Dec 24 (AD) Cabinet has granted approval to extend the authorization of rice imports by the private sector until January 10, 2025. This was communicated by Minister Nalinda Jayatissa. However, Minister noted that it has been observed the rice shortage in local markets will last until the end of Jan 2025. Accordingly, the proposal made by the Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development to extend the period of permission granted to private sector importers to import more..

Dec 24 (AD) The Ministry of Finance, Planning & Economic Development has issued a circular concerning the payment of bonuses to employees of State Corporations, Statutory Boards, and State-Owned Enterprises for the year 2024. The circular, which was issued yesterday by Secretary to the Treasury Mahinda Siriwardena, has been directed to all Ministry Secretaries and Chairpersons of the related institutions. The circular outlines the proposed bonus payments for this year. more..

Dec 24 (Kyodo) An organization in Sri Lanka posing as an IT company is recruiting locals who speak Japanese to target Japanese nationals with investment scams, a local who briefly worked there has told Kyodo News. While the extent of the damage caused by the phone scammers is unknown, the former worker said in an interview last month that he heard that some victims had transferred as much as 30 million yen more..

Dec 24 (AD) Veteran Sri Lankan singer Priya Suriyasena has passed away at the age of 80. He has been receiving treatment at the Colombo National Hospital at the time of the passing, family sources said. Sarathchandra Priyadarshi Suriyasena Liyanage, popularly known as Priya Suriyasena first emerged as a talented local singer with the guidance of his father, who was a poet, and then rose to fame overnight when his first four songs were broadcast at the SLBC in the 1970’s. more..

Dec 24 (DM) The govt has taken steps to regulate private hospitals as people have faced serious issues when seeking treatment from private hospitals, Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said. He said that the govt has initiated discussions with relevant parties such as owners of the private hospitals. Responding to a question, the Minister said some gazette notifications had been issued on regulation of private hospitals and that some of them had not been implemented properly. more..

Dec 24 (AD) Cabinet has approved the signing of a MoU aimed at strengthening socio-economic development and enhancing bilateral cooperation between India and SL. This initiative, presented to the Cabinet by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, will allocate Rs. 2,371 million for various development projects in the Eastern Province. Accordingly, the focused areas of these projects include education, health, more..

Dec 24 (DM) In response to remarks by NPP MP Nilanthi Kottahachchi, who claimed that people have the right to convince others that something true is false, or something false is true, as it is a democratic right, Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe said that it is wrong to encourage society to accept lies as truth. Samarasinghe said he believes that Kottahachchi may not have expressed herself as intended and likely meant to convey that the govt would not obstruct people’s democratic rights. more..

Dec 24 (DM) The govt is committed to combating the underworld and drug trafficking, but not by staging frequent operations for show, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. He said that the govt has already initiated steps to suppress the underworld, and the results will be visible in the future. “All security forces are working systematically to curb the underworld and drug trafficking. Preliminary steps have already been taken to implement the programme,” he said. more..

Dec 24 (DM) The circular issued by the Western Province Education Zonal Ministry prohibiting private tutoring classes for students by school teachers, along with the letter issued by the Education Ministry regarding modulators, has been withdrawn, MP Mahinda Jayasinghe said. Addressing the media, he said that the cancellation of the circular and the modulator letter was necessary as certain officials seemed intent on deliberately creating inconvenience for the govt. more..

Dec 24 (FT) Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and the Securities and Exchange Commission of SL (SEC), in association with the stockbroker industry, will host the Invest Sri Lanka Capital Market Investor Forum on 27 and 28 March 2025 at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo. It is aimed at promoting investment in the SL capital market among institutional investors and fund managers based both locally and internationally. This flagship forum will bring together key stakeholders more..

Dec 24 (DM) The govt will conduct fresh probes into the scams involved in the import of a stock of biofertilizer from China and in the introduction of organic farming during the time of former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Sri Lanka purchased a shipment of organic fertilizer from China’s Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Ltd in 2021 in the midst of a crisis in the agriculture sector triggered by the ban imposed by the Gotabaya Rajapaksa govt more..

