The Cabinet of Ministers has approved revised reimbursement guidelines to accelerate the implementation of the “Communication to the Village” (Gamata Sannivedanaya) national project, which aims to expand 4G broadband coverage across the island.
The project is being carried out by the Sri Lanka Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC) under the Finance Act No. 11 of 2004. So far, 83 communication towers have been constructed in underserved and rural areas through a cost-sharing arrangement with mobile service providers.
However, the pace of the project had slowed due to rising operational costs and limited revenue generation from certain towers in the aftermath of the economic crisis.
To address these challenges, the TRC has introduced revised reimbursement guidelines under which either a maximum of Rs. 35 million per tower or 75 percent of the actual construction cost—whichever is lower—will be reimbursed.
Cabinet approval for the revised mechanism was granted following a proposal submitted by the President in his capacity as Minister of Digital Economy.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has reportedly instructed relevant authorities to immediately remove Pakistan from all “negative” visa lists following discussions with Pakistan’s Federal Interior Minister and Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
The directive was issued during a meeting between President Dissanayake, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Pakistan’s Minister for Overseas Pakistanis, Chaudhry Salik Hussain.
During the talks, Naqvi raised concerns over difficulties faced by Pakistani nationals in obtaining Sri Lankan visas. In response, the President directed officials to remove Pakistan from restrictive visa categories, a move expected to facilitate travel for tourists, businesspersons and other visitors, while further strengthening bilateral relations.
President Dissanayake acknowledged Pakistan’s support to Sri Lanka during challenging periods and reaffirmed his commitment to deepening ties between the two countries. He also announced that Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister is expected to undertake an official visit to Pakistan in the near future.
The discussions also covered cooperation in counter-terrorism, anti-narcotics operations and joint training of security forces. The President expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s decision to play a T20 World Cup match against India in Colombo, describing it as a gesture of goodwill.
Minister Naqvi conveyed appreciation for Sri Lanka’s efforts to enhance bilateral relations and extended an invitation from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for President Dissanayake to visit Pakistan. He also thanked the Sri Lankan government for the hospitality extended to the Pakistani delegation during the cricket event.
In a message posted on his official X account, President Dissanayake said he met with Naqvi and Salik Hussain and that both sides reaffirmed their longstanding friendship, expressing gratitude for Pakistan’s continued support to Sri Lanka during difficult times.
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has stated that Sri Lanka has achieved macroeconomic and financial stability within a short period, highlighting what she described as a significant economic turnaround.
Speaking in a special interview with Ada Derana during her three-day official visit to the island, Georgieva commended the resilience of the Sri Lankan people and the government’s swift response to recent economic challenges.
She noted that inflation, which had previously surged to 70 percent, has now declined to 2 percent, while economic growth has recovered from negative territory to 5 percent.
Georgieva also referred to the IMF’s provision of US$ 200 million in emergency financial assistance following Cyclone Ditwah, stating that the timely support helped ensure affected communities were not left to face the consequences alone.
Emphasising the importance of unity and sustained reform efforts, she said Sri Lanka now has a valuable opportunity to move forward under a government that has earned public trust and is working towards long-term stability and growth.
The IMF Managing Director further identified tourism as a key sector critical to Sri Lanka’s economic future.
Showers will occur at times in Northern, North-central, Central, Uva, Eastern and Southern provinces. Fairly heavy falls above 75 mm are likely at some places in Eastern and Uva provinces and in Polonnaruwa, Matale and Nuwara-Eliya districts.
Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places elsewhere after 1.00 p.m.
Misty conditions can be expected at some places in Central and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle and Matara districts during the early hours of the morning.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershower
February 17, World (LNW): Jesse Jackson, the veteran American civil rights campaigner who carried the struggle for racial justice from the streets into the heart of presidential politics, has died peacefully at the age of 84 following a long battle with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, a rare neurodegenerative condition.
His family confirmed that he passed away early on Tuesday morning, surrounded by loved ones.
A protégé of Martin Luther King Jr., Jackson emerged in the turbulent 1960s as a fiery organiser and gifted preacher. Over subsequent decades he transformed himself into a formidable national figure, becoming the first African-American to mount a serious campaign for a major party’s presidential nomination.
His bids for the Democratic nomination in the 1980s did not succeed, yet they fundamentally altered the landscape of American politics and widened the path for future leaders such as Barack Obama and Kamala Harris.
Through his organisation, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Jackson championed a broad, multiracial alliance grounded in economic fairness. He consistently argued that the promise of American democracy would remain unfulfilled unless it embraced the poor and working class of every background.
