Sri Lanka to lift motor vehicle import ban in phases starting October 2024

The Sri Lankan government has announced the lifting of its long-standing ban on motor vehicle imports, effective from October 1, 2024.



Sri Lanka government proposes personal income tax relief

The Sri Lankan government has announced proposed changes to the Personal Income Tax (PIT) structure as part of its ongoing efforts to support economic recovery and ease the burden on mid-level income earners.



Sri Lanka to lift all vehicle import restrictions by February 2025

Sri Lanka’s Cabinet of Ministers has decided to lift all vehicle import restrictions by February 2025, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry announced today (September 13).



Sri Lanka records Rs. 1.2 trillion in tax revenue for 2024’s first eight months

The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) of Sri Lanka has announced a significant increase in tax revenue collection for the period of January to August 2024.



Official polling card distribution in Sri Lanka to be completed by September 14

Sri Lanka’s Department of Posts announced that all official polling cards will be delivered to households by tomorrow (September 14).



Italian father and son fined $200,000 for smuggling endemic insects from Sri Lanka

An Italian father and son have been fined 60 million Sri Lankan rupees ($200,000; £150,000) for attempting to smuggle hundreds of native insects, including 92 butterfly species, out of a safari park in Sri Lanka.



Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha Election set for October 26, 2024

The Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha election will be held on October 26, 2024, according to the Galle District Returning Officer.



ADB approves $100 million loan to support Sri Lanka’s water supply reforms

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $100 million policy-based loan to support Sri Lanka’s water supply and sanitation sector reforms to enhance the country’s resilience to climate change impacts and promote long-term sustainability.



Sri Lankan migrant workers remit USD 577.5 million in August 2024

Sri Lankan migrant workers remitted USD 577.5 million to Sri Lanka through legal banking channels in August 2024.



Sri Lanka’s private sector employee minimum basic salary set at Rs. 21,000

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena signed a Bill on September 11 that sets the minimum basic salary for Sri Lanka’s private sector employees at Rs. 21,000.



Law & Society Trust launches 2024 Presidential Election survey

The Law & Society Trust (LST) has conducted an island-wide survey titled “Presidential Election 2024: Aspirations of the People.”



Keheliya Rambukwella granted bail

Former Sri Lankan Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, along with two others, who were remanded over the alleged import of substandard human immunoglobulin vials, were granted bail by the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court today (September 11).



350 prisoners to be released in Sri Lanka on prisoners’ day

A total of 350 prisoners serving sentences for minor offenses will be released from prisons across Sri Lanka tomorrow (September 12), to mark Prisoners’ Day, according to Prisons Commissioner Gamini B. Dissanayake.



Seetha Arambepola appointed as State Minister for Health, Women’s and Child Affairs

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has appointed MP Seetha Kumari Arambepola as the Minister of State for Health, Women’s and Child Affairs.



Postal voting for Sri Lanka’s 2024 Presidential Election allowed today and tomorrow

The Election Commission of Sri Lanka has announced that postal voting for the 2024 Presidential Election can be conducted today (September 11) and tomorrow (September 12).



Senaka Batagoda passes away

Veteran Sri Lankan singer and lyricist Senaka Batagoda has passed away at the age of 66.