Category: Daily Financial Times

INSEE Cement (Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited), Sri Lanka’s only fully integrated cement manufacturer and market leader behind flagship brands INSEE Sanstha and Mahaweli Marine Plus, has become the first cement company in Sri Lanka to be awarded the prestigious EcoLabel certification by the National Cleaner Production Centre (NCPC) Sri Lanka, the local authority responsible for running the EcoLabel programme in Sri Lanka and the country’s Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN) representative.

The historic recognition demonstrates INSEE Cement’s long-standing commitment to environmentally responsible manufacturing and sustainable development in the construction sector.

The EcoLabel certification recognises products and organisations that meet the highest standards of environmental performance through independently verified, multi-criteria assessment. The scheme aligns with ISO 14024 Type I standards and provides a trusted benchmark for consumers and industry stakeholders seeking greener alternatives. In securing the EcoLabel, INSEE Cement has set a new precedent for building-materials producers in Sri Lanka and strengthened confidence in sustainable procurement practices across the construction value chain.

INSEE Cement’s achievement complements its existing Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) certification, establishing the company as the only organisation in Sri Lanka to hold both credentials. The dual recognition indicates a comprehensive approach to environmental stewardship, from transparent lifecycle assessment and emissions reporting to concrete measures, reducing resource consumption, waste generation, and the carbon intensity of cement production. Together, these certifications demonstrate INSEE’s strategic integration of sustainability into product development, operations, and stakeholder engagement.

Eng. Thusith Gunawarnasuriya, Chief Operating Officer of INSEE Cement, said, ‘This achievement is a proud milestone for INSEE and for Sri Lanka. Being the first cement company in the country to earn the EcoLabel certification reaffirms our leadership in sustainability and our responsibility to future generations. We remain committed to producing high-quality cement and advancing greener manufacturing practices contributing to a healthier environment and a more resilient built environment.’

Eng. Samantha Kumarasena, CEO of NCPC Sri Lanka, commented, ‘INSEE Cement’s EcoLabel certification is a landmark for the industry and a clear signal that Sri Lankan companies can meet global environmental benchmarks. The certification showcases how sector leaders can drive change, adopting best practices and encouraging market-wide transitions toward sustainable construction materials. We expect this milestone to inspire others across the industry to accelerate their environmental improvements.’

Key initiatives have supported INSEE Cement’s certification including investments in energy efficiency upgrades, optimisation of raw-material use, adoption of alternative fuels and clinker substitution strategies, and strengthened emissions monitoring and control systems. The company has also prioritised employee training, community outreach, and supply-chain collaboration to embed sustainability across every stage of production and distribution. These efforts have translated into measurable reductions in greenhouse gas intensity and improved resource productivity, reinforced through transparent reporting and third-party verification.

The EcoLabel certification recognises INSEE Cement’s technical and operational achievements and enhances the company’s ability to support sustainable building practices nationwide. Architects, contractors, developers and policymakers can now rely on certified INSEE products when specifying materials for green buildings and infrastructure projects, helping to meet regulatory targets and voluntary sustainability goals. The certification also strengthens the proposition for public and private procurement policies, prioritising environmentally preferable construction materials.

With this recognition, INSEE Cement continues to lead the local industry toward a more sustainable future where economic development and environmental protection progress together. The company will build on this momentum continuing to innovate in product formulation, process efficiency and stakeholder partnerships, reinforcing its role as a responsible manufacturer dedicated to safeguarding resources and supporting Sri Lanka’s sustainable development objectives.

Nippon Paint Lanka was recertified with the Eco-Label Sri Lanka recognition this year, reaffirming its commitment to delivering products that are safe for the environment and humans. The company became the first paint manufacturer in Sri Lanka to obtain the Eco-Label certification back in 2022.

Amid growing discussions on sustainability and environmentally responsible practices, Nippon Paint sought the Eco-label Sri Lanka to stand out from greenwashing. For the company, ecolabelling is not merely a certification but a milestone in its broader mission to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Why Eco-Label Sri Lanka?

Among the various ecolabelling certifications in Sri Lanka, Nippon Paint Lanka chose the Eco-Label Sri Lanka certification administered by the National Cleaner Production Centre (NCPC) for its credibility, reliability, and global alignment. The NCPC is nationally and internationally accredited, recognised by the Sri Lanka Accreditation Board (SLAB) under ISO 17029, ISO 14065, and ISO 17024, and registered with both the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA) and Central Environmental Authority (CEA).

