Oct 4 (AD) FCID of SL Police says it has launched an extensive investigation into 17 more companies suspected of illegally transferring US dollars overseas under the guise of importing goods. The FCID said it believes that all 17 companies are operated by one or two individuals. The investigation follows a complaint lodged by SL Customs with the FCID alleging that several companies had been transferring funds overseas, more..

Oct 4 (AD) A total of six individuals who participated in a protest organised by the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) and the People’s Struggle Movement in Pettah today (03) have been arrested. They were arrested on charges of participating in an unlawful assembly, officials said. The protest march, organised by the FSP and the People’s Struggle Movement against the govt’s tax policies and the rising cost of living, commenced near Campbell Place in Borella this evening. more..

Oct 4 (FT) Govt has approved Rs. 95 billion in concessionary interest loans for 2026, the highest such allocation in SL’s history, Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe said. Of the total, Rs. 25 billion has been set aside for the expansion of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), covering businesses from micro-enterprises with an annual turnover below Rs. 20 million to medium-scale firms with a turnover of up to Rs. 1 billion. more..

Oct 4 (AD) The total tax revenue collected by the IRD so far this year has increased to Rs. 2,040 billion, as of Sept 30, marking a significant 24% increase compared with the corresponding period in 2025, according to the department. During the corresponding period in 2025, department collected Rs. 1,642 billion in tax revenue. Accordingly, the latest figure reflects an increase of Rs. 398 billion compared with the corresponding period last year, representing a 24% growth in tax revenue. more..

Oct 4 (FT) Central Bank of SL (CBSL) said it has reached an official agreement with Government to continue to target quarterly headline inflation of 5%, with an accountability margin of plus or minus two percentage points, for the next three years. New Monetary Policy Framework Agreement (MPFA) was signed on 1 Oct by Prez and Finance Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake and CBSL Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, under Section 26 of the Central Bank of SL Act, No. 16 of 2023. more..

Oct 4 (FT) Free Trade Zone Manufacturers’ Association (FTZMA) yesterday urged the Govt to offer non-resident shareholders a tax credit equal to the 15% dividend tax if they reinvest profits in SL. The proposal was included among a set of Budget 2027 proposals aimed at strengthening the country’s foreign exchange earnings. The dividend tax on non-resident shareholders was introduced in 2023. Under the FTZMA proposal, more..

Oct 4 (SO) When faced with a prison sentence most Sri Lankans have no option but to accept the Court verdict. However, a small number of convicts, often rich and powerful, with political connections, had a get out of jail free card, i.e., appealing to the President. Starting from the President J. R. Jayewardene era, a number of individuals convicted for some of the most heinous crimes were freed with Presidential Pardons, a tool initially instituted by the US Constitution more..

Oct 4 (TM) What if the moment that feels most like going backwards is actually preparing you to move forward? Watch a bowman for a moment. The target is ahead, but the first movement is backwards. The string tightens, tension builds, and for a few seconds everything seems to be moving in the wrong direction. Then comes the release, and suddenly the pullback makes sense. Life often feels similar. We like to imagine progress as a straight line: study, work, succeed, move forward. more..

Oct 4 (FT) A recurring critique of the Main Opposition party, SJB and its leader, Sajith Premadasa, is that they are insufficiently engaged with the economic and social questions affecting ordinary citizens; that it becomes animated by constitutional or institutional controversies, like the 22nd Amendment, while neglecting household incomes, taxation, jobs and the cost of living. Various essays and thought pieces also make this critique. Sri Lanka, Beyond 22, published in the DailyFT on more..

Oct 4 (FT) With the hearing of the 22nd amendment to the country’s Constitution, the person and the role of the Chief Justice has come into sharp focus. This attention should be welcome, the courts after all only exercise the judicial powers of the people, and are an institution wholly upheld with public funds. Justice is an expensive business, not only in monetary terms, on a daily basis it engages the time of many thousands across the island who have to attend court in various capacities. more..

