Category: Daily Financial Times

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday instructed officials to formulate a program to allocate underutilised State land, together with project support services, to Sri Lankan migrant workers returning home after completing overseas employment, as part of efforts to promote productive reintegration and rural economic development.

The directive was issued during a meeting at the Presidential Secretariat to review the progress of projects implemented under the 2026 Budget for the Plantation and Community Infrastructure Ministry and to discuss the Ministry’s proposals for the 2027 Budget.

The discussion included a comprehensive review of development projects implemented by the plantation and community infrastructure sectors, as well as institutions operating under the State plantation companies, with attention also given to priorities and funding requirements for next year.

The President also reviewed major plantation sector initiatives financed through Rs. 1.081 billion in capital allocations, including the estate land surveying program, coconut disease management, the Kapruka Fund, initiatives to boost coconut production and the Northern Coconut Triangle Program.

Reviewing plantation infrastructure projects, Dissanayake stressed the need to complete the program to construct 10,000 houses for the Malayagam community within the stipulated timeframe and hand them over to beneficiaries without delay.

He also noted that weaknesses in the implementation of projects financed through foreign grants and concessional loans had resulted in portions of allocated funds remaining unutilised or being returned, and called for improvements in project execution.

The meeting further assessed the relief program supporting the replanting of tea, coconut and rubber plantations damaged by Cyclone Ditwah.

Officials informed the President that the tea, coconut, rubber, cashew and palmyrah sectors, together with plantation infrastructure development activities, have recorded stronger growth and improved profitability this year compared to the previous year.

Six State-owned plantation entities; Elkaduwa Plantations Ltd., Kurunegala Plantations Ltd., Chilaw Plantations Ltd., Sri Lanka State Plantation Corporation, Janatha Estates Development Board and Kalubowitiyana Tea Factory Ltd., were reported to have made significant progress in improving financial performance.

The President also reviewed crop improvement programs undertaken by the Tea Research Institute, research and development activities and initiatives supporting the replanting of smallholder tea plantations.

Officials noted that around 60,000 hectares of Sri Lanka’s tea cultivation are under smallholders. Of the Rs. 450.06 million allocated in the 2026 Budget for smallholder tea replanting, Rs. 155.07 million has been utilised so far.

The President instructed officials to accelerate the 500 Tea Villages Program by integrating it with other grassroots rural development initiatives, including the ‘Prajashakthi’ program.

The meeting also reviewed the program to revitalise the rubber industry, including the Rs. 137 million allocated to the Rubber Research Institute, as well as ongoing rubber replanting efforts and implementation challenges.

Progress in the coconut sector, including programs to improve productivity, promote value-added products and enhance quality, was also discussed, alongside initiatives implemented by the Palmyrah Development Board and Kithul Development Board.

Officials said Sri Lanka is expected to produce 18,000 tons of cashew this year against an annual national requirement of 25,000 tons, marking a significant improvement over the previous year. Discussions also focused on expanding cashew cultivation across approximately 15,000 hectares in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.

The President further reviewed efforts to consolidate plantation sector institutions and the implementation of Cabinet decisions relating to non-commercial State-owned entities.

He also called for a review of land agreements entered into by previous governments when allocating State land to companies, emphasising the need for stronger contractual safeguards. He instructed the Finance Ministry to appoint a committee to examine and recommend improvements to these agreements.

In addition, Dissanayake directed officials to explore offering programs conducted by the National Institute of Plantation Management through universities in collaboration with higher education institutions, with the aim of strengthening professional training in the plantation sector.

Samsung Sri Lanka is set to open pre-orders soon for the new Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold8, bringing Samsung’s latest foldable innovations to consumers across the island. Designed for users who demand powerful performance, intelligent features and greater versatility, the new Galaxy Z Fold series combines Samsung’s leadership in foldable technology with advanced Galaxy AI capabilities to deliver a smarter and more seamless mobile experience.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold8 represent Samsung’s continued commitment to advancing the foldable category, introducing refined designs, enhanced productivity features and next-generation Galaxy AI experiences. Built for the evolving needs of modern users, both devices are designed to move seamlessly between work, creativity and entertainment, while delivering the flexibility of a large-screen experience in a compact, premium form factor.

