October 25, Colombo (LNW): Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, has urged that Muslim burial rites be conducted without unnecessary delay, stressing the importance of upholding pre-pandemic practices.

Representatives from various civil society groups observed that in certain regions, procedures introduced during the COVID-19 period—particularly the extended certification process—were still being applied, resulting in significant postponements of burials.

Responding to these concerns, Minister Herath clarified that a circular reinstating the standard pre-COVID procedures has already been issued, and relevant officials have been instructed to ensure its full implementation. He further advised that in any locality where outdated regulations remain in use, the circular should be presented to the authorities so that corrective measures can be promptly enforced.

The meeting, attended by around 30 representatives from 15 organisations including the All Ceylon Jamiatul Ulama, provided a platform for Muslim community leaders to raise wider social concerns.

During the same discussion, Minister Herath also reaffirmed that there are no legal restrictions preventing Muslim nurses in public hospitals from wearing attire consistent with their faith. The reassurance followed appeals from Muslim civil society groups, who noted that limitations on wearing garments covering the head and legs have deterred many Muslim women from entering or remaining in the nursing profession.

The meeting, chaired by Minister Herath, included participation from Deputy Speaker Rizvi Sali, Minister Sunil Senevi, Deputy Ministers Munir Mulaffar and Arkam Ilyas, and MP Fasmin Sheriff. Minister Herath emphasised that existing uniform policies do not conflict with religious dress codes, underscoring that cultural and spiritual observances should never impede anyone’s opportunity to serve in the healthcare sector.

October 25, Colombo (LNW): Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and North-western, Northern and North Central provinces and in Galle, Matara and Trincomalee districts, the Department of Meteorology said in its daily weather forecast today (25).

Fairly heavy falls above 75 mm are likely at some places in these areas.

Showers or thundershowers will occur elsewhere of the island after 1.00 p.m.

Strong winds of about (40-50) kmph can be expected at times over Western slopes of the central hills and in Western, Northern, North-central, North-western and Southern provinces and in Trincomalee district.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimise damages caused by temporary localised strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

Marine Weather:

The low-pressure area located over the southeast Bay of Bengal to the northeast of Sri Lanka is expected to intensify further and move west-northwestward. This low-pressure area located about 850 km northeast of Batticaloa at 5.00 a.m. on October 25, 2025. This low-pressure system is likely to develop into a depression over the southeast and adjoining central Bay of Bengal during today (25). This system is expected to further intensify into a deep depression by the 26th of October and into a cyclonic storm by October 27. Naval and fishing communities, engaging activities over the shallow sea areas off the coast extending from Kankasanthurai to Batticaloa via Trincomalee and from Galle to Pottuvil via Hambantota are requested to be vigilant in this regard.


Condition of Rain:
Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Trincomalee to Hambanthota via Kankasanthurai, Mannar, Colombo and Galle. Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in other sea areas around the island during the afternoon or night.

Winds:
Winds will be south-westerly or westerly and speed will be (30-40) kmph. Wind speed can increase up to (50-60) kmph at times in the sea areas around the island.

State of Sea:
The sea areas around the island will be fairly rough and, rough at times.

Temporarily strong gusty winds and very rough seas can be expected during thundershowers.

By Adolf

Sri Lankan banks are quietly profiting from a practice that has gone unchecked for far too long — adding unjustified margins of up to 10% on foreign currency transactions made through credit cards. This practice, particularly visible in the case of American Express with a staggering 10% margin, and Mastercard and Visa with margins ranging from 5% to 8%, is nothing short of a rip-off of ordinary retail customers. It is a silent tax on consumers, imposed by the banks and tolerated by a Central Bank that appears to have lost touch with the realities faced by the public.

While the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) continues to host events, publish reports, and celebrate its so-called achievements, millions of cardholders are being penalized every time they use their credit cards for legitimate online or overseas transactions. The additional “foreign exchange conversion margin” — which banks claim covers exchange rate volatility and operational costs — is grossly excessive and far beyond international norms. In most developed markets, central banks and financial regulators strictly cap these margins at 1–2%, ensuring that consumers are treated fairly and transparently.

In Sri Lanka, however, the story is different. The banks, emboldened by regulatory inaction, have turned forex-related card transactions into a lucrative profit centre. The irony is that they would never dare to impose such steep margins on corporate clients or large exporters. Those customers are better informed, have bargaining power, and can access foreign exchange directly through market mechanisms. Retail consumers, on the other hand, are easy targets — their small, scattered transactions go unnoticed, and the extra costs are buried in complex exchange rate calculations that few can decipher.

