By Rathindra Kuruwita The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has significantly overestimated the cost of electricity production and transmission for 2024 and this is reflected in their estimated cost of production, says MP Gamini Waleboda, head of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Alleviating the Impact of the Economic Crisis. The overestimation is around Rs 140 billion, […]

In a welcome development in relation to Sri Lanka’s regional policy, some state functionaries of the Ranil Wickremesinghe regime have gone on record as having stated that Sri Lanka would be taking notable cognizance of India’s security concerns, going forward. This is as it should be. None of India’s immediate neighbours could afford to overlook […]

Romanian Ambassador Doamna Arhire has informed Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena that Romania would sign an agreement with Sri Lanka to avoid double taxation to boost the bilateral trade between the two countries. Ambassador Arhire called on Prime Minister Gunawardena at Temple Trees on Monday (26). PM Gunawardena and the Romanian envoy discussed the long-standing bilateral […]

Tuesday 27th February, 2024 Sri Lankan politics is turning red in tooth and claw; the battle for the coveted executive presidency is getting down and dirty with every passing day. The presidential election is about eight months away, but the prospective contenders are already trading blows below the belt. At this rate, they might even […]

India’s interim budget focus on poor, youth, farmers and women will not only uplift more than 60 percent of the population in India but also have a spillover effect in South Asia. It sets an example for the developing countries to uplift the downtrodden, facilitate the youth, farmers and empower the women. Overall, it will […]

Monday 26th February, 2024 Sri Lanka is a nation in the hara-kiri mode. It needs no enemies; it has become its worst enemy. It continues to maintain a bunch of failed, corrupt politicians and their bureaucratic lackeys responsible for ruining the economy and hell-bent on degrading vital national

As Pakistan grapples with the aftermath of controversial elections, political chaos is threatening to cloud its $3bn deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which analysts say is key to the country’s economic stability. On Thursday, the global lender said Pakistan’s interim government had “maintained” economic stability. The IMF’s communications chief, Julie Kozack, said the […]

Deputy Secretary of State of the United States of America Richard Verma visited Sri Lanka from last Thursday to yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release. The visiting U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and delegation had extensive discussions with Foreign Minister Ali Sabry at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on further […]

By Rathindra Kuruwita Until Sri Lanka has access to international money markets, which will allow it to ensure there are no short-term dollar shortages, relaxing the restrictions on vehicle imports is out of the question, Professor in Economics at the Department of Economics at Colombo University, Dr. Priyanga Dunusinghe, said. Even then, relaxing vehicle imports […]

Profit before Tax increases by 258% amidst external challenges Pan Asia Banking Corporation PLC reflected a steady performance amidst multitude of adversities emerging from challenging macro-economic conditions as the Bank reported its financial performance during 2023, which showed judicious portfolio management and prudency exercised in dealing with possible fallout on its asset quality in chall...

In his policy statement during the inauguration of the 5th session of the 9th parliament, President Ranil Wickremesinghe insists that the solution to the economic crisis lies in economic and scientific measures, not political ones. However, he draws inspiration from Confucius and urges citizens to introspect and cleanse their hearts, which can be seen as […]

The Maldives is a strategically important nation in the Indian Ocean, now facing a high risk of debt distress due to its increasing proximity to China. The IMF has warned the Maldives that it needs to make urgent policy changes to avoid falling into debt. The Maldivian economy, which is heavily

by Rajan Philips 2024 is election year practically everywhere. In South Asia, it is two down and two to go. Bangladesh went first in January, and the governing Awami League won the election as predicted, with the main opposition Bangladesh National Party boycotting the election and the government fielding independent candidates to avoid the embarrassment […]

Sri Lanka’s inflation is anticipated to gradually stabilise around the targeted level of five per cent over the medium term, following a short-lived acceleration of inflation in the near term on account of the recent tax adjustments and supply-side disruptions, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) said in its monetary policy report for February. […]

By Shamindra Ferdinando National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa says the proposed Economic and Technology Co-operation Agreement (ETCA) with India should be examined in the context of India’s geopolitical strategy in respect of Sri Lanka. Referring to a recent declaration by SLPP MP Rear Admiral (retd.) Sarath Weerasekera that the government parliamentary group hadn’t […]

Japan has pledged USD 931,000 for a UNDP-led project meant to improve good governance by tackling corruption. A statement issued by the Japanese Embassy on behalf of the Sri Lankan government and the UNDP declared that in terms of the latest initiative ‘a Project for Promoting Economic Governance through Anti-corruption Policy Support’ they intended to […]

“The struggle for freedom for the people of Sri Lanka was not over with the country gaining independence in 1948. The freedom struggle must continue until every Sri Lankan believes and feels that he is an equal citizen of the country of his birth. This was stated by Director of the Walpola Rahula Institute of […]

In 2007, my late friend, Jackson Anthony, and his younger son visited us in Auckland during their trip to New Zealand, I recall that he talked about the Aba script during that period. We organised a small gathering for our friends who admire his talents. Amidst casual conversations, Jackson, well-versed in both Catholicism and Sinhala […]