Category: Daily Financial Times

Sampath Bank, led by 42-year-old Nuwan Perera, lifted the glittering Maliban Biscuits Trophy bearing the sponsor, Maliban Biscuits, in the final at the 6th Maliban Biscuits-sponsored MCA Master Sixes Cricket Tournament 2026, concluded at the Mercantile Cricket Association (MCA) and D.S. Senanayake College grounds on Saturday.

12 teams in four groups participated simultaneously at both venues, consisting of 15 matches, including the final.

The special awards were presented by Chief Guest , Maliban Biscuits Manufactories Business Development Manager Malinda Wijayakumara, along with MCA President Mahesh de Alwis, General Secretary Rohan Somawansa, and Tournament Committee Chairman Lakmal de Silva.

Special awards

Best Bowler – Buddhika Thanthirige from Future Life

Best Batter and Man of the Final – Shantha Kalawitagoda from Sampath Bank

Most Sixes in the Tournament – Manjula Bandara from David Pieris Group

Most Senior Player – 58-year-old Chandika Srimanne from Sri Lanka Telecom

Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament – Tharindu Siriwardena from Maliban Biscuits

Final results

*At MCA Grounds: League Stage (2 groups, 7 matches)

Hayleys Group 68/5 (5) beat Nations Trust Bank 54/3 (5); Sampath Bank 62/2 (4.1) beat John Keells Group 61/2 (5); Sri Lanka Telecom 74/1 (4.5) beat Nations Trust Bank 73/3 (5); HNB 59/1 (4.3) beat John Keells Group 58/2 (5) ; Hayleys Group 65/3 (5) beat Sri Lanka Telecom 46/6 (5); Sampath Bank 78/1 (5) beat HNB 56/0 (5).

Semi-final: Sampath Bank 53/0 (4) beat Hayleys Group 49/5 (5)

*At DSS Grounds: League Stage (2 groups, 7 matches)

Maliban Biscuits 62/0 (3) beat Amana Takaful 61/2 (5); David Pieris Group 37/1 (2.5) beat Future Life 36/4(5); David Pieris Group 79/1 (5) beat Colombo Dockyard 54/3 (5); Amana Takaful 61/2 (5) beat Commercial Bank 57/3 (5); Future Life 63/2 (2.4) beat Colombo Dockyard 59/5 (5).

Semi-final: Maliban Biscuits 60/0 (4.5) beat David Pieris 57/4 (5).

*Final at MCA Grounds: Sampath Bank 69/2 (5) (Shantha Kalawitagoda 34*, Nuwan Perera 18, Malinda Vijayakumara 1/5) beat Maliban Biscuits 63/3 (5) (Chamara Ratnayake 36*, Niluka Peiris 1/8, Tharindu Randima 1/8, Suboda Jayawardena 1/12)

Advice Lab, a leading provider of financial services BPO solutions to the Australian market, announced the opening of its new over 13,000 square-foot office in Colombo, one of the most modern and dynamic workspaces in Sri Lanka.

The move marks a significant milestone in the company’s rapid growth as a BPO and highlights its ongoing commitment to creating valuable job opportunities across Sri Lanka’s professional workforce.

The state-of-the-art facility has been thoughtfully designed to support the company’s expanding operations and its growing portfolio of Australian financial advisers, accountants, and mortgage professionals. Purpose-built for scale and efficiency, the workspace accommodates larger teams and advanced technology infrastructure while prioritising employee well-being and productivity. This emphasis on a people-first culture is reflected in the inspiring, comfortable, and energising environment created throughout the new office.

The facility features modern ergonomic workstations, a dedicated recreational zone, and comfortable lounge areas, complemented by a full-service canteen operating throughout business hours. The new office is further complemented by a café offering delightful treats. With its peaceful and tranquil environment, it truly makes for an ideal place to work. Staff members also benefit from a fully equipped gym that promotes physical wellness and a healthy work-life balance. Together, these elements highlight the company’s commitment to building a workplace where employees can thrive both personally and professionally.

Managing Director Prad Navaratnam said: ‘This office represents our next chapter, one defined by scale, innovation, and our unwavering commitment to our clients and our people. Our new 13,000+ sqft facility gives us the space and infrastructure to grow rapidly while continuing to deliver industry-leading financial services outsourcing to Australia. It also reflects our long-term investment in cultivating talent and building a world-class working environment here in Sri Lanka.’

With the relocation now complete, Advice Lab is poised for further expansion, strengthened capabilities, and continued leadership in the financial services BPO sector.

