Kerner Haus Global Solutions PLC has taken a decisive step in its turnaround efforts by entering Colombo’s serviced-office market, an industry increasingly critical to Sri Lanka’s slowly recovering business ecosystem. The company signed a Property Management Agreement with VKM Services Ltd. to operate a prime commercial building at No. 46/10, Nawam Mawatha, Colombo 2, marking the first execution phase of its “asset-light” expansion strategy.

On paper, the deal promises Rs. 12.6 million annually from existing leases alone. But behind the optimism lies a deeper strategic gamble: Kerner Haus is trying to rebuild credibility after years of financial distress, including a negative net asset value of Rs. 72 per share by September 2025. The firm’s majority ownership lies with Ekta Global Ltd., which controls 63.62%, while the public float remains just 27.4%.

The company’s plan revolves around developing a scalable property-management platform before venturing into selective acquisitions. This is a deliberate shift from capital-heavy real-estate models that contributed to its earlier instability. The Nawam Mawatha building—located in the heart of Colombo’s financial district will serve as its test case. With capacity for about 300 office seats, surrounded by major banks, corporate headquarters, and quick transport access, the property sits in one of the most commercially valuable zones in the country.

Under the Kerner Haus brand, the location will operate as a fully serviced office centre, offering plug-and-play workspaces, high-speed connectivity, maintenance, utilities, and on-demand support services. Such setups have become essential for startups, BPO and KPO operators, and internationally oriented SMEs seeking flexibility without the burden of long-term leases.

Industry analysts note that Sri Lanka’s outsourcing sector is expanding even amid macroeconomic uncertainty, fuelled by foreign firms seeking lower operational costs. As a result, demand for professionally managed, short-term office solutions is rising. However, the market is also highly competitive, with global operators, local coworking brands, and tech-park developers all vying for the same pool of tenants.

Kerner Haus’s challenge, therefore, is twofold: restoring investor confidence while proving its ability to manage premium-grade serviced-office facilities. Yesterday’s market response was favourable, its share price climbed from Rs. 656 to Rs. 780.50but sustaining momentum will require consistent operational performance, not just strategic announcements.

 If executed effectively, the project could become a lifeline not only for the company but also for Colombo’s entrepreneurial community, offering much-needed modern workspace solutions at a time when startups struggle with overheads and economic volatility. But if mismanaged, it risks becoming yet another unrealised corporate promise in Sri Lanka’s fragile commercial property landscape.

Sri Lanka’s export industry is facing one of its most serious setbacks in recent years as widespread flooding continues to disrupt production, damage facilities, and stall supply chains across multiple districts. The National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka (NCE) warned that the impact on the sector considered the backbone of the economy—could be severe if urgent recovery measures are not implemented.

In a statement, the Chamber conveyed its solidarity with families affected by the floods and emphasised the growing anxiety among exporters whose factories, machinery, and stocks have suffered extensive damage. Initial assessments indicate that several production plants are submerged, halting operations entirely and raising fears that companies will struggle to meet international delivery schedules.

The NCE noted that the consequences extend beyond individual companies. Exports remain a critical source of foreign exchange and employment, and disruptions of this scale threaten national economic stability. With Sri Lanka still navigating a fragile recovery, any prolonged setback in export performance could weaken the country’s financial position, undermine global buyer confidence, and jeopardise thousands of livelihoods dependent on the sector.

The Chamber pointed out that transport breakdowns, inaccessible roads, damaged storage facilities, and labour shortages have compounded the crisis. Many small and medium-sized exporters particularly aspiring export startups—lack the financial reserves needed to absorb losses or replace damaged equipment. For them, the floods represent a profound and potentially long-term setback.

NCE President Indhra Kaushal Rajapaksa cautioned that the resilience of exporters is now being tested at a critical time. He stressed that the sector is not simply another economic component but the primary engine driving foreign exchange earnings. Any sustained disruption, he said, would have far-reaching economic repercussions, affecting everything from national revenue to investor confidence.

Rajapaksa affirmed that Sri Lankan exporters have historically shown determination during crises and expressed confidence that they will rebuild, provided they receive timely support. He urged the Government to prioritise the rehabilitation of export-oriented companies to safeguard the country’s reputation as a dependable trading partner.

 NCE CEO/Secretary General Shiham Marikar added that early field reports from member companies reveal widespread damage, stalled production lines, supply chain breakdowns, and challenges in mobilising workers. He emphasised that MSMEs and new exporters depend heavily on the Chamber’s assistance and are struggling to evaluate the full scale of their losses.

