Courtesy Adaderana Restrictions imposed on imported goods will be further relaxed later today (July 20), State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya says. Thereby, import restrictions on 328 more items will be eased. The lawmaker said the gazette notification announcing the import restriction relaxation would be published tonight. The announcement comes a month after the government […]

Courtesy Adaderana The Spokesman for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi, has revealed India’s willingness to further expand financial economic relations between Sri Lanka and India. Speaking on President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to India, Bagchi said We would like to steepen this financial economic connection, but I think it’ll be premature for me to […]

Courtesy Adaderana The European Commission has suggested that the current GSP+ (Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus) scheme be extended by 04 years, amidst the ongoing negotiations for the EU’s new GSP+ arrangement. Taking to Twitter, the Delegation of European Union (EU) to Sri Lanka has mentioned that as one of Sri Lanka’s largest trading partners […]

By Asiri Fernando Courtesy The Morning The Government will appoint a committee to evaluate the proposal submitted by the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) for an oil distribution pipeline connecting Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu to Trincomalee and Colombo, the Ministry of Power and Energy said yesterday (15). The proposal comes days before President Ranil Wickremesinghe is to […]

Courtesy NDTV Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, also the Sri Lanka’s finance minister, made this remark while addressing the Indian CEO Forum this week. Sri Lanka would want to see the Indian Rupee used as much as the US dollar, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said, days ahead of his first official visit to New Delhi. […]

Courtesy Adaderana The All Share Price Index (ASPI) of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) crossed the 10,500-point mark at the end of trading today (14 July). Accordingly, the ASPI gained 103.50 points today, closing at 10,595.02 points. Meanwhile, the day’s turnover was recorded at Rs. 2.70 billion, while the S&P SL20 went up by 60.88 […]

Courtesy Adaderana

BY SU WU  Courtesy Simple Flying As the summer travel peak approaches, Air China and other Chengdu-based airlines are increasing domestic and international flights to seize the market According to Air China, its Southwest Branch, which is based in Chengdu, a hub city in Southwestern China, will launch, resume, and put extra flights from Chengdu to […]

Courtesy Adaderana The Civil Aviation Authority of Israel has confirmed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed by the relevant authorities of Israel and Sri Lanka in order to commence the air service of providing direct passenger flights from Tel Aviv in Israel to Katunayake. During a discussion held in this regard, Minister […]

Courtesy Seychellesnewsagency The airline’s inaugural flight on its Airbus A320 landed at Bandaranaike International with 110 passengers onboard. (Air Seychelles) Seychelles’ national carrier, Air Seychelles, started operating twice weekly flights to Colombo after it made its inaugural flight on Tuesday, June 20th.  The airline operates the twice-weekly flights from Seychelles to Colombo on Tuesdays and Saturdays […]

Courtesy Adaderana The 5th Round of Sri Lanka-Thailand Free Trade Agreement (SLTFTA) negotiations commenced in Colombo this morning (26), aligning with President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s vision of strengthening economic ties with major and emerging economies, with a particular focus on ASEAN countries, the PMD reported. Mr. K.J. Weerasinghe, the Chief Negotiator, International Trade Office (Leader of […]

Courtesy Borneo Bulletin CNA – Sri Lanka and Thailand could sign a free trade agreement (FTA) by March 2024, a top official of the Indian Ocean nation told media yesterday, as it attempts to rebuild its crisis-stricken economy. The two nations restarted deal negotiations in January, months after a severe financial crisis engulfed Sri Lanka, […]

Courtesy The Daily Mirror The government will introduce a floor and ceiling price for fuel with the launch of business operations by Sinopec, a leading international petroleum company, in the country shortly, a top source said. Sinopec has already signed the agreement to distribute fuel in Sri Lanka. Sinopec will be allocated 150-dealer operated fuel […]

By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya Courtesy The Morning Clay is a material many of us are familiar with, whether we come across it in the form of cookware, as a medium of art, or in construction. However, the industry remains largely untapped, with its potential going unnoticed and uses being limited for years. Shedding light on […]

Courtesy NewsIn.Asia May 26 (AdaDerana) – President Ranil Wickremesinghe expressed his regret to the Japanese Government for the suspension of the Colombo Light Rail Transit (LRT) project, which was being implemented with Japanese support. During the official meeting in Tokyo this morning (25) between President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the President […]

