Category: Other
US Effective Tariff Rate from all trading partners settles at 17-pct with July 31 duties: Fitch Ratings
Fitch Ratings has updated the U.S. Effective Tariff Rate (ETR) Monitor, its interactive tariff tool, reflecting the July 27 and July 31 announcements that set new reciprocal tariff rates for most trading partners. The U.S. effective tariff rate is now 17% — about 8 percentage points lower than our April 3, 2025, estimate when higher […]
US Dollar Shows Signs of Stabilisation on Easing Policy Uncertainty: Fitch Ratings
The US dollar has shown early signs of stabilisation against other currencies in the past few weeks, as US policy uncertainty has eased from record highs, Fitch Ratings says in its latest FX Market Monitor. The DXY Dollar Index (a weighted-average of six bilateral exchange rates with developed market countries with reserve currencies) remains about […]
EDB at 46: A Legacy of Transformative Progress
The 1st of August 2025 marks the 46th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), the country’s apex organization for export promotion and development. Established under the Sri Lanka Export Development Act No. 40 of 1979, the EDB plays a pivotal role in shaping a vibrant and diversified export sector, positioning Sri Lanka […]
High Commissioner Mahishini Colonne Presents Credentials To the Indian President Droupadi Murmu
High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India, Mahishini Colonne, presented her credentials to the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday 29 July 2025. The High Commissioner conveyed to President Murmu, the greetings and good wishes of President Anura Kumara Disanayaka. She recalled the visit of President Disanayaka […]
In 2023/24, 15-pct of SL students entering UK chose computing/IT, far above global average: report
A new report from ApplyBoard, a leading international student mobility platform, reveals that Sri Lankan students are playing a pivotal role in the evolving landscape of international education in the UK, particularly in the booming computing and IT sectors. The 2023/24 data highlights a significant trend: 15% of Sri Lankan students entering the UK chose […]
CA Sri Lanka among world’s first to join global drive for ISSB Sustainability Standards adoption
Sri Lanka has been recognised among the first jurisdictions in the world, and in South Asia, to join the global drive to adopt the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards (ISSB Standards). As part of this effort, the IFRS Foundation has released an initial set of 17 jurisdictional profiles, including Sri Lanka, offering capital markets greater transparency […]
SL’s draft media policy must protect freedoms & not just prescribe rules, says PRCA country rep
The Public Relations and Communications Association Asia Pacific (PRCA APAC), together with Mark and Comm Ltd, acknowledges the Government’s step in developing a national media policy. As professionals committed to ethical communication and the strengthening of public discourse, we welcome the initiative in principle. However, we believe the current draft, while broad in scope, requires […]
‘s New Stablecoin Law Mandates Full Reserve Backing, Monthly Disclosures
President Donald Trump has signed the GENIUS Act into law, making it the first U.S. federal legislation to regulate stablecoins. The law requires full reserve backing, monthly reserve disclosures, and strict rules to prevent misleading marketing. The move triggered a rally in digital assets, with Bitcoin surpassing $123,000 during the debate in the House, and […]
Sri Lanka’s Plantation sector sounds alarm over 30% U.S. tariff
The Planters’ Association of Ceylon (PA) has expressed grave concern over the United States’ decision to impose a 30% tariff on Sri Lankan tea and rubber exports, set to take effect from August 1st. The Association warns that this move could devastate two of Sri Lanka’s most historic and employment-intensive sectors, tea and rubber undermining […]
VIDEO: Why China Is Building Ships in the Desert
In the middle of the Chinese desert, miles from any ocean, lie massive naval ships. In this video, we explore why China built them in the sand and what they’re used for.
Supreme Court Holds State and Corporate Actors Accountable in X-Press Pearl Disaster and Aftermath
In a landmark judgment the Supreme Court today (July 24) delivered its judgment in Fundamental Rights petitions in relation to the X-Press Pearl maritime disaster, one of the worst environmental disasters in Sri Lanka’s history. TISL filed the intervention petition to intervene in case no. SC/FR 168/2021, filed by the Centre for Environmental Justice seeking […]
Transparency International Sri Lanka Challenges the National Audit (Amendment) Bill
Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) filed legal action on Tuesday 22 July 2025, in the Supreme Court challenging the National Audit (Amendment) Bill which was published in the gazette on 23rd June 2025. The Bill is to amend the National Audit Act No. 19 of 2018. The petition has been filed in public interest. The […]