The Chamber has requested its members to report damages so that it can coordinate with Government agencies and push for immediate relief measures, including financial support, faster repair processes, and facilitation for exporters facing shipment delays. According to the NCE, only a swift and coordinated national response can prevent Sri Lanka from losing market access and eroding its competitiveness in global trade.

Sri Lanka’s catastrophic cyclone flood disaster has not only disrupted telecommunications it has exposed a deeper structural vulnerability in the national connectivity grid.

While the immediate focus has been on restoring damaged towers, optical-fibre routes, and power links, industry analysts warn that the crisis highlights systemic weaknesses in network design, regulatory preparedness, and climate-resilience planning that have long remained unaddressed.

 The disaster knocked out fibre backbones in multiple provinces, triggering cascading failures across mobile and broadband networks.

With widespread power outages, even undamaged towers were rendered inactive, revealing the sector’s heavy dependence on the national grid.

Officials estimate that a significant number of towers nationwide remain offline due to power instability, despite accelerated generator deployment by operators.

Although emergency meetings led by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) brought Dialog Axiata, SLT-Mobitel, and Hutch into coordinated action, industry specialists argue that Sri Lanka’s regulatory approach remains largely reactive.

For years, the sector has lacked mandatory standards for climate-resilient infrastructure, flood-proof tower bases, standardised battery backup duration, and redundancy for critical fibre corridors. The cyclone merely exposed these gaps dramatically.

What is becoming increasingly clear is that Sri Lanka’s connectivity architecture was not built with modern climate risks in mind. Low-lying fibre routes, vulnerable microwave hops, and insufficient waterproofing of base stations left dozens of sites exposed.

Several ground-level switching centres crucial nodes in the national grid were overwhelmed by water, forcing engineers to reroute traffic through temporary links.

While telcos responded swiftly deploying field teams, stabilising damaged sites, and offering free connectivity for affected communitiesthe scale of disruption shows that rapid crisis response cannot compensate for foundational design flaws.

 International partners such as Huawei have provided essential manpower, and Starlink’s emergency satellite connectivity has bridged communication gaps in areas where fibre is still submerged or towers remain inaccessible.

But these stopgap measures, though valuable, highlight the absence of a long-term resilience strategy.

The disaster’s economic implications are equally serious. Telecom outages disrupted digital payments, logistics planning, emergency alerts, and corporate operations across several industries.

For a country promoting digital transformation, the fragility of the communications grid presents a major risk to investment confidence.

Experts now argue that Sri Lanka must overhaul its network-resilience standards. This includes mandating elevated tower foundations, diversifying backup power sources, expanding dual-route fibre redundancy, and integrating satellite-link options into emergency protocols.

 Public–private partnerships will also be essential for financing upgrades, especially in vulnerable districts repeatedly hit by floods.

The cyclone has therefore become a turning point not only in how telecom operators respond to natural disasters, but in how Sri Lanka must rethink its entire connectivity strategy. Without stronger regulatory frameworks and long-term infrastructure reform, the next extreme weather event could result in even greater disruption. The crisis has made one fact undeniable: resilience is no longer optional for the country’s telecom backbone.

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the resettlement of affected families, the provision of essential relief, and the restoration of disaster-damaged infrastructure must be treated as national priorities.

She also expressed appreciation for the dedicated support provided by the tri-forces, police, government officials, volunteer organisations, and members of the public during the emergency response efforts.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing the Colombo District Disaster Management Committee meeting held at the Colombo District Secretariat.

A Gazette Extraordinary has been issued declaring 22 districts as “National Disaster Affected Areas.”

Under Section 9 of Part II of the Registration of Deaths (Temporary Provisions) Act, No. 19 of 2010, the districts affected by landslides and floods caused by Cyclone Ditwah in November have been formally designated as disaster-affected areas.

The Gazette notification was issued by Registrar General Sasidevi Jaladeepan.

The telephone and internet communication networks disrupted by the recent disaster are expected to be fully restored by tomorrow (04), according to Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne.

The Ministry of Digital Economy, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission and all telecommunication service providers are working to expedite restoration efforts. The Deputy Minister said that landslides and flooding had disrupted provincial fibre connections at 11 locations, but services at nine of these points were restored within 24 hours with direct intervention from the Ministry. All provincial connections are now operational, with traffic rerouted through alternative fibre paths where intermediate points remain affected.

More than 4,000 transmission towers became inactive due to power failures and fibre disruptions. Approximately 2,800 towers have been restored, while 949 remain inactive primarily because of ongoing power outages. Service providers are working with authorities to resolve the issues as quickly as possible, with support from the Tri-Forces in accessing tower sites and providing temporary power.

