As the Cabinet is currently considering extending free visa travel to tourists from 67 countries, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando opined that Sri Lanka should consider doing away with visa altogether for tourists.

The overall offerings at the Colombo Tea Auction increased to 5.2 million kilogrammes, from the previous week’s 4.6 million kilogrammes. The Low Grown/L

The ASPI closed in green as a result of price gains in counters such as Bukit Darah, Central Finance Company and National Development Bank with the turnover crossing Rs 2.4 Bn. Meanwhile, the S&P SL20 edged down. High net worth a

The secondary market continued to see active buying interest across the yield curve during yesterday’s session. Investor participation was largely centered on the shorter and the mid tenures of the yield curve. Thus, several trades were ent

BBC: Apple sales have fallen in almost every market across the globe, according to the latest results from the tech giant. The company said that demand for its smartphones dropped by more than 10 percent in the first three months of this year, while

As a result of the appreciation of the rupee and a reduction in the world market prices, the major domestic gas suppliers in the country have decided to decrease their retail prices, effective last night. This price reduc

CNN: The Italian company that helped rebuild a bridge that collapsed in Genoa in 2018 says it is ready to do the same in Baltimore. WeBuild Group said in a press release yesterday that it had sent a preliminary design and plans to the US officials fo

SL Banks’ Association Chief says country is ‘couple of months’ away from striking a deal with bondholders By Nishel Fernando

Sri Lanka’s total exports in March expanded by 9.5 percent Year-on-Year (YoY) to US$ 1.41 billion with positive growth seen in key markets. Data shared by the Ex

Seylan Bank PLC more than doubled its profits in the three months ended in March 2024 as the company provided much less for possible bad loans as the economy improves while the borrower profiles strengthen with easing rates. The bank with asse

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce announced its appointment as the Chair of the Indian Ocean Rim Business Forum (IORBF) fo

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has identified one more entity named Windex Trading to have been promoting illegal pyramid schemes in the country. The latest notice bri

A top-level Chinese business delegation, led by China Association of Small and Medium Commercial Enterprises (CASMCE) Secretary and President Ren Xinglei, met with Board of Investment (BOI) Chairman Dinesh Weerakkody and

The Pekoe Trail Company (Guarantee) Limited is an innovative approach adopted by the Tourism Resilience Project to ensure the trail’s long-term sustainability and effective management. In April 2024, a collaborativ

Hayleys Solar, the renewable energy arm of Hayleys Fentons, has successfully completed an impressive 2.3MW capacity solar power installation for Texlan Centre (Pvt.) Ltd, a leading hosiery manufacturer and exporter in the country.

Amana Bank announced the appointment of its Vice President Retail Banking and Marketing Siddeeque Akbar as President of the Association of Alternative Financial Institutions (AAFI), testifying Siddeeque’s leadership and expertise within th

Joined Amana Bank in its formative stages to set up marketing function as Senior Manager Marketing and Corporate Communications, eventually was elevated to Vice President Retail Banking and Marketing. Prior to joining Am

Sri Lanka Climate Summit 2024, organised by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, will be inaugurated by President Ranil Wickre

The ASPI edged down as a result of price losses in counters such as Hatton National Bank, Bukit Darah and Sampath Bank

The yield curved nudged further down as the secondary market continued to see buying interest for the 5th consecutive session amidst positive investor sentiment while volumes were on moderate levels. On the short end of the curve, 01.02.2026 closed

REUTERS - Oil prices rose yesterday, rebounding from three days of losses that took prices to their lowest since mid-March. Brent crude fu

Union Bank said it encountered mixed challenges in its financial performance during the first quarter of 2024, which however reflected strong credit growth and brand investment. The bank’s result

The Planters’ Association (PA) of Ceylon representing Regional Plantation Companies (RPC) is moving ahead to object to the Rs.1700 daily wage increase proposed for plantation workers, while asserting that a final decision is yet to be reached on th

The government may consider scrapping the reintroduced Minimum Room Rate (MRR) for Colombo city hotels in two months, after evaluating whether it has fulfilled its purpose.

The growth in exports in March outstripped the increase in the expenditure for merchandise imports for the same month, as the exports of textiles and garments showed strength once again, after losing a bit of steam in the recent months.

The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau jointly collaborated with the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau recently, participating in the Exotic Wedding Planners Conference (EWPC) 2024, alongside key industry participants. This marked the first-ever presence

The government this week announced its efforts to make Mirissa, a small town located on the south coast of Sri Lanka, a Blue Flag Coastal Zone and a marine wildlife sanctuary conforming to international standards. On Monday, Cabinet of Ministers app

The Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) is stepping up efforts to expand gastronomy tourism in a bid to combat overtourism, cater to the high-end market and boost inbound tourism consumption in rural areas. JTA will provide financial subsidies in fiscal 2024

The Southern MICE Expo 2024 is scheduled to take place form the May 27th to 31st. Southern MICE Expo 2024 is organized by the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB) with acknowledgement from the Ministry of Tourism and Lands, positioning Sri Lanka’s so

n Inflation or no inflation, concerns about the economy or no concerns, overtourism is becoming the new normal Travel has become such a fundamental part of the basic human needs. After you take care of your physiological needs: food, shelter, clothi