President Ranil Wickremesinghe said in Parliamenty yesterday he was aware that Value Added Tax (VAT) was a burden on the public. He said it would be possible to reduce VAT with the passage of time. Delivering the government policy statement at the commencement of the new session of Parliament, the President said: “The prior scarcity […]

Inaugurating the 5th session of the 9th Parliament of Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe called upon all lawmakers to collaborate in nation building  even though they would be contesting elections separately. “From ancient times to the present day, our world has encountered a myriad of crises, spanning nations and personal lives alike. While some crises […]

By Sanath Nanayakkare When a country is in an economic crisis, it creates an environment conducive to implementing economic reforms which would be difficult to do in good times, however, it still depends on how far the reformist leaders can shape the opinion of the people and the people’s willingness to take those reforms on […]

By Shamindra Ferdinando Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC, declared in Parliament that the winners of LPL (Lanka Premier League) 2023 B-Love Kandy had been sponsored by an enterprise that was banned in the country. The statement was made in Parliament on 24th August. The one-time President of the Bar Association found fault with SLC […]

that the foreign guests helped boost the country’s economy and deserved […]

Reforms to be introduced to end ‘media abuses’ President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said that the government was not in a position to lower the taxes. Delivering his second government policy statement to inaugurate the Fourth session of the Ninth Parliament, the President said: “Some people say that the primary taxable income should be raised from […]

By Krishantha Prasad Cooray In many ways, the economic collapse of Sri Lanka became a near certainty in the weeks after Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected President. In hindsight, it is clear to all that his government’s number one priority was consolidating their power and punishing those it saw as its enemies. Their next priority was […]

We can make the Mannar Island like entertainment location like Macau island

NDB‘s contribution to infrastructure development has been substantial during the last three decades. Having garnered the experience and expertise to cater towards the development process in Sri Lanka, NDB continues to focus on this vital component providing the necessary support that will help towards economic development in the country. NDB CEO Russell de Mel says, ...

The exchange rate (ER) last week had the dubious distinction of making a steep dive to hit Rs. 130 by being depreciated by nearly Rs. 5 against the US dollar ($) in a week in interbank trading on the back of import demand, but since then has seemingly been tenuously holding on to those levels ...

“Our sense is that if we do not act boldly and if we do not act together, the economy around the world runs the risk of a downward spiral of uncertainty, financial instability and potential collapse of global demand… we could run the risk of what some commentators are already calling

President Eisenhower raised the alarm in 1961; its relevance today‘But most shall he sing of Lanka In the brave new days to come, When the races all have blended And the voice of strife is dumb, When we leap to a single bugle, March to a single drum.’ From ‘The Call of Lanka’, by the ...

The defeat of the LTTE in May 2009 has wrought a perceptible change in Sri Lanka’s economic climate, recognised by international financial institutions, foreign media and economic analysts, says in an article on Bangkok Post published on November 28. “Today they see Sri Lanka as one of Asia’s fast-growing nations with huge potential”, the report ...

Having being involved actively in the last seven years of Sri Lanka’s economic development agenda, the last two years in particular have been dramatic in nature. Private sector thinking has now come into the public sector which is interesting but needs to be careful managed so that we do not lose the democratic spirit of ...

By Chamitha Kuruppu The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna claims spending Rs. 265 billion on an 11-day extravaganza is intolerable for an economically ailing country like Sri Lanka. Addressing a media briefing the JVP warned that the aftermath of hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Games would not be rosy as the Rajapaksa administration predicts According to JVP Propaganda ...

The 17th SAARC summit ended on Friday with the adoption of a 20-point ‘Addu Declaration’ to forge effective cooperation among the member states in a host of areas including economy, connectivity, climate change and food security. The Addu Declaration was adopted at the concluding

The policy changes, reforms and modernisation since Budget 2011 appears to have been the context of a presentation made to the Joint Apparel Association Forum in July 2011 by the “leading light” in finance, planning, treasury management and economic development. Sri Lanka background 2000-’10 The presentation articulates the background issues experienced from 2000 to 2010. ...

When Sanga was in free flow at Lords not on his customary turf but in the hollowed surroundings of intellectual banter, he displayed once again that silken smoothness that has made his game and his persona such a hot property. No wonder they said ‘you are a hard act to follow, Sir’. Typically, this smooth ...