Mangala to meet IMF MD in Washington on IMF Fund Facility

Minister Mangala Samaraweera left for Washington on Friday to get the IMF External Fund Facility (EFF) back on track, the Finance Ministry said.



Australian cannabis producer expands into Sri Lanka

Australian cannabis producer Creso Pharma has expanded into the Sri Lankan market by signing a binding letter of intent with distributor Ceyoka Health.



Increase in number of Sri Lankan housemaids in Gulf

The number of workers leaving Sri Lanka to take up jobs as housemaids in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the Far East has soared by more than 16 percent in the past year.



New programme for sports development

Minister of Sports Harin Fernando says a new programme will be executed in future for the development of sports.



Pakistan, Sri Lanka FTA discussed

The Consul General of Sri Lanka in Karachi G.L Gnanatheva visited the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) to meet Dr. Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, Senior Vice President, FPCCI and discussed the bilateral trade, investment and potential of the Free Trade Agreement between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.



Sri Lanka to use reserves to repay $1 billion loan

Sri Lanka has arranged $1 billion to repay a five-year sovereign bond maturing next week partly from its declining reserves, sources from both the central bank and finance ministry said on Friday.



Wimal ordered to pay Tilvin Rs. 10 million

MP Wimal Weerawansa has been ordered by the Colombo Commercial High Court to pay Rs 10 million in compensation to JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva.



New ministers sworn in

Two new non-Cabinet ministers and one deputy minister have taken oaths before President Maithripala Sirisena today (11), at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.



Government promises citizen-friendly Budget

Promising to bring a ‘citizen-friendly Budget’ in March, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday (10), said in Parliament that the priority of the Government is to stabilise the rupee.



Fuel prices reduced

The retail prices of fuel have been revised with effect from midnight today based on the fuel pricing formula, the Finance Ministry said.



Sri Lanka struggles to repay record foreign debt: PM

Sri Lanka’s prime minister said Thursday the country was struggling to pay back its ballooning foreign debt, blaming a recent political crisis for dealing a “death blow” to the economy.



Central Bank gets USD 400 million swap from RBI

Sri Lanka’s Central Bank on Wednesday said that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has agreed to provide $400 million under a swap arrangement to boost the island nation’s reserves.



Both major parties agree to have PC polls under PR system

Public Enterprise and Kandyan Heritage and Development Minister and Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella told Parliament, yesterday, that both main parties had agreed to hold the elections under the proportional representation (PR) system.



ITN NEEDS COMPLETE REVAMP – MINISTER

The Independent Television Network (ITN) is a ‘den of thieves’ and the best way to reform the institution is to operate it as a “public broadcasting service,” Finance and Mass Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera told Parliament yesterday.



ICC announces amnesty to report corruption in Sri Lankan cricket

Sri Lankan cricketers have been granted a 15-day amnesty to report previously undisclosed information relating to corruption in the sport, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Wednesday.



Carbon tax from Jan 1: DMT

While exempting electric cars, a Carbon Tax will be imposed on directly fossil-fueled vehicles including petrol cars from January 1, Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) Commissioner General A.H.K. Jagath Chandrasiri said today.