Hoteliers warn proposed Tourism Act will trigger severe red tape and two-year industry stagnation

The formal hospitality sector has strongly pushed back against the government’s proposed new Tourism Act, warning that repealing the existing legislation will strangle the industry with fresh layers of bureaucracy and trigger a crippling two-year period of legislative stagnation.

Hotels lobby for crackdown on unregistered listings on global booking platforms

The Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) has called on the government to introduce a simple legislative amendment mandating the global online travel agencies, including Booking.com, Agoda and Expedia, to exclusively list the accommodations registered with the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).

Hoteliers urge minimum US$ 50mn annual marketing spend to hit 2030 targets

The Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) is calling for a consistent, minimum annual marketing investment of US$ 50 million to steer the industry toward its ambitious target of 5 million arrivals and US$ 10 billion in income by 2030.

Sri Lanka’s wheat consumption rises on economic and tourism revival

Sri Lanka’s appetite for wheat, the island’s second staple food, is on a steady upward trajectory, fuelled by a recovering economy and a booming tourism sector but yet to reach the pre-crisis levels.

Foreign reserves fall by US$ 295mn in April as war-driven oil shock pressures external sector

Sri Lanka’s foreign currency reserves fell by US$ 295 million in April, reflecting mounting pressure on the country’s external sector from higher oil import costs and slowing inflows from exports and tourism as the Iran war disrupted global trade and energy markets

Sri Lanka’s elevated risk profile to trigger higher tariffs in future state energy tenders

Sri Lanka’s renewable energy sector is warning of a severe long-term fallout from the ongoing financial crisis, cautioning that the government’s blatant disregard for the existing payment agreements will drastically drive up the cost of future clean energy projects.

Govt. starves clean energy of Rs. 10bn to fund emergency thermal power amid coal scandal

The Federation of Renewable Energy Developers has warned that Sri Lanka’s domestic renewable energy sector is on the brink of collapse, as the government continues to prioritise payments for expensive

Manufacturers demand renewable power access as electricity costs surge

The export manufacturers yesterday warned that imposing another extraordinary electricity tariff hike on the industry, without activating the long-promised power wheeling reforms, would deepen the country’s competitive disadvantage against the regional rivals and risk disrupting the export contracts already under negotiation for late 2026.

Hilton Colombo sale on hold as policy shift stalls IMF-linked divestment 

Uncertainty over the stalled sale of Hotel Developers (Lanka) Ltd is starting to ripple through the company’s operations, as delays in finalising its ownership structure cloud strategic decision-making.

India trade push could boost Sri Lanka exports by half: ADB

Sri Lanka could expand its exports by as much as 50 percent by deepening the trade ties with India, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said, while it went on to warn that the island nation’s continued reliance on the Western markets is leaving it exposed to external shocks and constraining growth.

Sri Lanka’s rice production poised for recovery amid lingering climate and global supply hurdles - USDA

Sri Lanka’s rice industry is charting a path to recovery. For the upcoming 2026/2027 marketing year (October–September), milled rice production is forecast to reach 3.45 million metric tons, representing a solid rebound from the revised estimate of 3.25 million metric tons recorded during the 2025/2026 period, according to According to latest report published by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service.

Colombo consumer prices jump above CB’s 5% target as higher fuel prices reverberates through economy

The consumer inflation measured by the Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI) jumped in April as the higher fuel prices caused by the war in Iran fed quickly through the rest of the economy sending the prices

Government on verge of lifting palm oil ban

The government is on the verge of lifting the existing ban on oil palm cultivation, pending the final Cabinet approval, setting the stage for a major agricultural revival.

Middle East crisis, a wakeup call for structural reforms: Aryasinha

The ongoing Middle East crisis should serve as a critical wakeup call for Sri Lanka to implement long-overdue fundamental structural economic reforms, according to Regional Centre for Strategic Studies Executive Director Ravinatha Aryasinha.

Tourism success questioned as Sri Lanka leans on volume over value

​Sri Lanka’s tourism sector recorded a historic 2.3 million international arrivals in 2025 but the industry analysts are urging a pivot in how success is measured within the island’s economic framework.

March vehicle registrations expand over 15% as EV adoption accelerates

​Sri Lanka’s local automotive market recorded a substantial influx of vehicle imports in March, with total motor vehicle registrations expanding by 15.6 percent month-on-month to reach 59,734 units, according to the latest registration data compiled by JB Securities.

CRIB to integrate telco data by year-end

​The Credit Information Bureau of Sri Lanka (CRIB) is steering towards a major transformation in its data ecosystem, finalising plans to integrate telecommunications data by the end of this year, followed by utility payments next year.

Export momentum flickers in March as risks mount

Sri Lanka’s export sector showed a tentative recovery in March, however beneath the monthly rebound, a sharper year-on-year decline indicates a growing external pressure as global trade conditions

SriLankan Airlines whistleblower exposes massive financial leakages

Fresh evidence has emerged detailing the deep-rooted financial mismanagement and systemic governance failures at SriLankan Airlines.

SL recovery on edge as Middle East shock ripples through economy: CBSL

Sri Lanka’s economic recovery is entering a more fragile phase, with the Central Bank warning that rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are beginning to test the resilience built through recent stabilisation efforts, even as domestic conditions remain broadly supportive of growth.

SL’s rebound fades into slower growth as energy costs, structural gaps weigh: WB

Sri Lanka’s post-crisis rebound is set to lose momentum in 2026, with the growth moderating as the higher energy costs, structural bottlenecks and external risks begin to weigh on the economy, the World Bank said. The World Bank’s outlook also echoes that of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) earlier this month.

Tourism earnings plunge to five-month low as the Middle East conflict derails targets

Sri Lanka’s foreign exchange earnings from tourism suffered a severe blow in March 2026, plummeting 37 percent year-on-year to US$ 223.7 million.

ADB pegs conflict impact on Sri Lanka growth

Sri Lanka’s recovery outlook has come under sharper scrutiny, with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) quantifying the economic fallout from the Middle East conflict, affirming the risks flagged by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) earlier this week, as higher energy costs, softer remittances and tourism disruptions begin to filter through the economy.

IMF warns of fresh risks to SL’s growth as global tensions intensify

Sri Lanka’s economic recovery is facing renewed uncertainty as rising global tensions, particularly the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, threaten to disrupt growth momentum just as the country advances

Central Bank introduces stringent rules on bank outsourcing

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has introduced a comprehensive set of new regulations governing how the licensed commercial and specialised banks manage the outsourcing of their business operations.

Tourist arrivals cross 750,000 mark

Sri Lanka’s tourism sector successfully crossed the three-quarter million milestone during the first week of April, with cumulative arrivals for the year reaching 767,434 by 5 April.

NDB fraud exposes control gaps as losses climb to Rs.13.2bn

A control failure that began beneath the surface has now forced National Development Bank PLC (NDB) to confront a multi-billion-rupee fraud, testing both its governance framework and the broader confidence in the banking system.

Tourist arrivals plunge 20% in March as Middle East crisis disrupts global transit routes

Sri Lanka’s tourism sector suffered a sharp reversal of fortunes in March, with international arrivals plunging 19.7 percent year-on-year to 183,979 as the escalating conflict in the Middle East severely disrupted global aviation networks.

US$ 2bn World Bank-backed plan to power Sri Lanka’s next growth phase

The World Bank Group and the Government of Sri Lanka launched a new five-year Country Partnership Framework (CPF) to support Sri Lanka’s continued recovery, help achieve its 7 percent medium-term

Remittance surge cushions widening external cracks in February

Sri Lanka’s external account remained in surplus for a fourth straight month in February.