ECONOMYNEXT –Sri Lanka cannot relax an import ban on vehicles, State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said, after the rupee fell steeply from around 191 to 220 level due to the operation of an inconsistent peg with one sided buying. The flexible exchange rate, concocted by Western mercantilists and peddled to countries without a doctrinal […]

It was important for Sri Lanka to restructure its debt and relax import restrictions by the end of this year, Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India, Milinda Moragoda told News First in an interview on Thursday night. Sri Lanka had suspended its external debt repayments and the import of many goods, which are against some […]

A Chinese citizen was apprehended at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) on 5 June under suspicious circumstances. Feng Changwen, who arrived in Nepal just two days prior, was taken into custody by airport security personnel when he attempted to board a flight to Kuala Lumpur. During a routine inspection, law enforcement officers discovered various currencies of […]

Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Monday (12 June), seeking to intervene in the ongoing Fundamental Rights case (SC/FR/Application No.168/2021) filed by the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) and three more petitioners, highlighting the serious allegations of bribery and corruption surrounding the X-Press Pearl disaster. The intervention petit...

Way back in 2017, a Nigerian delegate attending a UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) conference on Africa had said, “Africa is bleeding” and warned that his continent’s system has been rigged against Africans and exploited by multinationals. The situation after the lapse of six years is no different. Irene Ovonji-Odida, Chairperson of the International […]

By Saman Indrajith SJB Parliamentarian Eran Wickremaratne has called on the government in parliament to extend debt moratoria offered to small and medium Enterprises (SMEs). Wickremaratne said on Wednesday that following the pandemic, the prolonged economic crisis had heaped further burden on SMEs; he warned the failure to provide relief could result in more job losses. “This […]

New laws contemplated by the government appears to have caused much concern among Opposition political parties for obvious reasons. The constitutionality of the proposed Broadcasting Authority Bill is expected to be challenged in the Supreme Court. The whole process of law making raised quite a stir in the wake of the recent shocking Supreme Court […]

‘Bio-diversity prospecting is a very risky area, and therefore, it has to be done right’ ‘Many good consultations needed before Sri Lanka can go for climate bonds’ Forum aims at combining profitability with ecosystem conservation and regeneration by Sanath Nanayakkare Bringing together a collection of global good practices in investing in natural capital, the Asian […]

By Rathindra Kuruwita The Sri Lankan government was not allocating funds to ensure the availability of essential public goods despite the gradual stabilisation of the economy, Prof. Priyanga Dunusinghe, of Department of Economics at the Colombo University said addressing the media. “The government has to maintain roads, provide healthcare and education, security, etc. I don’t […]

The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Foreign Employment and Labour has recently directed the Central Bank to submit a report detailing the institutions in which funds belonging to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) have been invested. In addition, the committee has decided to summon experts to propose a systematic approach for utilizing EPF funds. Under the […]

Representing Sri Lanka at the 14th International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum (14th IIICF) Friday (02), Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation – Nimal Siripala de Silva said that under the leadership of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the government was dedicated to driving the digitalization initiative forward under name ‘DIGIECON 2030’, signifying a pivotal step towards [&#...

Ayodhya Iddawela Perera took over as the next Managing Director of Sampath Bank PLC effective from the 1st of July 2023. She succeeded the incumbent Managing Director, Nanda Fernando, who will conclude his term in office on the 30th of June 2023, leaving behind a legacy of commitment, excellence, and service to the Bank. Having […]

At the briefing on the progress of Climate Change and Green Growth held on Wednesday (31) at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo between President Ranil Wickremesinghe and officials of the Climate Change Secretariat led by President’s Adviser on Climate Change  Ruwan Wijewardene it was revealed that the Climate Change University would be launched next year […]

The Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka decided to reduce the Standing Deposit Facility Rate (SDFR) and the Standing Lending Facility Rate (SLFR) of the Central Bank by 250 basis points to 13.00 per cent and 14.00 per cent, respectively, CBSL said in a statement on Thursday. The decision was taken at […]

By Shyam Nuwan Ganewatta Sri Lanka’s economy would recover at a rapid pace in the second half of 2023, Central Bank Governor, Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe said yesterday addressing a press conference in Colombo.Dr. Weerasinghe also said that the inflation would drop to a single digit by the end of July 2023. Strict fiscal and monetary […]

President Ranil Wickremesinghe making a special statement to the nation reiterated his commitment to prevent any regression of the country to its previous state and  his determination to transform Sri Lanka into a fully developed nation by 2048. The President explained at length the measures taken by the government in the past nine months to […]

The Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, at its meeting held on 31 May 2023, decided to reduce the Standing Deposit Facility Rate (SDFR) and the Standing Lending Facility Rate (SLFR) of the Central Bank by 250 basis points to 13.00 per cent and 14.00 per cent, respectively. The Board arrived at […]

The licensed commercial banks (LCBs) are expected to bring down the lending rates for businesses now that the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has relaxed its monetary policy stance, CBSL Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe says.