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Renegotiating Plantation Company Leases Mid-Tenure Could Impact FDI: Advocata Institute
Plans to prematurely renegotiate the lease agreements of Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) set a dangerous precedent against security of tenure and risk discouraging foreign direct investment (FDI) into state-owned lands, the Advocata Institute warned. This follows a statement made by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who announced that the government is reviewing existing RPC lease agreements, […]
Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and Colombo Stock Exchange Sign MoU to Strengthen Capital Market Connectivity
Members of the Sri Lankan Delegation meeting with members of ADX The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen capital market cooperation between Sri Lanka and the UAE. The agreement aims to promote knowledge exchange, enhance, support collaboration across trading technologies and […]
FCCISL, Ministry of Industry Open Talks to Drive SMEs Toward 25% Export Growth
The Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) held a high-level bilateral policy dialogue with Chathuranga Abeysinghe, Deputy Minister of Industry & Entrepreneurship Development, on September 3, 2026. The meeting, held at the Ministry’s headquarters in Narahenpita, established a unified roadmap to accelerate regional enterprise growth and integrate the private sector […]
NYK’s new-generation RoRo vessel AZALEA LEADER makes maiden call at Hambantota International Port
Hambantota, Sri Lanka, August 2026: NYK’s Azalea Leader, a new-generation LNG dual-fuel Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC), made its maiden call at Hambantota International Port (HIP) recently, marking another significant development in the port’s growing role as a regional automotive transhipment gateway. Built in 2026 and sailing under the Liberian flag, the nearly 200-metre […]
IMF Team to Visit Sri Lanka next week for EFF Seventh Review and Article IV Consultation
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Mission Chief for Sri Lanka, Evan Papageorgiou, announced on September 3, 2026, that an IMF staff team will visit Sri Lanka from September 10 to 23, 2026. During the visit, the team will hold discussions with Sri Lankan authorities regarding the combined Seventh Review of the country’s reform program supported by […]
UNDP Sri Lanka and Visa Partner to advance financial inclusion for women and youth in estate communities
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka and Visa have announced a new partnership to strengthen financial inclusion and economic empowerment among women and youth in estate communities, beginning with a pilot initiative in Hope Estate, Hewaheta in Nuwara Eliya. To mark the partnership, a signing ceremony took place between Azusa Kubota, Resident […]
Applications open for inaugural Geoffrey Bawa Moonamal award
The Geoffrey Bawa Moonamal Award has opened the call for applications for its inaugural Award cycle. Presented in partnership with the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society of Sri Lanka, the Award invites individuals and organisations across the country to submit implemented projects that demonstrate how human needs can be met while enabling nature and ecosystems […]
US -SL Partnership Seizes 463 KG of Crystal Methamphetamine in Joint Counternarcotics Operation
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Delhi Country Office and Sri Lanka’s Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) conducted a successful joint operation disrupting a Pakistan-based narcotrafficking network attempting to smuggle crystal methamphetamine through Sri Lanka to international markets. Acting on intelligence developed by DEA’s Foreign Counterparts Unit Pakistan Anti-Narcotics Force Special Investigations Cell between August 14–29 on suspicious maritime […]
Sri Lanka launches National Food Safety Policy with support from FAO and the European Union
Sri Lanka has reached a major milestone in strengthening its national food control system with the launch of its first National Food Safety Policy, providing a comprehensive framework to safeguard public health, strengthen food systems, and support economic growth through a coordinated, risk-based approach to food safety. Developed under the leadership of the Ministry of […]
Transparency International Sri Lanka Challenges the Anti-Corruption Act Amendment Bill 2026
Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) filed a petition on 31st of August 2026, in the Supreme Court challenging the proposed “Anti-Corruption (Amendment)” Bill placed on the Order Paper of Parliament on the 19th of August 2026. The Bill proposes concerning amendments to the Anti-Corruption Act No. 9 of 2023. The petition has been filed in […]