His rallying cry, “Keep hope alive,” delivered memorably at the 1988 Democratic National Convention, became emblematic of his political creed and echoed through later generations of reformers.
In a statement, his family described him as a “servant leader” whose commitment to equality and human dignity left an indelible mark across the globe. They urged supporters to honour his legacy by continuing the work to which he devoted his life. Public commemorations are expected to take place in Chicago, a city central to his activism and political base.
Born Jesse Louis Burns on October 08, 1941 in Greenville, South Carolina, he grew up in the segregated American South. The son of Helen Burns, who later married Charles Henry Jackson, he was raised within the Black church — an institution that long served as both sanctuary and organising ground for resistance to racial oppression. As a young man, he experienced first-hand the daily humiliations of segregation, shaping the moral urgency that would define his career.
Jackson’s later years were marked by illness and controversy. Initially diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017, his condition was subsequently identified as Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. He gradually withdrew from public life as his health declined. Personal and political scandals also tested his reputation, including well-publicised family difficulties. Yet even critics acknowledged the scale of his contribution.
Tributes have poured in from across the political spectrum. The Reverend Al Sharpton, who worked alongside Jackson for decades, described him as a transformative figure who reshaped laws and expanded opportunity. “He taught young people from the most difficult beginnings that their spirits were not broken,” Sharpton said.
For many, Jackson represented a bridge between eras — from the marches of the 1960s to the ballot boxes of the 21st century. His voice, resonant and insistent, pressed America to confront its contradictions while imagining a fairer future. Though the man has gone, the cadence of his message — hopeful, defiant, inclusive — continues to reverberate.
Public trust surveys play an important role in democratic societies. They provide snapshots of public opinion, influence media narratives, and sometimes shape investor sentiment. However, when the methodology, funding sources, or governance of the institution conducting the survey are called into question, the credibility of the findings can quickly erode. The recent survey by Verité Research claiming that government confidence stands at 65% has become a case in point.
The controversy becomes even sharper when viewed against prevailing realities. At a time when the country is grappling with serious law-and-order concerns—including the shocking killing of a lawyer and his wife in broad daylight—public anxiety is visibly heightened. The strong reaction from the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, one of the nation’s most influential professional bodies, underscores the depth of concern within the legal community about safety, governance, and accountability.
Economic pressures remain intense. The cost of living continues to strain households, tax burdens have not eased meaningfully, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), widely regarded as the backbone of Sri Lanka’s economy, are voicing frustration over tight liquidity, weak demand, and high operating costs. Public protests and sectoral agitation suggest widespread dissatisfaction rather than broad-based optimism. Against this backdrop, a 65% confidence rating appears disconnected from lived experience. Surveys must not only be statistically sound but also contextually plausible. When macro indicators—rising prices, high taxes, business closures, and public security concerns—point toward strain, a headline figure invites scrutiny. Observers are compelled to ask whether the sample was fully representative, whether dissenting voices were captured, and whether the question framing allowed for nuance.
Public confidence is rarely a single-dimensional metric. Citizens may appreciate certain stabilisation efforts while simultaneously expressing dissatisfaction over crime, taxation, or economic hardship. Without breaking down the data into specific domains—economic management, public safety, governance integrity—an aggregate percentage risks oversimplifying a complex national mood.
Equally important is the credibility of the institution itself. First, the issue of sample size and representativeness has been widely criticised. In a country of over 22 million people, any credible national survey must demonstrate geographic spread, demographic balance, and statistically sound sampling techniques. Without transparency regarding the sampling frame, margin of error, weighting methodology, and response rates, public trust in the findings is severely undermined.
Second, funding transparency matters. While many think tanks receive donor support from NGOs or private entities, credibility depends on full disclosure and safeguards against influence. If funding is linked to advocacy-oriented NGOs or private sector actors with potential policy interests, the perception of bias becomes inevitable, particularly in a politically polarised environment.
Third, institutional leadership shapes public perception. The CEO of Verité Research has been described as a controversial social entrepreneur, engaging with multiple political parties over time. While cross-party engagement is not inherently problematic, public commentary on political actors, shifting alliances, or business associations under regulatory scrutiny weakens the perception of neutrality. Public confidence in survey results depends on visible independence and professional distance from both political and commercial interests.
Suggestions that senior political figures, including the current Prime Minister, may have had past professional associations with the think tank further complicate the perception of impartiality. Even if these affiliations were historical and legitimate, institutional distance is critical when conducting politically sensitive approval surveys. The public must be assured that conflicts of interest—real or perceived—do not shape research design or interpretation.
