The World Bank’s approval of a USD 50 million grant for Sri Lanka’s digital transformation has been greeted with enthusiasm from government spokespeople, development partners, […]
Author: Faraz Shauketaly
Stocks Rise, Foreigners Stay Cautious: Reading Too Much Into a Market Bounce
The Colombo Stock Exchange has registered modest gains, largely driven by domestic buying. Analysts have framed this as a revival of investor confidence. The reality […]
US Navy Helicopters to Sri Lanka: Capability Upgrade or Strategic Optics?
The announcement that the United States Navy will transfer surplus TH-57 Sea Ranger helicopters to the Sri Lanka Air Force has been presented as a […]
Reserves, No Reserves, or Some Reserves — What’s the Story?
Here’s the most recent accurate picture we can draw of Sri Lanka’s foreign reserve position based on the latest local official data and independent reporting: Current Reserve […]
Selling Dollars at a 300% Mark-Up:
Sri Lanka’s Most Creative Fiscal Innovation “Confidence is not an accounting standard” Not long ago — close enough that no one can plausibly plead amnesia […]
Sri Lanka is not collapsing. Nor is it transforming. It is hovering
Sri Lanka enters the first week of January 2026 with the familiar choreography of a country that insists it is “stabilising” while tripping over the […]
“The Rules-Based Order”, With Asterisks
There is a sound the international system makes when it is embarrassed. It is not a bang. It is not even a protest. It is […]
The Auditor General Is Missing in a Functioning Democracy
If Sri Lanka were a functioning republic, the absence of an Auditor General for nearly a month would be a constitutional scandal. Instead, it has […]
Calling Out Misogyny
By Caryl Tozer and Devika Brendon Many women, however qualified they may be for high office, choose to stay away from the spotlight. Not because […]
Counting What Actually Stays: Tourism’s Leakage Problem Finally Gets Measured
The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority’s decision to conduct a leakage surveymay be one of the most quietly significant policy moves in recent years — precisely […]
Runways and Reality: Sri Lanka’s Aviation Push Tests the Limits of Tourism-Led Recovery
Sri Lanka’s renewed aviation expansion — marked by new routes, increased capacity, and the much-touted arrival of Jetstar’s low-cost direct flights from Melbourne to Colombo […]
Julie Chung Exits Colombo: A Diplomatic Tenure That Reflected Sri Lanka’s Uncomfortable Decade
When U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung departs Sri Lanka on January 16, she leaves behind more than the usual exchange of pleasantries and farewell receptions. Her […]
Gaza: Aid Is Getting In – But Not Nearly Enough
The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip remains dire, despite occasional announcements of aid deliveries and ceasefire punctuations. On the surface, the story often reads […]
Top 3 Listed Sri Lankan Companies by EBITDA
1) Hayleys PLC — ~Rs 60.0 billion (FY 2024/25) Hayleys reported consolidated EBITDA of approximately Rs 60 billion for the year ended 31 March 2025. This was […]
Action Plan to Combat and Prevent Trafficking in Human Beings – 2026- 2030
Sri Lanka has long been a signatory to the right instruments.It has signed and ratified the United Nations Convention against Organized Crime and the Palermo Protocol, committing […]
Stability Is Not Reform: Sri Lanka’s Favourite Lie, Repeated Slowly
Sri Lanka has entered its most comfortable phase of denial. The shelves are full. Power cuts are rare. Flights are landing. Tourists are smiling. Ministers […]
Sri Lanka Is Trying Very Hard to “Reset” – But the Numbers Are Queasy
Setting a 3 million visitor target reads like a bold recovery headline — and it is ambitious — but it’s also a sign that policymakers are leaning heavily on […]