Launched in 2018 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) under the 10-Year Framework on Sustainable Consumption and Production, Eco-Label Sri Lanka supports the shift toward sustainable production practices. It gained global recognition in 2021 as a full member of the Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN), and in 2024, it received SLAB accreditation under ISO/IEC 17065:2012, while signing Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) with global schemes such as Japan Eco Mark.

Nippon Paint Lanka valued the certification’s GEN affiliation, as GEN represents the world’s only network of Type I ecolabelling programmes that use rigorous, independent, lifecycle-based assessments, ensuring certified products have reduced environmental and social impact throughout their lifecycle.

By obtaining the Eco-Label Sri Lanka certification, Nippon Paint reinforces its commitment to sustainable manufacturing, responsible stewardship, and environmental accountability. This decision aligns with the company’s long-term sustainability strategy, prioritising the development of eco-friendly, low-emission coating solutions that promote healthier living environments. Through this certification, Nippon Paint ensures greater transparency, third-party validation of environmental performance, and compliance with global best practices in sustainability.

Being carbon-neutral by 2050

Nippon Paint Lanka is working towards achieving genuine sustainability that will benefit future generations. As part of its gradual mission to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, Nippon Paint Lanka is focusing on several areas related to its carbon footprint and sustainable practices.

By 2026, the company aims to ensure that 30% of its packaging materials are recyclable. This includes shifting certain products to tins made from recycled tin sheets, which can in turn be recycled again.

The procurement team is also in discussion with suppliers of biodegradable plastics. Although these materials are more expensive, Nippon Paint Lanka is exploring ways to offer eco-friendly products of high quality at reasonable prices.

The elimination of chromium and cobalt from all its products is a key 2027 goal. While achieving this is technically straightforward, the company is researching solutions to ensure affordability without compromising quality.

By 2030, Nippon Paint Lanka aims to introduce electric vehicles with sodium batteries or vehicles with hydrogen engines into its fleet, with hopes that hydrogen engines will be available by then.

Is Sri Lanka choosing eco-friendly paints?

Several buildings, which were painted using Nippon Paint Lanka’s water-based range, are considered as green buildings. As the demand for green building certification grows, more projects are beginning to choose Eco-Label Sri Lanka certified products.

Nippon Paint’s auto-refinish water-based range is green-certified and safe for both people and the environment. However, a major concern is that many Sri Lankans continue to prefer Nitrocellulose (NC) type paints, which, although affordable, are harmful to humans. Likewise, in the case of wood paints, most still opt for solvent-based products that are equally damaging.

Globally, the paint industry is steadily shifting towards water-based alternatives, and Sri Lanka will also need to follow suit before long. While all airports are now required to use water-based road marking paints, other road markings are also expected to transition soon. These paints are not only environmentally friendly but also easier to apply and do not require highly skilled labour.

Compared to other brands in the market, Nippon Paint Lanka offers a much wider Eco Label Sri Lanka certified water-based range for consumers to choose from.

Sustainable, safer paints

Nippon Paint Lanka also offers a near-zero volatile organic compound (VOC) range called ‘Odourless.’ This range does not emit formaldehyde, which is known to increase health risks. With ‘Odourless’, a freshly painted room can be safely occupied within just two to three hours. In its commitment to introducing greener products, Nippon Paint also developed an exterior paint with solar-reflective properties. This range can reduce indoor temperatures by around 5 degrees Celsius, helping to lower the need for air conditioning and thereby reducing energy consumption.

Green practices already in effect

Nippon Paint Sri Lanka is already well on its way to achieving its sustainability goals. To reduce energy and water consumption in its factories, the management, along with the Safety and Sustainability team, has implemented several key initiatives.

The wastewater purification plants recycle purified water repeatedly in the production process without releasing it into the environment, while rainwater harvesting systems are used to cool storage buildings. To further reduce fuel consumption, all Nippon Paint delivery vehicles are equipped with tracking devices that direct drivers along the shortest routes, helping to save fuel and minimise time spent in traffic.