‘With the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold8, we are bringing our latest foldable experience to customers who expect more from their smartphones. We look forward to giving them the opportunity to experience these devices through our upcoming pre-order program,’ said Samsung Sri Lanka and Maldives Managing Director SangHwa Song.

Engineered for those who seek greater possibilities from their smartphones, the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra delivers an enhanced large-screen experience with a refined foldable design that supports immersive productivity and content creation. With advanced AI-powered features integrated across the device, users can enjoy smarter assistance, improved efficiency and more personalised interactions throughout their daily routines.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 continues Samsung’s legacy of innovation in the foldable category, offering a premium smartphone experience with the flexibility of a tablet-like display. Whether managing professional tasks, capturing creative content or enjoying entertainment on the go, the device is designed to provide a seamless experience powered by intelligent features and robust performance.

Samsung’s latest Galaxy AI capabilities are designed to make everyday interactions more effortless by helping users’ complete tasks faster, access information more intuitively and unlock new ways to create and communicate. From enhanced productivity workflows to smarter content experiences, Galaxy AI continues to transform how users interact with their devices.

As part of the upcoming pre-order program, customers will have the opportunity to secure the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold8 ahead of their wider market availability. Further details on the pre-order period, device availability and applicable customer benefits will be announced soon through Samsung Sri Lanka’s official channels.

Pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold8 will open soon through authorised Samsung stores and dealers islandwide. Customers are encouraged to follow Samsung Sri Lanka’s official platforms for the latest updates on the pre-order launch, product availability and applicable benefits.

Sri Lanka’s total exports exceeded the US$ 9 billion mark during the first half of 2026, reaching an estimated US$ 9.01 billion, an 8% increase compared to the same period last year.

The Siddhalepa Group has once again demonstrated its commitment to preserving the nation’s religious heritage and cultural values through the reconstruction and handover of the newly developed flower stall complex along the historic access road to the Kataragama Kirivehera Rajamaha Viharaya.

The project was undertaken as a tribute to the late Ayurveda Physician and Siddhalepa Group Founder Dr. Victor Hettigoda, whose visionary concept led to the establishment of the original flower stall complex in the 1980s. The newly reconstructed facility was recently ceremonially opened and vested with the public as a meritorious offering in memory of his invaluable contributions to society.

As part of Dr. Victor Hettigoda’s vision for community development, the original flower stalls were established along the main approach to the Historic Kataragama Kirivehera Rajamaha Viharaya and entrusted to local women. The initiative created sustainable self-employment opportunities, empowering women to earn a stable income, achieve greater financial independence and enhance their families’ livelihoods.

Recognised as a pioneering model of community development and women’s economic empowerment, the initiative later inspired the establishment of similar flower stall complexes at several other major places of worship across Sri Lanka, reflecting the enduring impact of Dr. Victor Hettigoda’s vision for compassionate and sustainable social development.

The inauguration ceremony was held under the patronage of the Most Venerable Kobawaka Dhamminda Nayaka Thera, Historic Kataragama Kirivehera Rajamaha Viharaya Chief Incumbent, Ruhunu Magampaththuwa Chief Sanghanayake, and Ruhunu Katharagama Dewalaya Basnayaka Nilame.

The occasion was attended by Siddhalepa Group Chairman Asoka Hettigoda, Hettigoda Industries Directors Vidyani Hettigoda and Lankani Hettigoda. Also present were Kataragama Kirivehera Rajamaha Viharaya Lay Custodian Sashika Bambarunda, Ruhunu Kataragama Maha Devalaya Basnayake Nilame Thilina Madhushanka, Sri Lanka Navy former Commander Admiral Priyantha Perera, together with distinguished representatives from the religious, government and social sectors.

