Senior Superintendent of Police Shani Abeysekara has been appointed as the Director of Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), following approval from the National Police Commission.The appointment, recommended by Acting Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya, is part of ongoing efforts to enhance oversight of major criminal investigations.

Abeysekara previously served as CID Director from 2017 to 2019 and was reinstated to the police service in October 2024 under the newly elected National People’s Power (NPP) government. Prior to this appointment, he served on a contract basis as Director of the Criminal Intelligence Analysis and Prevention Division.

The Women Technopreneurs Forum (WTech) of SLASSCOM has once again taken center stage by successfully concluding two flagship initiatives — Fast Forward 4.0 and Hack Like a Girl 2.0 — aimed at nurturing and empowering the next generation of female tech innovators in Sri Lanka.

At the grand finale of Fast Forward 4.0, five standout female-led startups were recognized for their disruptive ideas and market readiness. The winning ventures — Meribel, Ivena (Littoral), Ceylon Speechi, Electriquote, and Innosync — impressed the judges with their innovative business models and potential for growth.

These startups will now gain access to critical resources, including targeted funding and expert support in legal, marketing, strategy, and product development. Four ventures will receive one-on-one mentorship from a seasoned venture capitalist, enhancing their investor readiness. Additionally, two founders will benefit from free workspace at GrandSpace, the program’s Serviced Office Partner.

Held annually, Fast Forward is Sri Lanka’s only accelerator program exclusively designed for women in tech. Spanning two months, this year’s program featured intensive sessions on sales, finance, product development, and pitch training. 

The initiative culminated in an inspiring Demo Day in Colombo, highlighted by a keynote from Makers Global CEO Nevindaree Premarathne. 

A distinguished judging panel — Rajive Silva (Azend Technologies), Pulani Ranasinghe (Loons Lab), Samila Maddumage (GrandSpace), and Darshani Kaluarachchi (Seylan Bank) — provided expert insights, recognizing the entrepreneurial drive of Sri Lanka’s women technopreneurs.

Running concurrently from July to November 2024, Hack like a Girl 2.0 showcased the creativity of young female tech talent across the country.

 With the theme “Innovating for a Better Tomorrow,” the hackathon addressed critical issues in health, education, tourism, agriculture, and sustainability. After regional mini-hackathons in the North and East, Central, and Southern and Western provinces, 12 university teams were shortlisted for the Grand Finale.

Winning entries from Sabaragamuwa University, Vavuniya University, and IIT-KDU offered impactful tech solutions such as a mobile app for child health tracking, a smart cane for the visually impaired, and a digital tour guide app with hotel booking features. The judging panel included Shehan Selvanayagam (Loops), Dr. Buddhima Subasinghe (NIBM), Dr. Kalpana Ambepitiya (KDU), and Abith Latiff (ICTA Sri Lanka).

The programs were supported by the Royal Norwegian Embassy, with MAS Holdings sponsoring the hackathon and GrandSpace supporting the accelerator. Since its inception in 2020, the WTech Forum has grown significantly, supporting over 110 women-led startups and contributing to Sri Lanka’s goal of creating 1,000 startups by 2030.

Despite mounting global uncertainties, Sri Lanka’s export sector has displayed strong resilience, posting a 7.14% year-on-year (YoY) growth in the first five months of 2025. Total exports—comprising both goods and services—reached over $6.93 billion between January and May, underscoring the sector’s steady recovery trajectory.

According to the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), May alone recorded exports exceeding $1.38 billion, marking a 6.35% YoY rise and a 7.3% increase over April 2025. Merchandise exports in May stood at $1.02 billion, up 1.7% YoY, while services exports reached $358.14 million, registering a notable 22.39% growth.

For the five-month period, merchandise exports totaled $5.34 billion—a 5.46% increase from 2024—while services exports grew by 13.2% to an estimated $1.58 billion. The services sector, including ICT/BPM, logistics, construction, and financial services, has played a vital role in driving earnings and creating high-value employment opportunities.

Apparel and textile exports rose by 9.2% YoY to $2.13 billion, while agricultural exports experienced a robust surge. Tea exports climbed 7.93% to $610.1 million, coconut-based products rose by 26.89% to $427.69 million, and spice and concentrate exports grew a staggering 57.76% to $173.64 million.