Given that Sri Lanka’s economy is closely tied to its environment, Nippon Paint Lanka believes it is essential for the government, businesses and individuals to embrace sustainable practices. As the company continues its steady journey towards carbon neutrality by 2050, it hopes to see a greener Sri Lanka emerge alongside it.

The killing of the Chairman of the Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha Lasantha Wickramasekera is a shocking reminder that violent crimes in this country continue unabated despite the Police Department’s much publicised crackdown on crime. The killing is all the more shocking because it took place inside the Weligama PS building where the victim was meeting with members of the public as it was Public Day. The assassins fled the scene after the shooting and the fatally wounded man was taken to the Matara Hospital where he died.

This killing is a serious cause for concern for all and as Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa pointed out in Parliament, such crimes pose a threat to national security.

The words of Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala are not particularly reassuring. His thinking is that the slain man was connected with those in the drug trade and hence a violent death was awaiting him sooner or later. His premise is, ‘those who live by the sword, will perish by the sword’ and that political parties should think twice about who they choose to give nominations to during elections to exclude such characters.

Other NPP MPs too have voiced such sentiments while promising full investigation into the killing.

Let’s face it. The hands of the majority of politicians are not clean and the JVP-led Government should know more about it than anyone else. The JVP has been responsible, along with the LTTE for eliminating elected representatives of different political parties.

Whatever the case with regard to the slaying of the Weligama PS Chairman, a Government in power cannot wash its hands of the crime. Such incidents only bring back memories of a time when elected officials were all too often the victims of suicide bombers and gunmen. Maybe the hands of some of those killed were not clean but that doesn’t mean one can endorse such crimes and blame the victim.

In the past few years, political violence has receded even though there are the usual skirmishes during election time but killings are rare. The last elected representative to be killed was former MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala during the heydays of the Aragalaya. Yesterday’s killings should be taken seriously and the Police and the Government must act to apprehend the killers and not hide behind excuses that the victim had links to drug dealers.

The Police Department has been showing off its big catches involved in the drug trade in the country of late and also of carrying out checks all over the country. The statistics given are mind-boggling. Over five million individuals were searched from January to September this year. Instead of just putting such news out into the public domain, what is needed is for the Police to work with better intelligence and undercover operatives if the anti-drug campaign is to be a success.

The Government will launch a National Campaign to Eliminate Drugs and Organised Crime on 30 October at the Sugathadasa Stadium with the intention of eradicating the drug menace and dismantling organised criminal networks. Previous Governments too have put on some mega shows of this nature but they have fallen by the wayside after a while.

The country has seen a record number of shootings this year, over 70 with over 40 deaths. The latest death will become just a number but if elected representatives are shot dead while they are inside a government building, it does little to build public confidence in the Police or the Government.

Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa has said a significant amount of funds will be allocated in the upcoming Budget to strengthen flood mitigation efforts.

He said the Cabinet has approved a proposal to continue the National Building Research Organisation’s project to restore and maintain stabilised landslide-prone areas from 2026 to 2030.

The proposal, submitted by the President in his capacity as Defence Minister, seeks to ensure the long-term stability of 250 previously stabilised slopes, for which around Rs. 10 billion has been spent over the past decade.

Dr. Jayatissa said the project will focus on maintaining proper groundwater and surface water management systems to prevent the reactivation of stabilised landslide areas. Recommendations from the Department of National Planning have been received to proceed with the new phase.

The Minister said the Government would not authorise any unplanned or unauthorised constructions in the future as part of its measures to curb the worsening flood situation in cities.

Responding to a question whether the main cause for floods was informal development activities in cities, he said that informal development and illegal constructions had contributed significantly to recent urban flooding, particularly in cities such as Colombo and Galle.

‘Many unauthorised constructions have been built with approvals from certain State institutions in the past, but we have directed the Local Government institutions strictly to follow rules when passing plans for constructions in the future,’ he said.

Dr. Jayatissa emphasised that although there were unplanned and illegal constructions, as a responsible Government, it could not remove all those illegal structures at once, as that would disrupt people’s lives, but plans were underway to clear obstructions systematically to prevent floods.

According to the Cabinet Spokesman, the Government was preparing long-term plans to modify existing structures while ensuring that no new unauthorised buildings would be permitted in the future.

‘These plans will not be implemented on empty land, but we will ensure to implement proper planning to prevent new illegal constructions,’ he added.

