By Shamindra Ferdinando Leader of the United Republican Front (Eksath Janaraja Peramuna) Patali Champika Ranawaka has alleged that the controversial outsourcing of the on-arrival visa processing to a foreign company violated the government procurement process, as well as the understanding with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in respect of anti-corruption measures. The former Minister said [&...

by Jayasri Priyalal Jayasripriyalal59@gmail.com The greatest challenges confronting the nation-states in the current era revolve around; deplorable debt, depleted natural resources, and degraded environment. Economic growth and future prosperity for all living beings are stalled due to the varying degrees of the 3D problems emerging out of ill-conceived policy divergences propelling the linear eco...

A partnership between an Indian and a Russian firm has secured the management rights for the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport in Hambantota. The airport, once infamous as the “world’s emptiest airport” due to minimal flight activity, is now under the purview of Shaurya Aeronautics (Pvt) Ltd of India and Airports of Regions Management Company of […]

President Ranil Wickremesinghe participating in a friendly discussion organized by the ‘United Youth Union’ on the theme ‘Future of our Youth’ in Polonnaruwa on Saturday (23), stressed the necessity of a new economic reform program for the country’s economic recovery. He requested for collective support from all citizens to prevent the next generation from inheriting […]

Alhambra Hotels commemorates five decades of unwavering dedication to hospitality excellence today. What began as a visionary endeavor by founding Chairman Mr. Jabir A. Cader, a prominent businessman, has evolved into a cornerstone of Colombo’s hospitality landscape. Originally envisioned as a modern cinema, the venture transformed with the changing tides, capitalizing on the burgeoning tour...

Peter Breuer, Chief of IMF Mission to Sri Lanka has claimed that the Sri Lankan economy is showing signs of progress. The monetary and fiscal measures like tax increases and particularly the debt moratorium may have resulted in giving some breathing space for the country to recover from the period of extreme hardship caused by […]

By Neville Ladduwahetty During President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s India visit in July 2023, five Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) were signed by India and Sri Lanka to establish physical connections between the two countries. This was followed more recently by the launch of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) – a mechanism that claims to reduce the cost […]

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya spoke to WION’s diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal on the sidelines of Raisina Dialogue 2024 in New Delhi.Balasuriya weighed in on several issues ranging from the India-Lanka relationship, Colombo’s ties with China, tourism, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), and more. While speaking on China, Balasuriya said that “both countries [&...

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 […]

The Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute (LKI) hosted a panel discussion ‘Sri Lanka as a Destination: From Antiquity to Modernity’ as part of its outreach activities to promote ‘Cultural Diplomacy’ in Koggala on Saturday (13 January 2024). Held with the Indian Ocean as the backdrop at the Long Beach Hotel, Koggala, this interactive discussion was organized as […]

By Saman Indrajith Forty-eight-year-old Batticaloa District MP Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, popularly known as Pillayan, has been shaping the Eastern Province’s political narrative since he was a teenager. He was just 16-years old when he joined the LTTE in 1990 as a child soldier. Since then, he continued to rise in the ranks of the LTTE until […]

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