Business
Prajashakthi programme has spent Rs. 23bn on 23,000 projects, President's office says
The rural poverty programme has used Rs. 23 billion of its Rs. 25 billion 2026 allocation, with all projects due for completion by the end of the year.
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THRIVE steering committee meets in Kilinochchi in shift to district-level decisions
The Australia-funded women's livelihoods project held its second steering committee in Kilinochchi — its first in a district where it works.
Business
Energy Minister sets out 410MW of battery storage as dry weather squeezes supply
Anura Karunatilaka says 160MW of battery storage reaches the grid by December, with tenders out for 250MW more and 150MW of ground-mounted solar.
Business
Anuradhapura supermarket fined Rs. 200,000 over uncertified wire cords
The Anuradhapura Magistrate's Court fined a supermarket for displaying electrical wire cords without SLS certification, after a Consumer Affairs Authority raid.
Business
Admiral (Retd.) Kanchana Banagoda named AASL chairman
Banagoda takes over as chairman of Airport and Aviation Services on September 1, ending months of an acting appointment at the state airports operator.
Business
Rs. 15bn CT Holdings and Cargills stake sales drive record Colombo turnover
The largest single transaction of 2026 lifted CSE turnover to Rs. 16.85 billion on Monday. The buyer has since been named as the Carson Cumberbatch group.
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Daya Gamage-linked firms owe state housing lender Rs. 974 million, COPE told
Daya Gamage-linked firms Bimputh and Olympus owe HDFC nearly Rs. 1 billion, mostly in unpaid interest, Parliament's COPE subcommittee heard.
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Lanka Salusala chairman bailed over Rs. 45 million VAT default
Chairman Dinuk Wijesinghe was released on Rs. 500,000 surety bail over unpaid VAT from 2017 to 2023, with progress due in court on December 17.
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Moody's affirms Sri Lanka at Caa1, warns interest costs eat 40% of revenue
The agency kept Sri Lanka's rating and stable outlook but said debt affordability remains weak and the period after the IMF programme ends will be critical.
Business
Rs. 75bn of the Rs. 95bn MSME loan fund already disbursed
The Department of Development Finance says 6,832 businesses have drawn loans under five schemes, with over 80% of the 2026 Budget allocation now used.
Business
Regulator raises solar-plus-battery payments as it warns of possible power cuts
PUCSL sets new renewable feed-in tariffs from August 25, paying up to Rs. 45.53 a unit for rooftop solar with storage, targeting 450MW by March 2027.
Business
Sri Lanka tourist arrivals pass 1.46 million for 2026
SLTDA figures show 1,468,980 tourists arrived between January 1 and August 18, with India, the UK and China the largest source markets.
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World Bank discusses Colombo Fort tourism zone at Presidential Secretariat
World Bank officials met the President's Chief of Staff on developing Colombo Fort as a tourism zone under Bank loans and grants.
Business
CAA seizes 8,500 water bottles carrying fake SLS certification
CAA seized nearly 8,500 bottles of drinking water falsely labelled with the SLS mark and certificate number 894 in an Avissawella raid.
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Colombo electric railway project to begin next year, Deputy Minister says
Deputy Minister Ruwan Senarath says an electric railway for Colombo and its suburbs will start from Maradana next year, with planning complete.
Business
Hydropower reservoirs at 67%, enough to generate until October
The National System Operator says catchment rainfall has held hydro storage at 67%, while Irrigation Department reservoirs have slipped to 35%.
Business
Jaffna traders fined Rs. 668,000 for selling goods above regulated prices
Three Jaffna businesses were fined a combined Rs. 668,000 for overpricing bottled water, soda and rice after CAA raids.
Business
The phantom import scheme ran on a single full stop — and the FIU warned about it in 2021
Banks bypassed import safeguards with a dot. COPF hears Central Bank warnings from 2021 were largely ignored by the financial sector.
Business
Government targets a further US$4.1 billion in Port City investment
Port City Colombo secured US$2.1 billion in confirmed investment and is targeting US$4.1 billion more over five years.
Business
Tourism revenue falls 11.5% to US$1.8bn in first seven months
Central Bank data shows tourism earnings of US$1,796.7mn from January to July, down from US$2,031.1mn a year earlier, with July takings also lower.
Business
Gamma Interpharm begins pharmaceutical exports to Cambodia
The Sri Lankan drug manufacturer says it shipped its first consignment to Cambodia on August 14, with Vietnam and the Philippines next on its export list.
Business
NARA says Sri Lanka's fish harvest has been declining since 2014
NARA chairman Sanath Hettiarachchi says no single cause has been identified, and cannot confirm El Niño is driving the fall in catches.
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Sri Lanka moves to tighten shark fishing management to international standards
Fisheries Ministry launches shark monitoring programme to regulate a trade built on by-catch fins, gills, jaws and skin exports.
Business
CAA sues 84 retailers over undocumented imported cosmetics and footwear
The Consumer Affairs Authority has filed cases against 84 shops that could not produce invoices for imported cosmetics and footwear after 108 islandwide raids.