The Siddhalepa Group also expressed its appreciation to the personnel of the Sri Lanka Navy for their dedicated contribution to the successful completion of the project, and to the officials of the National Physical Planning Department for their valuable support in planning, designing and supervising the initiative.

Guided by a strong commitment to social responsibility, cultural preservation and community well-being, Siddhalepa continues to carry forward the legacy and vision of its Founder, the late Dr. Victor Hettigoda, through initiatives that safeguard Sri Lanka’s timeless traditions while creating meaningful and lasting value for society.

The Government was yesterday urged to investigate allegations that hotels operating in the Pasikudah tourism zone have failed to pay mandatory local authority taxes for several years, with ITAK MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam claiming the alleged non-compliance has deprived the local council of revenue intended for infrastructure, public services and community development.

Raising the issue in Parliament, Rasamanickam alleged that the 17 hotels operating in Pasikudah had not paid the statutory 1% levy payable to the relevant local authority under the Pradeshiya Sabha Act, despite making payments to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).

He said the alleged non-payment had resulted in a significant loss of revenue to the local authority and the communities it serves.

Rasamanickam said the revenue should have been available to improve local infrastructure, sanitation, public services and community development.

He also claimed that tourism development in the Northern and Eastern Provinces had received inadequate Budget allocations since 2018 despite the regions’ tourism potential.

The MP noted that many hotel properties in Pasikudah had been leased to major investors under the post-war tourism development program launched during the tenure of former Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa.

He said investors who benefited from those leases must also be held accountable for complying with all applicable tax and legal obligations.

‘No investor should be exempt from paying taxes due to the local authority,’ he said.

Rasamanickam said he had sought documents and information relating to the alleged tax payments through written requests but had not received a response, describing the lack of transparency as unacceptable.

He also raised concerns regarding an official attached to the SLTDA office in Pasikudah, alleging that the individual had failed to cooperate with requests for information and had acted in the interests of certain hotel operators rather than the Government or the tourism authority.

Rasamanickam called on the Ministry of Tourism, the SLTDA, the Ministry of Local Government, the Auditor General and other relevant authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation, recover any unpaid taxes and other public revenue, and take legal action against any individual or institution found to have violated the law.

The iconic Alston Koch this week enthralled delegates at the Fireside Chat of the Sri Lanka Corporate Director Summit organised by the Sri Lanka Institute of Directors (SLID) at the Cinnamon Grand.

Sri Lanka’s internationally recognised Gold and Platinum award winning singer in a mesmerising performance that ‘moved’ everyone present pleads for Sri Lankans all over the world to rally round the flag and the country it represents.

Alston, who has carried the Sri Lankan flag throughout the world of entertainment from Asia to Australia, London to New York and all of Europe, pleaded to the business fraternity to join hands in supporting the country and its Government in taking his beloved homeland to the heights that it clearly deserved in a very moving performance last evening.

Following keynotes by UK University of Leicester President and Vice Chancellor Prof. Sir Nishan Canagarajah and Nepal Chaudhary Group Chairman and President Dr. Binod Chaudhary, the fireside chat featured Commercial Bank of Ceylon Chairman Sharhan Muhseen, BOI Former Director General Renuka Weerakoon, Universal Sportsbiz India Founder and CEO Anjana Reddy, Galle Face Hotel Group Chairman Sanjeev Gardiner, British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Andrew Patrick, Unilever Sri Lanka Chairman and CEO Ali Tariq, IFC International Finance Corporation Principal Country Officer Victor Antonypillai, Bar Association of Sri Lanka President Rajeev Amarasuriya, Deloitte South Asia Partner – Marketing, Brand and Communications Leader Jehil Thakkar and Daily FT Editor and CEO Nisthar Cassim.

Alston is also the Ambassador to the Commonwealth Union for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

Former State Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, widely known as Pillayan, was yesterday further remanded until 4 August by the Batticaloa Magistrate’s Court in connection with a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) investigation into five murders allegedly committed in the Batticaloa District in 2008.

