By Sanjeewa Jayaweera The headline on page one of the Sunday Island of 07 January 2024 read, “CBSL Governor urges public to become informants to boost tax revenue.” The article was based on an interview with Governor Nandala Weerasinghe (NW) hosted by the President’s Media Centre. NW is quoted to have said, “If the public […]

During a meeting between President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lankan authorities and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday (11), the IMF congratulated the country on completing the first review under its program. The IMF highlighted the positive start of the program, recognizing the challenging reforms undertaken by Sri Lanka and their significant impact on the […]

The Asia Internet Coalition (AIC), on 08 January, has written to Minister of Public Security of Sri Lanka, Tiran Alles to express the concern and advocate for extensive revisions and overhaul of the Draft Online Safety Bill (OSB) currently under consideration. AIC hassaid while they appreciate the efforts made thus far with the industry, a […]

Ahead of Sri Lanka s Presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled this year, Eastern Province Governor Senthil Thondaman affirmed support for sitting President Ranil Wickremesinghe and backed him to be re-elected, saying that he stabilised the country and lifted the economy from dire straits.

The World Bank forecasts the Sri Lankan economy to grow by 1.7 percent in 2024 and by 2.4 percent in 2025, according to its report on global economic prospects made available to the local press on Wednesday.

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 […]

Monday 8th January, 2024 The dawn of 2024 has marked the beginning of the season of defections. Politicians, including those who are so horizontally-gifted that they can hardly stand erect, are amply demonstrating their acrobatic skills. They remind us of Tom Stoppard’s play, Jumpers, which is a satirical exploration of complexities of human thought and […]

By DEVENDRA SAKSENA Currently, the words ‘debt trap’ have a distinctly Chinese connotation. According to the Western press, the Chinese, as part of their geostrategy, have inveigled poor nations into borrowing huge amounts from them for fanciful infrastructural projects; almost all borrower countries are in dire economic straits, because most such projects are lying incomplete, […]

Opposition and Samagi Jana Balwegaya leader Sajith Premadasa has said he was surprised by President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s declaration that Sri Lanka would send a warship to the Red Sea to deter Houthi attacks on commercial ships. Premadasa said that the President’s claim that a warship would be deployed because Houthi attacks caused an increase in the prices of […]

ECONOMYNEXT –Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe urged the public to become informants to broaden the tax net and thus reduce both overall direct and indirect taxes. The government has raised Value Added Tax (VAT), an indirect tax to 18 percent from 15 percent with effect from January 1. The move also will see some VAT […]

A pivotal meeting was held between Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Japan E. Rodney M. Perera and Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki at the Ministry of Finance in Tokyo, ahead of the latter’s forthcoming official visit to Sri Lanka next week. This formal meeting was pursuant to a brief exchange between Ambassador Perera and Finance Minister Suzuki […]

At a dinner gathering with professionals in Jaffna on Thursday (04), President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that provinces should utilize the powers granted by the 13th Amendment for economic development, asserting that devolution should not merely be a political concept but an economic reality. “If we examine the provisions of the 13th Amendment, there is ample […]

by Neville Ladduwahetty What Sri Lanka has achieved since it declared itself insolvent is hailed by some with much optimism. The “relative stability” currently experienced is presented by the Governor of the Central Bank “as the outcome of a united effort from the outset” (The Island, December 26, 2023). The focus of that collaborative effort […]

Friday 5th January, 2024 The UNP is in overdrive to shore up what remains of its image with an eye to the next election. It is bragging that the country has posted a primary surplus after a lapse of more than two decades. It insists that credit for this be given to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, […]