Movenpick Colombo shines bright with Christmas tree lighting ceremony

In a grand spectacle on December 8, 2023, Movenpick Hotel Colombo ushered in the festive spirit with a ceremonial lighting of the Christmas tree. The esteemed...

Dialog’s Govi Mithuru and Tea Research Institute drive agri excellence in tea sector

Govi Mithuru, Sri Lanka’s premier mobile phone-based agricultural advisory service by Dialog Axiata PLC, continued its long-standing partnership with the Tea Research Institute (TRI) by empowering the tea....

Mano Sekaram, the honorary consul general of Norway.....

Mano Sekaram, the honorary consul general of Norway.....

Sri Lanka ranks among top five most unequal nations in Asia Pacific region

Fragile and uneven economic recovery has further exacerbated income and wealth inequalities in the country, placing Sri Lanka among the top five most unequal countries in the Asia Pacific, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Dimantha Seneviratne to retire from NDB; Kelum Edirisinghe to take helm

National Development Bank PLC (NDB) yesterday announced the retirement of its Director/Group CEO Dimantha Seneviratne and the appointment of Kelum Edirisinghe as his successor. According to the stock market disclosures filed, NDB, following the expiration of his fixed-term contract on January 31, 2024, Seneviratne will step down from his roles as Group CEO/Executive Director, after having completed seven years with the bank. The filing said Senev

World Bank issues warning on growing skills shortage in Sri Lanka

By Shabiya Ali Ahlam As Sri Lanka is transitioning from a rural-based to a modern, urbanised economy, with better jobs being created, specially in services, the World Bank yesterday warned that skill shortages are likely to worsen. This challenge is expected to escalate as the country aspires to achieve the full upper-income status. According to the World Bank’s new report titled ‘Enhancing Skills in Sri Lanka for Inclusion, Recovery and Resili

Sri Lanka to double or triple universities, merge vocational training institutes

Sri Lanka is set to double or triple the number of universities and merge the existing vocational training institutes, in an effort to enhance its human resources pool and propel the nation forward, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said. He said that a programme would commence next year focusing on utilising both university education and vocational training for the country’s development. “Our goal is to significantly increase the number of universi

PCC affirms commitment to sustainability and global cooperation at Commonwealth Summit

Port City Colombo (PCC) showcased its commitment to sustainable development and global economic cooperation at the third Commonwealth Trade and Investment Summit (CTIS) held in London recently. The CTIS, known for bringing together senior business leaders and ministers from across the Commonwealth’s five regions, provided an ideal platform for PCC to engage in critical discussions on promoting trade and investment opportunities. The event highli

SL tourism fulfils 66% revenue target set for 2023

Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has managed to fulfil nearly 66 percent of its revenue target for the first 11 months of the year, with November earnings totalling US $ 205.3 million. The provisional data released by the Central Bank showed that the tourism earnings for the January-November 2023 period have reached US $ 1.79 billion, achieved with tourist arrivals totalling 1,276,951. When compared with the corresponding period in 2022, the cumulati

SLTDA warns of US $ 90mn tourism loss as Sri Lanka delays approval for Russian charter flights

Sri Lanka stands to lose an estimated US $ 90 million in potential tourism earnings, due to the government’s reluctance to permit Russian charter flights to the island nation, cautioned the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). Amid the issues pertaining to dual registration, SLTDA Chairperson Priantha Fernando recently shared that the Civil Aviation Authority is yet to clear at least one Russian charter flight seeki

Fisheries sector to get a boost with SL making progress towards ILO C188 ratification

Sri Lanka’s fishing sector will see improved working conditions, creation of additional employment and facilitation of labour retention, with the government making efforts towards ratifying the International Labour Organisation (ILO) C188. The draft regulations relating to the ILO C188 -Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 was presented to the government yesterday. C188 is an international labour standard established by the ILO, which sets standards

Lion Brewery wins ‘Product Packaging of the Year - Sri Lanka’ at FMCG Asia Awards

Lion Brewery was recently recognized by Retail Asia as one of the key leading FMCG brands at this year’s FMCG Asia Awards. Lion Brewery claimed a Gold Award in the Product Packaging of the Year - Sri Lanka segment for the repackaging of the Lion portfolio and Lion Ice extension which rolled out across its range this year. The newly developed masterbrand approach strengthens the Lion brand with a cohesive and recognizable system that unites its ex

EcoProtect Engineering opens modern granular fertilizer manufacturing plant

The state-of-the-art pellet and granular fertilizer manufacturing facility of EcoProtect Engineering (Pvt) Ltd located in Oyamaduwa, Anuradhapura was opened recently with the participation of Janaka Jayasundara, District Secretary Anuradhapura, Chandana Lokuhewage, Director National Fertilizer Secretariat and senior officials from Ministry of Agriculture. EcoProtect Engineering (Pvt) Ltd is part of the Multichemi Group of Companies which is alre

