A resilient entrepreneurship strategy
A high-level discussion titled “Sri Lanka: Strategies for Resilient Entrepreneurship” hosted by Dilmah with the engagement of the London School of Economics (LSE) and the Colombo-based Centre for a Smart Future was held in Colombo on Monday. Picture shows the panel discussion (from left) – Prof. David Lewis, Dr. Luke Heslop, Anushka Wijesinha, Dr. Dushni [...]
Govt. ends senior citizens special 3 % interest scheme
Sri Lanka’s senior citizen interest scheme’s landscape has shifted from direct government-funded high-interest subsidies toward a model of targeted social welfare and the settlement of past financial obligations. The specialised 3 per cent extra interest scheme for senior citizens, which was one of the cornerstones of the 2025 Budget, has closed its enrollment period on [...]
Govt. accelerates rebuilding Sri Lanka infrastructure drive
The government has accelerated the structured disbursement of reconstruction capital and oversight of large-scale infrastructure projects making use of the money raised by the “Rebuilding Sri Lanka” Fund on the directions and the supervision of the 7-member Management Committee The committee operates as a statutory body under the Presidential Secretariat. It is a collaborative group [...]
Apparel 2026 fears slowdown in US, Europe
Fear of a weakening demand sentiment for garments in some of Sri Lanka’s key markets like the US, UK and the EU has caused serious concern in the face of global competition. Industry experts point out that this year the industry fears there will be much weaker demand than last year due to a weaker [...]
ACL charting new territories
Electric cable manufacturer ACL Cables PLC is big on export diversification and is scouting for new markets while setting sights on new product development, according to an official. “We are exporting to different markets, but we want to increase the number of export markets going forward. We are discussing with our partners in this regard [...]
Lopsided decisions on energy
The topic was energy and the government’s painstaking efforts to combat allegations of fraud or official bungling in recent coal purchases to run the Norochcholai coal power plant. Was it a scam? Did the government at ministerial-level make the wrong decision? Was it official bungling? Or was it a simple case of the supplier sending [...]
Cost of a free lunch
Last week, on the invitation of the Welfare Benefit Board, I attended a workshop at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute and delivered a guest lecture. The topic was unusual and rarely discussed: the current challenges of Sri Lanka’s welfare state. It struck me that we seldom hear about the challenges of maintaining a welfare state. [...]
People’s Bank achieves massive Rs. 40.2 bn profit
People’s Bank has announced its strongest financial performance in its history for 2025, reporting an all-time high standalone Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs. 40.2 billion. This landmark achievement underscores the bank’s exceptional stability and its pivotal role as a driver of national economic activity. Despite the external challenges posed by Cyclone Ditwah during the [...]
An AI-Powered Platform set to redefine recruitment
HiAcuity, in partnership with Radicle Solutions (Pvt) Ltd., recently announced the launch of HierTalent, an all-new AI-powered recruitment platform. The platform is designed to help businesses overcome the time-consuming and costly challenges faced when searching for the right talent when it is needed most. The HierTalent platform was created to address these issues and help [...]
HNB Assurance Delivers Industry Leading 42% Revenue (GWP) Growth and 28% Rise in Profits (PAT)
HNB Assurance PLC reported an outstanding financial performance for the year ended 31st December 2025, delivering a 42% year-on-year growth in Life Insurance Gross Written Premium (GWP), this along with the growth rate in Renewals are the highest in the industry. Life GWP reached Rs. 19.49 Bn compared to Rs. 13.71 Bn in 2024, reflecting [...]
Global trucker “Dongfeng” enters Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s commercial automotive landscape recently welcomed a powerful new contender with the official launch of Dongfeng Trucks. Introduced through a strategic partnership between Euro Motors, a subsidiary of Euro Holdings, and Dongfeng Motor Corporation, the launch marks a significant step in the expansion of value-driven, high-performance transport solutions for businesses across the island. Available [...]
Negative trends for garment exports so far in 2026
While Sri Lanka’s export sector began 2026 on a strong momentum, recording a robust year-on-year growth of 13.71 per cent, there have been negative trends for garment exports largely due to a global contraction in orders, according to the latest statement from the Export Development Board (EDB). Export earnings from Apparel & Textiles decreased by [...]
Hayleys Solar installs six units for Pussalla Meat Producers
Hayleys Solar has completed a 4,036 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) installation for Pussalla Meat Producers (Pvt) Ltd across six farm locations, supporting the company’s transition to renewable energy and advancing sustainability within Sri Lanka’s poultry sector. Pussalla Meat Producers (Pvt) Ltd is a leading poultry producer in Sri Lanka, operating across the entire value chain, [...]
Two local banks to merge with state banks – Fitch
Fitch Ratings said this week that it believes the Central Bank’s (CB) reintroduction of a consolidation framework for the banking sector is broadly positive for sector credit profiles. Consolidation should strengthen franchises, create better-capitalised banks and support compliance with tightening single-borrower limits, particularly as higher post-merger capital can enable banks to take larger exposures within [...]
