Author: Ashanthi Ratnasingham
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 […]
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 […]
Facebook still rules Sri Lanka’s social media, but TikTok is closing in
Facebook remains the most used social media platform among Sri Lankan internet users, holding an 81% share according to the newly released Digital Outlook Sri Lanka 2026 report. YouTube follows at 72%, while TikTok has climbed to 48%, up 6 percentage points from last year. Instagram rounds out the top four at 42%. The bigger […]
ADB pumps in USD 200mn to shield Sri Lanka from Middle East shock
Sri Lanka is set to receive a $200 million boost from the Asian Development Bank, part of a wider $450 million regional package aimed at cushioning Asia-Pacific economies from the fallout of the Middle East conflict. The loan comes under ADB’s Trade, Investment, and Industry Development Program, and includes $100 million in fresh financing specifically […]