Author: Ashanthi Ratnasingham
Sri Lanka to open ports and power grid to private investors: President
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has told investors that the government has put three things in place: transparent governance, the laws needed to protect business, and the infrastructure to support it. “We will do our part. You must do yours,” he said. He was speaking at the Sri Lanka Economic and Investment Summit 2026, organised by […]
Sri Lanka open to new IMF programme if it supports growth: President
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says Sri Lanka is ready to enter a new programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), provided it supports economic growth and not just stability, as the current four-year arrangement enters its final six months. Speaking at the Sri Lanka Economic and Investment Summit 2026 in Colombo on Monday, he said […]
99x launches AI-Hub to increase visibility on AI-assisted workflows
99x, a global product engineering company headquartered in Norway, has launched AI Hub, an observability platform designed to provide greater visibility into AI-assisted workflows and performance metrics. The event also celebrated 99x’s xians.ai platform being recognised as Sri Lanka’s Best Agentic AI Solution at the National AI Awards. The 99x leadership also shared updates on […]
Seven in ten Sri Lankan exporters already sell online, but paperwork and slow delivery hold them back: Survey
Sri Lankan exporters are taking to online selling faster than the country’s trade systems are keeping up. A new survey shows seven in ten already use e-commerce, but many are still tangled in paperwork, slow deliveries and high costs. The findings are in “E-commerce and international trade in Sri Lanka: Findings from a survey of […]
ADB approves USD100mn loan to overhaul Sri Lanka’s vocational training system
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $100 million results-based loan to transform Sri Lanka’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system, aiming to equip more young people with industry-relevant skills and strengthen the country’s competitiveness. The Skills Development System Transformation Program will back government efforts to improve training quality, strengthen links between […]
CBSL Governor: Reserve accumulation must be backed by sound fundamentals
Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe has said reserve accumulation cannot be viewed in isolation from the broader macroeconomic policy framework, stressing it must be underpinned by sound external sector fundamentals and an economy capable of generating and retaining foreign exchange. Weerasinghe was delivering the keynote address on “Challenges in Building […]
Sri Lanka’s services boom offsets manufacturing slowdown as PMI data shows uneven August recovery
Sri Lanka’s economy sent a mixed but broadly positive signal in August, as new Central Bank data show services activity accelerating sharply even as manufacturing growth lost momentum. The Purchasing Managers’ Index for Services jumped to 65.6 in August from 61.4 in July, marking an acceleration in what was already a strong expansion. The pickup […]
Sri Lanka expects India’s full support in fight against Indian Ocean drug trafficking
Sri Lanka expects India’s fullest support in combating drug trafficking in the Indian Ocean region, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said, as the Indian Ocean has increasingly become a hub for the trade. The President made the remarks at a meeting with Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the Presidential Secretariat, during Singh’s official visit to […]
Build buffers before the storm, Central Bank Governor tells reserve managers
Sri Lanka’s Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe used the inaugural Reserve Management Conference in Colombo on 10 September to deliver a pointed message to central bankers from across Asia and beyond: the world reserve managers once knew no longer exists, and the old playbook needs rewriting. Addressing delegates at the opening of the two-day […]
Vipul Misra appointed as acting CEO of SriLankan Airlines
Vipul Misra has been appointed Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SriLankan Airlines, with effect from today (9 September). Bringing over two decades of aircraft engineering and aviation leadership experience, Misra’s background spans across significantly large commercial carriers including Air India, Vistara, Indigo, SpiceJet, Kingfisher Airlines, and Air Deccan. His comprehensive expertise across legacy, full-service, […]
Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe to keynote Planters’ Association AGM
Governor of the Central Bank Sri Lanka, Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, will grace the 172nd Annual General Meeting of the Planters’ Association of Ceylon (PAC) as its Chief Guest. The AGM on Saturday, 19th September will bring together Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs), industry leaders and key stakeholders, to review the sector’s performance and shape strategies for […]
Japan envoy urges Sri Lanka to look East, warns against missing Japan FDI opportunity again
Sri Lanka should adopt an export-oriented industrial model and look towards Southeast Asia and Japan for economic partnership, Japan’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka Akio Isomata said, addressing the 47th AGM of the Sri Lanka – Japan Business Council (SLJBC) of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. Isomata, who is also Patron of the Council, outlined three […]