Customs digital reform to fast-track FTZ Imports and Exports
Sri Lanka Customs is accelerating its digital transformation to streamline trade and reduce corruption following the government’s policy directive of centralising revenue control averting possible revenue leakage. The new digital transformation will enable the department to handle the import and export and clearance functions currently managed by the Board of Investment (BOI), a senior official [...]
LankaPay’s Awards honours Payment Technology Innovation
LankaPay, Sri Lanka’s National Payment Network, announced the 8th edition of the LankaPay Technnovation Awards, recognised as the first and only awards competition in Sri Lanka dedicated to payment technology innovation, setting a national benchmark for excellence in digital payments. The theme for this year’s awards is “Inclusive FinTech,” which aims to honour financial institutions, [...]
NDB reports all-time high earnings last year
National Development Bank’s profit after tax in 2025 reached an all-time high of Rs.11 billion (2024: Rs. 9 billion), the bank said in a statement this week adding that the latest results saw strong growth across all business lines with Net Banking Revenue increasing by a 45.2 per cent on a comparable basis. Like most [...]
HNB advances growth, strengthens balance sheet in 2025
The HNB Banking Group delivered a strong performance in 2025, with Group Profit After Tax (PAT) reaching Rs. 49.8 billion, reflecting the continued progress. The bank’s PAT stood at Rs 45.4 billion, supported by robust balance sheet expansion and sustained improvements in asset quality, it said in a media release. Commenting on the performance, Nihal [...]
ComBank appoints Hasrath Munasinghe as Executive Director/COO
The Commercial Bank has announced the appointment of Hasrath Munasinghe as Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer of the Bank with effect from April 27. He succeeds S. Prabagar, who retires after serving in the position for four years, and completing a distinguished career of more than 30 years with Commercial Bank, the bank said in a [...]
NTB reports strong FY2025 with PAT of Rs. 19.3 bn
Nations Trust Bank PLC (NTB) has reported a strong end to the financial year, reporting robust financial results for the 12 months ending December 2025, with a Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs. 19.3 billion, up by 15 per cent from 2024. The bank’s performance was driven by healthy asset growth, resilient Net Interest Margins [...]
DFCC Bank profits rise in 2025
DFCC Bank in 2025 reported a Profit Before Tax (PBT) of Rs. 15,582 million and a Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs. 11,060 million, representing a 32 per cent increase over the previous year’s PAT of Rs. 8,353 million. Including the gain arising from the disposal of its stake in Acuity Partners (Pvt) Ltd, subsequently [...]
Phoenix Ogilvy dominates Sri Lanka’s creative rankings
Phoenix Ogilvy has been named 2025 Sri Lanka Agency of the Year after topping The Campaign Brief Asia’s Creative Rankings as the most internationally awarded agency in the country. The agency’s ranking also marks Sri Lanka’s return to the list in 2025, following the country’s absence from it the previous year, the agency said in [...]
Seylan Bank records post-tax profit of Rs. 12.1 bn in 2025
Seylan Bank has recorded a Profit Before Tax (PBT) of Rs. 19.6 billion in 2025, up by 22.3 per cent from Rs. 16 billion reported in the previous financial year. For the year under review, Profit After Tax (PAT) stood at Rs. 12.1 billion, a 20.5 per cent growth over the corresponding year of 2024. [...]
SLIM Effie Awards on March 3
Sri Lanka’s marketing and advertising fraternity will gather for an evening of prestige, recognition, and global distinction as the SLIM Effie Awards 2025 takes centre-stage on March 3 at Monarch Imperial, Thalawathugoda. The highly anticipated Grand Finale will celebrate the country’s most effective marketing campaigns, recognising ideas that have not only inspired audiences but delivered [...]
SL: Golden years in golden beaches, making investment waves
Sri Lanka can be marketed as a retirement destination, as it is ranked as one of the most affordable retirement destinations in the world, according to a top realtor. “Sri Lanka is identified as the most affordable retirement destination for 2026, providing low living costs, affordable healthcare, and easy visa processes. Retirees can live comfortably [...]
Colombo bourse’s wealth effect from stocks to homes
Given how the Colombo Bourse indices have performed over the past two years, some investors may have made at least three times what they initially put in, creating substantial wealth which has translated into apartment sales, an industry official said. Aspirational assets such as apartments are a great way to lock in tax-free profits, such [...]
Securing Sri Lanka’s seabed sovereignty
The government is compelled to enter the “blue economy” race for deep-sea minerals and the intensifying geopolitical competition over seabed resources in the Indian Ocean as it is of strategic importance, several maritime experts and hydrographers emphasised. Sri Lanka has to transform its maritime potential into tangible economic and strategic advantages, shaping the Indian Ocean’s [...]
The economics of the Supreme Court’s US Tariff Ruling
NEW HAVEN – The US Supreme Court did the right thing by ruling that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA) “does not authorise the President to impose tariffs.” Half of the Court’s conservative majority has, at long last, stood up to US President Donald Trump’s brazen overreach of executive power. The Court, [...]