Domino’s Pizza Sri Lanka, part of the world’s largest pizza chain, has partnered with Mintpay, Sri Lanka’s premier payments platform, to deliver a more rewarding and flexible dining experience for customers island-wide

With Mintpay now accepted across all Domino’s outlets, customers can enjoy their favourite pizzas and sides while earning up to 3% Cashback on every purchase, creating a smarter and more rewarding way to dine in-store.

Domino’s Sri Lanka Country Head Vijaya Bhaskar said: ‘ At Domino’s Sri Lanka, we are always looking for innovative ways to elevate our customer experience. Our partnership with Mintpay reflects that commitment, enabling greater convenience, flexibility, and choice for our customers through Buy Now, Pay Later. We believe this collaboration will make enjoying your favourite Domino’s moments easier and more accessible for everyone. We’re excited to work with Mintpay to bring this customer-centric solution to life and look forward to the value it will deliver to pizza lovers across Sri Lanka.

Mintpay CEO Kukaraj Tharmasegaram said: ‘Our aim is to make payments flexible and rewarding. With Mintpay now available at Domino’s, customers can enjoy a seamless payment experience with added benefits, and we look forward to working with Domino’s to unlock even more rewarding experiences for our customers.’

Domino’s Srilanka Country Head, Vijaya Bhaskar said: ‘At Domino’s Sri Lanka, we are always looking for innovative ways to elevate our customer experience. Our partnership with Mintpay reflects that commitment, enabling greater convenience, flexibility, and choice for our customers through Buy Now, Pay Later. We believe this collaboration will make enjoying your favourite Domino’s moments easier and more accessible for everyone. We’re excited to work with Mintpay to bring this customer-centric solution to life and look forward to the value it will deliver to pizza lovers across Sri Lanka.’

The collaboration brings together Domino’s strong islandwide footprint with Mintpay’s rewarding digital payment experience, offering customers greater value at checkout while reinforcing convenience and accessibility in everyday dining experiences.

As one of Sri Lanka’s leading payment app, Mintpay continues to expand its partnerships with leading merchants across dining, fashion, lifestyle, and travel, empowering customers to shop smarter and helping businesses grow stronger.

Launched in 2020 as Sri Lanka’s first Buy Now, Pay Later platform, Mintpay has since evolved into a complete digital payment ecosystem. Today, it offers a suite of solutions including Pay Later, Pay Now, and Mintpay Vouchers, with vouchers redeemable at over 2,500 partner stores. With the introduction of Mint Coins in 2025, customers are now rewarded on every transaction made with Mintpay, bringing all solutions together into one unified rewards experience.

Domino’s Pizza is one of the world’s leading pizza brands and a household name in Sri Lanka, known for its wide range of pizzas, fast service, and countrywide presence. With a strong commitment to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction, Domino’s continues to redefine convenient dining for customers across the country.

Lanka IOC PLC successfully concluded its three-month consumer promotion titled ‘Win with Servo’, conducted exclusively for end users of Servo 4T Xtra motorbike lubricant.

The promotion commenced on 15 October 2025 and concluded on 15 January 2026, attracting strong consumer participation from across the country.

As part of the promotion, three brand-new Bajaj Pulsar 125 cc motorbikes were offered as grand prizes. The campaign generated strong consumer engagement, attracting a significant number of entries from loyal Servo customers across Sri Lanka, reflecting the growing confidence and preference for Servo 4T Xtra lubricants.

The final draw was conducted on 19 January 2026 at the Lanka IOC Head Office, Level 20, West Tower, World Trade Center, Colombo 01, through a computerised random draw, in the presence of Western Province Revenue Department, Battaramulla Senior Tax Officer P. D. Wasantha Kumara ensuring transparency and credibility.

Lanka IOC PLC Managing Director Dipak Das said: ‘The overwhelming response to the ‘Win with Servo’ promotion highlights the strong trust our customers place in Servo 4T Xtra. We are delighted to reward our customers and share this moment with our winners.’

The draw was witnessed by Das, the official from revenue department and senior management team of Lanka IOC PLC.

The three lucky winners of the brand-new Bajaj Pulsar 125 cc motorbikes were: Abdul Razak, Mannar; Disna Kumari, Colombo and Manickam Selvayalagan, Jaffna.

The Awards Ceremony was held on 23 January 2026, at David Peiris Motor Company, Battaramulla, under the patronage of Managing Director Dipak Das with the participation of senior management and executives of Lanka IOC and DPMC. During the ceremony, the winners were officially presented with their motorbikes in recognition of their participation in the promotion.

