Business
Vehicle prices set to rise on rupee weakness and higher taxes — VIASL
VIASL president Prasad Manange says continued rupee depreciation and recent tax increases will push imported vehicle prices higher in the near future.
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Business
CAA catches Bokundara trader selling Keeri Samba at Rs. 360/kg as raids spread to Piliyandala
CAA officers caught a trader at the Bokundara Economic Centre selling Keeri Samba at Rs. 360/kg, Rs. 100 above the gazetted Rs. 260 maximum retail price.
Business
CPC raises fuel prices from midnight May 2 — petrol up Rs.12, diesel up Rs.10
CPC lifts 92 octane petrol to Rs.410, Lanka Auto Diesel to Rs.392 and kerosene to Rs.265 from midnight, with Lanka IOC matching the petrol and diesel hikes.
Business
Sri Lanka Tourism Crosses 858,000 Arrivals in First Four Months as April Slumps to 117,893
Sri Lanka logged 858,527 tourist arrivals in January–April 2026, but the month of April alone managed only 117,893 — the year's weakest monthly tally.
Business
Vehicle Imports Hit Rs. 195.95 Bn in Q1, Up 900% Year-on-Year — CBSL
Central Bank data shows Sri Lanka's vehicle import bill jumped 900% to Rs. 195.95 billion in Q1 2026, with Rs. 62.33 billion arriving in March alone.
Business
Colombo is 'a port for India,' Ceylon Chamber chief tells WION Summit
Krishan Balendra says 85% of Colombo port volume is Indian transshipment; Harsha and Sajith echo deeper India ties at Saturday's WION Summit.
Business
Cabinet awards $225,000 Adalimumab tender to India's Reliance Life Sciences
Sri Lanka's Cabinet approved a USD 225,000 contract with Reliance Life Sciences for 6,000 pre-filled Adalimumab syringes used to treat autoimmune conditions.
Business
AKD warns 'small-scale fuel price increases' may be necessary as energy crisis deepens
President says diesel costs Rs.482/litre to import while sold at Rs.382, with Rs.60bn allocated to subsidies as coal and reservoir levels worsen.
Business
Akkaraipattu shop fined Rs. 100,000 for selling Keeri Samba above MRP
Akkaraipattu Magistrate's Court fined a trader Rs. 100,000 after CAA officers found 2kg of Keeri Samba sold for Rs. 800 — Rs. 140 above the Rs. 260/kg cap.
Business
Consumer Sentiment Index Slumps to 70 in March, Lowest Since June 2024
Prosoft's Consumer Sentiment Index dropped 16 points to 70 in March, the steepest single-month fall since January 2021, on cost-of-living and energy concerns.
Business
CSE posts 7% monthly gain in April, best since July 2025
ASPI rose 7% and S&P SL20 5.1% in April with average daily turnover of Rs. 3.66 billion, NDB Securities said, despite a softer last trading day.
Business
Customs find 16 tonnes of turmeric, 1.1 tonnes of cashew hidden in gypsum boards
Customs Preventive Branch detects undeclared turmeric and cashew inside a Panwila importer's plasterboard shipment — second gypsum-concealment this week.
Business
PA seeks urgent action as Gulf crisis threatens 45% of Ceylon Tea exports
The Planters' Association warned $680m of Ceylon Tea exports — 45% of the total — are at risk as the West Asia and Hormuz crisis squeezes markets and inputs.
Business
Sri Lanka raises extra Rs. 10bn in T-bill tap auction at 8.25%
PDMO sold Rs. 10,040 million of 6-month bills on tap at 8.25%, lifting the past week's total to Rs. 136.94 billion. Settlement is May 4.
Business
ADB Pledges Over $100 Million to Diversify Sri Lanka's Exports
Asian Development Bank has agreed a special package exceeding $100 million to widen Sri Lanka's export market, EDB Chairman Mangala Wijesinghe said.
Business
Sri Lanka Posts Marginal Current Account Surplus in March, Q1 Surplus $531mn — CBSL
Trade deficit widened to $2.3bn on a 74.7% jump in fuel imports, while remittances rose 17.5% to $815mn and tourism earnings fell sharply.
Business
Colombo stocks fall 85 points as Brent crude tops $113
ASPI lost 0.38% to close at 22,549 on Thursday with capital goods leading turnover; regional markets also down on extended Iran blockade.
Business
DFCC Bank Partners with Dubai's AlfaNow to Expand UAE Remittance Corridor
DFCC Bank has tied up with Dubai-based AlfaNow to speed up UAE-to-Sri Lanka transfers as remittances rose 17.5% to $815mn in March.
Business
HSBC Ends Consumer Banking in Sri Lanka, 200,000 Accounts Move to NTB
HSBC's retail business closes today after CBSL-approved sale to Nations Trust Bank, ending decades of consumer banking presence.
Business
Sri Lanka's rooftop solar at a crossroads as tariff hikes drive uptake — former CEB GM
Net metering, accounting and net plus underpin the shift, but transformer capacity and approval delays still constrain household and commercial installations.
Business
Plantation Companies Plan Palm Oil Investments as Expert Panel Backs Ban Lift
Regional Plantation Companies plan palm oil investments after a 13-member expert panel found no environmental or health basis for Sri Lanka's seven-year ban.
Business
Rupee Falls Below 320 to Dollar as Inflation Returns to CBSL 5% Target
Sri Lanka's rupee closed at 319.75/320.00 to the US dollar on Thursday as April inflation hit the Central Bank's 5% mid-point target.
Business
Seylan Bank Q1 2026 Profit After Tax Rises 5.25% to Rs. 2.91 Billion
Seylan Bank reported a Q1 2026 profit after tax of Rs. 2.91 billion, up 5.25% year-on-year, with assets growing from Rs. 785 billion to Rs. 943 billion.
Business
Sri Lanka adds 17,081 active credit cards in February 2026
Active credit cards reach 2,193,380 as economic recovery and lower interest rates lift card usage; analysts flag possible slowdown from fuel rationing.