Sri Lanka’s entrepreneurship rate stands at just 3% of the working population, significantly trailing regional counterparts, according to Dhanuka Liyanagamage, Director of the National Enterprise Development Authority (NEDA). He addressed the issue at the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) 2024 launch event held at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. “Only about 3% of the working population…
Mastercard Country Manager for Sri Lanka and Maldives, Sandun Hapugoda, emphasized the critical role of digital transformation for micro, small, and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) in Sri Lanka, which make up 19% of the country’s establishments. Speaking at the launch event of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) 2024, organized by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Hapugoda underlined…
The National Enterprise Development Authority (NEDA) has announced plans to consolidate over 50 ICT-related government institutions under a single umbrella to enhance efficiency and eliminate redundancy. Speaking at the launch event of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) 2024 at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce yesterday, NEDA Director Dhanuka Liyanagamage highlighted the challenges within the sector. “In…
On 19th November, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $200 million policy-based loan to further help the Government of Sri Lanka strengthen its financial sector. This second subprogram of ADB’s Financial Sector Stability and Reforms Program builds on the stabilization and crisis management measures put in place under the first subprogram approved in 2023. “Sri…
The newly sworn-in Cabinet of the National People’s Power (NPP) comprises 22 ministers, including the President. The Prime Minister and the Minister of Education is a woman and the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs has also been assigned to a woman. Six ministers were appointed from the National List, while Gampaha district received three…
The person in the photo is Chanu Nimesha, Sri Lanka’s first openly transgender person who contests a parliamentary election. She represents the Socialist Party of Sri Lanka and contests for the Kegalle district. Chanu Nimesha was an activist of the #GotaGoHome campaign in 2022. “I will continue the fight, but in a different way,” Nimesha…
The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has ruled that two police officers, responsible for the arrest and detention of fisherman Nimal Chandrasiri in April 2012, must pay Rs. 125,000 each in personal funds, with the State contributing an additional Rs. 250,000. This Rs. 500,000 compensation is to be paid to the victim’s family for the…
The government has launched an inquiry into complaints from Samurdhi beneficiaries who report being unjustly excluded from the Aswesuma welfare benefits program, despite meeting the eligibility requirements. The Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, National Integration, Social Security, and Media confirmed that a significant number of previously eligible Samurdhi recipients have reportedly been…
There is a risk of halting the school nutrition program as the government has not made the payments to the suppliers for the free meals provided to the students in the primary classes from grade 1 to grade 5 in schools for almost two months. Principals and suppliers point out that at present such suppliers…
The National People’s Power (NPP) government is likely to retain the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act (PTA) without any amendments or repeal, despite prior promises made in their election manifesto. The manifesto pledged to reform the PTA, describing it as a law that had historically been misused and stating the NPP’s commitment to aligning…
