Business

Companies and institutions have no legal provisions to impose additional charges ranging from 2.5% to 3% on customers for transactions made using credit or debit cards, the Director of Payments and Settlements at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), Vasantha Alwis has stated.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has revised downward its GDP growth forecast for Sri Lanka, primarily due to the effects of US tariff policies.

The UAE has once again been named the safest country in the world, according to the Safety Index by Country 2025 Mid-Year, published by global data aggregator Numbeo.

The Sri Lankan passport has made a major leap and climbed five places from 96th to 91st, in the Henley Passport Index. The Sri Lankan passport jumped four spots last year as well

Neither the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) nor the government has taken any decision to impose restrictions on vehicle imports at present, the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe has clarified while responding to recent media reports.

The Board of Investment (BOI) has approved 57 projects so far this year (2025), according to Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chaturanga Abeysingha.

Gita Gopinath, the second-in-command at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), will step down at the end of August to return to her position at Harvard University, the IMF has announced.

The All Share Price Index (ASPI) of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) closed at an all-time high after gaining over 70 points today.

The state revenue has surged to Rs. 1,942.36 billion during the first five months of 2025, marking a 19.95% increase in comparison to the figures from the same period last year, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL).

The government is reportedly looking at the possibility of procuring US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil in a bid to reduce the trade deficit between Sri Lanka and the United States.