Sri Lanka today launched a pilot project to deliver national birth certificates directly to citizens through the Sri Lanka Postal Courier Service, the Department of Registrar General announced.
The Sri Lankan Report
Sri Lanka’s Commercial Bank net up 32-pct in September quarter, credit grows ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s Commercial Bank of Ceylon, which also has a unit in Bangladesh reported profits of 16.59 billion rupees, up 32 percent from a year amid with credit growing 25 percent over the six months. Commercial Bank reported earnings of 10.18 rupees for the quarter. In the nine months to September earnings were 29.05 rupees per share on total profits of 47.3 billion rupees, up 52 percent. Interest income grew 10.3 percent to 74.8 billion rupees, interest expense grew 7.23 percent to 40.2 billion rupees and…
At least 42 people have been injured following a collision between a passenger bus and a tipper truck in the Hungama area along the Tissa–Matara main road, police said. The accident occurred earlier today when the bus, collided with the tipper truck. According to police, several passengers sustained serious injuries and were rushed to nearby hospitals, including the Tangalle and Hambantota hospitals. The post Over 40 injured in bus and tipper collision appeared first on Newswire.
Former Minister of Tourism and Aviation Prasanna Ranatunga, who was arrested today by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, was released on bail by Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama.
A new political movement named Bahujana Balaya (People’s Power) was launched on Tuesday with the aim of uniting young leaders from across the political spectrum to promote citizen-centered governance.
Sri Lanka’s ongoing cricket tour of Pakistan has been thrown into uncertainty following a deadly bomb explosion in Islamabad on Tuesday, which left at least 12 people dead and 36 others injured. The first ODI between Sri Lanka and Pakistan was played yesterday in Rawalpindi, located about 17 kilometres from the blast site. Despite the incident, the Sri Lankan team was escorted to the stadium under heavy security to complete the match as scheduled. However, Sri Lankan players have since expressed deep concern over the security situation, with reports indicating they are reluctant to continue the series. Local media reported…
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has emphasized the importance of establishing a solid foundation for government investments in the digital economy, which plays a key role in the proposed 2026 Budget. He made the remarks during a progress review meeting of the Ministry of Digital Economy for the year 2025, held at the Ministry premises yesterday. The discussion focused on assessing the progress and future strategies of digital development projects implemented by the institutions under the Ministry, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL), the Department for Registration of Persons (DRP) and GovTech (Pvt) Ltd. It also focused on identifying…
A request has been submitted to the Gangodawila Magistrate’s Court seeking the release of Daisy Forrest Wickremesinghe from the ongoing money laundering investigation linked to Yoshitha Rajapaksa, on the basis that she is suffering from dementia. President’s Counsel Anil Silva, appearing for Daisy Forrest, informed the court today that the 98-year-old was suffering from memory loss or dementia and is unable to give instructions for the continuation of the case. He further submitted medical reports to the court claiming that in 2017, the court had already ruled Daisy Forrest was incapable of managing her own property, after which it was…
ECONOMYNEXT – DFCC Bank said it has reached a deal to buy the retail and wealth management business of Standard Chartered Bank in Sri Lanka for 3.7 billion rupees. The transaction is expected to be concluded in early 2026, subject to regulatory approvals, DFCC Bank said in a stock exchange filing. “The proposed acquisition forms part of DFCC Bank’s strategic growth agenda to strenghten its retail and wealth management franchise, build scale and create sustainable value for customers, employees and shareholders alike,” the filing said. The transaction will be funded by internal funds. (Colombo/Nov12/2025)
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s rupee closed at 304.60/65 to the US dollar in the spot market Wednesday, weaker from 304.20/35 the previous day, dealers said, while bond yields edged up marginally. A bond maturing on 15.12.2026 closed at 8.10/15 percent, up from 8.05/10 percent. A bond maturing on 15.03.2028 closed at 8.98/9.00 percent, up from 8.85/90 percent. A bond maturing on 15.12.2029 closed at 9.45/50 percent, up from 9.40/43 percent. A bond maturing on 01.07.2030 closed at 9.55/62 percent, up from 55/69 percent. A bond maturing on 15.12.2032 closed at 10.20/25 percent, down from 25/30 percent. A bond maturing on…
DFCC Bank PLC (“DFCC Bank”) has announced that it has entered into a binding Business Sale Agreement with Standard Chartered Bank, United Kingdom, acting through its branch in Sri Lanka (“SCB Sri Lanka”), to acquire the wealth and retail banking business of SCB Sri Lanka. The proposed acquisition covers all of SCB Sri Lanka’s wealth and retail banking business, which includes Priority Banking, credit cards, retail lending, deposits and SME. The transaction ensures that all SCB Sri Lanka’s wealth and retail banking employees will be provided comparable roles and opportunities to continue to grow and further their careers within DFCC…