The result is a deeply unfair two-tier system: one set of rules for powerful corporates, and another for ordinary citizens. Every time a Sri Lankan family pays for an online course, books a hotel abroad, or subscribes to an international service, they are effectively being charged 10% more than what the exchange rate justifies. This is not only anti-consumer but also economically regressive. It discourages legitimate spending, erodes trust in the banking system, and fuels resentment towards institutions that are supposed to protect the public interest.

The CBSL cannot continue to look the other way. As the regulator of the financial system, it has both the authority and the duty to stop this practice. The Central Bank’s silence amounts to tacit approval, allowing banks to report inflated profits at the expense of the very customers they are meant to serve.

If Sri Lanka aspires to build a modern, fair, and transparent financial system, it must start with basic consumer protection. The CBSL must immediately issue clear guidelines capping foreign exchange conversion margins for credit card transactions at international norms. Accountability must replace complacency. The time for half-measures is over — retail customers deserve fairness, transparency, and respect, not exploitation disguised as policy.

Deputy Defence Minister Major General (Retd.) Aruna Jayasekara informed Parliament yesterday that over 700 acres of land in the Northern and Eastern Provinces have been released to the public so far this year (2025).

He said that between January 1 and October 10, a total of 672.24 acres of land in the Northern Province have been returned to the people. This includes 86.24 acres of privately-owned land and 586 acres previously occupied by the military.

In the Eastern Province, 34.58 acres of government land have also been released during the same period, he added.

The Deputy Minister further noted that issues surrounding land in Eechankulam, in the Vavuniya District, are currently being addressed and are expected to be resolved soon to facilitate public release.

He explained that the lands were released following the submission of relevant documentation to the National Security Council (NSC) and the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security.

Deputy Defence Minister Jayasekara made these remarks in response to a question raised in Parliament by Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) MP Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam.

Sri Lanka must urgently accelerate reforms in its land, labour, and capital markets the three critical factor markets that drive investment while maintaining fiscal discipline to curb domestic debt growth, University of Peradeniya Economics Professor Wasantha Athukorala said this week.

Commenting through the Department of Government Communication, Prof. Athukorala noted that improved fiscal management has helped stabilise the country’s borrowing trajectory after years of excessive debt expansion. “The increase in total public debt since January 2025 has been minimal, showing signs of stabilisation,” he said.

As of June 2025, Sri Lanka’s total public debt stood at Rs. 29,634 billion, comprising Rs. 18,806 billion in domestic debt and Rs. 10,800 billion in external debt. However, he cautioned that comparing domestic and external debt in the same currency terms often leads to misleading conclusions. “Either both must be expressed in rupees or both in foreign currency. Mixing the two distorts the real picture due to exchange rate effects,” he explained.

Prof. Athukorala pointed out that domestic debt growth, which had previously risen at alarming rates, has now slowed significantly. Between 2019 and 2024, domestic borrowing surged by more than Rs. 100 billion per month on average, peaking at Rs. 327 billion per month in 2022. “In contrast, during the first six months of 2025, monthly growth has moderated to about Rs. 49–50 billion a welcome trend,” he added.

Domestic debt expanded by nearly Rs. 4 trillion in 2022 and Rs. 2 trillion in 2023, before slowing to Rs. 1.25 trillion in 2024. By mid-2025, it had increased by only Rs. 296 billion. “This must come down further,” he urged, warning that unchecked domestic borrowing could increase the future tax burden and destabilise the economy.

Since Sri Lanka’s 2022 debt default, access to international capital markets remains closed, forcing the government to rely on multilateral and limited bilateral lending. Prof. Athukorala said maintaining restraint on domestic debt and disciplined external borrowing could pave the way for greater macroeconomic stability.

Turning to investment, he observed that foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows have consistently fallen short, barely reaching US$ 1 billion annually. He attributed this weakness to structural inefficiencies in the land, labour, and capital markets, and Sri Lanka’s poor performance in global ease-of-doing-business rankings.

Nonetheless, recent trends show promise. Between January and August 2025, the Board of Investment (BOI) approved 81 projects worth US$ 861 million, expected to create over 20,000 jobs. Of these, 57% were in manufacturing, 14% in construction, 9% in garment manufacturing, and 4% in the knowledge economy. India accounted for 55% of FDI approvals, followed by Singapore (27%), China (10%), and the United States.

“If this momentum continues, Sri Lanka’s FDI inflows could exceed US$ 1 billion in 2025,” Prof. Athukorala said. However, he emphasised that this remains inadequate for sustainable growth. “Over the next five years, the country should target annual FDI of around US$ 5 billion, particularly in emerging technologies and IT. The Government must act swiftly to remove barriers and attract quality investments,” he stressed.