State Tourism Minister Diana Gamage says that Night Life Concept can boost the revenue of the tourism industry by 70 percent as nightlife plays a crucial role in catering to the needs of tourists, adding this applies not only to beach resorts but also urban centres like Colombo. Speaking at a press conference themed ‘Collective […]

Leader of the United Republic Front Member of Parliament Patali Champika Ranawaka, presented the proposal titled “A United Step for the Country” to President Ranil Wickremesinghe , at ‘Srikota’, the United National Party headquarters in Colombo this morning (24). Speaking at the event President Ranil Wickremesinghe, highlighted the government’s concerted efforts over the past two […]

As Pakistan grapples with the aftermath of controversial elections, political chaos is threatening to cloud its $3bn deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which analysts say is key to the country’s economic stability. On Thursday, the global lender said Pakistan’s interim government had “maintained” economic stability. The IMF’s communications chief, Julie Kozack, said the […]

Deputy Secretary of State of the United States of America Richard Verma visited Sri Lanka from last Thursday to yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release. The visiting U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and delegation had extensive discussions with Foreign Minister Ali Sabry at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on further […]

By Rathindra Kuruwita Until Sri Lanka has access to international money markets, which will allow it to ensure there are no short-term dollar shortages, relaxing the restrictions on vehicle imports is out of the question, Professor in Economics at the Department of Economics at Colombo University, Dr. Priyanga Dunusinghe, said. Even then, relaxing vehicle imports […]

to boost the economy by generating revenue. She made this comment […]

Profit before Tax increases by 258% amidst external challenges Pan Asia Banking Corporation PLC reflected a steady performance amidst multitude of adversities emerging from challenging macro-economic conditions as the Bank reported its financial performance during 2023, which showed judicious portfolio management and prudency exercised in dealing with possible fallout on its asset quality in chall...

In his policy statement during the inauguration of the 5th session of the 9th parliament, President Ranil Wickremesinghe insists that the solution to the economic crisis lies in economic and scientific measures, not political ones. However, he draws inspiration from Confucius and urges citizens to introspect and cleanse their hearts, which can be seen as […]

Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, is providing $15M to The Asia Foundation to launch the APAC Cybersecurity Fund in partnership with CyberPeace Institute and Global Cyber Alliance to bolster cyber capabilities of 300,000 underserved micro and small businesses, nonprofits, and social enterprises. Working with implementing organizations and universities across the region, The Asia Foundation a...

I became the first person to officially transact using UPI in Sri Lanka on February 12th 2024. In the presence of three heads of states/ governments. Leaders of India, Sri Lanka and Mauritius watched the transaction and celebrated its success with applause. So what is UPI ? How does it benefit indian consumers, merchants and […]

The Friday Forum has made a welcome reappearance after a somewhat long absence, an event which we warmly welcome. We carry the statement the group released a couple of days ago in this issue of our newspaper and urge readers to digest the commentary set out with due diligence. Its signatories are persons of the […]

Sri Lanka’s inflation is anticipated to gradually stabilise around the targeted level of five per cent over the medium term, following a short-lived acceleration of inflation in the near term on account of the recent tax adjustments and supply-side disruptions, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) said in its monetary policy report for February. […]

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka released the Monetary Policy Report – February 2024 in keeping with the requirements of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Act, No. 16 of 2023. The content of this Report is mainly based on information that was considered by the Monetary Policy Board of the Central Bank of Sri […]

Sri Lanka s spike in inflation is expected to be short-lived and will return to the targeted 5% in the medium term, a monetary policy report released by the central bank said on Thursday as the island nation s economy stabilises from a crippling financial crisis.

By appointing a committee to review the compliance of the MoUs signed with other countries has demonstrated that it has no experience in international relations, says SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne. President Wickremesinghe has visited 14 countries since 2022 and signed several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) purportedly to boost trade and investment. Addressing the media at […]

In 2007, my late friend, Jackson Anthony, and his younger son visited us in Auckland during their trip to New Zealand, I recall that he talked about the Aba script during that period. We organised a small gathering for our friends who admire his talents. Amidst casual conversations, Jackson, well-versed in both Catholicism and Sinhala […]

The International Monetary Fund is now Âvery confident the global economy will see a soft landing, its managing director Kristalina Georgieva said on Monday, adding that interest rates would start coming down around mid year.