Oct 4 (TM) Govt is moving ahead with plans to equip SL Police officers with body-worn cameras, beginning with an initial batch of 500, with the devices to be incorporated into a new Police uniform expected by mid-2027. Tender for the first phase, however, has drawn allegations of irregularities from activists, which the Police has rejected. Plans for body-worn cameras emerged in March 2025, when Police sources outlined a proposal to more..

Oct 4 (TM) Some years ago, in a village temple in the Kandyan hills, I asked the incumbent whether anything old from his teacher had been kept. He thought about it, found a key, and opened an almirah in a side room. Inside were brass lamps, a silver betel box, a folded length of cloth that had clearly once been fine, and a small reliquary that I would guess, though only guess, to be 19th century. I asked who had given them. He said his teacher would have known. His teacher had died in more..

Oct 4 (Island) Sri Lanka has never been without industrial policy. For decades, successive governments have attempted, in different forms, to promote manufacturing, protect domestic industries, attract foreign investment, develop exports, create employment and move the economy towards higher value-added production. Yet the country has struggled to transform these individual initiatives into a sustained process of industrial upgrading. This raises a fundamental question: more..

Oct 4 (SO) The war in the Middle East is intensifying once again, sending global fuel prices sharply higher and raising fresh concerns in SL over fuel supplies, queues and the possibility of further price increases. With fuel costs affecting almost every aspect of daily life, uncertainty over the duration and impact of the conflict has become a matter of serious public concern. CPC Chairperson Janaka Rajakaruna discussed the country’s more..

Oct 4 (TM) The NPP Govt has signed plans to change the iconic khaki-brown Police uniform, with negotiations underway with suppliers to source a preliminary batch of uniforms and body-worn cameras, in line with a growing international trend towards evidence collection and encounter monitoring. NPP has called for reform in the law enforcement community and has taken steps to address long-standing gaps in pay and resources. However, changing the image of more..

Oct 4 (Island) A private company has complained to the police, alleging that Kaduwela Mayor Ranjan Jayalal and NPP MP Asitha Niroshana forcibly took over a block of land belonging to it in Athurugiriya for a Metro bus stand. Lawyers representing the company have told the media that the police have not acted on their complaint due to political pressure. The NPP politicians remain defiant, insisting that the new bus stand will not be shifted under any circumstances. more..

Oct 2 (Blicq) Every September, hundreds of thousands of readers navigate the crowded corridors of the BMICH for the Colombo International Book Fair. For most, the routine is intimately familiar: handwritten notes tucked into pockets, tired feet, and the repetitive ritual of asking stall after stall whether a particular title is in stock. This year, however, a digital alternative has quietly gained traction among fairgoers. Rather than navigating the halls by trial and error, thousands of attendees more..

Oct 2 (DM) Nearly 10,000 snakebite cases are reported in SL each year, with hundreds of people losing their lives, as local and international experts gathered in Kandy yesterday for the world’s first international conference dedicated to snakes. The 1st World Congress on Snakes – 2026, held under the theme Snakes, Science, Species Survival & SL, commenced yesterday at The Grand Kandyan Hotel with the participation of more than 400 scholars, researchers, environmentalists more..

Oct 2 (AD) The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Infrastructure and Strategic Development has instructed officials to conduct a formal investigation into the factors that have caused delays in the issuance of number plates and driving licences by Dept of Motor Traffic. Accordingly, the committee directed officials to submit a comprehensive report within 45 days, detailing how the delays originated, the administrative more..

Oct 2 (NW) The introduction of a new OMR/OCR system to expedite the release of examination results and the establishment of a dedicated evaluation centre were among the key matters discussed at a recent meeting of the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA). The meeting, chaired by COPA Chairman MP Kabir Hashim, focused on reviewing the progress made by the Dept of Examinations in implementing recommendations previously issued by the Committee. more..

Oct 2 (NW) Colombo Magistrate’s Court has issued notices on 10 doctors who served on the medical panel examining former State Intelligence Service Director Suresh Salley, ordering them to appear before court on Oct 6. Colombo Magistrate Pasan Amarasena issued the notices after considering submissions made by the CID through a motion. Salley, who was arrested in connection with investigations into the Easter Sunday attacks, is currently receiving treatment at more..