Finally, survey design itself matters. Asking whether respondents have “confidence in the government” can produce widely varying interpretations. Does “confidence” refer to economic recovery, inflation management, anti-corruption measures, political stability, or personal approval of leadership? Without clear framing and disaggregation, a single aggregate percentage obscures complex public sentiment. Ultimately, the debate surrounding this survey reflects a broader challenge in Sri Lanka’s public discourse: rebuilding institutional trust. Opinion polling must meet the highest standards of transparency, methodological rigour, and independence to contribute constructively. Otherwise, even well-intentioned research risks dismissal, ridicule, and further polarisation. If confidence truly stands at 65% and the government genuinely believes this survey, the ultimate test would be to conduct Provincial Elections—allowing the public to confirm or challenge Verité Research’s findings.
February 17, Colombo (LNW): The Vehicle Importers Association of Sri Lanka (VIASL) has strongly criticised recent statements by Deputy Minister Dr Anil Jayantha, cautioning that proposed adjustments to the Social Security Contribution Levy (SSCL) could significantly inflate the tax burden on imported vehicles.
The controversy centres on the Government’s plan to alter the point at which the 2.5 per cent SSCL is collected. At present, the levy is effectively reduced to 1.25 per cent, as it is calculated on half of a company’s turnover under Inland Revenue regulations and applied at the point of sale. Under the proposed system, however, the full 2.5 per cent would be charged upfront at the time of importation.
Industry representatives argue that the change would have a compounding effect. Because the SSCL paid at Customs would be incorporated into the taxable value of the vehicle, it would subsequently be subject to 18 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT). According to the Association, this layered calculation would push up the final cost of vehicles far beyond what consumers might expect.
In a statement, the VIASL maintained that while the Government insists no fresh tax has been introduced, the practical outcome of the revised collection method amounts to an indirect increase. “The broader implications have not been clearly communicated to the public,” the Association said, warning that both importers and buyers could face unexpectedly higher prices.
Interestingly, the Association acknowledged that it had previously proposed collecting SSCL at the point of import in order to prevent one-off personal importers from circumventing the levy. However, it contends that the current proposal goes further than anticipated by altering the calculation base and thereby amplifying the overall tax impact.
Dr Jayantha, addressing the media earlier, dismissed suggestions of a new tax as unfounded, describing such claims as attempts by certain market players to create unnecessary alarm. He reiterated that the Government’s intention is merely to streamline the collection mechanism rather than impose additional fiscal measures.
Nonetheless, with the revised system scheduled to take effect from April 01, 2026, importers warn that the cumulative effect of SSCL and VAT could markedly raise the total customs duty payable on vehicles. They caution that the adjustment, though technical in appearance, may ultimately translate into higher showroom prices and reduced affordability for prospective buyers.
February 17, Colombo (LNW): Colombo is preparing for a major cultural and economic boost as “Salam Ramadan” returns to Green Path from February 27 to March 1, transforming the heart of the city into a vibrant Ramadan marketplace. Spearheaded by the Western Provincial Council in partnership with the Colombo Municipal Council, the festival is rapidly becoming a key fixture on the capital’s annual events calendar.
Following a strong debut in 2025 that attracted over 15,000 visitors, the 2026 edition will feature more than 100 stalls, offering expanded opportunities for small and medium enterprises, hospitality brands and local artisans. Organisers say the event is designed not only to celebrate Ramadan but also to stimulate commerce and position Colombo as a dynamic, inclusive city.
Ramadan, observed by Muslims across Sri Lanka, is a sacred month marked by fasting, prayer and acts of charity. It culminates in Eid celebrations, but throughout the month bustling evening markets traditionally spring up near mosques and neighbourhoods. “Salam Ramadan” builds on this tradition, creating a centralised, city-branded platform that highlights the contributions of Muslim entrepreneurs and cultural groups.
The festival’s festive boulevard concept will feature decorative lanterns and themed lighting inspired by Middle Eastern streetscapes. Food vendors will offer traditional Sri Lankan Muslim dishes alongside regional specialties, while retail stalls will display modest wear, handcrafted items and specialty products. Cultural showcases will present music, dance and drama performances reflecting the heritage of Moors, Malays, Memons and Bohras.
Beyond commerce, the festival underscores Ramadan’s core values of compassion and community. Communal Iftar gatherings at Viharamahadevi Park will invite people of all faiths to share the experience of breaking the fast, fostering dialogue and understanding.
