Granting ad hoc, non-transparent and large tax exemptions has created significant issues for Govt.: IMF

05 Jul 2025

6

Granting ad hoc, non-transparent and large tax exemptions in the past has created significant issues, obviously on the fiscal space and revenue - not only in terms of losses in foregone revenue for the government but rise in corruption vulnerability, according to Evan Papageorgiou, IMF Mission Chief for Sri Lanka.

Bureaucracy not aligned with Govt. - Minister

04 Jul 2025

10

A key minister admitted that bureaucracy does not fall in line with the government in the realization of its targets in an expeditious manner.

Bureaucratic inefficiency slows down NPP Govt’s targets: Samantha Vidyaratna

04 Jul 2025

10

Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure Samantha Vidyaratna, in an interview with Daily Mirror, shares views on challenging confronting the National People’s Power (NPP) government and development plans in the pipeline. Excerpts:

Narcotics peddled at Israelis-run business centres in East

03 Jul 2025

11

Some Israelis, who are here as tourists, are involved in peddling various types of narcotics in their unauthorized business centres set up in certain pockets of the eastern province, posing a threat to public security, according to reports shared with the tourism authorities.

NPP Govt. dreams nuclear energy, yet treads cautiously over geopolitics involved

02 Jul 2025

3

Sri Lanka, under the new government led by the National People’s Power (NPP) has identified nuclear power in its generation plan while phasing out coal power plants, Daily Mirror learns.

STRONG GOVERNANCE GIVES CONFIDENCE TO INVESTORS - ITC CHAIRMAN

02 Jul 2025

4

Sanjiv Puri, the immediate past President of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Chairman and managing Director of ITC Ltd is in Sri Lanka leading a delegation of a dozen Indian business leaders for high level engagements.

X-Press Pearl Disaster

Litigation process tainted with corruption allegations

29 Jun 2025

2

Litigation process related to the X- Press Pearl disaster is tainted with allegations about corruption and frauds prompting the Environment Ministry to look at the appointment of a committee to probe what went wrong in the past, according to a minister.

Largest FDI under NPP govt. still in limbo

28 Jun 2025

0

The $ 3.7 billion investment project by Sinopec in Hambantota - the largest ever Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Sri Lanka - is still in limbo even after the lapse of six months because of differences between the government and the company on the local market share component, Daily Mirror learns.

Sri Lanka’s excessive drug use, antibiotic resistance: Need for pharma policy and pharmacists’ supervision

28 Jun 2025

0

Pharmaceutical Society of Sri Lanka (PSSL) Charts a New Course in Pharmacy: PSSL 2025 Scientific Sessions Spotlight Rational Drug Use, Innovation, and Global Collaboration

UN research ship chooses Madagascar instead of Sri Lanka, approval too late

27 Jun 2025

1

Despite the green light, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) research vessel “Dr Fridtjof Nansen” is unlikely to visit Sri Lanka since approval came late, making timely scheduling for the survey here impossible, Daily Mirror learns.

Sri Lanka’s tea for oil barter trade with Iran to take a hit due to crisis

27 Jun 2025

0

Sri Lanka’s barter trade with Iran (tea for oil) to settle dues for a previous transaction is likely to be hit by tension in the Middle-East at the moment, a Minister said.

Sri Lanka to turn to Nigeria for fuel imports amid global uncertainty

23 Jun 2025

13

In the midst of escalation of tension in the Middle-East and concerns over further disruption in fuel supply chain , Sri Lanka has decided to explore the possibility of importing petroleum products from Nigeria, an official said yesterday.

Fertiliser import from China

Conflicting lab reports under scrutiny - Namal Karunaratne

21 Jun 2025

3

Investigators probing the controversial Chinese fertiliser deal will focus on conflicting laboratory reports, particularly how the National Plant Quarantine Services (NPQS) detected the microorganism Erwinia in samples from Qingdao Seawin Biotech—findings later disputed by a Singaporean lab.

FAO ship will come to Colombo for replenishment

21 Jun 2025

1

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) research vessel ‘Dr. Fridtjof Nansen’ will arrive in Colombo only for replenishment but not for any research activity, despite the initial plan, Daily Mirror learns.

Sri Lanka overdosed!

20 Jun 2025

18

Sri Lankans consume medicines at above-normal levels, with the health sector procuring pharmaceuticals under 863 generic categories - two-thirds imported and the rest locally manufactured - a volume that could be nearly halved through proper therapeutic guidelines, resulting in significant cost savings, Deputy Health Minister Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni said.

Poverty alleviation Sri Lanka’s failure, India’s success, fresh challenges

20 Jun 2025

18

Poverty alleviation presents a critical global challenge, particularly in South Asia. While India has achieved remarkable success in reducing extreme poverty through strategic, digitally-driven initiatives, Sri Lanka faces a contrasting reality. Its 2022 economic crisis plunged a third of its population into poverty or vulnerability, necessitating urgent, data-backed policy reforms.

Sri Lanka seeks India’s help in evacuating people from conflict-ridden Iran

19 Jun 2025

1

Sri Lanka has sought India’s assistance in the evacuation of its citizens in Iran which is now engaged in a war with Israel, the Daily Mirror learns.

All set for Starlink to begin commercial operations in Sri Lanka this month

18 Jun 2025

6

Sri Lanka is gearing up to welcome Starlink, the satellite internet service by tech billionaire Elon Musk, with commercial operations expected to commence later this month.

What went wrong with Air India plane that crashed Veteran ex SriLankan pilot responds

18 Jun 2025

15

Days after the crash of an Air India flight, former SriLankan Airlines pilot captain Sri. Segaram speaks to Daily Mirror on the possible causes that might lead to an air crash.

Sri Lankans braced for price hike at pumps by August

17 Jun 2025

5

Fuel prices are poised to increase during revisions expected by August because of spikes in the global market as a direct result of the conflict between Israel and Iran, a top official said yesterday.