Oct 2 (EN) SL’s inflation target for the next three years through Oct 2029 will be maintained at 5% and the agreement was signed between the govt and Central Bank, monetary authority said. New Monetary Policy Framework Agreement (MPFA) in terms of the latest Central Bank of SL Act was signed between Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his capacity as the Minister of Finance and CB Governor Nandalal more..

Oct 2 (NW) Two wards damaged by the recent explosion at the Polonnaruwa National Kidney Hospital could be reopened within the next two days, while the operating theatre complex and an ICU are also expected to resume operations expeditiously, according to Secretary to the Ministry of Health, Dr. Anil Jasinghe. He made these remarks following an inspection of the China–SL Friendship National Nephrology Specialized Hospital in Polonnaruwa on Thursday, to assess the damage caused by more..

Oct 2 (AD) Registrar of the Minuwangoda District Court, who was arrested today by the CIABOC, has been remanded in custody until Oct 6. TRegistrar was arrested for allegedly aiding and abetting the offering of a Rs. 50,000 bribe to a staff member of the Colombo High Court, in an attempt to obtain a favourable verdict in a case involving former Deputy Minister Sarana Gunawardena. Accordingly, the Colombo Magistrate’s Court ordered that the registrar be remanded in custody until Oct 6. more..

Oct 2 (AM) Narahenpita Police have launched an investigation following a complaint that cash and valuable items were stolen from the residence of former cricketer Ramith Rambukwella, son of former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella. The theft occurred after an unidentified person or group allegedly broke into an apartment in a residential complex in Narahenpita, where Rambukwella is said to have been residing. Stolen items reportedly included USD 4,275, Rs. 1.4 million in SL currency, more..

Oct 2 (DM) More than 187 acres of State-owned land in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, have been formally released by the Security Forces for future civilian use, paving the way for potential investment and development activities in the area. A total of 187.56 acres belonging to the State Cement Corporation, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) DS Division, had been utilised by the SL Army since 1997. more..

Oct 2 (NW) The govt plans to introduce a simplified tax system from 2027, including the gradual removal of additional taxes imposed alongside Customs Duty, Deputy Minister Nishantha Jayaweera has announced. Speaking at the official launch of the digital signature and paperless Customs declaration system, Deputy Minister stated that the proposed reforms aim to make SL’s taxation framework simpler and more convenient. more..

Oct 2 (NW) PM Harini Amarasuriya stated that ensuring children’s emotional security, mental well-being and self-confidence is important in the face of the modern social and technological challenges confronting childhood, and that the Govt has accorded priority to this area. PM made these remarks today (1) while participating in the National Children’s Day Celebration organised by Dept of Probation and Child Care Services under the guidance of Ministry of Women & more..

Oct 2 (DM) Former Minister Bandula Gunawardena appeared before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) today in response to a summons issued by the commission. Gunawardena was summoned to provide a statement regarding a Cabinet paper submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers in 2007. Following the summons, the former minister appeared before CIABOC and provided information requested by investigators in connection more..

Oct 2 (NW) Minister of Agriculture K.D. Lal Kantha has slammed two private media institutions, alleging that they deliberately focus on distorting statements made by govt representatives rather than accurately reporting national-level policy decisions. Minister criticised the conduct of the two media institutions, likening their approach to thuggish behaviour and accusing them of repeatedly misrepresenting his remarks. more..

Oct 2 (DM) Mahanayake Theros of the Ramanna Maha Nikaya and Amarapura Maha Nikaya have urged the Govt to intervene to secure the release of SL national Sivarasa Anojan, who has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia. A memorandum seeking necessary State intervention was submitted to Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Sept 30. The memorandum issued by Most Venerable Makulwe Wimalabuddhi Thero, Mahanayake Thero of the SL Ramanna Maha Nikaya, and more..

Oct 2 (NW) Lanka Metro Transit (Pvt) Ltd has officially denied claims that its Metro buses will be made available for private hire, contradicting an earlier statement made by an official who had been widely interviewed by state media as a project manager attached to the Metro Bus project. In an official notice, Lanka Metro Transit said information circulating that Metro buses could be booked for private purposes was incorrect. “Metro buses are not available for hire or reservation more..