The Deputy Minister noted that the initial difficulties faced by the public on November 28 were mitigated as fibre connections were rapidly restored by the following day. Remaining disruptions are concentrated in the Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Puttalam and Vavuniya districts, with Nuwara Eliya and Kandy being the most affected. Authorities expect connectivity in Nuwara Eliya and Puttalam to exceed 75 percent by tomorrow morning, while Kandy is projected to improve from 65 percent to around 70 percent.

He stressed that communication is vital for public safety and reassurance during emergencies, adding that more than 80 percent of disruptions have already been resolved and full restoration is expected by tomorrow.

With severe flooding affecting multiple regions of the country, the Public Health Inspector’s Union of Sri Lanka has warned of a heightened risk of infectious disease outbreaks in the coming days.

Union Secretary Chamil Muthukuda stated that health authorities anticipate a possible increase in communicable diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and leptospirosis due to the prevailing conditions. He noted that stagnant water, disrupted sanitation systems and overcrowding in temporary shelters create favourable environments for the spread of vector-borne and water-borne illnesses.

Health officials also expect a rise in complications among non-communicable disease patients. According to Muthukuda, treatment for individuals with conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and cancer has been disrupted, and many have lost access to their regular medication because of the disaster. He emphasized that special attention is being directed toward ensuring care for these vulnerable groups.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has announced that the company will donate to relief and rebuilding efforts across several Asian countries — including Sri Lanka — that have been battered by severe floods, landslides and strong winds in recent days.

Cook noted that devastating storms across Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Sri Lanka have left communities deeply affected, and expressed solidarity with those impacted. Reports indicate that more than 1,300 people have been killedand millions affected across the region due to the extreme weather.

While the exact amount has not been disclosed, Apple has pledged financial support toward immediate relief and long-term rebuilding efforts.

Cook made the announcement on X earlier today:

🔗 https://x.com/tim_cook/status/1995900164519985451?s=20

Apple also operates a major internal philanthropy initiative, Employee Giving, through which staff donations are matched by the company. The programme has raised more than US$ 880 million to date for various global causes.

The contribution is expected to bolster ongoing humanitarian operations in the affected countries as recovery efforts continue.

By Roger Srivasan

Sri Lanka stands at a pivotal national moment — an era of long-delayed reform, accountability, and renewed hope. Yet, amid this transition, a handful of Tamil politicians appear intent on derailing progress through reckless provocation. Foremost among them is Rasamanickam Shanakiyan, MP, whose behaviour has strayed far beyond legitimate political critique. A political storm is unmistakably brewing — and at its centre stands a man whose shrill theatrics betray not leadership, but desperation. For weeks, Shanakiyan has unleashed a torrent of insensitive, inflammatory, and wholly unsubstantiated allegations — even claiming that the present reformist administration is responsible for “death and destruction.”

These are not the measured words of a statesman; they are the desperate shrieks of a cantankerous charlatan grasping for relevance. His remarks reveal a troubling pattern: the weaponisation of Tamil suffering for personal political mileage. Such egregious and nefarious point scoring activities do not strengthen the Tamil cause — they weaken it, distort it, and drag it into disrepute. Such disingenuous attempts at point scoring only expose the intellectual vacuity of those who peddle in such an egregious, nefarious activities.

Far from fooling the Tamil community, his theatrics are met with overwhelming rejection. The
people recognise the emptiness of his rhetoric and are weary of politicians who thrive on discord rather than deliver solutions. At a time when the government is making tremendous strides — widening democratic space, strengthening accountability, and dismantling entrenched corruption — Shanakiyan bellows as though the nation were collapsing. His narrative is discordant with the lived reality of Tamils who seek dignity, opportunity, and constructive engagement. The emerging Tamil generation desires stability, progress, and
partnership. What they receive instead from Shanakiyan is a tawdry spectacle — a man so consumed by theatrics that he has failed to notice the evolving aspirations of his own people.

Shanakiyan is not responding to a crisis; he is manufacturing one. He is not amplifying Tamil fears; he is amplifying his own. The political storm gathering today is not the result of national decay, but of individuals terrified of irrelevance. Sri Lanka is entering a new epoch — one where justice rises, corruption recedes, and communities begin to imagine a shared future. Yet it is in such periods of transformation that political pretenders reveal themselves most loudly. Rasamanickam Shanakiyan must recognise that the Tamil community deserves dignity, progress, and responsible leadership — not shrill theatrics, distortion, or nefarious mischief dressed as advocacy. Until he abandons these destructive habits, he remains what
his conduct proclaims: a cantankerous charlatan betraying the very cause he claims to champion.