Dr Sarath Obeysekera News Sri Lanka looks for international investors for 108 acres near southern port” Tuesday June 16, 2026 2:51 pm The Government’s decision to invite international investors to develop 108 acres of land near the Hambantota International Port (HIP) through a 50-year lease is both timely and significant. With global shipping patterns being […]

Dr Sarath Obeysekera https://www.srilankabusiness.com/ebooks/national-export-strategy-of-sri-lanka.pdf Sri Lanka’s National Export Development Plan (NEDP) rightly focuses on transforming the country into a competitive logistics and export hub and prioritises marine-based industries and high-value manufacturing. However, the strategy does not adequately address one of Sri Lanka’s most significant untapped opportunities—the development of an offshore and heavy industrial hub in […]

Dr Sarath Obeysekera There  are numerous online betting websites accessible in Sri Lanka, such as platforms branded for local users like Mostbet, MelBet, 1xBet, and others. Most operate under offshore licenses, mainly from Curaçao, and offer deposits and withdrawals in Sri Lankan Rupees.   Regarding Chinese operators, there have been reports and public discussions suggesting […]

Dr Sarath Obeysekera The media plays a vital role in shaping public opinion and influencing national priorities. In a democratic society, television channels and newspapers are expected to educate, inform and inspire the public. Unfortunately, much of Sri Lanka’s electronic media has become trapped in an endless cycle of political mudslinging, sensationalism and personality-driven controversies.Every […]

Dr Sarath Obeysekera The recent protests by rice farmers across Sri Lanka once again highlight the deep crisis facing the agricultural sector. Thousands of paddy farmers are voicing their anger over the government-announced purchase price of paddy, claiming that it does not even cover the cost of production. The cost of cultivation has risen sharply […]

Dr Sarath Obeysekera Sri Lanka is estimated to have up to three trillion cubic feet of natural gas in its offshore reserves, according to an interview published by The Sunday Morning. Quoting Petroleum Development Authority of Sri Lanka RX  Chairman Saliya Wickramasuriya, the report said the country also has the potential for several billion barrels” […]

Dr Sarath Obeysekera The recent engagement by Presidential Special Envoy for Foreign Investment Hanif Yusoof with American business leaders in Washington is undoubtedly a positive initiative.  Meeting representatives from major corporations such as Apple, Boeing, and Mastercard and presenting Sri Lanka’s potential in ports, logistics, renewable energy, technology, tourism, aviation, and healthcare sends a welcome […]

By Sarath Obeysekera Sri Lanka today finds itself navigating a delicate geopolitical balancing act between two Asian giants – India and China. Both nations have strategic interests in the island, yet their approaches to investment and engagement have been markedly different. China moved swiftly and decisively into Sri Lanka’s infrastructure sector. It financed and built […]

By Sarath Obeysekera Sri Lanka’s marine industry has enormous potential. We have skilled boat builders, strategic harbours, a growing export market, and access to regional shipping routes. Yet time and again, valuable investments made with public funds are allowed to deteriorate due to poor management decisions, bureaucratic inertia, and a lack of commercial vision.For several […]

Dr Sarath Obeysekera Sri Lanka is blessed with an extensive coastline and abundant marine resources. The country has established 21 fishery harbours around the island to facilitate anchoring and mooring of multi-day fishing vessels. In addition, the modern fishery harbour at Dikovita was constructed with facilities for traditional fishing craft and a separate section for […]

Dr Sarath Obeysekera For most foreign students in the Soviet Union, summer meant one thing: a government-sponsored holiday on the Black Sea coast at Sochi. The university arranged everything and paid for it. Sun, sea, and relaxation awaited us.I did it only once.After that, I had a different plan.Instead of spending my holidays in Sochi, […]

ආචාර්ය සරත් ඔබේසේකර 2026 ජූනි 12 දින ප්‍රකාශයට පත් කරන ලදී අද දින සෝවියට් සංගමය ගැන කතා කරන විට බොහෝ දෙනා කතා කරන්නේ දේශපාලනය, ශීත යුද්ධය, කොමියුනිස්ට්වාදය, භාණ්ඩ හිඟය සහ අධිරාජ්‍යයක් බිඳ වැටුණු ආකාරය පිළිබඳවය. නමුත් අප වැනි එහි ශිෂ්‍යයන් ලෙස ජීවත් වූ අයට එය සම්පූර්ණයෙන්ම වෙනස් ලෝකයක් විය. එය මිත්‍රත්වය, වික්‍රමාන්විත අත්දැකීම්, දුෂ්කරතා සහ […]

Dr Sarath Obeysekera When people speak about the Soviet Union today, they usually talk about politics, the Cold War, communism, shortages, and the collapse of an empire. But for those of us who lived there as students, it was a different world altogether—a world of friendship, adventure, hardship, and endless stories.I arrived as a young […]

සරත් ඔබේසේකර අද ශ්‍රී ලංකාව පසුගිය ආර්ථික කඩාවැටීමෙන් යම් ප්‍රමාණයකට ගොඩ ආ බවක් පෙනේ. විදේශ සංචිත වැඩි වී ඇත. උද්ධමනය පාලනය වී ඇත. විශ්වාසය යම් තරමකට නැවත ගොඩනැගී ඇත. නමුත් අපේ ආර්ථිකය කඩා වැටීමට හේතු වූ මූලික දුර්වලතා තවමත් විසඳී නොමැත. අපි දිනපතාම කියවන්නේ මහ බැංකුව ඩොලර් මිලදී ගන්නා ආකාරය, විනිමය අනුපාතය පාලනය කිරීමට නීති […]

