Author: Ashanthi Ratnasingham
Sri Lanka moves back into upper-middle income bracket, World Bank says
Sri Lanka has been reclassified as an upper-middle income economy by the World Bank, a milestone officials are calling hard-won but fragile because the country has been here before, and lost the status within a year. The change was confirmed in the World Bank Group’s Country Income Classifications for the fiscal year running from 1 […]
Sri Lanka’s inflation hits 6.8-pct in June
Sri Lanka’s inflation problem isn’t going away anytime soon. June’s headline number came in at 6.8% year-on-year, up from 5.5% in May, and the drivers are exactly what most people already feel when they fill up their tank or do their weekly grocery run. Energy costs remain the main villain here. The Middle East conflict […]
IMF tells Sri Lanka there is no room to ease up
Sri Lanka’s economic recovery, hard-won through years of painful reform, is now facing its next real test and the IMF’s latest visit makes clear that the country’s ability to hold steady will depend as much on discipline as it does on circumstance. An IMF mission team visited Colombo from 24 to 30 June 2026, assessing […]
Janathakshan and Coca-Cola Foundation conclude a high-impact plastic waste management project
Janathakshan GTE Ltd, with funding support from The Coca-Cola Foundation, has successfully concluded the project “Strengthening Women and Youth Engagement in Informal Waste Management in Sri Lanka (SWYFT)”. Running from August 2024 to May 2026 across the Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Matale, and Kurunegala districts, this multi-district initiative significantly strengthened plastic waste management systems and championed […]
Amana Takaful PLC concludes rights issue, Raises over Rs. 1Bn amid strong shareholder demand
Amana Takaful PLC has successfully closed its Rights Issue, raising more than Rs. 1 billion through the allotment of over 52.8 million new ordinary voting shares priced at Rs. 19 each. The offer, extended exclusively to existing shareholders, was oversubscribed by 68.8%, signaling solid investor confidence in the company’s direction. The response builds on a […]
President Dissanayake meets CHEC Chairman, Reaffirms commitment to foreign investment
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake met with the Chairman of China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), Mr Bai Yinzhan and a delegation from the company this morning (13) at the Presidential Secretariat. During the meeting, Mr Bai Yinzhan stated that President Dissanayake’s “direct and visionary leadership” had greatly enhanced the company’s confidence in investing in Sri Lanka. […]
Sri Lanka and France strengthen bilateral relations at second round of political consultations
The Second round of Political consultations between Sri Lanka and France was held on 9th June 2026, virtually. The consultations were co-chaired by Director-General of the Europe and North America Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism of Sri Lanka, Sugeeshwara Gunaratna and Director for Asia & Oceania in the Ministry for Europe […]
Sri Lanka’s largest battery energy storage programme to strengthen grid stability and accelerate renewable energy integration
Sri Lanka is set to commission battery energy storage capacity across 16 substation sites nationwide, marking the country’s largest energy storage programme to date. The initiative represents a significant step in strengthening the national grid and supporting the country’s transition toward a cleaner and more resilient energy system. Each Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is […]
Sri Lanka needs a united front against financial scams
Financial fraud is no longer a fringe problem in Sri Lanka. It is a national challenge and tackling it will take more than periodic warnings from a single regulator. That was the central message from Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe at the launch of the “Be Scam Proof” campaign on 2 June 2026. Speaking […]
Sri Lanka’s new poverty line shows why recovery must be measured at household level
Sri Lanka’s official poverty line has been revised to Rs. 17,117 per person per month for April 2026, according to the latest update published by the Department of Census and Statistics. The figure represents the minimum monthly expenditure required by an individual to meet basic needs, and provides an important benchmark for understanding how far […]
EVs and the grid: What the data really says about Sri Lanka’s energy future
Guest Column by Dr. Beshan Kulapala, Co-Founder, Director & CEO of Volt Charge Sri Lanka Recent discussions around electric vehicles (EVs) and their impact on Sri Lanka’s electricity grid have gained traction, particularly amid broader global energy uncertainty. Concerns around grid stability are both valid and important as the country navigates evolving energy conditions, making […]
CEPA:Twenty-Five years of not looking away
by Rebecca Jayatissa, Communications Professional – CEPA As the Centre for Poverty Analysis marks a quarter century of work, Sri Lanka has cause to reflect on what independent research has meant for the country’s most vulnerable communities. In May 2001, nine professionals working on poverty-related issues in Sri Lanka came together around a shared conviction: […]