Everything Daily FT has published, newest first. ft.lk
The Government in partnership with the World Bank Group and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), yesterday announced the launch of the Sri Lanka AgriConnect Joint Implementation Plan, a coordinated effort to transform the country's agrifood sector, create jobs, and strengthen food security.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Senior Prof. Hareendra Dissabandara has called on the Government to make capital market development part of its growth strategy in the forthcoming Budget. He warned that Sri Lanka cannot reach higher growth by leaning excessively on Government borrowing and bank credit. He was speaking on Tuesday at an institutional investors forum organised jointly by the SEC and the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE)
Sri Lanka yesterday formally joined the global Orange Movement as the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and the Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) signed an MoU to bring Orange Bonds into the local capital market.
Finance and Planning Deputy Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando yesterday said the Government's capital market policies would be far more visible in the 2027 Budget, conceding that steps taken over the past two years had not been widely seen, leading some to conclude it had done little for the market. "You will see that visibility in a bigger way in this (2027) Budget," Dr. Fernando told the Institutional Investor Forum, 'From Resilience to Sust
Sri Lanka's export sector posted its highest-ever monthly performance in September 2026, with total earnings surpassing $ 1.69 billion and reflecting a 17.23% year-on-year (YoY) growth driven by strong
FORMER President Ranil Wickremesinghe has set out a 10-point plan for Sri Lanka to secure a place in an emerging world order, with rapid technological modernisation, membership of BRICS, and a stronger maritime role at its core.
The Treasury account now holds a surplus approaching Rs. 1 trillion, compared with a deficit of about Rs. 700 billion in 2022, while a Finance Ministry committee is considering closing or amalgamating 34 State-owned enterprises (SOEs) deemed unnecessary or inefficient, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said yesterday.
Parliament's Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on Infrastructure and Strategic Development Chairman and SJB MP S.M. Marikkar this week called on the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) and energy utilities, including the National System Operator (NSO), to stop operating in silos and work together to prevent a repeat of last Saturday's island-wide blackout.
The Prevention of Organised Crimes Bill (OCB) requires a company Director to prove, on a balance of probabilities, that an offence by the company was committed without his knowledge or that he exercised due diligence, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) said yesterday. The BASL said the Bill also sets aside the rules that make confessions to police officers inadmissible, allows statements signed by an accused in police custody to be proved a
Inferior-quality coal has led to losses amounting to Rs. 18.3 billion, Parliament's Sectoral Oversight Committee on Infrastructure and Strategic Development Chairman, SJB MP S.M. Marikkar said yesterday, tabling an expert committee report on the losses. The report, dated 7 October, 2026, puts the additional cost and financial loss from the use of substandard coal at Rs. 15.7 billion between 1 January and 15 September. It separately calculates a
The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) is advocating a simple, transparent, and cost-based wheeling tariff to facilitate private power trading and support investment in energy-intensive
Bank of China Colombo branch last Thursday became Sri Lanka's first renminbi (RMB) clearing bank, formally launching operations that allow trade and investment with China to be settled directly in the Chinese currency, rather than through the US dollar.
Sri Lanka's long-awaited global tourism promotion campaign remains stalled by shortcomings in the Government's procurement framework, with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake acknowledging that existing procedures are ill-suited to purchasing creative ideas and marketing expertise.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) yesterday urged Sri Lanka to stay focused on completing the ongoing Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program, which has two reviews still to run. The comments come amid persistent debate over Sri Lanka's IMF engagement beyond March 2027, when the EFF program ends. The Fund said Sri Lanka's fiscal performance had outshone that of its peers, and left the decision on any follow-on arrangement to the Government. "
US Ambassador Eric Meyer yesterday identified policy and regulatory unpredictability as the single greatest deterrent to foreign investment in Sri Lanka, urging the country to strengthen transparency, intellectual property (IP) protection and fair competition to unlock greater bilateral business opportunities.
By Devan Daniel Businesses should not bank on tax cuts in the 2027 Budget, the Treasury has signalled. The Government is instead relying on reforms, digitised tax administration and a World Bank-backed strategy targeting 7% growth to lift the economy. Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma was speaking yesterday at the Sri Lanka Economic and Investment Summit. He was answering a question on whether the Budget would ease corporate tax, VA
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday pledged stronger safeguards for investors and greater private-sector participation in infrastructure and economic development.
Ceylon Tobacco Company PLC (CTC) is calling for a balanced approach in Sri Lanka in terms of taxation of legal products and enforcements on illicits, which have seen sharp growth over the last decade.
Discussions are under way on Sri Lanka's options after its current IMF program, which is on track to conclude successfully in March 2027, Finance and Planning Deputy Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando told Parliament. "In parallel, discussions are currently under way regarding the options beyond the current program, reflecting a shift from crisis-driven support towards a more sustainable, long-term, growth-targeted engagement model," Dr. Fernan
By Nisthar Cassim Encouraged by the resilience and rebound, as well as the growing acceptance of its expertise, global giant Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is keen to help businesses grow, thereby contributing to nation-building in Sri Lanka. This vision was shared by BCG Asia Pacific Chairman Yasushi Sasaki and India Head, Managing Director and Senior Partner Rahul Jain, who are in Sri Lanka along with around 600 Managing Directors and Partners
