President Ranil Wickremesinghe said in Parliamenty yesterday he was aware that Value Added Tax (VAT) was a burden on the public. He said it would be possible to reduce VAT with the passage of time. Delivering the government policy statement at the commencement of the new session of Parliament, the President said: “The prior scarcity […]

Inaugurating the 5th session of the 9th Parliament of Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe called upon all lawmakers to collaborate in nation building  even though they would be contesting elections separately. “From ancient times to the present day, our world has encountered a myriad of crises, spanning nations and personal lives alike. While some crises […]

By Sanath Nanayakkare When a country is in an economic crisis, it creates an environment conducive to implementing economic reforms which would be difficult to do in good times, however, it still depends on how far the reformist leaders can shape the opinion of the people and the people’s willingness to take those reforms on […]

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is desperate to reach a consensus with political parties in the Opposition. But the Opposition is very much reluctant to do so due to the SLFP leader Maithripala Sirisena’s fickle past and now again under intense fire over the 2019 Easter Sunday attack. Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, no stranger […]

A proposal, set to take effect from October 1, 2023, stipulates rates of USD 130 for 5-star hotels, USD 100 for 4-star hotels, and USD 80 for 3-star hotels within the city of Colombo. While the authorities argue that this measure aims to counter underpricing by higher-tier hotels, this policy threatens to undermine the growth […]

By Shamindra Ferdinando Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC, declared in Parliament that the winners of LPL (Lanka Premier League) 2023 B-Love Kandy had been sponsored by an enterprise that was banned in the country. The statement was made in Parliament on 24th August. The one-time President of the Bar Association found fault with SLC […]

Tuesday 15th August, 2023 The Professional Chef’s Association Sri Lanka (PCASL) made a fervent appeal over the weekend on behalf of everyone engaged in tourism. Pointing out that unfortunate instances abounded where foreign tourists faced exploitation at the hands of various persons, it stressed that the foreign guests helped boost the country’s economy and deserved […]

Tourism is bouncing back after the Easter attack, Covid-19 pandemic and the aftermath of the economic stake holders are optimistic and working hard towards a better future.The General Manager of Shangri-la Hambantota Refhan Razeen welcomed 2023 with a positive note with much expectations this year. having overcome the challenges of the past years. We Sri […]

Reforms to be introduced to end ‘media abuses’ President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said that the government was not in a position to lower the taxes. Delivering his second government policy statement to inaugurate the Fourth session of the Ninth Parliament, the President said: “Some people say that the primary taxable income should be raised from […]

Cinnamon Life will transform Colombo as a leisure and entertainment destination for the region

By Krishantha Prasad Cooray In many ways, the economic collapse of Sri Lanka became a near certainty in the weeks after Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected President. In hindsight, it is clear to all that his government’s number one priority was consolidating their power and punishing those it saw as its enemies. Their next priority was […]

We can make the Mannar Island like entertainment location like Macau island

The 25th Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka – Singapore Business Council (SLSBC) of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce was held on 27th July, 2022 via Zoom. The SLSBC was inaugurated in 1997 under the aegis of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce with the objective of promoting trade, investments, tourism and services between Sri […]

  While across the globe the 100th anniversary of the Titanic which sank on its maiden voyage, is being remembered today, Belfast is counting on a new visitor attraction about the iconic ship to put the city that built it back on the tourist map, AFP reported The Northern Irish capital hopes the Titanic Belfast complex will entice holidaymakers to spend time -- and, crucially, money -- i...

The exchange rate (ER) last week had the dubious distinction of making a steep dive to hit Rs. 130 by being depreciated by nearly Rs. 5 against the US dollar ($) in a week in interbank trading on the back of import demand, but since then has seemingly been tenuously holding on to those levels ...

After 30 years of violence, northern Sri Lanka is opening up to tourism Saying I’m going on holiday to Sri Lanka elicits one of two reactions from my friends. There’s the ooh-elephants-temples-cocktails-at-sunset-lucky-you! brigade. And then there are my friends who read the newspapers. “Which beach did you say you’re staying on?” emails a friend. “The one where ...

‘Tis all a Chequer-board of Nights and Days, Where Destiny with men for Pieces plays Hither and thither moves, and checks, and slays, And one by one in the Closet lay” -Omar Khayyam .The Rubaiyat This column dedicated to the notion of making Sri Lanka the Wonder of Asia turns its spotlight today on the cancer of casinos and gambling ...

By Ravi Perera Normal or Western? That was the standard question at touristy places then. Normal stood for poor quality, non-AC rooms, no cutlery, squatting toilet, food with a lot of curry stuff and so on. Abnormal or Western meant an up-grade. Generally, anything local fell into the category of normal. I discovered that even ...

By M.S.Shah Jahan Super slim Kate-Catherine Elizabeth Middleton, 29, the princess-to-be has a worry over her engagement ring with Ratnapura sapphire. Kate has slimmed down so much that she had to shrink her famous engagement ring to fit her finger...