Chandrakanthan, who was arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), was produced before the court via video conference.

The CID has filed proceedings naming Chandrakanthan as the third accused in a case relating to five killings allegedly committed in several areas of the Batticaloa District in 2008.

The proceedings before Batticaloa Magistrate Annathurai Darshini covered three charges relating to five homicides reported in Kallady and a further related charge.

Witnesses testified before the court, while Chandrakanthan was represented by two attorneys-at-law.

After considering the submissions, the Magistrate ordered that Chandrakanthan be further remanded.

The court also postponed a separate Kallady land dispute case until 29 October. An arrest warrant remains in force against the first accused, who is currently overseas.

According to the CID, the investigation was launched following information relating to a series of murders allegedly carried out using T-56 assault rifles in 2008.

The allegations include the shooting deaths of two individuals, including a former police officer, near the Kallady Murugan Temple in Batticaloa, the killing of two persons on the main road in Kattankudy on 22 May 2008, and the shooting death of another individual in Kothiyapulai, Vavunathivu, on 20 August 2008.

Halfway through the 100m freestyle at the Singapore National Championships this year, Kyle Abeysinghe was ahead of his own ghost. His first fifty metres were almost half a second quicker than the split he swam at eighteen, the year he clocked 50.14 and became one of the fastest Sri Lankans ever to race the event. Then the second fifty arrived. ‘It was like a piano just fell on my back,’ he says. He touched for bronze, his fastest time in the event since 2018, and the swim made him the highest-ranked male swimmer in the country. The ranking was not what he was thinking about. ‘When I’m swimming, in training or in a race, I often find myself thinking about how easy everything used to be for me, and how hard it is now. I know it’s not necessarily the healthiest place to let my mind go, but it’s almost unavoidable. It’s a frustrating thing: to know how easy you used to have it, but how greatly you took it for granted.’

That is the race Kyle is actually in. Not against the swimmer in the next lane, but against the eighteen-year-old version of himself, the one everything came easily to, before four years were taken out of the middle of his career by illness and he had to learn the whole sport over again. The 50.14 still sits there, unbeaten by the man who set it, and it is what pulls him through ten thousand metres a day. ‘I’m not really driven by my peers. I’m driven by getting back to my best.’

He grew up the youngest of four brothers, all of whom swam for Sri Lanka, and stood on their shoulders to get anywhere. Matthew, a double Olympian, was the one he chased as a boy and is his coach now. ‘Knowing that you have someone backing you, someone who wants you to do better than them, that’s really important.’ He is learning to want the same for the swimmers behind him, such as M.F. Muhammad, his own training partner at Killer Whale Aquatics, among them, and honest that the ego which drove him as a teenager does not surrender the position quietly.

Olympic Gold is the dream. It always is.

‘I used to believe that I would be the hero to bring Sri Lanka to Olympic glory. That I would shoulder the burden only two others ever have. That I would stand atop a podium while Sri Lanka Matha echoed through an Olympic arena… but I know now my purpose has changed.’

Kyle says he no longer believes that he will be the one to end Sri Lanka’s wait – twenty-six years since the last of only two Olympic medals in the country’s history. That drought, he says without hesitation or grievance, will more likely be broken by a thrower. He points to Rumesh Tharanga, whose 92.62m in Rome this year made him one of the best in the world, and says so with genuine admiration.

His own ambition has evolved. Rather than chasing an outcome that may never come, Kyle’s focus is on raising the standard of Sri Lankan Swimming as high as he can. Every national record, every international final, every broken barrier becomes a platform for those who follow. If one day a young Sri Lankan swimmer stands on an Olympic podium, he hopes they will do so from the foundations that his generation helped build. The dream of Olympic glory has not disappeared, it has simply become bigger than himself.

