Dec 28 (FT) SL Customs is poised to make history, nearing an unprecedented revenue target of Rs. 1.5 trillion in 2024, marking a significant achievement for the Department and the country’s economy. As of 25 Dec, the Dept has already collected over Rs. 1.47 billion (Rs. 1,479 billion), leaving just Rs. 21 billion to be achieved in the remaining days of the year. “We are almost there. With four more days remaining, we are expecting at least Rs. 25 bil during this time,” Customs Director General Sarath Nonis said. more..

Dec 28 (EN) Standard and Poor’s (S&P) said it was keeping SL’s sovereign rating at selective default because a defaulted SriLankan Airlines bond has not yet been restructured, but has rated newly issued restructured bonds at CCC+. 175 million dollar SriLankan Airlines bond is guaranteed by the govt and remains in default. “We could raise our long-term foreign currency sovereign credit rating once SL completes the restructuring of its remaining foreign currency-denominated commercial more..

Dec 28 (ST) A reputed primatologist and a senior official in wildlife said that reducing the availability of food and water would be a viable solution to the human-monkey conflict. Well known primatologist, Professor Wolfgang Dittus, who lives in Sri Lanka, said that purposeful feeding of monkeys at religious and tourist sites creates pest species that get used to eating human-sourced food because it is easy to obtain. more..

Dec 28 (FT) The Colombo stock market yesterday gathered further momentum with a turnover of nearly Rs. 10 billion whilst finishing the week with 5% gain. During the week, ASPI gained by 4.9% and the active S&P SL20 by 5.6%. Turnover averaged Rs. 7.7 billion. ASPI gained by 0.8% and S&P SL20 by 1.4%. Turnover was Rs. 9.8 billion dominated by HNB (Rs. 265 bil), LOLC HOldings (Rs. 667.7 mil), Commercial Bank (Rs. 445.7 mil), DFCC Bank (Rs. 331.7 mil) and LMF (Rs. 307 mil). more..

Dec 28 (NW) NPP MP Dr. Kaushalya Ariyaratne has lodged a formal complaint with the CID regarding false news circulating about her on social media platforms. In her statement, Ariyaratne said the false news included targeted personal attacks and unfounded claims intended to harm her reputation. She called on authorities to investigate the matter and take action against those responsible. “I have lodged a formal complaint with the CID regarding the malicious and false news circulating on more..

Dec 28 (AD) PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya has affirmed the govt’s commitment to creating a suitable environment for all individuals to live a happy and quality life, free from discrimination. PM Dr. Amarasuriya made this statement today (27), during a ceremony held in Batariwatta, Moratuwa, to inaugurate the first phase of a housing project funded by Chinese financial assistance amounting to Rs. 22 billion. This initiative aims to enhance the living standards of low-income families, more..

Dec 28 (CI) While most of the world's attention will be on the Boxing Day Tests in Australia and South Africa - both with strong ramifications on the World Test Championship final - there's still plenty on the line for NZ and SL ahead of this three-match T20I series starting Saturday. Here are some of the key talking points to keep an eye on over the next week. "The bounce and seam movement - that's the main difference." That was SL captain Charith Asalanka's succinct analysis of the conditions they're more..

Dec 28 (DN) NZ and SL will be eyeing a winning start to the Twenty20 International series when they lock horns against each other in the first game of the three-match series at the Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui today commencing at 11.45 am (SLT) The SL series will be NZ’s second home T20I series and they will be looking to win it. In the first Twenty20 Int'l series of the year at home earlier this year, the Black Caps suffered a 3-0 loss more..

Dec 28 (NW) A SL couple wanted for large-scale financial fraud amounting to Rs. 1.6 billion have been remanded after being arrested at the Katunayake Airport upon their return to the country. The suspects were remanded until 6 January 2025 by the Hulftsdorp Magistrate’s Court today. The couple, against whom INTERPOL red notices had been issued, and their 14-year-old daughter were arrested by CID officials at the airport yesterday. The suspects are a 49-year-old man from Col 5 more..

Dec 28 (DM) A Sri Lankan woman with health issues caused a plane to make an emergency landing at the Erbil International Airport on Wednesday. She died in the Kurdish capital hours later, according to Sri Lanka’s honorary consul. Ahmed Jalal, the honorary consul of Sri Lanka in Erbil, said on Thursday that they were contacted by the Kurdistan Region’s relevant authorities who informed them that a Sri Lankan woman was onboard a plane from Doha to Paris. more..