Dec 24 (CT) A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the construction of a Doppler Weather Radar Network in Puttalam yesterday (23). The project is estimated to cost around Rs 3.4 billion and is funded by the Japanese Government. Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Japan, Kamoshida Naoaki, attended the event. Under this project, the Radar Observation Stations in Puttalam and Pottuvil, the National Meteorological Station, and the Dept of Meteorology’s Aviation Meteorological more..

Dec 24 (AD) The Cabinet has granted approval to provide Rs. 100,000 per hectare as compensation to paddy, corn, potato, big onion, soybean, and chili farmers whose cultivation was damaged by recent floods. Announcing this week’s Cabinet decisions, Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa pointed out that due to the adverse weather conditions that prevailed in the past few days across the island, houses, highways, paddy fields and cultivated lands in many districts were flooded, and more..

Dec 24 (DN) The new Constitution declares the right to healthcare as a fundamental human right, enabling individuals to seek legal recourse in case of its violation, Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said. He made these remarks at the annual social service event organised by the All Ceylon Kidney Patients Association recently at the Mahaweli Centre. In his address, Dr. Jayatissa emphasised the need for structural reforms more..

Dec 24 (DN) SLPP has appointed Hambantota district MP D.V. Chanaka as the new National Convener of the party. This had been decided at the Politburo Committee meeting of the SLPP held on Friday in Colombo, under the patronage of party leader former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa. Namal Rajapaksa MP said several key decisions were made to revamp and strengthen the party and new chairpersons were appointed to lead various committees as part of a broader effort to more..

Dec 24 (FT) From supply chain bottlenecks and environmental regulations to overcapacity, the shipping sector is grappling with unprecedented challenges, forcing companies to rethink strategies and adapt to the uncertain, transformative future, some industry leaders shared recently. This discussion took place at the seventh edition of the Colombo International Maritime and Logistics Conference (CIMC) held on a rotational basis in South Asia among maritime nations. more..

Dec 24 (FT) The ongoing crisis in Sri Lanka has greatly affected household debt. As the economy worsened due to inflation, higher living costs and job losses, more households are relying on debt. A significant portion of Sri Lankan households rely on microfinance companies or informal lenders and are trapped in cycles of debt. The situation mirrors what northern and eastern part of the country faced 10 years ago, which led many women to commit suicide or leave their homes. more..

Dec 24 (FT) Sri Lanka’s emergence from default status is positive news. This means we can gradually start borrowing once again from ISB bondholders when most external debt payments come due in 2028. Many Sri Lankans may inquire why we should borrow from bondholders again and if this is detrimental. Allow me to explain as simply as possible. It would be ideal if we never had to borrow from international capital markets. However, Sri Lanka does not have a choice at present. more..

Dec 24 (Island) Speculation is rife that the NPP govt is planning to do away with the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) at the end of this year. Having examined the overall post-war security requirements, the new govt has asserted that it could do away with the Office of the CDS, sources said, adding that the move was in line with overall thinking of the ruling party. SL brought the war to a successful conclusion in May 2009 more..

Dec 24 (TM) The CID said that it is continuing to investigate the documents and statements recorded by Parliamentary staff regarding the ongoing probe into the alleged entry of false educational qualifications of MPs into the Legislature's database. The CID launched the investigation last week following a complaint by Minister Harshana Nanayakkara, who called for an inquiry into the erroneous inclusion of his educational qualifications in the Parliament database. more..

Dec 24 (FT) The Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) Association has announced the establishment of 200 cigarette-free zones across Sri Lanka as part of its broader initiative to promote a smoke-free society. Public Health Inspector Sandun Ratnayake revealed that these zones prohibit the sale and smoking of cigarettes entirely. He said notices have been placed in these areas to inform and educate the public, fostering greater awareness about the harmful effects of smoking. more..