What he wants is something he can build toward. No Sri Lankan swimmer has ever reached the Olympic ‘A’ standard. Matthew is the only one to have hit even the ‘B’ cut, and that mark is now more than two seconds faster than when he swam it. ‘Medal or no medal,’ Kyle says, that would stand on its own.

He borrows Kobe Bryant’s idea of two people in one athlete. In the water, he keeps nothing soft. ‘I have a foot-on-throat mentality when I compete.’ Before Singapore he was reading comment sections calling him finished. ‘I love that kind of stuff.’ Then his hand hits the wall. ‘I know how to turn that off, shake my rival’s hand, because it’s the right thing to do.’

This is where the story stops being only about Kyle. He is direct that support arriving after a good result changes nothing for the next person. ‘It’s nice to be offered support, but that does not have a lasting, sustainable impact on the sport.’ The talent in Sri Lanka is rarely the problem. The structures are. Fund the base of the pyramid, give coaches the means to build clubs the way his father Manoj Abeysinghe and Julian Bolling did, and the peak rises higher than wherever he finishes.

He coaches at the club where he trains. He has spent this year in school halls telling students what he wishes someone had told him young – saving early is not separate from a sporting career, it is what gives it its length. HNB came to that work as his partner in the sports vertical, school visits running alongside the student savings units the bank operates across the country. In Kandy alone, the program reached roughly a thousand students across four schools in two days. A coach in a school hall on a weekday morning, not a logo on a podium.

Ask Kyle what he wants the rest of his career to mean and he does not reach for the medal. The most fulfilling thing an athlete can do, he says, is not win the thing they chased – it is to help the next person reach something greater. The greats all left the sport larger than they found it.

That is where he keeps arriving, to make the sport better for everyone, make it more accessible. For a swimmer still chasing a time he set at eighteen, still pointing at a standard no Sri Lankan has reached, it is a generous conclusion. But it is the career he is building, to reach as high as he can, and leave the ladder standing for whoever comes next.

India U19 led by all-rounder Yashbardhan Chauhan beat Sri Lanka U19 by 211 runs on the fourth and final day of the second U19 Youth test played at the R. Premadasa Cricket Stadium Thursday to clinch the two-match series 1-0. The first youth test ended in a draw at Galle.

Sri Lanka resuming at 155-4 faced a mountainous task of chasing down a target of 472 for victory. Although they put up some resistance through their Captain Vimath Dinsara who scored a half-century – 64 off 129 balls (9 fours) and shared a stubborn sixth wicket stand of 40 off 26.3 overs with Kavisha Gamage (36 off 152 balls), and Sethmika Seneviratne hit out for 42 off 49 (6 fours, 1 six), the task proved too immense and they were all out for 260.

After right-arm seamer Chigurupati Venkata had given India the initial breakthrough with three top order wickets, it was the turn of right-arm leg-spinner Rohit Yadav to run through the middle and late order taking 4/49 off 16. He broke the Dinsara-Gamage stand and apart from Seneviratne there was not much resistance thereafter. Match Referee Ravi Punchihewa presented the awards to the winning team and the Player of the Match in the two U19 tests. – [ST]

Scores:

India (U19) 411 and 208-3 decl. vs. Sri Lanka (U19) 148 and 260 (o/n 155-4) (Viran Chamuditha 31, Senuja Wekunagoda 64, Vimath Dinsara 64, Kavija Gamage 36, Sethmika Seneviratne 42, Chigurupati Venkata 3/27, Rohit Yadav 4/49)

Five years have passed since R. Rajamahendran – ‘Killi Maharaja’ to the country and simply ‘Boss’ to many of us – left us. Time has a curious way of changing memory. It softens grief, removes much of the emotion and eventually allows perspective to replace it. Looking back today, I have become convinced that Sri Lanka did not merely lose one of its foremost businessmen on 25 July 2021. It lost one of the country’s last great institution builders.

Successful businessmen

There is an important distinction. Successful businessmen build companies. Institution builders create cultures. Companies can be bought and sold, brands can rise and fall and market leaders eventually surrender their place to others. A culture, if it is strong enough, survives its founder. That is the true measure of leadership.