Dec 28 (ST) Railways Dept’s protection force and police have launched a special joint undercover operation to ensure the safety of foreign tourists travelling on trains. The move follows a request of the Tourist Development Board in anticipation of an influx of seasonal visitors. Railways Dept is using its security division, the Railway Protection Force (RPF), which is carrying out undercover operations with the police more..

Dec 28 (AD) Former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has paid his final respects to former Indian PM Manmohan Singh in New Delhi today (27). He also expressed his condolences to the late Manmohan Singh’s wife, Gursharan Kaur Kohli, during his visit. After paying his respects, Wickremesinghe also engaged in a brief discussion with Indian Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi, who was also present at Manmohan Singh’s residence in New Delhi. Wickremesinghe, who is currently on a visit more..

Dec 28 (NW) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has extended his condolences on the demise of former Indian PM Dr Manmohan Singh. Through a special message on ‘X’, Prez Dissanayake said a visionary leader, Dr. Singh’s influence transcended national boundaries. The President further said that Dr. Singh’s humility, intellect, and dedication to public service will forever inspire future generations. “On behalf of the people of Sri Lanka and myself, I extend my heartfelt condolences more..

Dec 28 (ST) Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) is embroiled in a legal battle over the newly appointed Managing Director (MD) after removing the previous officer. Sources at the SLPA said that the new Ports Minister Bimal Rathnayaka is said to have removed the previous MD Prabhath Malavige and appointed a junior officer Janaka Hemachandra, an engineer with around 20 years of service at the SLPA. It is learnt that there are currently three Additional MDs, nine Directors and 10 Heads of Divisions more..

Dec 28 (Island) Cabinet has recently decided to review the state-owned, non-commercial institutions, many of which are redundant or are of no use. The govt manages 86 departments, 25 District Secretariats, 339 Divisional Secretariats, 340 state-owned enterprises and 115 non-commercial state statutory institutions. The national budget allocates Rs. 140 billion to manage these institutions. We have inherited a large number of redundant Corporations, Boards and Authorities causing more..

Dec 28 (CT) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has formally expressed SL’s interest in joining BRICS, the influential economic bloc, through a letter sent to Russian Prez Vladimir Putin. SL’s Ambassador to Moscow, P.M. Amza, confirmed the development in an interview with the Russian news agency RIA Novosti this week. “Prez Dissanayake conveyed SL’s desire to join the BRICS family in a letter to Prez Putin. Additionally, we have approached more..

Dec 28 (FT) In its latest edition, business magazine LMD reports that the sense of optimism sparked by the presidential election in September outcome remains. “Confidence in corporate circles remains largely unchanged following the presidential election, signalling a modest shift in economic sentiment under the caretaker govt at the time of the latest monthly LMD-PEPPERCUBE Business Confidence Index (BCI) survey,” it adds. In the first week of Nov, when the unique poll was conducted, more..

Dec 28 (Island) The JVP-led NPP govt has failed to carry out its promise to import rice due to some flaws in the process of preparing tenders. It has asked for some more time to bring in the promised rice from India. Private traders have already imported 72,000 MT of rice. The state sector stands exposed for its inefficiency. Is it that the new govt is not competent enough to carry out even a simple task like importing rice, which successive governments resorted to, as an ad hoc measure, more..

Dec 28 (TM) Despite the Govt declaring that State bungalows will no longer be utilised as official residences of officials or ministers, questions remain as to the plan’s feasibility. Cabinet approval has been granted for a unified proposal presented by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils, and Local Govt, which aims to create a suitable strategy for the effective economic utilisation of Govt properties, including residences allocated to more..

Dec 28 (CT) When the patient one of Covid-19 was reported in SL in Jan 2020, the country braced itself for the worst to come and followed protocols to the dot. To the credit of the people and the then govt, the quick response did produce satisfactory results as the numbers of Covid-19 cases as well as related deaths were kept to a minimum. However, even during a time when travel was severely restricted road accidents continued to surge resulting in deaths, serious injuries and property loss. more..

Dec 28 (CT) The Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority from Myanmar’s Rakhine State, have endured decades of systemic persecution and violence. Stripped of citizenship by the 1982 Myanmar nationality law, they have faced severe restrictions on movement, education, and employment. The situation escalated dramatically in 2017 when a brutal military crackdown forced over 700,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh, more..

