Business
CBSL caps gold-backed loans at 70% of collateral value from May 25
Central Bank's Directions No. 02 of 2026 limit credit secured by gold — including pawning and gold loans — to 70% of collateral value from May 25.
Business
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Business
CBSL tightens vehicle financing again — commercial vehicles to 60%, cars to 40% LTV from May 25
Central Bank cuts loan-to-value caps for second time since November — commercial vehicles drop from 70% to 60%, cars and SUVs from 50% to 40%.
Business
Foreign investors sell US$13.9mn of Sri Lanka bonds in second straight week
Offshore holders sold a net US$13.9mn of rupee securities in the week to May 21, a second straight week of outflows as the rupee fell over 7% in 2026.
Business
SJB's Marikkar warns diesel could rise by Rs. 150 as rupee slides to Rs. 336
Opposition MP says rupee depreciation and rising fuel costs will push up prices of imports, medicine, food and farm inputs in the coming weeks.
Business
Mattala airport prepared for emergency landings as monsoon showers persist at BIA
CAA chief Daminda Rambukwella says CAA-SLAF-DMC committee set up to coordinate diversions to MRIA if BIA weather worsens through the south-west monsoon week.
Business
Police clarify temporary number plates not banned; only distorted plates face action
Police say only distorted or non-standard temporary number plates face action — not all temporary plates — amid the DMT shortage; issuance resumes in June.
Business
Rupee Asia's best on Friday, biggest gain in three years — Bloomberg eyes May 26 rate call
Bloomberg pegs Friday's 2.7% surge as Sri Lanka's biggest rupee gain since March 2023; most economists in its survey expect CBSL to hike on Tuesday.
Business
Sri Lanka rolls out free 30-day tourist ETA for 40 countries from May 25
An Immigration circular grants nationals of 40 countries a free 30-day, double-entry travel authorisation from May 25 in a long-delayed tourism push.
Business
Advocata says fuel subsidies driving dollar demand — diesel at Rs.392 vs Rs.409–410 cost
Dhananath Fernando says diesel is sold below cost and fuel — 23% of imports — must be repriced to ease dollar outflows of $200M–$500M a month.
Business
Commercial Bank becomes first bank to sign up for Port City Colombo branch
Commercial Bank CEO Sanath Manatunge and CHEC Port City MD Xiong Hongfeng signed the branch agreement — first bank inside the 269-ha Special Economic Zone.
Business
Colombo bourse loses 4.26% on the week as rupee jitters drag ASPI lower
The CSE ASPI shed roughly 976 points over the week of May 19-23 even after a third straight Friday gain, as exchange-rate concerns weighed on sentiment.
Business
Rescue underway for three Sri Lankan trawlers in distress, one being towed off Galle
Fisheries DG Susantha Kahawatte says rescue operations are under way for three multi-day trawlers, with one being towed 120 nautical miles back to Galle.
Business
Police Hunt Rainbow Garments Director Over Rs. 920 Million Romania Jobs Scam
CID and Commercial Crimes Division are probing Rainbow Garments Technologies over allegations it defrauded at least 750 people of nearly Rs. 920 million.
Business
CBSL Meets Forex Dealers Ahead of Tighter Currency Regulations
Central Bank weighs new foreign exchange controls to ease pressure on the rupee, which traded between Rs.342.63 and Rs.354.03 against the dollar.
Business
Ceynor nearing completion of USD 250,000 vessel for Mauritius client, Minister inspects
Minister Chandrasekar inspected a 55-foot vessel valued at USD 250,000 nearing completion at Mattakkuliya; Chairman targets four large vessels annually.
Business
CPC's May oil import bill hits US$521mn — 3.4x December level, set to ease by July
Deputy Finance Minister Anil Jayantha said CPC's May oil bill rose to US$521mn from US$152mn in December, with relief expected by July as prices ease.
Business
Colombo stocks close up 0.44% as capital goods lead Friday turnover
Sri Lanka's ASPI closed up 95.87 points at 21,929.64 on Friday, with capital goods leading Rs.2.17 billion in turnover as the rupee recovered.
Business
CT Smith Says Sri Lanka Pressures Are External Shock, Not Domestic Excess
Brokerage CT Smith argues current rupee and import strain stems from the Middle East energy shock, not the imbalances that drove the 2022 crisis.
Business
Fitch downgrades NITF to BBB-(lka) on Rs. 58bn Cyclone Ditwah hit, then withdraws rating
Fitch cut NITF to BBB-(lka) on Rating Watch Negative over Cyclone Ditwah losses, then withdrew the rating after the state reinsurer stopped participating.
Business
Fitch: Sri Lanka FX reserves down 7% in Feb–April, one of APAC's worst
Fitch Ratings says Sri Lanka's reserves fell 7% between February and April, second only to the Philippines among major Asia-Pacific peers.
Business
JKCG denies advance knowledge of vehicle surcharge; Anil Jayantha rules out import ban
BYD distributor JKCG said no LCs were opened in May 2026, denying front-running claims; the Deputy Finance Minister said imports will not be restricted.
Business
Manusha urges overseas Sri Lankans to remit through banks, warns against Undiyal
Former Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara urged migrant workers to remit through banks not Undiyal as rupee pressures mount.
Business
About 80 investors download Mattala EOI documents as airport workshop convenes
Deputy Civil Aviation Minister Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku said about 80 investors have downloaded EOI documents online for the Mattala Airport partnership.
Business
Rupee snaps back to 329 spot as exporters sell, banks cut TT selling to Rs.340
Sri Lanka's rupee closed at 329/331 in the spot market on Friday from 342/350 a day earlier, after exporters sold forward and bond yields recovered.