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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 […]
Fitch Changes Global Sovereigns Sector Outlook to ‘Deteriorating’ on Iran War Impact
Fitch Ratings has changed its 2026 global sovereign sector outlook to ‘deteriorating’ from ‘neutral’ because of the impact of the US-Iran war. We expect the conflict will weaken GDP growth, raise inflation and bond yields, and heighten geopolitical risks. However, recent resilience of the global economy and financing conditions temper risks. We have changed five […]
U.S. Navy Littoral Combat Ship USS Canberra Arrives in Colombo
The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka announces the arrival of the Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship USS Canberra (LCS 30) to the Port of Colombo on June 12. The visit marks the fourth U.S. Navy littoral combat ship to call on Colombo, following the USS Tulsa, USS Charleston, and USS Santa Barbara — and highlights the critical importance of continued […]
Sri Lanka to Unveil National Export Development Plan 2026–2030
The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) has announced the official launch of the National Export Development Plan (NEDP) 2026–2030, marking a significant milestone in the country’s economic journey. Developed under the guidance of the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, with technical assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Plan is aligned with […]
Sri Lanka’s Newest Cargo Carrier ‘WEAIR’ Launches Operations with Luxembourg Backing
Sri Lanka’s aviation and logistics sector marked an expansion with the official launch of ‘WEAIR’, the country’s newest cargo airline. The venture officially commenced operations on June 6, 2026, during an inauguration ceremony at the Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo, held under the patronage of Vijitha Herath, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism. Financed […]
Kaspersky discovers new corporate phishing technique using popular AI web development platform
Kaspersky has discovered that attackers have begun exploiting another legitimate service for malicious purposes – this time it is Tencent EdgeOne Pages, a platform for creating and hosting web applications. Attackers are misusing its capabilities to generate phishing emails targeting corporate users. Previously Kaspersky has described similar attacks leveraging Google services and web applications generated […]
Opinion: India–SL Binational Bridge & Tunnel – Why SL Should Embrace the Opportunity of the Century
By Jithendra Antonio For decades, Sri Lanka has debated ports, airports, expressways, free trade agreements, and foreign investments as pathways to economic transformation. Yet one proposal has consistently resurfaced across governments, administrations, and geopolitical cycles as perhaps the most consequential infrastructure project ever contemplated for the island nation: a permanent land connection between India and […]