The Department of Meteorology has issued an advisory for severe lightning in the Southern and Uva provinces, and the Kalutara, Rathnapura and Ampara districts. Per the advisory, effective until 11.30 pm today, red alerts have been issued to 08 districts and amber alerts to 17 districts. According to the Met Department, thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur in the said districts, while there may be temporary localized strong winds during thunderstorms. The public is requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by lightning activity. (Newswire) The post Lightning advisory : Red alert issued to 08…
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka has sold 43.3 billion rupees of Treasury bills, of an offered 77 billion, with yields mostly flat across maturities, data from the state debt office showed. The 3-month yield was unchanged at 7.52 percent, with 10 billion rupees of bills offered and 3.45 billion sold. The 6-month yield rose by 1 basis point to 7.91 percent, with 30 billion rupees offered and 36.03 billion sold. The 12-month yield was unchanged at 8.04 percent with 37 billion rupees offered and 3.82 billion bills sold. 129.97 billion bids were received. The 3- and12-month bills are available on tap…
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s Colombo Stock Exchange closed up on Wednesday, data on the site showed. The All Share Price Index closed up 0.33 percent, or 77.54 points, at 23,659.70, while the S&P SL20 closed up 0.44 percent, or 29.00 points, at 6,557.60. Turnover was 7.23 billion rupees. Most of this came from capital goods (Rs1.85bn) and banks (Rs1.58bn). Top contributors to the ASPI were: Richard Pieris and Co (up 3.40 rupees at 43.50), John Keells Holdings (up 0.50 rupees at 22.80), Senkadagala Finance (up 61.75 rupees at 1,271.75), Vallibel One (up 4.25 rupees at 109.00), and Aitken Spence (up…
DFCC Bank PLC has informed the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the wealth and retail banking business of Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) in Sri Lanka for a consideration of Rs. 3.7 billion, subject to regulatory approval. The agreement was signed on November 12, 2025, between DFCC Bank PLC and Standard Chartered Bank, England, acting through its Sri Lankan branch. The deal covers SCB’s Priority Banking, credit card, retail lending, deposit, and SME portfolios, and is expected to be concluded by early 2026 following approval from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. DFCC…
Minister Samantha Vidyarathna named several individuals and companies that allegedly received funds allocated for entrepreneurs under a World Bank loan program during what he called were previous “green” and “blue” governments. Speaking in Parliament, Vidyarathna said the project was intended to support agriculture sector development, with a portion earmarked for entrepreneurs and industry-related initiatives. “This list is long, so I’ll name a few,” he said. Among those named was a company reportedly linked to Anoma Gamage, wife of former Minister Daya Gamage, which received Rs. 14.95 million. “There is no company and no repayment,” the minister alleged. Vidyarathna also claimed…
Deputy Minister of Industry Chathuranga Abeysinghe says there is an urgent need to revive Sri Lanka’s sugar industry, describing the effort as a national priority tied to economic sustainability and rural livelihoods. In a post shared on Facebook, Abeysinghe noted the recent public attention on locally produced brown sugar and urged citizens to look beyond market debates to recognize its broader value. He recalled the industry’s robust performance in the 1980s and attributed its decline to “inefficiency, neglect, and corruption,” despite the continued efforts of institutions like the Sugarcane Research Institute. Abeysinghe said over 100,000 families rely on sugarcane cultivation…
A team of officers from the Western North Unit of the Police Special Task Force has arrested a person in possession of 52.6g of ‘ICE’ in a raid conducted in the Kendaliyaddapaluwa area of Ragama on Tuesday (11). According to the Police, the suspect, who is a 34-year-old resident of the same area, has been handed over to the Ragama Police for further investigations. In a separate incident, officers from the Puwarasankulam camp of the Police Special Task Force conducted a liquor raid in the Iraniiluppukulam area of the Madu Police Division, Mannar, at midnight yesterday. As a result, a…
Sri Lanka Customs announced that it has exceeded its annual revenue target for 2025 as of yesterday (11). In an official statement, the department said its projected target for the year 2025 was Rs. 2,115 billion. Sri Lanka Customs further said that it surpassed the projected target, reaching a total of Rs. 2,117.2 billion in revenue. (Newswire) The post Sri Lanka Customs surpasses 2025 revenue target ahead of schedule appeared first on Newswire.
A new political movement, Bahujana Balaya (People’s Power), was launched on Tuesday, aiming to unite young leaders across party lines and promote citizen-focused governance. The initiative brings together a group of young political leaders who are currently active in various political parties representing the majority of the country’s population. The group held its first media briefing in Battaramulla, outlining plans to raise public awareness on what it described as the “short-sighted and misguided actions” of the current National People’s Power government. Organizers said the movement will propose practical solutions to national challenges. Speakers stressed that the Bahujana Balaya’s focus on…