The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) together with the Foreign Employment Bureau (SLBFE), through licensed commercial banks, commenced popularizing the new ÂManusavi Migrant Worker Loan Scheme from Monday (Dec.04).

Hirun recalled after impressive performance for St. Joseph’s by Reemus Fernando Trinity College spinner Dinuka Tennakoon has found a place in the Sri Lanka Under 19 team for the upcoming Under 19 Asia Cup while St. Joseph’s College opener Hirun Kapurubandara has been recalled after being sidelined for the previous youth assignment. Left-arm spinner Tennakoon […]

The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) has approved in principle the listing of Commercial Bank of Ceylon’s Rs 6 billion Debenture Issue, opening on December 12th 2023, a Commercial Bank press release said. The release adds: ‘The Bank has announced an initial issue of 60 million Basel III Compliant – Tier 2 Listed Rated Unsecured Subordinated […]

By Hiran H.Senewiratne The investor sentiment at the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) was positive throughout yesterday due to the successful conclusion of external creditors’ bilateral agreement with the government on the external debt restructuring exercise, market analysts said. Due to these developments banking sector counters showed a significant improvement anticipating Rating Agencies would upg...

Minister of Transport and Highways and Minister of Mass Media Dr Bandula Gunawardena at a press briefing held at the Presidential Media Center today (30) said that the earliest Sri Lanka can recover from bankruptcy is in 2027, at which time it is envisaged that the countries foreign reserves which stand at USD 3.5 billion […]

By Hiran H. Senewiratne The trading activities at the Colombo Stock Exchange witnessed a positive trend yesterday after a negative streak in the past few days, following the much anticipated debt restructuring deal between Sri Lanka and its official creditors. “The Official Creditor Committee (OCC) and Sri Lanka agreed on the main parameters of a […]

SLPP leader Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday (28) hit back at critics, claiming that a robust economy had been built under his presidency. He said the UNP-SLFP government which ruled the country during the 2015-2019 period should be held responsible for the current economic crisis. The following is the text of a statement, titled ‘the origins of […]

By Rathindra Kuruwita The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the signing of a loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank to borrow 60 million US dollars to complete the Integrated Road Investment Program (IRIP), cabinet spokesman Bandula Gunawardena told reporters on Tuesday. Addressing a press conference, Gunawardena said the IRIP was implemented using loan funds […]

Monday 27th November, 2023 The SJB has commenced collecting signatures for a public petition as part of a campaign to have those who are responsible for the current economic crisis stripped of their civic rights. Given public resentment, which is palpable, the SJB may be able to obtain hundreds of thousands of signatures for its […]

ECONOMYNEXT –Former minister, MP Rauff Hakeem has opposed Sri Lanka’s plans to send 10,000 workers to belligerent Israel.Cabinet spokesman minister Bandula Gunawardena said this week that cabinet approved a plan to send workers to Israel’s agriculture sector. “Sending our workers to a country that is committing war crimes is like sending workers to Nazi Germany, […]

By Shamindra Ferdinando Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, PC, yesterday said that Parliament like other institutions should bear responsibility for the unprecedented economic crisis caused during President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s administration. Minister Sabry said so when The Island sought his response as regards the responsibility of Parliament for the developing situation against the backdrop of the cou...

By Shamindra Ferdinando Top SJB spokesman Dr. Harsha de Silva on Monday (20) dismissed Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe’s claim that well over USD 56.5 bn had been parked overseas by some exporters. Dr. de Silva also contradicted claims made by rebel SLPP MPs Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Wimal Weerawansa and Gevindu Cumaratunga on the matter. The […]

By C. A. Chandraprema The judgement delivered by a divided five-member bench of the Supreme Court with regard to two fundamental rights cases numbered 195/2022 and 212/2022 filed by several individuals including Mahim Mendis, Chandra Jayaratne, Julian Bolling and the NGO Transparency International has stirred up a political storm. The majority judgment was delivered by […]

by Ahilan Kadirgamar Sri Lanka is going through its worst economic crisis since the 1930s, and the stabilisation policies of the Government could drastically change the political economic landscape of the country. Amidst these changes underway, education more broadly and the university system in particular, have come under considerable strain. In this column, I analyse […]