Author: LBO
First Capital Fixed Income Fund Delivers Highest 5-Year CAGR Among Open-Ended Income Funds in Sri Lanka
First Capital Wealth Management Limited (FCAM), the wealth management arm of First Capital Holdings PLC, a subsidiary of JXG (Janashakthi Group), has enhanced its unit trust offering through the First Capital Fixed Income Fund (FCFIF), further widening access to investment opportunities and making professionally managed unit trusts more accessible to investors with diverse financial and […]
Sri Lanka Launches National Export Development Plan 2026 – 2030; Six Cross Sector Enablers and Eight Priority Sectors Identified
Marking a significant milestone in Sri Lanka’s economic development, the National Export Development Plan (NEDP) 2026–2030 was officially launched today, 16 June 2026. Hon. Sunil Handunneththi, Minister of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development, attended the event as the Chief Guest. In addition, several Ministers representing the Government, including Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Minister of Labour and […]
Asia drives global aquatic production to record high, powered by aquaculture expansion: FAO
Global production of aquatic animals and algae reached a new high of 235 million tonnes in 2024, driven largely by the rapid expansion of aquaculture, according to a new report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched today during the Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya. The 2026 edition of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture flagshipreport […]
Cyclone Ditwah: 3,000 children to benefit from protection and psychosocial support through new EU-funded response – Save the Children
Nearly 12,000 people – including about 3,000 children – affected by cyclone Ditwah will receive crucial cash assistance, protection and psychosocial support through a new EUR 1 million project funded by the European Union, and implemented by Save the Children. The initiative targets the central highland districts of Badulla, Nuwara Eliya, and Kandy, which were […]
HNB PLC and IESL sign MoU to extend exclusive financial benefits to Sri Lanka’s engineering community
HNB PLC, Sri Lanka’s leading private sector bank, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL) on 20 May 2026 at HNB Towers, establishing a formal partnership to extend a suite of exclusive financial benefits to IESL’s membership base of over 25,000 engineering professionals across the country. Under the arrangement, […]
Xiaomi Sri Lanka and Raffealla Fernando showcases “The Art of Telephoto” with the Xiaomi 17T
Xiaomi Sri Lanka hosted “The Art of Telephoto,” a Leica-powered photography exhibition at One Galle Face Mall, Level 02, bringing together creativity, fashion, visual storytelling and smartphone photography in an engaging experience for guests and photography enthusiasts. Held in collaboration with renowned Sri Lankan creative personality Raffealla Fernando, the exhibition presented a curated collection of […]
El Niño Raises Global Economic Disruption Risks for Weaker Sovereigns
The formation of an El Niño weather phenomenon that is set to persist into early 2027 raises the risk of economic disruption in a range of sovereigns, says Fitch Ratings. Fitch is unlikely to link rating actions directly to El Niño unless the effects are clearly reflected in credit metrics, but related environmental stresses could […]
UNDP and Central Bank of Sri Lanka Strengthen Partnership to Advance Financial Literacy
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) today formalized the 2nd phase of a continued partnership, reaffirming their joint commitment to advancing financial literacy under Sri Lanka’s National Financial Literacy Roadmap (2024–2028), a key pillar of the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS). The partnership was symbolically […]
Sri Lanka GDP Growth Rate YoY increased to 5.1-pct
The GDP for the first quarter of 2026 at constant price (2015) has increased up to Rs. 3,652,503 million from Rs. 3,476,664 million which was reported in the first quarter of 2025. The GDP growth rate for the first quarter of year 2026 has been reported as 5.1 percent of positive growth rate. In the […]
Manageable Impact on Sri Lankan Lenders’ Capital from Higher Gold-Loan Risk Weights: Fitch Ratings
Fitch Ratings believes the Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s tighter capital treatment for gold-backed lending will have a mostly manageable impact on rated banks’ and finance companies’ capital ratios, while supporting risk profiles. The impact on Fitch-rated finance companies is likely to be larger than on banks because gold-backed lending accounts for a larger share […]
An investigation is being carried out with regard to the activities of Kasagala Green Plantation, says CBSL
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has announced that it is conducting an investigation into the activities of Kasagala Green Plantation (Private) Limited (KGPL) under the provisions of the Finance Business Act, No. 42 of 2011 (FBA). This follows public statements made by Malwattage Ranjith Nandana Pieris, Director of KGPL, during an appearance on […]
The UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture to Visit Sri Lanka
The United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) will undertake its second visit to Sri Lanka from 15 to 24 June 2026. The SPT conducted its first visit to Sri Lanka in April 2019, following the country’s accession to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) in December 2017. Upon accession, the […]