Transport and logistics led services exports with a 28.89% YoY increase to $859.01 million, followed by ICT/BPM, which recorded 4.1% growth to $602.59 million.

EDB Chairman and CEO Mangala Wijesinghe attributed the sector’s performance to ongoing efforts in market and product diversification. He noted notable export growth in key markets such as India, China, Japan, the Netherlands, Germany, and Africa.

“We’re on track to achieve our export revenue target of $19 billion for 2025, driven by both merchandise and services,” Wijesinghe stated. The country aims to grow merchandise exports from $12.7 billion in 2024 to $14 billion in 2025, and services from $3.5 billion to $4.2 billion. This aligns with a long-term plan to reach $36 billion in exports by 2030.

Among top destinations, the US remained the largest market, accounting for 23% of Sri Lanka’s merchandise exports. Although exports to the US fell by 2.67% in May 2025 to $261.67 million, the cumulative five-month figure rose 5.82% to $1.18 billion. The UK followed a similar pattern, with a 5.77% drop in May but a 3.85% increase over the five-month period.

Trade with FTA partners India and Pakistan showed mixed results. In May, combined exports to the two nations edged up by 0.79% to $80.81 million. While exports to India rose by 4.03%, driven by animal feed and areca nuts, exports to Pakistan fell sharply by 24.47% due to reduced demand for coconut-based items. However, over the five months, exports to India surged 31.41% YoY to $409.74 million, boosting the combined figure for both countries to $438.29 million—a 28.02% increase.

Exports to the European Union, which makes up 24% of Sri Lanka’s exports, also showed solid growth. Cumulative exports from January to May rose by 7.59%, led by strong performances in Germany (up 9.13%), the Netherlands (up 23.66%), and France (up 0.68%).With sustained momentum and strategic interventions, Sri Lanka’s export sector continues to strengthen its global presence and economic impact.

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce elected Krishan Balendra as its new Chairperson at the 186th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held yesterday.

Balendra, who is the Chairperson of John Keells Holdings, succeeds Ernst & Young Sri Lanka Country Managing Partner and Senior Economic Adviser to the President Duminda Hulangamuwa.

Balendra’s deceased father Ken also served as Chairman of The Ceylon Chamber previously (1998-2000). It is the first time in The Ceylon Chamber’s 186-year history where both father and son assumed the position of Chairmanship.

In his remarks, Balendra thanked Hulangamuwa for his steady leadership and service over the past two years, noting that his steady guidance helped the private sector navigate crisis conditions and laid the groundwork for recovery.

Looking ahead, Balendra stressed the importance of building on Sri Lanka’s recent macroeconomic stability without letting reform momentum stall. “Reform fatigue is a real risk. We have a narrow but vital window to push through long-pending reforms—from SOE restructuring and trade liberalisation to improving the investment climate. The stability we have achieved must now translate into sustained, inclusive growth,” he noted. 

He highlighted several low-hanging reforms that could catalyse the next phase of economic progress. These include rolling out the Digital ID system to enhance financial inclusion, implementing the National Single Window to streamline trade processes, modernising the Customs Ordinance, and executing the National Tourism Destination Marketing Plan. “These are not new ideas – they have been on the agenda for years. What we need now is action,” he said. 

He reaffirmed The Ceylon Chamber’s commitment to advocating for these changes and maintaining its role as an independent, constructive voice for the private sector.

Chief Guest at the event, the Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe addressing the audience emphasised that he is “encouraged, impressed, and confident of the role The Ceylon Chamber has played, and will continue to play, in contributing to the resilience of the private sector and in identifying important reforms in order to ensure sustainability.”

Standard Chartered Bank CEO Bingumal Thewarathanthri and Hirdaramani Group Chairman Vinod Hirdaramani were appointed Vice Chairman and Deputy Vice Chairman, respectively, for 2025/26.

The Ceylon Chamber, now in its 186th year, continues to focus on three strategic pillars: policy advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and expanding market access for Sri Lankan businesses.