Many people would point to the Capital Maharaja Group as Boss’s greatest achievement. I have never quite seen it that way. The buildings, the factories, the radio stations, the television channels and the balance sheets were all tangible expressions of his success, but they were never, in my view, the essence of his legacy.

His greatest achievement was people. If the USA had not sourced it first

He possessed a remarkable ability to recognise talent long before others did. He entrusted responsibility to people, expected them to grow into it and demanded standards they often thought impossible to achieve. Many of those who flourished under him would probably admit that they discovered their own capabilities only because Boss insisted they possessed them.

Working with him was rarely comfortable. It was not designed to be. Preparation mattered. Facts mattered. Deadlines mattered. If you entered his office with a proposal, you were expected to know your subject thoroughly. If you made a promise, it was expected to be honoured. He had little patience for excuses and even less for mediocrity.

Yet those exacting standards were matched by an extraordinary loyalty. Once Boss placed his confidence in someone, he backed that individual with remarkable conviction. He demanded much, but he also gave people the confidence to achieve far more than they believed themselves capable of achieving.

He also refused to accept that Sri Lanka should think small simply because it was a small country. He wanted international standards. He believed Sri Lankan companies could compete with the very best, provided they were prepared to work harder, think differently and never become comfortable with second best. That philosophy shaped not only the Capital Maharaja Group but generations of executives who passed through it.

Media occupied a particularly important place in his thinking. Broadcasting was never simply another business. It informed, educated, entertained and, when necessary, challenged authority. Those responsibilities could never be measured solely in commercial terms. They demanded judgement, courage and, above all, credibility.

I was reminded of Boss only a few weeks ago at the 46th Executive of the Year Awards organised by the Capital Maharaja Group. During his remarks, the Managing Director of S-Lon, Shan Wickremasekere, one of the Group’s flagship companies, spoke about a single word that has remained with me ever since.

He spoke about trust.

Decades creating

As I listened, it struck me that this was no carefully crafted corporate slogan. It was, in many respects, the culture that Boss had spent decades creating. Those of us who worked in the media during those years remember a very different environment. Newsrooms were different. Broadcasting was different. Competition was different. Yet one value stood above everything else. Trust was not merely desirable; it was imperative. It was the foundation upon which editorial judgement, commercial relationships and professional reputations ultimately rested.

Boss understood something that many leaders never fully appreciate. Technology can be bought. Companies can be acquired. Talent can be recruited. Trust can do none of those things. It must be earned patiently, protected consistently and never taken for granted. Once lost, it is seldom recovered in full.

Perhaps that explains why, five years after his passing, one senses that this remains the Maharaja Organisation’s greatest inheritance. Stewardship has naturally passed to the next generation, but the culture of trust that Boss nurtured over decades has not been abandoned. It has been carried forward by his heir, not simply as a valuable corporate asset but as a solemn responsibility. To preserve trust is infinitely more difficult than to create wealth, and yet that appears to be precisely what the Maharaja Organisation continues to value.

Influential leader

Like every influential leader, Boss had his critics. He would probably have regarded that as inevitable. Leadership requires decisions, and decisions invariably attract disagreement. History, however, has a habit of judging leaders not by the noise surrounding them at the time, but by what remains after they are gone.

When I think of Boss today, I do not first remember meetings or editorials although there is one that remains outstanding!

I remember the standards he insisted upon, the confidence he inspired and the quiet belief he instilled that Sri Lanka could aspire to excellence if only it refused to settle for the ordinary. Our country has produced many successful businessmen and many accomplished corporate leaders. It has produced far fewer people prepared to spend a lifetime building institutions that others could inherit with pride.

Five years after his passing, the companies remain. The brands remain. Above all, the trust remains.

Perhaps that, more than anything else, is the true measure of the man whom so many of us simply called ‘Boss’. Be that as it may.