan, with his counsel requesting that the matter be referred to the Supreme Court. When the petition was taken up, Attorney Senani Dayaratne, appearing on behalf of Ramanathan, made the request for referral. Court of Appeal noted that an order regarding the request would be issued at an appropriate time. The petition challenges Ramanathan’s eligibility to continue more..

Aug 31 (DM) Health and Mass Media Minister has instructed Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe to appoint a six-member expert committee to study the establishment of an intermediate cadre for medical officers and submit recommendations within one month. The committee will be headed by Deputy Minister Dr. Hasanka Wijemuni. The committee has been tasked with examining the definition of the proposed intermediate cadre, the medical specialisations to be included, more..

Aug 31 (EN) SL and US are conducting Atlas Angel II, the second edition of a joint bilateral military training exercise, from August 31 to Sept 4. “Through the Montana National Guard and our broader defense partnership, we are building on years of cooperation and strengthening the readiness that helps protect American citizens and our partners, safeguard lives and livelihoods, and contribute to a more secure and resilient Indo-Pacific,” US Ambassador Eric Meyer said. more..

Aug 31 (Island) The govt was monitoring vessels reportedly anchored near SL’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Ministry of Foreign Affairs Media Director General Thushara Rodrigo told the media on Saturday. However, Rodrigo stressed that the vessels were outside SL’s sovereign territory and that the Govt was neither responsible for them nor providing them with any facilities. According to maritime tracking website TankerTrackers, nearly 20 Iranian oil tankers are currently anchored more..