Dr. Jayatissa said that despite the Government’s ongoing efforts, it might not be possible to completely prevent waterlogging during the upcoming rainy season. However, immediate relief measures would be taken through local authorities to assist flood-hit people.

He also said that Local Government institutions had been instructed not to grant building permits for unauthorised developments and to identify and rectify activities that contribute to floods.

There is a unique confidence that comes with driving a brand-new car. It’s not just about the sleek design or the smooth performance, it is the peace of mind that comes with knowing every kilometre, from the very first turn of the key, is safe, reliable, and entirely owned. No hidden defects, and no past mileage concerns. This assurance begins the moment a consumer purchases a vehicle from an authorised agent.

Every brand-new vehicle from an authorised agent comes with a comprehensive manufacturer warranty that ensures protection against unexpected repairs or manufacturing defects. It is more than a warranty. It is a promise that the car is built to perform and that the owner is fully supported by a trusted network of experts.

A brand-new vehicle from an authorised agent guarantees genuine mileage and a vehicle free from wear and tear. Every component, from the engine to the upholstery is factory fresh, and the story of the vehicle begins with its owner. Designed specifically for Sri Lanka, these cars feature localised air-conditioning, enhanced suspension, tropicalised components, and durable interiors built to withstand humidity and rough roads. This local adaptation ensures reliability, a superior driving experience, lower long-term maintenance costs, and higher resale value.

Another advantage is that authorised agent imports are registered directly with the manufacturer. This ensures that owners are timely informed about safety recalls or product upgrades during the entire lifetime of the vehicle. Such services will not be applicable to vehicles imported through other channels meaning the owners will never be notified of critical recalls which could seriously affect safety of the passengers and the vehicle performance.

Buying through authorised channels also guarantees compliance, with all duties paid to the state and the documentation being in order. Ownership is straightforward, with no legal complications or delivery uncertainties. In the recent past, local ports have seen approximately 1,000 illicit imports detained at Sri Lanka Customs probably due to unethical import practices, which has left consumers who pre-ordered their dream vehicles awaiting delivery for over seven months still without any clear direction. When purchased through the authorised agents, vehicles are brought in legitimately, safely and at the correct market value.

A brand-new, authorised vehicle is more than a purchase. It is transparency, reliability, and long-term satisfaction. From comprehensive warranties and safety updates to locally-adapted engineering and hassle-free ownership, buying brand-new from authorised agents ensures that every journey is driven with true ‘peace of mind’.

The Government must accelerate reforms in its land, labour, and capital markets, key factor markets that drive investment, while sustaining the slowdown in domestic debt accumulation, University of Peradeniya Economics Professor Wasantha Athukorala said, noting that improved fiscal discipline has begun to stabilise the country’s borrowing trajectory.

Commenting through the Department of Government Communication, he said the increase in total debt since January 2025 has been minimal, signalling a stabilisation in borrowing trends.

Sri Lanka’s total public debt stood at Rs. 29,634 billion as of June 2025, comprising Rs. 18,806 billion in domestic debt and Rs. 10,800 billion in external debt, according to Prof. Athukorala.

He cautioned that some analyses of debt trends are misleading when external and domestic debt are compared in the same denomination.

‘Either both are analysed in rupees or both in foreign currency terms. Mixing the two creates distortions because of exchange rate effects,’ he said, explaining that the external debt stock itself does not change, but currency conversion adds volatility.

He noted that domestic debt growth, which had previously surged at unprecedented levels, has now eased significantly.

‘From 2019 to end-2024, domestic debt increased by over Rs. 100 billion a month, peaking at Rs. 327 billion a month in 2022,’ he said.

‘By contrast, in the first six months of 2025, it has grown only by about Rs. 49-50 billion a month. This is a positive development because the country has been able to contain debt growth that was once above Rs. 300 billion per month.’

Domestic debt, which increased by nearly Rs. 4,000 billion in 2022 and Rs. 2,018 billion in 2023, grew by Rs. 1,258 billion in 2024. By end-June 2025, the increase was limited to Rs. 296 billion year-to-date.

‘We must reduce this further. Growing domestic debt increases the future burden on citizens and risks destabilising the economy,’ Prof. Athukorala said.

Locked out of international capital market borrowings since Sri Lanka’s debt default, he added that external borrowing has been confined to multilateral and limited bilateral sources.