Educational booths focusing on Islamic history, Arabic calligraphy and henna artistry will further enrich the experience, encouraging cross-cultural engagement. City officials say the initiative reflects a broader national commitment to unity through diversity, showcasing Sri Lanka’s multicultural fabric.
With vendor registrations now open, organisers anticipate increased participation from corporates, retailers and service providers eager to tap into the Ramadan market. As Colombo positions itself as a regional hub for cultural tourism and events, “Salam Ramadan” stands out as both a celebration of faith and a catalyst for economic growth.
February 17, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s engagement with the Asian Development Bank entered a new phase this week as incoming Country Director Shannon Cowlin met President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to review ongoing cooperation and outline future priorities.
The formal introduction at the Presidential Secretariat was more than diplomatic protocol. It reflected the strategic recalibration of multilateral support as Sri Lanka works to stabilise public finances and restore growth momentum following years of economic turbulence.
ADB officials conveyed satisfaction with the progress of Bank-funded projects and praised inter-agency coordination in executing development programmes. According to development policy observers, such endorsements carry weight with international markets, particularly as Sri Lanka continues negotiations with global lenders and pursues structural reforms.
Central to the discussions was recovery from Cyclone Ditwah, with emphasis on strengthening disaster resilience infrastructure. Reconstruction efforts are expected to integrate climate adaptation principles, a priority increasingly embedded in ADB’s regional financing model.
President Dissanayake stressed that economic reform must deliver visible benefits to ordinary citizens. He drew attention to environmental degradation in the Central Highlands and other ecologically fragile areas, calling for urgent restoration of forests and water systems to protect both biodiversity and rural incomes.
The ADB signalled willingness to support projects that combine environmental rehabilitation with sustainable livelihood development. Such initiatives, analysts note, align with global climate financing trends and could position Sri Lanka to access blended funding instruments in the future.
Beyond environmental priorities, both sides discussed prospective budget support facilities and a pipeline of investments scheduled from 2026 onward. The anticipated visit of the ADB President in mid-2026 is expected to formalise new commitments and potentially expand concessional financing envelopes.
Economists caution that while multilateral assistance can ease fiscal pressure, long-term stability depends on domestic revenue mobilisation and governance reforms. Nonetheless, sustained ADB backing may help anchor policy continuity and reassure stakeholders wary of reform fatigue.
As Sri Lanka charts its recovery path, the evolving partnership with the ADB appears set to remain a cornerstone of economic reconstruction, climate resilience, and institutional strengthening.
February 17, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s economic managers are betting that structural reform—not short-term stimulus will determine whether the country can move beyond stabilization and into sustained expansion.
At the center of this strategy are three forthcoming laws covering investment security, public-private partnerships and State-Owned Enterprise reform, announced by Presidential Economic Adviser Duminda Hulangamuwa during the Lanka Impact Investment Summit.
The proposed SOE legislation is particularly significant. For decades, loss-making State entities have weighed heavily on public finances, contributing to debt accumulation and operational inefficiencies. The new framework envisions a holding company structure designed to insulate SOEs from political interference while enforcing stricter governance and financial transparency standards. Over time, select entities may be partially listed to deepen capital market participation.
The PPP bill, meanwhile, is intended to formalize collaboration between the State and private investors in large infrastructure projects. By defining procurement processes and risk allocation upfront, policymakers hope to reduce disputes, delays and investor hesitation.
Complementing these reforms is a strengthened investment protection regime aimed at limiting abrupt regulatory shifts a recurring concern among foreign investors.
Hulangamuwa emphasized that macroeconomic stabilization alone cannot deliver transformative growth. While favorable conditions could generate 4–5% expansion, he argued that surpassing that threshold requires structural clarity and policy continuity.
He cautioned against quick-fix solutions such as aggressive monetary expansion or unsustainable tax relief, which could undermine hard-won fiscal gains. Sri Lanka’s recent 3.9% primary surplus, exceeding IMF targets, is being presented as evidence of restored budget discipline.
External debt repayments, projected at roughly $3 billion annually from 2028 onward, are considered manageable under current projections. Officials also highlight rising reserves and resumed import activity as signs of regained stability.
Beyond fiscal metrics, the Government has identified tourism and logistics as strategic growth drivers. Plans include airport expansion, expressway connectivity and enhanced port infrastructure, including a dry port near Colombo to speed cargo movement and improve customs efficiency.
Capital markets have shown signs of renewed confidence, but Hulangamuwa stressed that consistency not rapid policy swings will be crucial in sustaining investor engagement.
The overarching message from policymakers is one of measured reform: fewer abrupt shifts, more transparency and long-term predictability.
