Israel was warned by Egypt of potential violence three days before Hamas’ deadly cross-border raid, a US congressional panel chairman has said. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee head Michael McCaul told reporters of the alleged warning. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu described the reports as “absolutely false”. Israeli intelligence services are under scrutiny for ...

… asks for early cross-party consensus By Shamindra Ferdinando Former Governor of the Central Bank Dr. Indrajith Coomaraswamy yesterday (11) threw his weight behind the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) call for far reaching measures meant to stabilize the economy. The Washington headquartered lending agency recently suspended the US 2.9 bn bailout package, pending an agreement […]

Output growth of South Asian countries, except Sri Lanka, is projected to remain stronger than in other regions of the world in the coming years, as per the World Bank’s latest South Asia Development Update, ‘Toward Faster, Cleaner Growth’. Growth in the region is stronger than elsewhere in the world, but it is nonetheless not […]

USD 73 mn down the drain? The US Embassy is on record as having said that USAID conducted a project at a cost of USD 73 mn during the Yahapalana administration (2015-2019) to enhance the efficiency of lawmakers and be responsive to the people they represent. In terms of this project, 50 Research Assistants of […]

Oil prices have jumped on concerns that the situation in Israel and Gaza could disrupt output from the Middle East. Brent crude, the international benchmark, climbed by $2.25 a barrel to $86.83, while US prices also rose. Israel and Palestinian territories are not oil producers but the Middle Eastern region accounts for almost a third […]

Not all countries in the region are growing fast, and three—Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka—are in acute crisis South Asia has emerged as a beacon of hope in the global economy, with the World Bank predicting that the region will outshine other developing regions

By Neville Ladduwahetty President Ranil Wickremesinghe eloquently outlined the current global economic crisis affecting the developing world, in particular the Global South, during his speech at the Berlin Global Dialogue. In the course of his presentation he conveyed

The Truly Sri Lankan Bank, Pan Asia Bank, demonstrated its commitment for the nation by launching a special Credit Card for government pensioners who served the nation for many years, by keeping its brand promise as ‘The Truly Sri Lankan Bank’. The new offering – ‘Sammana Credit Card’ – is packed with attractive discounts and […]

by Sanath Nanayakkare Income inequalities persist although there is enough money in circulation in the economy, the Central Bank Governor Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe said yesterday. The Governor said so responding to a question posed by The Island Financial Review at the press conference held by the Central Bank after announcing its latest Monetary Policy […]

President Ranil Wickremesinghe addressed the 5th Forum of Ministers & Environment Authorities of the Asia Pacific at the Shangri La Hotel in Colombo today (05), delivering a passionate speech that emphasized three crucial points: the urgency of the climate crisis, Sri Lanka’s ambitious climate

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The World Bank predicts that Sri Lanka’s poverty will increase to 27.9 percent in 2023 from 25 percent in 2022 as the country continues to suffer from the most extreme deployment of ‘macro-economic policy’ in the history of its central bank. The World Bank in a report titled ‘Sri Lanka Development Update: Mobilizing Tax Revenue […]

The World Bank revised up its forecasts for Sri Lanka s economy on Tuesday, noting the crisis-hit nation had made strides in reducing inflation and had benefited from tourism revenue as well as an appreciation in its currency.

The West has labeled China’s Belt and Road Initiative as a cohesive program, and the participating countries like Sri Lanka are looked upon with suspicion, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Thursday (28) at the Berlin Global Conference. “This will further hurt economic prospects in the global South, and the polarization will become more evident,” he […]

By SHIHAR ANEEZ ECONOMYNEXT –Sri Lanka’s second tranche of a $3 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund is likely to be delayed as the country has failed to meet the program objective and a global lender’s official said there is no fixed timeline on the disbursement of second tranche. Sri Lanka’s government revenue is likely […]

The Parliament is scheduled to meet from 3rd to 6th October. The parliamentary business related to this week has been decided at the Committee on Parliamentary Business chaired by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on 22nd of September. Accordingly, time from 09.30 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. on each day has been allotted for Questions for Oral […]

By Saman Indrajith Minister of Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe will present the Anti-Terrorism Bill, while Minister of Public Security, Tiran Alles, will present the Online Safety Bill to Parliament on 03 October. Below are the bills to be debated during the Parliament week. On Tuesday, 03 October 2023, from 10.30 am […]

President Ranil Wickremesinghe delivering the opening speech at the ‘Berlin Global’ Dialogue in Berlin, Germany, today (28), expressed the need for a comprehensive dialogue between Western nations and China, the United States of America and China and the European Union and China, as a critical component of a robust international plan capable of addressing the […]