‘If we can continue to restrain domestic debt expansion while keeping external borrowing disciplined, the country could head toward greater macroeconomic stability,’ he observed.

Turning to foreign direct investment (FDI), Prof. Athukorala said inflows have long fallen short of expectations, with annual levels barely reaching $ 1 billion over the years.

He attributed this to structural weaknesses in the capital, land, and labour markets and Sri Lanka’s low ranking on ease-of-doing-business indicators compared with regional peers.

However, he noted improving trends in 2025, with the Board of Investment (BOI) approving 81 projects worth $ 861 million between January and August, expected to generate over 20,000 jobs.

Of the approved investments, 57% are in manufacturing, 14% in construction, 9% in garment manufacturing, and 4% in the knowledge economy.

India accounted for 55% of total FDI approvals, followed by Singapore with 27%, China with 10%, and smaller inflows from the United States.

‘If this trend continues, we can expect FDI to exceed $ 1 billion in 2025,’ he said.

Prof. Athukorala stressed that this level remains inadequate to drive long-term growth.

‘Over the next five years, Sri Lanka should aim for annual FDI inflows of around $ 5 billion, especially into new-age technologies and IT. But we must first understand and remove the barriers that deter investors. The Government must act fast, attracting more FDI will create jobs and expand export earnings,’ he said.

HNB Managing Director/CEO Damith Pallewatte HNB Executive Vice President /Chief Innovation Officer Chandima Cooray

Innovation thrives on collaboration, creativity, and experimentation. Yet in tightly regulated industries such as banking, innovation operates under fundamental constraints.

Managing the tension between delivering services with the speed and accessibility customers demand while maintaining stability and regulatory compliance creates fundamental obstacles for the banking industry.

This challenge also arrives at a decisive economic moment. Sri Lanka is accelerating its digital transformation with the National Digital Economy Strategy 2030 targeting a 4x increase in the digital economy to $ 15 billion by 2030.

While ambitious, the experiences of economies and institutions that have pursued progressive innovation approaches have unlocked exponential growth. Given the challenges and opportunities ahead, HNB Managing Director/CEO Damith Pallewatte believes such an exponential journey is no longer optional for Sri Lanka.

‘We are encouraged by the recent momentum and sincere commitment that we are seeing from all sides to accelerating Sri Lanka’s digital economy. I believe all Sri Lankans understand the immense challenges that we must overcome to ensure a durable recovery. Digitalised banking infrastructure will serve as the foundation of this transformation, unlocking transformative productivity gains,’ he said.

For an organisation like HNB that has been aggressive in its digital transformation, innovation – both strategic and technological, is part of its DNA.

Engineering an innovation ecosystem

From its early history to the present, the bank has been a first-mover on partnerships and technologies that deliver meaningful progress on financial inclusion and empowerment for individuals and enterprises across the island.

According to Pallewatte, those foundations together with recent strategic realignments are now clearing the path for an ambitious new wave of innovation-led growth as part of a broader push to make HNB Sri Lanka’s most future-ready bank.

‘In setting up the vision and strategy over the medium-long term, we spent considerable time with our teams on lessons learned from prior digital transformation experiences. We also examined the bottlenecks encountered and emerging global best practices that could be adapted to solve challenges faced by our customers.

‘What became clear is that to innovate, we needed to experiment with broad-based solutions. Individual business verticals would always run into practical constraints or only focus on areas with direct visibility. True value could only be unlocked by working across these verticals.’

He explained how in a more interconnected operating environment, useful ideas often emerge through partnership; whether across HNB’s business units or with fintechs, technology providers, startups, academia, and even students and young innovators. In essence: an innovation ecosystem.

Dual-speed innovation: centralising ownership, harmonising delivery

Over the past year, HNB has moved to unlock that potential through strategic internal realignment. Following a 2024 review of its digital strategy, the bank began aligning technology explicitly to growth.

Among the first changes was establishing a Chief Innovation Officer (CINVO) role, explicitly charged with building and orchestrating an innovation ecosystem across the institution and aligning it with the Chief Information Officer, Project Management Office and the Chief Data Officer.

The CINVO owns the innovation agenda end-to-end, including the newly launched HNB Innovation Studio-which rapidly designs experiments, iterates in a sandbox, and advances only those meeting pre-set success criteria. Development on promising ideas is enforced with budget and timeline discipline to move from pilot to scale without drift.

