Jul 29 (EN) SL’s cabinet has approved a proposal to establish a state-owned company to manage, operate, and develop the island’s multimodal transport hubs, govt spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa said. The new entity, created under the provisions of the Public Finance Management Act, No. 44 of 2024, will be a Treasury Limited (Public) Company directly controlled by the Ministry of Transport. It will handle the operation, administration, standardization, business development, more..

Jul 29 (ST) Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm project is currently being fast-tracked by the government as a long-term solution to regional energy security, highlighted by a major international bidding push launched just days ago, a senior official of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) said. Trinco Petroleum Terminal Ltd (TPTL) officially announced plans to launch an international Request for Proposals (RFP) to commercialise and redevelop 29 of the 61 unused tanks under its custody. more..

Jul 29 (NW) John Keells Holdings (JKH) has announced plans to introduce the globally recognised fast-food chain Wendy’s to Sri Lanka, with the first outlet expected to open by Dec 2026. The announcement was made in JKH’s financial results for the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year, released on Tuesday. The company said it will diversify its Consumer Foods portfolio by entering Sri Lanka’s Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) segment through the rollout of Wendy’s. more..

Jul 29 (Island) Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners (CPRF) has requested the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) to locate three inmates of the Negombo Prison who disappeared shortly before violence erupted there on 5 July. Those who disappeared included one accused, one suspect and the status of the other person is not known. Executive Director, CPRF, Senaka Perera identified them as more..

Jul 29 (DN) Joint Opposition Coalition Convener, former Minister Prof. G.L.Peiris said yesterday that the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) will convene all its 26,000 members today for a special discussion regarding the judicial retirement age. This Association officially represents the country’s legal community. But, the proposal has been approved without receiving and reviewing prior observations and representations from BASL and other legal stakeholder’s. more..

Jul 29 (TM) Several members of Kavadi dance groups participating in the annual Esala (July) Perahera of the Devinuwara Uthpalawanna Sri Vishnu Maha Devalaya were arrested yesterday morning for allegedly possessing narcotics during a special Police operation. Around 1,500 security personnel have been deployed to ensure the safety of the procession, while all Kavadi groups taking part in the event are being subjected to inspections. The heightened security measures follow more..

Jul 29 (DM) S&P Global Ratings has affirmed Sri Lanka’s long- and short-term sovereign credit ratings at CCC+/C, while maintaining a stable outlook, citing continued economic recovery, strong revenue growth and improvements in fiscal management. The ratings agency said SL’s economy has remained resilient despite multiple external challenges, with increased govt revenue helping to support fiscal consolidation and more..

Jul 30 (TM) Govt's proposed non-governmental organisation (NGO) Law is a heavy-handed piece of Legislation. The Government’s justification is that regulating NGOs is necessary to comply with the requirements of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) which is an inter-Governmental body that, among other things, aims to address issues of terrorist financing and money laundering. Further, that there is a sense of urgency because the Govt is required to respond to FATF before October. more..

Jul 30 (Island) In today’s digital age, smartphones have become an essential part of everyday life. They are used for communication, education, entertainment, and accessing information. In SL, the number of children using smartphones has increased rapidly over the past decade. While smartphones offer many educational and social benefits, excessive or improper use can create serious challenges for children’s physical health, mental well-being, academic performance, more..

Jul 30 (SO) More than US$700 million may have been transferred out of SL through an alleged network of companies that claimed the money was being sent overseas to pay for imported goods. But according to Police Media, thousands of these payments were followed by no evidence that the goods had ever entered the country. CID is now investigating 21 leading companies over what could become one of the country’s largest foreign exchange fraud more..

Jul 30 (ST) The other day I heard Dr Harsha de Silva, an articulate, persistent and persuasive parliamentarian, one of the few around, do what he does well. As chairman of the COPF, I watched him drill some officials of the Finance Ministry with regard to the disappearance of a huge sum of money. This was real scientific planning where criminals are only a step behind modern technology, and the sleuths waiting to crack down on the perpetrators are still behind. more..

Jul 30 (DM) Drives launched by govts to eliminate certain undesirable phenomena are politically very convenient. Such programmes bolster people’s faith in govt at times when it begins to wane. We already have the drive to eliminate dengue by 2030, and now the Department of Animal Production and Health (DAPH) and the National Rabies Control Programme have announced a drive to completely eliminate rabies by the same year. This is laudable. But a public outcry arose after this more..

Jul 30 (SO) As the Govt intensifies efforts to broaden the tax net, the majority of the public is eager to comply with its tax obligations. The transparency in governance has resulted in the public choice to pay taxes voluntarily, increasing the country’s tax revenue within the past few quarters. In this backdrop, the Inland Revenue Dept (IRD) recently called on tax evaders to comply with the existing laws, avoid enforcement actions more..

