Daily FT

Daily FT•19h ago•8 sources

Sri Lanka's economic growth eased to 4.2% in the second quarter of 2026, slowing from the 5.1% expansion recorded in the first quarter, the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) said in its National Accounts Estimates for the production approach, base year 2015. This is the lowest quarterly growth rate since 2024. Real GDP at constant (2015) prices rose to Rs. 3,029,816 million in 2Q 2026, up from Rs. 2,908,570 million in the corresponding

Daily FT•1d ago

Advocates compliance-led revenue growth, digital transformation, taxpayer fairness and more competitive business environment

Daily FT•2d ago

The Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) last week accused Sri Lanka Customs of running an organised extortion racket against importers, warning that unchecked harassment by officials was driving micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) out of the import trade and threatening jobs, incomes, and tax revenue.

Daily FT•4d ago

The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) is set to launch a long-awaited logistics hub within the next two to three months, incorporating free-zone and bonded warehousing facilities and opening a new avenue for foreign direct investment, SLPA Chairman Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake said.

Daily FT•5d ago

Brandix Lanka CEO Ashroff Omar called for a system of Customs pre-clearance directly from manufacturing plants to eliminate waiting time in the supply chain, warning that Sri Lanka's current tariff advantage over regional competitors is not guaranteed to last and that infrastructure, logistics costs, and efficiency remain the areas within the country's control.

Daily FT•6d ago

Sri Lanka yesterday invited investors, businesses, and institutions within the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to explore the opportunity that Sri Lanka offers.

Daily FT•Sep 9, 2026

The country's legal profession filed only two Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) with the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) between 2020 and 2026, Central Bank of Sri Lanka Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe said yesterday. Speaking at a symposium where regulators pressed the profession to lift its compliance standards and the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) conceded the shortfall and pledged reform.

Daily FT•Sep 8, 2026

Sri Lanka's macroeconomic foundations are stronger than they have been in years, though the recovery remains incomplete and structural reforms must be deepened rather than merely maintained, Capital

Daily FT•Sep 7, 2026•7 sources

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) was a net buyer of a record $ 579 million worth of foreign currency from the domestic market in August, the highest single-month purchase since January 2025, as an increasingly stable rupee allowed the monetary authority to accumulate reserves rather than run them down to defend the currency.

Daily FT•Sep 5, 2026•17 sources

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) National Organiser and MP Namal Rajapaksa was yesterday arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) over allegations that he received Rs. 100 million in bribes linked to an aircraft procurement deal involving SriLankan Airlines.

Daily FT•Sep 4, 2026•8 sources

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday said that his Government would not hesitate to introduce Constitutional amendments it considers necessary to combat drug trafficking and crime and build a more peaceful country.

Daily FT•Sep 3, 2026

By Charumini de Silva The World Bank is supporting to transform Colombo into a destination in its own right and attract higher-spending visitors who currently spend only a fraction of their trip in the capital. World Bank Lead Private Sector Specialist - South Asia Region, Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation Global Practice Natasha Kapil said the Bank's analysis had identified a significant untapped opportunity in Colombo, despite the city

Daily FT•Sep 2, 2026•27 sources

The Supreme Court yesterday rejected a request for petitions challenging the proposed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution to be heard before a full bench, with the record 67 challenges set to proceed before the existing five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena. The request was made by President's Counsel M.A. Sumanthiran on behalf of a petitioner when the cases were taken up before the five-judge bench. Several other Pre

Daily FT•Sep 1, 2026•4 sources

Sri Lanka is preparing to fundamentally reshape its tourism model, shifting the focus from simply increasing visitor numbers towards extracting greater economic value from each tourist, retaining more

Daily FT•Aug 31, 2026

Sri Lanka's tourism recovery has lost momentum, with year-to-date (YTD) arrivals falling nearly 2% year-on-year (YoY) despite crossing the 1.5 million milestone, putting renewed pressure on the upwardly revised target of 2.7 million visitors for the year. According to the latest arrival data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), the country welcomed over 1.51 million visitors as of 27 August, compared to 1.54 million during t

Daily FT•Aug 26, 2026•5 sources

By Devan DanielFrontier Energy Network will take Sri Lanka's newly launched oil and gas licensing round to the international upstream market through a targeted campaign aimed at connecting the country with global operators and investors capable of evaluating and investing in the four offshore blocks on offer.UK-based Frontier Energy Network Founder and CEO Gayle Meikle, speaking virtually yesterday at the launch of the 'Sri Lanka Licensing Ro

Daily FT•Aug 25, 2026

Sri Lanka is facing a fresh export competitiveness challenge in the European Union (EU) as the recently concluded EU-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is expected to give Indian products significant tariff

Daily FT•Aug 24, 2026

The new anti-money laundering (AML) regime widens potential criminal liability for bank managers and other financial-sector employees who knowingly handle or facilitate transactions involving illicit funds, Supreme Court Justice A.H.M.D. Nawaz said.

Daily FT•Aug 22, 2026

THE New Democratic Front (NDF) MP and former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake yesterday said that the National People's Power (NPP) Government is set to face next month's IMF evaluation trapped in a risky paradox as the country's macroeconomic survival has been bought at the price of its people's standard of living.

Daily FT•Aug 21, 2026

The Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) has exposed a series of unresolved technical and implementation roadblocks in the Inland Revenue Department's (IRD) planned digital point-of-sale (POS) and real-time Value Added Tax (VAT) invoicing system, with officials acknowledging that full onboarding is expected to take two years despite the Government's push to accelerate tax digitalisation. The scrutiny revealed that key elements required for an isl