Dec 28 (FT) The railway community in SL and all national-minded islanders commemorate 27 Dec as the day on which the inaugural Ceylon Govt Railway (CGR) train ran between Colombo Fort and Ambepussa (34 miles) in 1864. One day prior to it, the same folks remember with pain and anguish the devastating effect of the 2004 tsunami which destroyed a 1,500 passenger train at Peraliya on 26 Dec, taking over 1,000 lives in an island-wide cataclysm that resulted in 30,000 deaths. more..

Dec 28 (DM) A collective of 47 civil society organisations have issued a letter to Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake requesting humanitarian asylum for Rohingya asylum seekers from Mynamar who recently arrived in SL. On the morning of Dec 19, a multi-day trawler carrying over 100 Rohingya asylum seekers drifted towards the coast off Mullivaikkal in Mullaitivu. The boat was escorted by the SL Navy to the Ashroff Jetty in Trincomalee Harbour later in the evening of the day and more..

Dec 28 (DM) SL’s newly elected Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has successfully concluded his first state visit to India from Dec 15 to 17. The optics of the three day visit to New Delhi has been hailed positively. Prez Dissanayake known popularly as AKD is the leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna as well as the JVP-led NPP. The successful passage to India has brought into focus mismatch between JVP’s past & present. more..

Dec 28 (DM) The year 2024- is coming to an end. On Wednesday the New Year will take off. It is perhaps time we looked back and enjoy the positives, ponder what we could have done better to avoid the mistakes of the past. We Lankans dragged ourselves out of bankruptcy. The ratings agencies have now rated Lanka from default to stable. Former Prez Wickremesinghe, despite losing the last presidential election played a major role in this process. more..

Dec 28 (DM) Ratings agency Fitch raised SL’s long-term foreign-currency default rating on Dec 20 while the Moody’s Ratings on Monday also raised the country’s long-term foreign currency issuer rating. Subsequent to the announcement by Fitch, Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana on Saturday stated “20 Dec 2024 marked a major milestone in our economic recovery process as SL officially exited sovereign default.” SJB MP Harsha De Silva also described the development as SL exiting more..

Dec 27 (FT) Sri Lanka yesterday commemorated the 20th anniversary of the devastating 2004 tsunami, a tragedy that claimed over 35,000 lives and caused widespread destruction. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters faced in history, bordering the Indian Ocean, leaving an unforgettable mark on global disaster response and resilience efforts. 2004 Boxing Day tsunami killed 226,408 people, of which 35,399 were in SL. more..

Dec 27 (CT) Govt is in the process of formulating a mechanism to provide relief to depositors earning less than Rs 150,000 in monthly deposit interest, who are currently subject to a 10% withholding tax, Minister Anil Jayantha said. Minister announced that the Inland Revenue Dept (IRD) would soon release details of the mechanism to address the concerns of affected depositors. When asked whether the recently increased 10% withholding tax is currently being applied to all depositors, more..

Dec 27 (DM) A new Gazette Extraordinary has been issued, outlining the procedure for the payment of monthly benefit allowances to eligible families and individuals under the Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme, effective from Jan 2025. This Gazette Notification was issued by the Prez in accordance with the powers vested in him as the Minister of Finance, Planning & Economic Development. The previous Gazette notification, issued by former Prez Wickremesinghe more..

Dec 27 (Island) Most of the males and females active in the labour force in Sri Lanka were in their 40s, according to the Labour Force Survey (LFS) valid for the second quarter 2024. The unemployment problem in Sri Lanka is more acute for educated females than educated males, the survey bulleting stated referring to its consistent observation over the past years. The survey was based on the data collected in April, May and more..

Dec 27 (NW) The SJB party has established a special unit to investigate arbitrary transfers being carried out at the state and provincial council levels. Issuing a statement, the SJB said that it has come to light that there is a systematic program of transferring govt officials between service stations on unacceptable and illogical grounds across various state and provincial council sectors. The SJB pointed out that it is concerning that the government, which came to power with a promise to ensure more..

Dec 27 (EN) The non-contributory nature of SL’s Public Services Pensions (PSP) scheme has become a significant burden on the country, as pension benefits are funded directly from govt revenue through general taxation, a research article by the Institute of Policy Studies finds. “With approximately 700,000 public sector pensioners, this system imposes a substantial financial strain on the govt.” According to IPS, about half of these pensions benefit the top 20% income group. more..