Business
Ceylon Chamber signs MoUs with Qatar and Lebanon business bodies
Ceylon Chamber signs MoUs with Qatar and Lebanon business bodies to expand trade and investment links.
Business
1709 stories Business
Colombo bourse opens higher on Friday as capital goods lead turnover
ASPI rose 22.76 points to 21,428.38 in Friday morning trade, ending a three-session slide. Capital goods led trading at Rs. 274.9 million.
Business
Derana network agencies take Gold at 2026 Dragons of Sri Lanka Awards
IdeaHell wins Gold for its Suwa Sasuna campaign at the 2026 Dragons of Sri Lanka Awards in Colombo, with Silver and Bronze also going to Derana network work.
Business
Hambantota emerges as luxury car transshipment route as Hormuz disruption bites
Fourteen Lamborghinis were routed through Hambantota Port en route to Dubai and Doha, as Strait of Hormuz disruption reroutes Middle East-bound vehicle cargo.
Business
Sri Lanka's national inflation rises to 7.2% in July
National Consumer Price Index inflation rose to 7.2% in July from 6.5% in June, with food inflation climbing to 4.9% as non-food eased slightly.
Business
Online railway season tickets to open to private sector staff from October 1
Transport Minister Bimal Rathnayake also announced mandatory expressway seat belts from September 19 and drug testing for public transport drivers.
Business
Panama Canal to cut daily transits as El Niño drought lowers water levels
The Panama Canal Authority will cut daily transits from 36 to 34 in early September and to 32 from September 15 as El Niño drought lowers water levels.
Business
Sri Lanka ships first fresh pineapple consignment to Pakistan
The first 20-foot container of Sri Lankan pineapples was packed for Pakistan on Friday, opening a market that imports up to 5,000 tonnes a year.
Business
Omani trade delegation visits Port City Colombo to discuss investment corridor
A delegation led by Omani foreign trade adviser Pankaj Khimji met Port City Colombo officials to discuss an Oman–South Asia investment and trade corridor.
Business
Diplomatic missions briefed on Sri Lanka Economic and Investment Summit
Foreign missions in Colombo were briefed on SLEIS 2026, with the Ceylon Chamber asking them to carry the message to investors abroad.
Business
Parliament approves Rs. 7.5 billion for Yala season paddy purchases
The supplementary estimate passed after an hour-long debate. The money is redirected from Agriculture Ministry funds expected to go unspent this year.
Business
Bowatenna Reservoir to be drained from August 24 for first full maintenance in 50 years
Bowatenna Reservoir drained from August 24 for first major maintenance in 50 years.
Business
Rs. 300,000 in fines over substandard helmets and expired infant formula
Two Colombo shops fined for selling uncertified helmets and expired infant formula; CAA enforcement action continues.
Business
CAA warns traders must hold invoices proving source of goods
Traders who cannot show where stock was bought risk seizure and prosecution, the Consumer Affairs Authority says ahead of market inspections.
Business
ASPI holds above 21,400 as Colombo bourse slips for a third session
The All Share Price Index eased 10.95 points to 21,405.62 on Thursday as turnover reached Rs. 1.5 billion and foreign investors turned net sellers.
Business
CSE recovers at midday as ASPI climbs back above 21,440
Both indices traded higher on Thursday after Wednesday's decline, while Singer Finance announced a rights issue to raise capital at Rs. 39.20 a share.
Business
Deputy Minister tells Parliament reserves on track for $9bn by year-end
Anil Jayantha Fernando set out the government's foreign exchange strategy in response to Ravi Karunanayake, though outlets report different year-end targets.
Business
Gold holds above US$4,500 near two-month high after US Treasury buyback move
Gold holds near $4,512 two-month high after US Treasury buyback weakens dollar and lifts precious metals.
Business
14 Lamborghinis routed through Sri Lanka as Hormuz closure redraws cargo routes
Italian supercars bound for Dubai and Doha came by sea to Hambantota and by road to Katunayake — but journalists covering the transfer were turned away.
Business
Oil hits three-week high as Hormuz impasse keeps supply tight
Brent rose 2.7% to $94.06 a barrel on Thursday, a fifth straight session of gains, as the deadlock in the Iran war continued to squeeze Middle East supply.
Business
Cabinet clears Rs. 25.58bn revised contract to finish Sethsiripaya Phase III
Cabinet approves revised Rs. 38.48bn contract for Sethsiripaya Phase III completion; cost nearly doubled.
Business
Sri Lanka sells extra Rs. 14bn in Treasury bills on tap as yields fall
The debt office took the week's total to Rs. 154 billion, with tap rates well below the levels seen at auction in late July.
Business
US national debt passes $40 trillion, doubling in under a decade
Treasury figures put total public debt at $40.047 trillion, arriving faster than the CBO had projected and pushing 30-year yields to a near 20-year high.
Business
Bank officials further remanded over US$1bn outflow; court orders probe into senior staff
A businessman and four bank officials were remanded until September 3, as the magistrate ordered the FCID to examine whether senior bank staff aided the scheme.