Category: Economy
ADB appoints Shannon Cowlin as new country director for Sri Lanka
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has appointed Shannon Cowlin as its new Country Director for Sri Lanka. She has assumed office in Colombo today. “I am honored to be appointed Country Director of ADB’s Sri Lanka Resident Mission,” Ms. Cowlin said. “For many years, ADB has been a trusted partner of Sri Lanka, supporting the […]
Advocata calls on govt to commit to permanently ending vehicle permit schemes
Advocata warns revival of vehicle permits threatens governance credibility, public trust and economic reform and strongly cautions against government consideration to allow vehicle imports for high-ranking government officials who received permits upon retirement. According to statements in Parliament, 1,900 permits have already been issued under this concessional scheme for senior officials, with 563 permits issued in 2025 alone. […]
OPINION – Northern Investment Summit, Jaffna January 2026
By Jekhan Aruliah When the topic of the Northern economy comes up, Jaffna is often criticized for living on remittances. Small transfers, perhaps a hundred US dollars a month, sent by hard working people overseas to their families in Jaffna and the Northern Province. These gifts are said to be ruining Jaffna youth and the […]
IMF Staff Concludes Sri Lanka Visit; Policy Talks for Next EFF Review Set to Resume ASAP
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team, led by Evan Papageorgiou, concluded a visit to Colombo conducted from January 22 to 28 to assess the economic impact of Cyclone Ditwah. During the mission, the team engaged with authorities and stakeholders to understand the social and economic damage caused by the storm, specifically regarding infrastructure and livelihoods. […]
Sri Lanka’s Central Bank keeps the overnight policy rate (OPR) unchanged
At its meeting held yesterday, the Monetary Policy Board decided to keep the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) unchanged at 7.75%, citing an assessment of recent domestic economic developments, the outlook ahead, and continuing global uncertainty. The Board is of the view that the current monetary policy stance will support steering inflation towards the target of […]
IFC Invests USD 166 Mn to Support Sri Lankan Businesses & Drive Economic Growth
Reinforcing its longstanding commitment to Sri Lanka’s private sector, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, today announced a high-impact investment program of $166 million to support Sri Lankan businesses and accelerate the country’s transition from economic stabilization to sustainable growth. This comprehensive country-level financing package aims to expand financial […]
Sri Lanka earns LKR 904bn from vehicle import taxes in 2025
January 21 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has earned LKR 904 billion (approx. US$3bn) from vehicle import taxes in 2025. This figure is a massive upside surprise over the 441 billion rupees stated as expected by Deputy Economic Development Minister Nishantha Jayaweera. In 2026, analysts expect tax revenues from vehicle imports to drop significantly unless import […]
IMF Staff to Visit Sri Lanka to Assess Impact of Cyclone Ditwah
Statement by Mr. Evan Papageorgiou, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Mission Chief for Sri Lanka: “An IMF staff team will visit Sri Lanka from January 22 to January 28, 2026, to hold discussions with the authorities on the size and scope of the damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah. The findings of the mission will feed into […]
Good Intentions, Bad Economics: The Risks of Intervening in SME Lending Decisions
In the past weeks, newspaper headlines have brought to the forefront a growing narrative that banks are prospering while SMEs are struggling. This outcome has largely been attributed to banks overlooking the impact of external shocks on SMEs and to the current lending frameworks that govern credit markets. Such headlines call for independent statutory mechanisms to probe the fairness of cases leading to credit enforcement. Whilst such concerns are understandable on moral and ethical grounds, urging for artificial interventions in credit markets risks promoting […]
Central Bank’s Gross Official Reserves Surpasses USD 6.8 Bn in Dec 2025, Highest Level Since Crisis
The Central Bank has announced that Gross Official Reserves (GOR) surged to over US dollars 6.8 billion by the end of 2025, marking the highest level of reserves recorded since the economic crisis. This was largely supported by US dollars 2.0 billion in net foreign exchange purchases made by the Central Bank (on value date […]
CoPF Chairman Harsha de Silva urges President to appoint an Auditor General
Dr. Harsha de Silva, Chair of the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF), has urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to immediately fill the Auditor General vacancy, which has been open since December 7. In a letter dated December 22, Dr. de Silva emphasized that the absence of an Auditor General disrupts constitutional mandates under Articles 148 […]
The Chamber of Northern Exporters (CNE) Delivering Goods and Services From Jaffna and the Northern Province
By Jekhan Aruliah We have heard it so many times, “We must export more!”. We have heard it from politicians and economists and assorted commentators of assorted quality through miscellaneous channels. “We must export more” deserves the internet acronym SOTBO. Internet slang for a “Statement Of The Bleeding Obvious”. A statement so basic, so self-evident, […]