Several accolades by world’s largest tea manufacturer
Browns Plantations, the Sri Lankan-based world’s largest manufacturer of tea, secured 13 accolades across sustainability, operational excellence and leadership in 2025, marking one of the most decorated years in its corporate journey. Conferred by both locally and globally renowned institutions, these honours collectively emphasise Browns Plantations’ position as a responsible, future-focused and sustainability-driven enterprise within [...]
SLIIT Team wins ‘Business Plan’ competition in South Korea
The Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) has achieved a historic international milestone as a team of undergraduate students from the SLIIT Business School secured the World Championship at the International Business Plan Competition (IBPC) 2025, hosted by SolBridge International School of Business of Woosong University in Daejeon, South Korea. The achievement marks a [...]
Prime Lands to develop “The Elizabeth” at Otters Club 1-acre car park
Prime Lands Residencies PLC has secured the 1-acre Otters Club Car Park property in Colombo 7 through a recently concluded agreement with the Urban Development Authority (UDA). The property will be developed into ‘The Elizabeth’, a landmark residential tower envisioned to redefine contemporary living in Colombo 7, the company said in an announcement this week. [...]
State units ponder automating solutions
Two state institutions are discussing with a global fintech leader providing digital payment, banking, and commerce solutions to automate critical services, according to an official. The Information and Communication Technology Agency and the Ministry of Transport are in discussions with BPC Banking Technologies Asia Pacific Pvt Ltd to automate some of their services, Subash Chandra [...]
Hayleys Fentons wins at NCE Export Awards 2025
Hayleys Fentons Ltd secured the Gold Award in the Electronic & Electrical Products Sector (Medium Category) at the recent National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka Export Awards 2025. The company said in a statement that this achievement was driven primarily by the export performance of Hayleys Solar, the renewable energy arm of Hayleys Fentons [...]
Sri Lanka is Emirates’ next destination for skilled technicians
Emirates, the world’s largest international and most profitable airline, is continuing its global search for top-tier aircraft technical talent, with Sri Lanka confirmed as its next destination. The airline will host information sessions in Colombo on 10 March 2026 for skilled and aspiring Workshop Technicians interested in joining its engineering workforce based at its hub [...]
Outdated quarantine laws stifle SL agriculture growth
Archaic quarantine laws are deterring the Sri Lankan agricultural sector from achieving its full potential. The South American Leaf Blight (SALB), caused by the fungus Microcyclus ulei, is a highly destructive quarantine disease of rubber trees confined to the Americas. It posed a significant threat to Sri Lanka’s rubber industry in the 1950s, as local [...]
IMF’s Dr. Woldemichael advocates for sustained reform momentum
The Investor Forum 2026 organised by Softlogic Stockbrokers (Pvt) Ltd, brought together assembled industry leaders, financial experts, and investors to discuss Sri Lanka’s economic outlook and equity market prospects. Dihan Dedigama, Director/CEO of Softlogic Stockbrokers, opened the event, setting the tone for discerning discussions. Dr. Martha T. Woldemichael, the keynote speaker and IMF Resident Representative [...]
Safeguarding the Digital Future
In an era where data is the new oil, the balance between innovation and regulation has become critical. Sri Lanka’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), enacted in 2022 and amended in 2025 (Act No. 22 of 2025), marks a pivotal step in protecting individuals’ privacy while enabling responsible digital transformation. As organisations increasingly rely on [...]
NCE forum on social media platforms
The National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka (NCE), is organising a forum titled: “Business Conversion & Global Reach through Social Media Platforms” on March 10 at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo. The chamber has extended an invitation to exporters, CEOs, directors, senior management and marketing strategising team members, to participate in this event, it [...]
First Capital wins big at TAGS Awards 2025
First Capital Holdings PLC marked a significant achievement at the CA Sri Lanka 60th Anniversary TAGS Awards 2025 (Transparency, Accountability, Governance and Sustainability), securing multiple accolades, including the Gold Award in the Investment Banking category. At the 2025 awards, First Capital Holdings PLC won Gold in the Investment Banking sector. First Capital Treasuries PLC secured [...]
Reimagining the future of access to justice in Sri Lanka
Marking a significant step forward in strengthening access to justice and reimagining legal aid delivery in Sri Lanka, the Legal Aid Dialogue 2026 took place in Colombo, Sri Lanka over two days on February 20 and 21. The Dialogue, convened by the Legal Aid Commission together with the ‘Support to Justice Sector Project (JURE)’, funded [...]
Janashakthi Life wins Gold at TAGS Awards
Janashakthi Life secured the Gold Award in the Insurance category among companies recording a Gross Written Premium of up to Rs. 10 billion at the recently concluded TAGS Awards 2025. The company, in a media release, said it also received recognition for excellence in Financial Services Corporate Governance Disclosure, reflecting its high standards in regulatory [...]
Scale Up marks 10 years, launches Gapstars Group
Scale Up 2026 has marked 10 years of Gapstars building high-performance embedded teams from Sri Lanka and introduced a new chapter with the formal launch of Gapstars Group. Held from February 2-6, the week brought together more than 50 international partners representing leading European technology and finance organisations. For many, it was not their first [...]