By Sarath Obeysekera Sri Lanka appears to have emerged from the worst phase of its recent economic collapse. Foreign reserves have improved, inflation is under control, and confidence has partially returned. Yet beneath the surface, the fundamental weaknesses that brought the nation to its knees remain largely unresolved. Every day we read reports of the […]

Dr Sarath Obeysekera General Port of Trincomalee commands a large, natural and a wide body of sheltered water in Sri Lanka. The Port of Trincomalee could be developed to play a major role in this unique economic region considering its locational advantage, deep water port facilities, large hinterland for establishing industries and   accompanied with quick land […]

By Sarath Obeysekera A recent newspaper report highlighted concerns raised by a policy think tank regarding the quality of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) in Sri Lanka. While the report correctly points out deficiencies in some EIA studies, it stops short of addressing a more fundamental question: Have EIAs become an instrument of environmental protection, or […]

Dr. Sarath Obeysekera When Technology Meets Red Tape: The Reality Behind Sri Lanka’s Digitisation Drive Digitisation or Paperisation? A Senior Citizen’s Experience At my age, climbing several flights of stairs is no longer easy. Fortunately, my wife, a medical doctor, anticipated this challenge years ago and arranged for a lift to be installed in our […]

Dr Sarath Obeysekera A recent news item showed former students who studied in socialist countries joining hands with the Russian Cultural Centre to clean parts of Colombo. While such initiatives are commendable, they also remind us of a painful reality: Sri Lanka’s cleanliness problem is not caused by a lack of cleaning campaigns. It is […]

Dr Sarath Obeysekera In 1989, five years after returning to Sri Lanka from the United Kingdom and Norway, where I had worked on offshore oil and gas projects in the North Sea, an unexpected opportunity changed the course of my life. One afternoon, a friend visited my home and asked whether I would be interested […]

Dr Sarath Obeysekera A Policy Shift Towards Steel and Prefabricated Construction for Sri Lanka’s Public Infrastructure Time for a New Approach to Government Construction Procurement Sri Lanka’s public sector construction procurement procedures have traditionally been based on conventional reinforced concrete structures with brick-and-mortar walls. Under existing procurement regulations, government institutions are required to prepare preliminary […]

By Eng. Sarath Obeysekera Former Chairman, Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation (SLLRDC) The recent announcement  ( Sunday Times 7th June) of a major Beira Lake clean-up programme has generated renewed hope that one of Colombo’s most iconic water bodies can finally be restored. Dredging, aerators, landscaping, jogging paths, and beautification projects are all […]

Dr Sarath Obeysekera Blue economy promoter Sri Lanka is once again celebrating agreements to send skilled graduates and engineers overseas. While foreign employment generates valuable remittances, we must ask a fundamental question: Are we exporting our most valuable resource because we have failed to create opportunities at home? Recent discussions on providing employment opportunities in […]

Dr Sarath Obeysekera Sri Lanka is currently engaged in a vigorous campaign against corruption in the public sector. Investigations, prosecutions, and public debate have rightly focused on the misuse of state resources and abuse of political power. However, an equally important question remains largely unaddressed: what about corruption and governance failures in the corporate sector? […]

Dr Sarath Obeysekera Sri Lanka is witnessing a renewed effort to combat corruption in the public sector. Investigations, audits, and legal reforms are being promoted as essential steps towards restoring public confidence and economic stability. These efforts are welcome and long overdue. However, there is an equally important question that deserves national attention: Why is […]

Dr Sarath Obeysekera Green Hydrogen: Will Sri Lanka Become a Producer or Just Another Importer? BOI in Sri Lanka has invited global companies for RFi to forward proposals to generate green hydrogen to bunker to ships Most suitable locations for such bunkering will in  be Trincomalee  Glad to note that government is shifting attention to […]

Dr Sarath Obeysekera  Million-Dollar Opportunity Floating in Our Harbours How FRP Boat Waste Can Be Recycled Old fishing boats and pleasure craft are mainly made from fiberglass reinforced polyester or vinyl ester resin. The scrap can be: Alternatively: The Challenge for Load-Bearing Beams Structural beams require: Recycled FRP powder alone is usually not strong enough […]

By Dr. Sarath Obeysekera Recent discussions on importing large numbers of foreign workers to address labour shortages in Sri Lanka specifically in construction industry , deserve careful scrutiny. While some policymakers view labour importation as a quick solution to workforce shortages in construction, manufacturing, and other sectors, the long-term social, economic, and political consequences could […]

By Dr. Sarath Obeysekera The recent tragic fire at an elders’ home in Sri Lanka, where vulnerable senior citizens reportedly suffocated and lost their lives, should shock the conscience of the nation. Yet beyond the immediate tragedy lies a deeper and more uncomfortable question: how do we treat the people who once cared for us, […]

By Dr. Sarath Obeysekera A workshop titled “Construction Sector Human Capital Recovery” was held recently at Water’s Edge under the auspices of the National Human Resources Development Council of Sri Lanka. The objective was to discuss the severe labour shortage facing the construction industry and to identify solutions for workforce sustainability. Many useful ideas were presented. Some […]