Courtesy The Daily Mirror The Board of Investment of Sri Lanka has received the approval from an expert committee to embark on a pilot project to cultivate cannabis within a BOI zone. This was revealed by Investment Promotion State Minister Dilum Amunugama during a media briefing at the BOI headquarters. The pilot project is to […]

Courtesy The Daily Mirror Russian Ambassador Levan Dzhagaryan takes questions from Daily Mirror in an interview on bilateral ties and the current position of his country on the war with Ukraine. He spells out the importance of nuclear energy cooperation with Sri Lanka. Excerpts:  QThere are reports about the energy sector cooperation between Russia and […]

Courtesy Adaderana In a significant move to address Sri Lanka’s fuel supply challenges, a contract agreement was signed with Sinopec, a leading international petroleum company. The agreement, signed today (22), marks a crucial step in ensuring a steady and uninterrupted fuel supply for the nation, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said. The signing ceremony took […]

Courtesy Adaderana Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekara says that according to the agreement signed between Sinopec and the Ministry of Power and Energy, the state-owned Chinese company will be granted a 20-year license to operate 150 fuel stations currently operated by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC). In a tweet, the minister said that […]

Courtesy Nation Africa Sri Lankan firm Browns Investment Plc has bought an undisclosed stake in multinational tea firm James Finlay Kenya in a deal that will see locals hold a 15 percent ownership through a co-operative. Finlay, with farms in Kericho and Bomet counties, will also retain the Saosa tea extraction facility, which will be […]

Courtesy Adaderana A Chinese state-owned firm said on Monday it plans to take its investment in Sri Lanka to $2 billion by building a major logistics hub. Sri Lanka is looking to kickstart its economic recovery after defaulting on its foreign debt last year, when shortages of essentials such as food, fuel and medicines sparked […]

Courtesy Adaderana A discussion regarding the import of maize to be used for the production of poultry feed was held at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of the Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera and the President’s Senior Adviser on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff Sagala Ratnayake. During the meeting yesterday (26), special […]

Courtesy Adaderana Sri Lanka has launched the project to build the largest commercial and logistics complex in South Asia in the Port of Colombo with an investment of USD 392 million. Agreements for the construction and operation of the South Asia Commercial and Logistics Hub (SACL) as a 50-year Build Operate-Transfer (BOT) project were formally […]

Courtesy Adaderana The Chinese Embassy in Colombo says that the country’s wildlife authorities have clarified that they are not aware of the request to export 100,000 toque macaque monkeys from Sri Lanka to a Chinese private company and that no such application has been received from any side.  Issuing a press release on the issue, […]

ANI news China’s largest oil and petrochemical products supplier and the second largest oil and gas producer is interested in the export-oriented oil refinery in Sri Lanka, but the question remains why? According to the Sri Lankan publication, Mawrata News, the friendly relationship between the two countries has been used for China’s journey to become […]

Courtesy Emirates.com Members can now bid Skywards Miles for an exclusive opportunity to visit the home of Dilmah and explore the lush tea plantations in Sri Lanka. Dubai, UAE: 14 April 2023 – Emirates Skywards, the award-winning loyalty programme of Emirates and flydubai, has partnered with Dilmah Tea to offer members an exciting opportunity to experience […]

Courtesy Ada Derana The Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Indonesia, Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage paid a courtesy call on Minister of Manpower of the Republic of Indonesia Ida Fauziyah on Tuesday. While expressing concerns about the current economic challenges faced by the Sri Lankan government, Minister Fauziyah agreed to exchange information on employment opportunities between […]

By Buddhika Samaraweera Courtesy The Morning Authorities of the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) and the Ministry of Agriculture are currently discussing the provision of 100,000 toque macaques (a reddish brown coloured Old World monkey endemic to Sri Lanka and known as the ‘rilawa’) to China, considering a request made by the latter to the […]

Courtesy Adaderana Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara says Sri Lanka has reached a bilateral agreement with the government of Japan, in order to establish training centres aimed at Japanese employment that will open up more employment opportunities in Japan which generate higher income. Minister Manusha Nanayakkara, who is on an official visit […]

Courtesy The Morning 450 SOEs incur Rs. 2,894 bn losses during 2012-2022 Sectoral regulatory agency mooted for SOEs: Siyambalapitiya A total of 450 State owned enterprises (SOEs) have incurred a loss of Rs. 2,894 billion (bn) between the years of 2012 and 2022, with the highest being recorded in 2020, according to the Ministry of […]