Dec 24 (EN) Facing a risk of falling into the grey list for a third time, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake and officials including from the Central Bank discussed measures to be implemented to prevent falling into the grey list which could dent SL’s economic recovery from sovereign debt default. The country is obliged to fulfil a raft of measures including passing new laws to comply with preventing money laundering and more..

Dec 24 (DN) The CSE announces changes to the S&P Sri Lanka 20 index constituents as part of the 2024 Year-End Rebalance, conducted by S&P Dow Jones Indices. The exclusions and inclusions, as announced by S&P Dow Jones Indices, will take effect from December 23, 2024, following the market close on Dec 20, 2024. The S&P SL 20 index includes the 20 largest companies, by total market capitalization, listed on the CSE that meet minimum size, liquidity and financial viability thresholds. more..

Dec 24 (FT) The SJB MP Nalin Bandara has criticised the Govt for its inefficiency in addressing the ongoing rice shortages and escalating prices in the market. Bandara accused the Govt of failing to take the necessary steps to control the market effectively. “Despite the Govt’s intervention to regulate rice prices, it has failed to bring them under control. Rice prices have surged to Rs. 260 to Rs. 270, and there is a significant shortage of raw rice in the market,” he said. more..

Dec 24 (ST) A request by the Attorney General to hear the petition filed by the Captain of stricken container vessel MV X-Press Pearl and the directors of the ship’s local agent before a full bench has been rejected by the Supreme Court. Petitioners had petitioned the Supreme Court requesting an order dismissing the case filed against them in Colombo High Court. DSG Madhawa Tennakoon requested the SC through a motion on behalf of the AG to hear the case before a full bench. more..

Dec 24 (NW) The Panadura Magistrate’s Court has issued a warrant for the arrest of Salindu Malshika Gunaratne, commonly known as Kudu Salindu, after he failed to comply with court-imposed bail conditions. Gunaratne, who was previously released on bail, was required to report to the CID every Sunday. However, authorities reported that he did not appear before the CID yesterday. The CID presented the matter to the Panadura Magistrate’s Court earlier today (23). more..

Dec 24 (FT) The value of SL’s export of goods and services crossed the $ 14 billion mark in the first 11 months of this year, reflecting an over 6% year-on-year (YoY) growth. The SL Export Development Board (EDB) revealed that total merchandise exports in the first 11 months were up 6.44% YoY to over $ 11.61 billion, while estimated total service earnings in the period increased by 7.39% YoY to $ 3.17 billion. more..

Dec 24 (FT) The United States through the USAID yesterday announced the successful completion of the first certificate program in migration law and policy in Sri Lanka by 69 professionals who now have the tools and knowledge to take the fight against human trafficking back to their communities. The six-month course was a joint effort between USAID’s “Empowering Civil Society to Combat Human Trafficking” project (ECCT) and the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL). more..

Dec 24 (FT) Sri Lanka has been recently elected to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) by the United Nations General Assembly for a six-year term. The UNCITRAL is the main legal body in the field of international trade and promotes harmonisation of trade and investment laws and other legislation such as arbitration. “This is a significant development for the country in its quest to expand international trade, investments, and exports and more..

Dec 24 (Island) Army boxers produced a dominant performance winning nine gold medals in the men’s competition to emerge champions at the BASL Clifford Cup Boxing Championship at Sahas Uyana, Kandy on Sunday. They also won two silver and two bronze medals winning a total of 13 medals. This major year-end tournament was succesfully organised by the Boxing Association of SL (BASL) along with the Youth Championship amidst much pomp and pageantry for the first time in more..

Dec 24 (ST) For 21-year-old Umayanga Mihiran, boxing is more than a sport—it’s a life changing journey filled with sacrifices, dreams, and intentness. After securing two wins in the Olympic qualifiers, earning the title of Asian, Penang, and National champion, Mihiran returned home to SL on Friday to a hero’s welcome. His achievements have carved a lasting place in the nation’s boxing history. Last Sunday, Mihiran made history by clinching a bronze medal in the Men’s Flyweight (51kg) category more..