Jul 30 (ST) Two weeks ago, we were in the Eastern Province, where we attended two seminars — one at Eastern University and the other at Southeastern University. Both focused on Sri Lanka’s transformative growth and the role of regions in shaping it. We also spent a few days exploring Batticaloa, Passikudah, Arugambay, and the Kumana National Park. Our discussions with Vice Chancellors, faculty members, and students gave us valuable insights into provincial economy. more..

Jul 30 (Island) Sri Lankans are gluttons for punishment. All govts they elect with steamroller majorities invariably undermine democracy. They voted overwhelmingly for SLFP-led United Front in 1970, UNP in 1977, SLFP-led UPFA in 2010 & SLPP in 2020 only to be left with regrets. But they did so again in 2024, when they elected the JVP-led NPP with a mammoth majority, which is to be misused to amend the Constitution to extend the retirement ages of the superior court judges. more..

Jul 30 (CT) The mandate that propelled Prez and his NPP coalition to a historic landslide victory was anchored to an explicit, uncompromising promise: the total dismantle of state capture, the eradication of institutional corruption, and the resurrection of an independent rule of law. Yet, less than a year into its transformative governance, the administration has engineered a high-stakes constitutional standoff that threatens to dismantle the very democratic safeguards it swore to protect. more..

Jul 30 (DN) Sri Lanka is a country that is proud of our social statistics. The country that has a higher literacy rate in South Asia only second to Maldives. Free healthcare and free education are a national pride for every citizen, ever since Mr. C.W.W. Kannangara as a minister of education established the right for free education from the colonial Britian. Our history teachers were proud to mention the landmark victory that granted education as a right rather than a privilege. more..

Jul 30 (ST) An extensive new regulatory regime is in the making for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Sri Lanka, designed to completely supersede the obsolete Voluntary Social Service Organisations (VSSO) Act No. 31 of 1980. Director General of the NGO Secretariat Chandrarathna Vithanage confirmed that because the bill is not yet finalised, it has not been enacted into law. more..

Jul 30 (FT) Chamber of Lankan Entrepreneurs (COYLE) and the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) formalised a strategic partnership with the signing of a MoU in Colombo, reinforcing their shared commitment to expanding bilateral trade, investment, and business collaboration. The agreement was signed by COYLE Chairman Suren Chandraratna and Indian Chamber of Commerce – TN Chairman Shivkumar Eashwaran in the presence of business leaders from both countries more..

Jul 30 (DM) Alumex PLC reported a sevenfold increase in net profit for the three months ended June 2026, as lower cost of sales, stronger operating profit and higher finance income offset a marginal decline in revenue. Manufacturing. The aluminium manufacturer posted a net profit of Rs.149.9 mil for the quarter, compared with Rs.21.4 mil in the corresponding period last year. Earnings per share rose to 25 cents from four cents. Revenue declined 3.8% year-on-year to Rs.3.58 bil more..

Jul 30 (FT) Cabinet earlier this week approved a proposal to establish the Gem and Jewellery Research and Training Institute as the Research and Training Division of National Gem & Jewellery Authority (NGJA), paving the way for a major institutional reform aimed at strengthening the country’s gem and jewellery sector. The proposal also authorises the necessary legal steps under the provisions of the NGJA Act, No. 50 of 1993 to formalise the integration. more..

Jul 30 (FT) Odel PLC said it had revised the development strategy for its Odel Mall project in Colombo 7, prioritising completion of Zone 1 within the next 1.5 to two years while deferring the second phase of the mixed-use development. The company said the disclosure was being made to ensure transparency and mitigate speculative and/or inaccurate representations regarding the project. Odel said construction of Zone 1 had recommenced and was progressing, with completion more..

Jul 30 (Island) Point Pedro Urban Council wants the govt to remove two military bases in the area coming under its purview. All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) run council recently decided to call a large-scale public protest campaign targeting the army detachment at the Point Pedro jetty near the town and navy detachment at Munai, on the northern tip of Point Pedro. ACTC won the council at the May 2025 Local Govt polls. more..

Jul 30 (FT) Sri Lanka is accelerating reforms to modernise its intellectual property (IP) ecosystem as policymakers, regulators, law enforcement agencies, industry leaders and legal experts urged stronger protection of innovation to support trade, attract investment and deepen economic ties with the United States. The message emerged at the SL-USA Business Council (SLUSABC) of The CCC breakfast forum titled The IP Trade Corridor – Strengthening US-SL Economic Partnership more..

