The Port of Colombo has recorded a net profit of Rs. 32.2 billion during the first eight months of 2025, reflecting a Rs. 13 billion increase compared to the same period last year.

In the corresponding period of 2024, the Port reported a net profit of Rs. 18.9 billion, marking a 71% year-on-year (YoY) growth in profitability for 2025.

The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) stated that the projected profit for the first eight months of 2025 was Rs. 21 billion, and the actual figure has exceeded the target by Rs. 11 billion.

According to the SLPA, container handling operations grew by 6% compared to the first eight months of 2024, driven by ongoing development initiatives and enhanced service efficiency. The Authority added that with improvements to the Eastern Terminal and the Jaya Container Terminal nearing completion, port capacity is expected to expand further in the coming months.

Commissioner General of Agrarian Development Dhammika Ranatunga has assured that there is no cause for concernregarding delays or non-receipt of fertilizer subsidies for the ongoing Maha cultivation season.

Speaking to the media, Ranatunga emphasized that the Department of Agrarian Development has sufficient funds to fully implement the subsidy scheme.

He noted that the fertilizer subsidy program for the Maha season was launched on November 31, providing each paddy farmer with a financial subsidy of Rs. 25,000, distributed in two phases:

• First phase – Rs. 15,000: Released following the Seasonal (Kanna) Meeting, once the list of eligible farmers is finalized and submitted to the Agrarian Service Centre.
• Second phase – Rs. 10,000: Issued after verifying that paddy cultivation has begun on the respective plots.

The initiative aims to support 1.4 million farmers, covering approximately 800,000 hectares of paddy land. The government has allocated Rs. 20 billion for the program.

Ranatunga further revealed that Rs. 1.976 billion has already been disbursed to 211,974 farmers under the subsidy scheme to date.

November 13, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka has introduced a new initiative aimed at modernising civil registration services by delivering national birth certificates directly to citizens through the Postal Courier Service.

The pilot programme, launched yesterday (12) at the Gampaha District Secretariat, was inaugurated under the patronage of Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils, and Local Government Chandana Abeyratne.

The scheme represents a joint effort between the Department of Registrar General and the Department of Posts to make the distribution of official documents more secure, efficient, and convenient.

As part of the e-Civil Registration Programme, the pilot phase currently applies to birth certificates issued for children born on or after January 01, 2021. Officials said the collaboration will not only speed up document delivery but also reduce the need for in-person visits to government offices, saving time for both citizens and administrators.

In a further step towards digitisation, the system will integrate the birth certificate and national identity card numbering process, ensuring that a child’s ID number corresponds with their birth registration number when they reach 15 years of age. Authorities also plan to simplify certificate formats by removing redundant information to enhance record accuracy and consistency.

The pilot project is being rolled out this month across ten divisional secretariats, including Gampaha, Attanagalla, Dehiwala, Kaduwela, Kalutara, Horana, Panadura, Kurunegala, Ratnapura, and Wellawaya. If successful, the initiative is expected to be expanded island-wide, marking another milestone in Sri Lanka’s digital governance efforts.

November 13, Colombo (LNW): Estate workers in Badulla have publicly welcomed the government’s decision to raise plantation wages, expressing both relief and gratitude for what they describe as a long-overdue improvement to their livelihoods.

At the same time, they voiced frustration at opposition parliamentarians, accusing them of making grand promises in the past without delivering meaningful results.

Several residents remarked that while some MPs had previously vowed to push for a daily wage of Rs. 1,700, those same politicians are now locked in parliamentary squabbles over who deserves credit for the pay rise.

“We can’t feed our families with speeches or slogans. We survive on what we earn, not on political talk,” one worker commented, echoing the sentiment of many in the community.

The workers also pointed out that their hard work, along with the taxes paid by ordinary citizens, supports the nation’s progress. They expressed appreciation to the National People’s Power (NPP) government and the President for taking concrete action to improve living conditions for estate employees, rather than merely discussing reform.

To mark the occasion, several estate families gathered at a local temple to offer coconuts and prayers, symbolically seeking blessings for continued prosperity and for what they described as “the silencing of hollow political claims.”

The event, filled with gratitude and optimism, reflected both the pride and perseverance of a community that has long been at the heart of Sri Lanka’s plantation industry.

November 13, Colombo (LNW): A special committee appointed to review Sri Lanka’s long-debated Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) has formally presented its recommendations to the Minister of Justice, Harshana Nanayakkara.

The submission marks a key step towards repealing the decades-old legislation, which has drawn widespread criticism from human rights groups for enabling prolonged detentions and restricting civil liberties.

The proposed reforms aim to introduce a more balanced framework that safeguards national security while ensuring greater protection of individual rights.

The report, prepared under the leadership of President’s Counsel Rienzi Arsakularatne, outlines a draft bill designed to replace the existing PTA with a new and more transparent legal structure.

The draft legislation, according to the Ministry of Justice, seeks to bring Sri Lanka’s counterterrorism measures in line with international standards and democratic principles.