Business
Tourist Arrivals Exceed 840,000 to April 22; April Pace Slows
Sri Lanka tourist arrivals reached 840,411 between January 1 and April 22, with India leading at 176,465. April daily pace dropped versus prior months.
Business
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Business
25,000 MT Urea Shipment Due Early May, Total Yala Stock to Reach 151,000 MT
National Fertilizer Secretariat says incoming shipment will lift mid-May urea stocks to 151,000 MT against 125,000 MT needed for the Yala season.
Business
Brent Hits $106.80 as Trump Declares Hormuz 'Sealed Up Tight' for All Ships
Brent crude topped $106.80 Friday as Trump expanded the US blockade to require Navy approval for any vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Business
Cabinet Clears Retreaded Aircraft Tyre Imports to Ease SriLankan Airlines Costs
Cabinet lifts ban on retreaded aircraft tyre imports under HS 4012.13 for SriLankan Airlines and international carriers with certified supplier conditions.
Business
Castlereagh, Maussakelle Reservoirs Fall Rapidly as Dry Weather Persists
Maussakelle is 50 feet 11 inches below spill level and Castlereagh 40 feet 10 inches below, with submerged ruins re-emerging as hydropower pressure mounts.
Business
Colombo Stocks End Week Flat, ASPI at 22,567 as Rupee Pressure Persists
ASPI slips 1.05 points on Friday, ending a quiet week for the CSE while rupee forwards signal continued weakness beyond Rs. 318 per dollar.
Business
Fitch: Sri Lanka Faces Food Cost Pressure if US-Iran War Prolongs
Fitch names Sri Lanka, Philippines and Bangladesh as food-import vulnerable; fertiliser disruption from the Iran war threatens South Asia crops.
Business
NDB appoints KPMG as external auditor for 2026, replacing EY
National Development Bank has appointed KPMG as its external auditor for FY 2026, replacing EY, after the bank disclosed a Rs.13.2bn fraud undetected in 2025.
Business
Rupee Slides Past Rs. 317 With No Active Spot FX Market as CBSL Swap Printing Cited
Sri Lanka's forex market was hamstrung Friday with no active spot quotes, as analysts blamed CBSL money printing via swaps for the rupee's slide past Rs. 317.
Business
Samba rice prices drop at Pettah market after India imports
Ponni Samba and Kiri Samba rice prices have fallen sharply at the Colombo Pettah market after 27,000 metric tonnes were imported from India.
Business
Sri Lanka services exports fall 6.26% in March, ICT/BPM drops 26%
Sri Lanka services exports fell 6.26% in March 2026 to $286.9m, with ICT/BPM earnings down 26%, transport down 34%, construction down 39% year-on-year.
Business
Sri Lanka Q1 Exports Edge Up 1.6% to $4.3bn Despite March Hormuz Hit
Sri Lanka's first-quarter exports reached $4.3bn, up 1.6% YoY, before a 5.2% March drop tied to Hormuz disruption; UAE shipments collapsed 72.6% in March.
Business
Advocata Warns LPG Price Hike Inadequate, Forces Poor to Subsidise Wealthy
Advocata warns the Rs. 775 LPG hike leaves a Rs. 225–425 shortfall, pushing costs onto industrial users and low-income households.
Business
Brent Crosses $105 as Iran Vows Hormuz Stays Closed Under US Blockade
Brent oil hit $105.63 Thursday — first crossing of $100 since ceasefire — after Iran said it cannot reopen Hormuz while US naval blockade continues.
Business
Cabinet Greenlights Bill to Create Industrial Transformation and Innovation Authority
Single new authority would absorb IDB, NEDA and SEDD; draft Bill prepared with ADB technical assistance following December 2025 policy approval.
Business
Sri Lanka GDP Per Capita Crosses USD 5,000 for First Time in History
CBSL Annual Economic Review 2025 puts GDP per capita at USD 5,003, surpassing the pre-crisis 2018 high of USD 4,372 and the 2022 low of USD 3,464.
Business
CBSL Governor Courts Investors in Washington; US-SL Commercial Group Soft-Launched
CBSL Governor Nandalal met J.P. Morgan, Jefferies and HSBC in Washington; US-Sri Lanka Commercial Working Group soft-launched at US Chamber of Commerce.
Business
COPF Approves Port City Duty-Free Access for Locals, Narrows TEWA Exemptions
Parliament committee clears regulations easing Sri Lankan access to Port City duty-free shops and revises earlier Termination of Employment law exemption.
Business
CPC Confirms 9,500-Tonne Diesel Shipment Arrives April 27; Petrol to Follow
MD Neththikumarage says 9,500MT of diesel arrives April 27 and 35,000MT of petrol will reach Colombo before month-end as Brent crosses $105.
Business
CSE Foreign Outflow Tops Rs. 25 b YTD as Selling Resumes
Foreign investors were back as net sellers on Wednesday with a Rs. 2.52 b outflow, one day after ending a 21-session selling streak.
Business
EPF Assets Rise 13.6% to Rs. 4.9 Trillion in 2025, Equity Portfolio Up 27%
Employees' Provident Fund net worth climbed from Rs. 4.4 trillion to Rs. 4.9 trillion, with listed equity holdings rising to Rs. 188.9 billion, CBSL says.
Business
France Signals Positive Outlook on Sri Lanka's GSP+ Application
French Senate delegation led by Paoli-Gagin told FM Vijitha Herath France views Sri Lanka's GSP+ renewal positively and urged expanded garment exports to EU.
Business
Hambantota Port Sets Single-Vessel Record Handling 13,260 TEUs on MSC Marie Leslie
Hambantota International Port handled 7,968 containers and 13,260 TEUs on the MSC vessel between April 11–15, surpassing earlier March records.
Business
Austrian Trade Mission to Visit Sri Lanka in September, Minister Confirms
Industry Minister Handunneththi met Austrian Chamber of Commerce DG Otter in Vienna; Austrian business delegation scheduled for mid-September 2026.