Prof. Lalith Gamage has been appointed as the Chairman of ICTA, taking the place of Jayantha De Silva, who will be leaving to take up the post of Secretary to the newly created Ministry of Technology.

The government has decided to increase the number of PCR tests conducted daily in the country to identify the COVID-19 infected to facilitate overseas arrivals.

The unemployed population is projected to have fallen further towards 5.3 percent by the year-end as the economy added jobs and companies recalled workers who may have been furloughed during the coronavirus pandemic.

The government has decided to create 200,000 self-employment opportunities in 2021 with the aim of reviving the rural economy, which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kotagala Plantations yesterday revealed plans to raise up to Rs.789.8 million via a rights issue.

Impaired loans or the loans set aside for possible default fell in the two large State banks as opposed to fears that such loans could rise at exponential levels due to the pandemic triggered economic malaise.

The government is expected to give the green light to house casino operations in the upcoming Cinnamon Life mixed development project as the new administration is keen on doing everything at their disposal to attract a new segment of tourists as well

Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) yesterday commended the efforts of the government, particularly the Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga and former Ambassador to Russia, Udayanga Weeratunga for re-opening Sri Lanka for tourism

The transshipment container volumes at the Port of Colombo slumped in November as the port’s operation faced disruptions due to the second wave of COVID-19 in the country, leading to congestion at the container terminals.

Sri Lanka Prosperity Index (SLPI) marginally increased to 0.802 in 2019 from 0.811 in 2018 driven by improvements in ‘Well-being of the People’ sub-index, which h offset marginal declines in ‘Economy and Business Climate’ and ‘Socioeconomic

Three key sectors in the economy—wholesale & retail trade, consumption and construction— have gobbled up most of the private sector credit by banks, which are also the main drivers of the economy in the post-lockdown period.

India decided on Monday to lift a ban on onion exports from January 1, as prices have fallen sharply in the last few weeks on expectations of a big crop.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has directed the Commissioner of Excise, M.G. Gunasiri to issue a gazette notification banning the use of maize for the production of alcohol and ethanol, the President Media Division (PMD) announced.

Sri Lankan migrant workers continued to send back their hard earned money in large sums to their loved ones at home, repeatedly higher than what was sent last year, despite the COVID-19 pandemic and certain extremely negative forecasts.

The Central Bank said the newly introduced housing loan scheme at 7 percent cannot be utilised for settling existing housing loans and by commercial scale real estate developers.

Associated Motor Finance Company (AMF) PLC and Arpico Finance Company PLC (AFC) have received approval from the Central Bank to merge their operations in line with the government’s financial sector consolidation programme.

The government has decided to increase the export of agricultural crops from next year, and plans have already been drawn up for the development of minor crops, the State Minister of Development of Minor Crops Related Industries and Export Promotion

As authorities continue to explore avenues to welcome international travellers amid the pandemic, the tourism industry is of the view that required is a clear set of protocols to ensure all stakeholders are on the same page.

A rating agency official who declined to be named said they are receiving a considerable number of applications seeking new credit ratings, in an indication that coming year could see an influx of companies wanting to raise money either through equit

Lending rates to small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) continued to descend in November amid pickup in credit in the economy.

The second installment of the ‘World Women Leadership Congress Presents Sri Lanka’s Women Leaders’ celebrated Women Leaders in several geographic regions globally, recognising some of the finest women leaders and achievers for 2020.

The Central Bank yesterday said they are taking steps to stem the recent undue depreciation of the rupee against the US dollar.

Meanwhile, the Central Bank has barred licensed commercial banks and the Wtate-owned National Savings Banks from buying international sovereign bonds (ISBs), which are trading at steep discounts.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa this week said in order to have hope for the future, the programme of making Sri Lanka self-sufficient in all sectors should be realised.

Korean Ambassador in Sri Lanka Woonjin Jeong met with the newly appointed Board of Investment (BOI) Chairman Sanjaya Mohottala this week at the BOI premises.

Hatton Plantations PLC (HPL) is entering into a strategic partnership with Regency Teas, a milestone in the company’s rapid and remarkable progress.

Sri Lanka’s remaining foreign liabilities for the remainder of the year is estimated at just US$ 8.0 million, assuaging unfounded fears over the risks pertaining to the country’s foreign currency debt obligations and the broader external sector.

Fitch Ratings has recalibrated its Sri Lankan National Rating scale to reflect changes in the relative creditworthiness among Sri Lankan issuers, following Fitch’s downgrade of the country’s sovereign rating to ‘CCC’ from ‘B-’ on 27 Novem

The government wants houses designed with grocery stores built into them to promote women entrepreneurship at village level.