Jul 30 (NW) Minister Nalinda Jayatissa inaugurated a new five-storey Port Health Office at the Port of Colombo, constructed at a cost of Rs. 168 million with funding from the Govt of Japan. The facility was built under a project implemented by the Int'l Organization for Migration (IOM) to strengthen SL’s border health security. The new Port Health Office will enhance the country’s capacity to identify public health risks entering through the port, improve surveillance of communicable diseases, more..

Jul 30 (FT) Govt yesterday said several key policy measures implemented by the Govt, including policy consistency, stronger fiscal management, and improvements in debt management, had contributed to the latest assessment by S&P Global Ratings, while cautioning that Sri Lanka continues to face structural vulnerabilities stemming from its debt burden, energy dependence, and exposure to external shocks. more..

Jul 30 (FT) Cabinet on Monday approved the allocation of land to 23 investors across 13 regional industrial estates on 35-year lease agreements, paving the way for new manufacturing and industrial ventures with a combined investment of over Rs. 2.8 billion and the creation of 870 direct jobs. The decision forms part of the Govt’s regional industrial estate development program, implemented by the Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Ministry to promote balanced industrialisation more..

Jul 30 (AD) SL para-athlete Palitha Bandara secured the country’s first medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow after winning silver in the men’s Discus Throw F42-44/F61-64 event. Bandara produced an impressive throw of 46.84 metres in the final to finish second in the competition. Wales’ Aled Davies claimed the gold medal, while Akeem Stewart of Trinidad and Tobago took home the bronze. This marks Bandara’s second consecutive Commonwealth Games silver medal, more..

Jul 30 (NW) Vavuniya Magistrate’s Court has imposed a fine of Rs. 500,000 on private hospital for charging above the maximum approved fee for Full Blood Count (FBC) blood tests. The legal action was filed by the Vavuniya District Investigation Officers of the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) under Direction No. 67 issued in terms of the CAA Act. According to the CAA, a special inspection carried out on July 14 found that the private hospital, located on Hospital Road in Vavuniya, more..

Jul 30 (EN) SL Customs exceeded its monthly target for a seventh consecutive month in July, achieving the target before the end of the month. Customs’ July revenue target was set at 192.4 billion rupees. However, the revenue-collecting body had already collected 227.6 billion rupees in the first 27 days of the month, exceeding the target. Customs has set a revenue target of 2,207 billion rupees for this year, 13.5% less than last year as it originally expected a significant decline in car imports. more..

Jul 30 (TM) The NMRA is expected to make a decision soon on the approval of a Japanese dengue vaccine for limited use in Sri Lanka, with the relevant age categories and other criteria still being considered, Health Ministry Secretary Dr Anil Jasinghe said. He said that if approved, the vaccine would initially be available only through the private sector and would not be purchased or provided by the Govt through State hospitals. more..

Jul 30 (DN) The men’s javelin throw at the 2026 Commonwealth Games is shaping up as one of the highlights of the athletics programme, with SL’s Rumesh Tharanga, India’s Neeraj Chopra and Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem set to renew their rivalry in Glasgow today. South Asian trio enters the competition in impressive form, but they will also face a world-class field featuring several athletes who have thrown beyond 90 metres. Among the leading contenders are two-time more..

Jul 30 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake joined thousands of devotees on Wednesday night to witness the final grand procession of the 2026 Esala Perahera at the historic Ruhunu Kataragama Maha Devalaya, describing the annual pageant as a symbol of SL's cultural heritage and national unity. Earlier in the day, the Prez visited the Kirivehera Rajamaha Viharaya, where he received blessings from the Chief Sanghanayaka of Ruhunu Magampattuwa and Chief Incumbent, more..

Jul 30 (DN) Sri Lanka claimed a historic bronze medal at the Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) Men’s Championship after beating Uzbekistan 3-2 in a thrilling third-place playoff in Islamabad, Pakistan yesterday. It is SL’s best-ever finish in the tournament since it began in 2022. SL fought back strongly to seal the victory with set scores of 25-19, 22-25, 25-23, 19-25, 15-11 in a closely contested match. The Sri Lankans made a bright start by winning the opening set 25-19, more..

Jul 30 (FT) Govt has invited the public to report corruption, misconduct, and administrative shortcomings in Govt institutions through multiple complaint channels as part of a broader drive to improve transparency, accountability, and public service delivery. The program, themed A Culture of Integrity – A Clean Sri Lanka, was launched for National Integrity Week 2026 from 27 to 31 July before being extended across all Govt and semi-Govt institutions until 31 December 2026. more..