Monday 5th February, 2024 Another ‘Independence Day’ has come and gone. Hours of pomp and circumstance complete with thunderous cannon fire were over and the sobering reality was dawning on Sri Lankans as this comment was written yesterday. Independence Day celebrations are replete with irony; beaming from ear to ear and singing the national anthem […]

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena says Sri Lanka is celebrating Independence Day at a time when the country is slowly returning to the right path of progress after facing an unprecedented economic crisis.

By Rathindra Kuruwita The health sector strike launched by 72 trade unions was suspended yesterday until 07 February, according to President of the Joint Council of Professions Supplementary to Medicine, Ravi Kumudesh. All health services will return to normal from 6.30am today (03).Kumudesh said the President had agreed to arrange for a meeting between the […]

By Shamindra Ferdinando Leader of Eksath Janaraja Peramuna (EJP) Patali Champika Ranawaka, MP, has warned the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government of catastrophic consequences if police are unleashed on protesting political parties. Ranawaka, elected on the SJB ticket, emphasised the responsibility on the part of UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the armed force...

Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS), Kandy Branch, recently inaugurated the first computer lab and Information Technology (IT) training centre with the generous support from UK-based Dr. Suresh Lopez, an IT professional, and in partnership with the Skill Development and Training International Institute (STDI). The inauguration session was held at the Kandy District Branch office […]

by Shamindra Ferdinando Some declarations made by various parliamentary committees about public finance often didn’t represent the actual situation, says State Finance Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya. Siyambalapitiya said so when The Island sought his response to criticism against the Finance Ministry and three revenue collection authorities namely the Inland Revenue, Customs and Excise departmen...

Secretary to the Treasury and Finance Ministry Mahinda Siriwardana has said that even if Sri Lanka achieves the goal of zero corruption, tax revenue will still have to be increased to bridge the budget deficit and lessen the country’s debt burden. Referring to the Supreme Court ruling pertaining to economic management delivered on Nov 14, […]

Over 300 oil and gas cargo vessels have visited the Hambantota international Port (HIP) in 2023, recording a 132 percent increase in vessel calls compared to 2022, Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG) said in a press release on Wednesday (31). A key reason for this is the port’s bunkering partner Sinopec actively operating in the […]

Thursday 1st February, 2024 Dr. Laksiri Fernando has, in his column published on the opposite page today, reminded us that the Voters’ Day of Sri Lanka falls on 01 Feb. The Election Commission (EC) conducts special programmes on this day to educate voters on matters such as the basic qualifications required for registration, and the […]

Commenting on the recent aid extended by India to Sri Lanka at a crucial juncture during the country s most severe and unprecedented economic crisis, India s Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar has urged for all Indians to visit Sri Lanka, emphasising the strong ties

Wednesday 31st January, 2024 Sri Lanka is going through difficult times, which are interesting nonetheless. In a dramatic turn of events replete with irony, a political crisis that Maithripala Sirisena and Mahinda Rajapaksa created more than half a decade ago, has received media attention

by Sanath Nanayakkare Beyond Wealth, a leading company which provides professional investment advisory services (PIAS) in Sri Lanka, recently celebrated its twentieth anniversary while entering into a strategic tie-up with TIW Capital Group, a multi-asset, multi-geography global asset management company headquartered in Singapore. For two decades, TIW Capital Group (TCG) has been amassing tech exp...

By Hiran H.Senewiratne A top local hotel chain owner who faced an enormous financial crisis during the Covid 19 lock down period and left Sri Lanka to find funds to maintain his local hotels, has ended up in Australia where he has acquired a restaurant next to the Brisbane Cricket Grounds (Gabba

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Partnership for Accelerating Results in Trade, National Expenditure, and Revenue (PARTNER) activity, with the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC), have completed an on-the-job coaching programme for 50 Development Officers (DOs) attached to the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (SLEDB), said a release from the CCC. At an […]

By Lynn Ockersz Immense learning loss among the young, the likelihood of increasing school dropouts, the interruption of the school feeding programme and rising mental stress and confusion among children are just a few among the multiple ills that result from prolonged school closures in Sri Lanka, the Gamani Corea Foundation’s (GCF) 13th discussion session […]

Sri Lanka s Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva has stated that the recent increase in the number of ship arrivals at the Colombo Port is likely due to the Red Sea crisis.