Six thousand paddy farmers to be trained on sustainable cultivation with FAO, EU support

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) together with the Department of Agriculture and the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka with funding from the European Union (EU) recently launched a Farmer Field Schools Programme to train 6,000 smallholder paddy farmers across four key rice-growing districts on sustainable approaches to paddy cultivation. The 6,000 farmers from Ampara, Badulla, Hambantota and Polonnaruwa districts w

DIMO Care Camp helps farmers prepare for Maha season

DIMO Agribusinesses concluded the ‘DIMO Care Camp’, a complimentary tractor service camp strategically organized in agricultural regions across the island. The camp, which was aimed at assisting farmers in their season preparations, garnered significant participation from a large number of tractor owners. DIMO Agribusinesses, the agricultural arm of DIMO, delivers top-notch agriculture machinery from globally renowned brands such as Mahindra an

‘Kubota DC-93G’ leads paddy harvesting revolution to Northern Province

Hayleys Agriculture Holdings Limited recently unveiled its latest agricultural harvesting technology, the Kubota DC-93G Combine Harvester. The company celebrated another milestone as they handed over a machine to a customer, Maheswaran Kapilraj from Kilai, Jaffna, marking the beginning of a new era in harvesting. The Kubota DC-93G’s exceptional adaptability to sinking fields, wider cutting width for increased efficiency, and outstanding performa

Embryo Innovation Center’s Fazenda Smart Agro wins Merit Award

In recognition for driving agriculture innovation and developing a smart solution, Fazenda Smart Agro by The Embryo Innovation Center won a Merit Award under the Industrial Agriculture category at the National ICT Awards NBQSA 2023 (National Best Quality ICT Awards) held recently. The award ceremony was graced by President Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Chief Guest. State Minister of Information Technology Kanaka Herath was also present at the award

Nelna Agri to harvest 1 mn kgs of mangoes in 2023/2024 season

Between 300,000 kgs and 400,000 kgs of mangoes planned to be exported Nelna Agri Development Private Limited, a leading company in Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector, is targeting a record harvest of 1 million kilograms of mangoes in the 2023/2024 mango season (November to April). Between 300,000 kgs and 400,000 kgs of mangoes out of the expected harvest are planned to be exported to countries such as the United States (US), France, Sweden, Singapore

ComBank ranked No 1 in Business Today Top 40

Commercial Bank of Ceylon has been ranked No 1 in the Business Today ranking of Sri Lanka’s Top 40 business entities ....

People’s Insurance emerges as most profitable listed general insurer

In a remarkable accomplishment, amid challenging economic conditions and intense industry competition, People’s Insurance PLC....

UB Finance appoints new Chairman and Director

Following the strategic investment by CG Capital Partners Pte Ltd (CGC) in Union Bank of Colombo PLC (UBC), UB Finance...

Amana Bank wins Gold for ‘Spirit of Islamic Finance’ at SLIBFI Awards

Testifying its commitment of staying true to the ethos of the non-interest-based banking model, Amana Bank was bestowed the maiden ...

Fitch cuts Singer Finance rating on weakening parental support

Fitch Ratings recently cut Singer Finance Lanka PLC’s (SFL) rating to BBB, from BBB+, as the rating agency believes.....

BOC launches special promo for debit cardholders

Bank of Ceylon (BOC), which owns the largest debit card base in Sri Lanka, kicked off a special promotion campaign, offering 100 gift...

Pan Asia offers savings up to 75% for credit/debit cardholders this festive season

Gearing up to fulfil the hopes and dreams of its credit/debit card customers, this year too, Pan Asia Bank – The Truly Sri Lankan...

Combating corruption –Role of civil society

I was invited to make the keynote speech on ‘Citizens and CSO Role in Accountability and Governance’ by the Lanka Jathika...

‘Gurubuhuman’ by Abans and Education Ministry in Sri Lanka empower teachers

In a significant stride towards recognising and appreciating the invaluable contribution of teachers in Sri Lanka, Abans, in collaboration...

Sri Lanka to host FAO’s 37th Asia Pacific Regional Conference

Sri Lanka has been chosen to host the 37th session of the Asia Pacific Regional Conference (APRC) of the Food and Agriculture....

LCC to unveil courses with focus on foreign job market

Creating a revolution in the university landscape in Sri Lanka, Leeds Colombo Campus (LCC) with many firsts and novel courses....

DIMO recognised at National Occupational Safety and Health Excellence Awards

DIMO has been honoured with the Special Award for Best Critical Risk Management Strategy at the recent National Occupational Safety....