Text and Pic By Sujeeva Nivunhella reporting from London Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in London, Rohitha Bogollagama, last week met British parliamentarian Ranil Jayawardene, who is of Lankan descent in the House of Commons, Jayawardane, a former Parliamentary Under-Secretary for International Trade (May 2020 to September 2022) and Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and […]

The Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute (LKI) hosted a panel discussion ‘Sri Lanka as a Destination: From Antiquity to Modernity’ as part of its outreach activities to promote ‘Cultural Diplomacy’ in Koggala on Saturday (13 January 2024). Held with the Indian Ocean as the backdrop at the Long Beach Hotel, Koggala, this interactive discussion was organized as […]

…. asks whether IMF is blind By Shamindra Ferdinando Dissident SLPP MP Gevindu Cumaratunga faults Parliament for continuing to allow a special category of EPF (Employees’ Provident Fund) recipients, created since 2022, regardless of the matter being brought to the attention of Parliament. Addressing the media at Sri Sambudhathva Jayantha Mandiraya, Cumaratunga said that in […]

The economic reform programme, implemented by the Sri Lankan authorities is yielding the first signs of recovery with positive real GDP growth in the third quarter of 2023, low inflation, increased revenue collection, and a build-up of external reserves, the IMF has said. Staying the course on the reform agenda is necessary for this stabilization […]

President Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing the 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Kampala, Uganda said that Non-aligned nations, once perceived as weak states, have evolved beyond that characterization. He also expressed gratitude to President Museveni and Uganda for hosting the summit. Following is the full speech delivered by President Ranil Wickremesinghe; “Let me begin by congratulating ...

By Dr Upul Wijayawardhana In this time of moral bankruptcy, on top of an enormous economic crisis, Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) is facing a huge challenge; it has had to restore the honour of and respect for the medical profession. It is obvious that corruption has affected all professions, my long-cherished profession being no […]

Pakistan’s Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar met President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Tuesday at the sidelines of the World Economic Forum summit in Davos. A news story published by the Arab News said: Kakar arrived in Switzerland on Sunday to attend the 54th WEF summit, where he is scheduled to attend three thematic events and also […]

By M. Rodwan Abouharb Associate Professor in International Relations, UCL and Bernhard Reinsberg Reader in Politics, University of Glasgow Sri Lanka received a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in March amid soaring inflation, debt and a sovereign default. In exchange for US$3 billion (£2.4 billion), the government committed to spending cuts and tax […]

The Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and International Commission of Jurists have joined over 30 international human rights organisations to pressure the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government to halt the ongoing ‘Yukthiya’ operation. The grouping has expressed serious concern over what it called “drastic intensification” of anti-drug operations in Sri Lanka leading to significan...

… USD 5 mn paid to Iran a month By Shamindra Ferdinando Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera has confirmed that consumers of petrol and diesel have been made to pay Rs. 50 to Rs. 55 per litre since the middle of last year to settle what the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) owed its creditors. […]

Ms. Shashi Kandambi, a leading professional in the banking sector, has assumed office as the 19th General Manager/CEO of National Savings Bank (NSB) on 10th January 2024. Ms. Kandambi was the Senior Deputy General Manager of International Banking at Sampath Bank, where she had a long-standing and successful career. Her banking experience spans over 35 […]

President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s recent disclosure that Sri Lanka intended joining the United States-led Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG) in the Red Sea has triggered the inevitable response: Why are we fighting other people’s wars? Wickremesinghe, more than most, is acutely aware of the permutations and combinations of this equation both in the context of domestic politics […]

By Uditha Devapriya Speaking at an awards ceremony on Wednesday, January 3, President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced that the government would be deploying a Navy vessel to the Red Sea. Wickremesinghe pointed out that the disruption of shipping lanes in the region would lead to increased freight charges and cargo costs, increasing import prices in the […]

During a meeting between President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lankan authorities and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday (11), the IMF congratulated the country on completing the first review under its program. The IMF highlighted the positive start of the program, recognizing the challenging reforms undertaken by Sri Lanka and their significant impact on the […]

By Rathindra Kuruwita The government will have to spend about USD 40 million to upgrade the offshore patrol vessel to be sent to the Red Sea to take part in operations against the Houthi rebels, Y.N. Jayarathna, retired Rear Admiral and hydrographer, said in a televised interview this week. The Sri Lanka Navy would be […]