Category: Business and Economy

Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake presented his government’s third fiscal blueprint as the island nation’s finance minister, eyeing “economic transformation” from hard-gained stability under an IMF deal. The budget seeks to capitalize on hard-won macroeconomic stability. Over the past two years, Colombo focused on plugging massive revenue leaks such as overhauling the Simplified Value…

As part of a comprehensive strategy to connect the national economy to global trade networks, the Sri Lankan government has focused its attention on negotiating a new Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China. The initiative was highlighted by President and Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Anura Kumara Dissanayake during the presentation of the…

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says Sri Lanka has recorded improvements in its international standing across several key sectors, with progress reflected in a range of global rankings and assessments. Delivering the 2027 Budget speech in Parliament, the President said these improvements had been achieved despite the numerous economic and other challenges faced by the country.…

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the broad direction of Budget 2027, stating that timely implementation of the proposed reforms will be crucial to translating policy commitments into investment, exports and sustainable economic growth. In a statement, the Chamber said the Budget reinforces Sri Lanka’s commitment to economic transformation while maintaining policy continuity, macroeconomic…

Total vehicle registrations declined 12.1% month-on-month to 47,628 units in October from 54,214 in September, reflecting a broad-based contraction across most major vehicle categories, according to JB Securities. Two-wheeler registrations fell 13% to 33,722 units, while motor car registrations declined 17.9% to 2,802. SUV and crossover registrations dropped 13.8% to 3,399 units. Pickup and commercial…

The CSE yesterday kicked off on a positive note but later turned negative due to profit- takings engrossing investors. Amid those developments both indices moved downwards. The All Share Price Index went down by 90.46 points, while the S and P SL20 declined by 27.74 points. Turnover stood at Rs 4.8 billion with nine crossings.…

The Sri Lankan Government has gazetted the proposed Public-Private Partnership Bill, paving the way for the establishment of a dedicated National Agency and a legal framework to promote and facilitate public-private partnership (PPP) projects in the country. The Bill, titled Public-Private Partnerships Bill, provides provisions for the establishment of a National Agency for Public-Private Partnerships…

A high-level business delegation from South Korea met with Minister of Industries and Entrepreneur Development Sunil Handunnetti to discuss potential bilateral collaborations in Sri Lanka’s graphite mining sector. The meeting was headed by renowned actor and film personality Gagan Malik—widely celebrated by Sri Lankan audiences for his iconic portrayal of Prince Siddhartha in the acclaimed…

Finance and Planning Deputy Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando yesterday described the 2027 Budget, to be presented today by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, as a long-term economic transformation plan aimed at moving Sri Lanka towards upper-middle-income status. He said the Budget would set out a phased pathway, supported by strategies, specific actions and priority-based resource…

 Sri Lanka’s official remittances from expatriate workers rose 3.3 percent to US$ 735.6 million in October 2026, official data showed, while they are expected to hit fresh record high in November, analysts said. The total remittances in the first 10 months of the year reached US$7,600.9 million with a 16.5 percent growth, Central Bank data…