Category: Featured
Sri Lanka’s terror law could cost it a trade lifeline
A security Bill meant to please Brussels may end up angering it Sri Lanka has spent four decades trying to rid itself of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), a law used so freely that even its authors, in the 1979 parliament, called it temporary. The Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill (PSTA), gazetted […]
Why a tobacco-free generation won’t see the light of day through a generational ban
Sri Lanka wants a smokeless future, and so it should. But a Tobacco-free generation will leave the country with something far harder to control: an unregulated illegal market. What is a Tobacco-Free Generation (TFG)? TFG is a concept that has made headlines recently. The idea is that persons born after a certain year, in the […]
Sri Lanka open to new IMF programme if it supports growth: President
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says Sri Lanka is ready to enter a new programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), provided it supports economic growth and not just stability, as the current four-year arrangement enters its final six months. Speaking at the Sri Lanka Economic and Investment Summit 2026 in Colombo on Monday, he said […]
150 years of rubber: A milestone worth celebrating
This year, Sri Lanka marks 150 years since rubber was first planted on its soil, a milestone that traces back to 1876, when a shipment of young Hevea brasiliensis seedlings arrived at the Henarathgoda Botanical Gardens in Gampaha. Grown from seeds smuggled out of the Amazon by British botanist Henry Wickham and germinated at Kew […]
Sri Lanka becomes second market for BYD’s RACCO
BYD, the number one brand in Sri Lanka’s emerging New Energy Vehicle (NEV) segment and the world’s leading NEV manufacturer, together with its authorised distributor in Sri Lanka, John Keells CG Auto,today announced the successful debut of the BYD RACCO, its newest addition to the local market. SriLanka becomes the first country outside Japan to […]
99x launches AI-Hub to increase visibility on AI-assisted workflows
99x, a global product engineering company headquartered in Norway, has launched AI Hub, an observability platform designed to provide greater visibility into AI-assisted workflows and performance metrics. The event also celebrated 99x’s xians.ai platform being recognised as Sri Lanka’s Best Agentic AI Solution at the National AI Awards. The 99x leadership also shared updates on […]
Seven in ten Sri Lankan exporters already sell online, but paperwork and slow delivery hold them back: Survey
Sri Lankan exporters are taking to online selling faster than the country’s trade systems are keeping up. A new survey shows seven in ten already use e-commerce, but many are still tangled in paperwork, slow deliveries and high costs. The findings are in “E-commerce and international trade in Sri Lanka: Findings from a survey of […]
The cost of hesitation: Lessons from Asian national strategies on oil palm
By Lalith Obeyesekere, Secretary General, Planters’ Association of Ceylon In his memoirs, Lee Kuan Yew described Ceylon as Britain’s model Commonwealth country, and tooknote of the significant lead that then Ceylon had in terms of its resources, infrastructure and institutions when compared to the Singapore he had inherited, or to his immediate neighbours, Malaysia and […]
RIUNIT London forum looks to ‘unlock’ Sri Lanka’s real estate sector
More than 100 investors, diplomats, business leaders and property professionals gathered in London on 16 September for the Sri Lanka Real Estate Investment Forum: London 2026, convened by the Research Intelligence Unit (RIU) in collaboration with the Sri Lanka High Commission in London. Held under the theme “Unlocking Sri Lanka’s Real Estate Investment Potential in […]
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 […]
FAAMA Appoints New Executive Committee for 2026/27, targeting a US$1 billion local value-addition opportunity
The Fabric & Apparel Accessory Manufacturers Association (FAAMA) has reappointed Mr. Husni Salieh of Noyon Lanka (Private) Limited as the Chairman for the 2026/27 term at its Annual General Meeting held on 25 September 2026 at the Hilton Colombo. The AGM was graced virtually by Mr. Duminda Hulangamuwa, Chairman of the Board of Investment of […]
Beyond El Niño: Building lasting climate resilience in Sri Lanka’s plantations
Climate resilience has become the defining test of this El Niño year for Sri Lanka’s plantation sector. The National Disaster Relief Services Centre says over 81,000 people across 25,563 families in seven districts, Ampara, Polonnaruwa, Batticaloa, Badulla, Monaragala, Hambantota and Ratnapura, have been affected by the dry weather linked to the phenomenon. The government has […]