The model represents a structural answer to the innovation-compliance tension that defines regulated banking. Appointed to lead it is Chandima Cooray, a visionary technologist with over 25 years of diverse entrepreneurial experience leveraging technology to solve complex business challenges.

‘The ability to operate at dual-speed is essential to driving innovation without compromising stability and security,’ he said. ‘The Innovation Studio trials new capabilities in safe sandboxed loops. Every initiative starts with a value hypothesis and scorecard-we pilot quickly, measure impact, and only scale when controls are satisfied. The idea is to innovate rapidly, fail safely, and deliver real value.’

Meanwhile the CIO continues to take custody of core systems, ensuring stability, security, and near zero downtime. In parallel, the CDO builds HNB’s data spine: architecture, governance, and analytics that embed completeness, availability, and integrity while strengthening privacy and compliance.

Just as importantly, business verticals (Corporate, SME, Retail) sit under Chief Operating Officer Sanjay Wijemanne, with segment-agnostic capabilities (Digital, Transaction, Islamic Banking, Trade Finance) cutting across all three.

The total effect: less friction, more cross-pollination. By providing the Innovation Studio with a clear view of customer and employee needs bank-wide, IT and Data work in concert rather than through fragmented reporting lines.

This is also an ecosystem play. Where it accelerates value, HNB will collaborate with fintechs, technology providers, startups, academia, and student innovators.

Innovation in action: HNB Accept

That discipline is already shaping live work. In September 2025, just months after the structural realignment, HNB launched HNB Accept at the Sri Lanka FinTech Summit – a demonstration of the dual-speed model delivering tangible results.

Powered by Visa, HNB Accept represented a global first launch that enables small merchants or individuals who transact regularly to accept credit and debit card payments directly on their smartphone through the HNB Mobile App, without investing in traditional POS or mPOS devices with no further paper waste.

The execution timeline validates the organisational redesign. ‘From the day we decided to pursue this, we had three months to make decisions, handle technology integration, and launch at the FinTech Summit,’ Cooray explained. ‘That was only possible thanks to this model. The Innovation Studio working in concert with the CIO’s implementation capabilities, clear project management oversight, and direct alignment with business requirements.’

The product addresses fundamental market friction: small merchants accepting digital payments through manual bank transfers require customers to enter CEFT numbers, select banks, and navigate multiple error-prone steps.

HNB Accept collapses that friction into a simple smartphone transaction, democratising access to digital payment acceptance and accelerating Sri Lanka’s shift from a 90% cash-based economy toward the digital transaction infrastructure necessary for broader economic transformation.

Ecosystem expansion: Beyond single products

HNB Accept represents one strand of coordinated innovation flowing through the new governance architecture. Internal efficiency initiatives run in parallel, including agentic AI pilots designed to automate routine processes so customer-facing staff can handle higher transaction volumes and deliver faster, more personalised service.

Home loan evaluation processes are being re-engineered through AI-assisted assessment, with the goal of enabling same-day credit decisions rather than multi-day approval cycles; a direct customer experience improvement that also reduces operational costs.

‘We’re looking closely at experiences and lessons from regional leaders across Singapore, India, the Middle East, and Africa who have successfully navigated this transformation,’ Cooray noted.

‘The important lesson is that we don’t want to build everything ourselves. There are fintech startups and technology partners who excel at solving specific problems. Our role is to provide the platform, governance, and integration capabilities, ensuring that any innovation entering our ecosystem follows the same ethics and values that define HNB while delivering measurable customer benefit.’

HNB’s realignment positions the institution as a key driver of innovation at scale in Sri Lanka’s digital economy evolution. The Innovation Studio’s early successes provide validation of the model’s effectiveness. However, the broader test lies ahead: sustaining and scaling proven innovation across the network and continually evolving the ecosystem to meet emerging customer needs in an increasingly digital market.

The 2025 Sri Lanka Barometer (SLB) Survey Report was officially launched at the Taj Samudra Hotel, Colombo. Administered every two years, this nationally representative public opinion survey tracks public sentiment on key issues such as post-conflict reconciliation, governance, and civic engagement over time.

The overarching objective of the SLB is to inform public discourse and policymaking in the country’s pursuit of greater unity and inclusion. It is supported by the Strengthening Social Cohesion and Peace in Sri Lanka (SCOPE) program, which is co-funded by the European Union and the German Federal Foreign Office, and implemented by GIZ in partnership with the Government of Sri Lanka.

The 2025 SLB Survey Report, presented at today’s event, captures how Sri Lankans perceive reconciliation amid the 2024/2025 political transition. It captures both renewed political trust and civic engagement, alongside concerns about institutional responsiveness. While many findings reveal citizen aspirations for change, their perceptions of actual progress remain limited and uneven, shaped by diverse lived experiences. The report highlights that reconciliation is not a fixed outcome but an ongoing process – dependent on credible, inclusive, and sustained action by relevant stakeholders.

The high-level launch brought together stakeholders from Government, civil society, academia, media, and the diplomatic community. Distinguished guests included: Religious and Cultural Affairs Deputy Minister Muneer Mulaffer; Ambassador of the European Union to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Carmen Moreno; Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Dr. Felix Neumann; High Commissioner of South Africa Sandile Edwin Schalk.

‘The Sri Lanka Barometer provides essential insights into how citizens across the country view reconciliation and governance,’ said Ambassador Moreno. ‘The EU is proud to support efforts that place the voices of the people at the centre of national dialogue.’

Ambassador Neumann noted, ‘This report shows that Sri Lankans are increasingly aware of their rights and responsibilities as citizens. Understanding these perspectives is key to building trust and advancing sustainable peace. Germany is especially grateful to foster with the Sri Lanka Barometer a tool not just for analysis, but for action.’

To increase accessibility and public engagement, the SLB also launched a new Online Data Analysis Tool, an interactive platform that provides public access to survey results across all four iterations (2020, 2021, 2023 and 2025), enabling researchers, journalists, policymakers, and citizens to explore the data further.

In a major step towards institutional sustainability, the event also introduced The Insights Initiative, a newly established research organisation created to carry the SLB forward. The initiative will oversee the continued development of the SLB, with a focus on strengthening local ownership, research capacity, and the use of data for public discourse and inclusive policymaking. It also aims to serve as a hub for collaboration between academics, civil society organisations, and public institutions committed to evidence-based governance, reconciliation, and social cohesion.

Four Police teams have been deployed to investigate the murder of Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha (PS) Chairman Lasantha Wickramasekara (38), who was shot dead yesterday (22) morning, Police Media Spokesman Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) F.U. Wootler said.

At the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing, he said the investigation was being conducted under the direct instructions of the Senior Deputy Inspector General (SDIG) in charge of the Southern Province.

‘All available resources have been mobilised, and four teams have commenced inquiries to identify the perpetrators and motives behind this murder,’ he said.

The two unidentified gunmen on a motor bike opened fire at Wickramasekara, who was at his office at that time at the Weligama PS premises.

He was taken to the hospital with severe injuries but succumbed to his injuries at the Matara General Hospital.

According to the Police Spokesman, the gunman, who covered his face with a black mask, had entered Wickramasekara’s room pretending to get him to sign a letter. ‘The gunmen had used four bullets and the Police have confirmed that a pistol was used to shoot the PS Chairman,’ Wootler said. (SS)

The Parliament Secretariat yesterday said the Sub-Committee appointed under the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment has instructed officials to collect data on individuals unable to repay microfinance

loans in four selected Divisional Secretariat (DS) Divisions across and Nuwara Eliya, Batticaloa, Polonnaruwa, and Colombo Districts.

The directive was issued during a recent meeting of the Sub-Committee on Future Steps to Address the Microfinance Lending Problem.

As a pilot project, data will first be collected from four DS Divisions: Hatton in Nuwara Eliya, South Koralaipattu in Batticaloa, Welikanda in Polonnaruwa, and Wellawatte in Colombo.

The Committee instructed ministry officials to initiate the process and ensure the data collection is conducted systematically to assess the scale of the problem.

The meeting also included discussions on possible relief mechanisms for borrowers facing financial distress and on designing interventions to support and rehabilitate those affected by high microfinance debt burdens.

It was also decided to summon representatives of the 34 microfinance institutions registered with the Lanka Microfinance Practitioners’ Association to explore relief measures and formulate joint solutions for indebted clients, the Parliament Secretariat said.