Through initiatives such as the ‘Win with Servo’ consumer promotion, Lanka IOC PLC continues to strengthen its engagement with customers while reinforcing its commitment to delivering high-quality lubricant solutions supported by rewarding and transparent consumer promotions.

It has been a year since the passing of Harry Jayawardena, one of Sri Lanka’s most formidable and influential business leaders. While he is no longer with us, his legacy continues to shape the private sector, inspire those who knew him, and set a benchmark for business leadership in the country.

Visionary

Harry Jayawardena was more than a businessman; he was a visionary whose influence spanned multiple industries-from plantations and manufacturing to hospitality, finance, and infrastructure. His empire was vast, but what set him apart was not merely its size, but the hard-work, courage, grit, and clarity of thought he brought to every decision. In an environment where few dared to challenge his acumen, Harry’s voice stood out. He had the rare ability to speak truth to power, unafraid to highlight what was wrong and insist on accountability, earning respect even from competitors, governments, officials and regulators alike. Colleagues remember him as a leader with strategic foresight and a hands-on approach. He understood that true success required more than profits-it demanded strong institutions, determined leadership, and the cultivation of a dependable, loyal team. Many of Sri Lanka’s current corporate executives cite him as an enduring inspiration for their own approach to leadership, emphasising his insistence on excellence, transparency, and decisive decision-making. Even in his absence, Harry Jayawardena’s influence remains palpable. His children continue to manage the businesses he built, carrying the responsibility to ensure that his vision endures in the operations and growth of the companies he founded. Yet the most enduring part of his legacy lies not in balance sheets or boardroom reports, but in the standards and ethos he instilled across Sri Lanka’s private sector. His courage, grit, and resilience continue to resonate, guiding those who aspire to combine business success with principled leadership. As one observer aptly remarked, ‘The man is gone, but his mark, his promise, and his dominance in several sectors are unmatched.’ Indeed, Harry’s influence is measured not only in his business achievements but in the culture of strong leadership, accountability, and excellence that he exemplified.

Legacy

Harry’s legacy remains enduring. A year on, we remember Harry Jayawardena not simply as a business magnate, but as a visionary whose principles, insight, and impact will continue to inspire generations. May his memory guide and challenge his children running the business empire he built and all who follow in his footsteps. I like to end with his favourite saying: ‘It is better to light a candle in the darkness than to curse the darkness.’

The Sri Lanka-United Kingdom Chamber of Commerce in London (SLUKCC), in collaboration with the Sri Lanka High Commission in London (SLHC), hosted a panel discussion on the theme ‘Building Stronger Trade Bridges between Sri Lanka and the UK.’

The focus of the discussion was on enhancing bilateral trade and economic ties between Sri Lanka and the UK. In his opening remarks, SLUKCC President Eranga Pathirage emphasised the Chamber’s pivotal role in connecting businesses, institutions, and communities across both nations. He outlined how the SLUKCC collaborates with the SLHC and UK partners to turn interest into tangible trade, investment, and services partnerships.

Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the UK Nimal Senadheera highlighted the UK as Sri Lanka’s second-largest export market and a key partner in investment and innovation. He reiterated Sri Lanka’s commitment to strengthening economic ties with the UK and emphasised the UK’s role not only as a trading partner but also as a long-term investor and a source of innovation for Sri Lanka’s growth.

He encouraged Sri Lankan businesses to take full advantage of the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and noted recent improvements to the scheme, such as relaxed Rules of Origin for apparel starting this year.

UK Trade Envoy to Sri Lanka Lord John Hannett of Everton OBE delivered the keynote address, spotlighting the potential for growth in trade, investment, and modern value chains. He stressed the importance of close collaboration between business and government to foster long-term commercial partnerships. He also urged companies to capitalise on the DCTS and leverage the SLUKCC as a platform for exploring new opportunities. Lord Hannett is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka later this year, which will provide further opportunities for advancing trade and investment discussions.

Board of Investment (BOI) of Sri Lanka Chairman Arjuna Herath participated virtually from Sri Lanka and spoke about the country’s improving investment climate and its growth objectives. He shared Sri Lanka’s ambition to achieve nearly 7% economic growth through attracting high-quality investments, highlighting the booming real estate developments in Colombo’s business districts as an example.

The panel discussion was moderated by SLUKCC Director Simon Culhane. The panellists included Nimal Senadheera, Lord John Hannett, Arjuna Herath, Suraj Wijendra (Marks and Spencer PLC), and Global Sourcing Association (GSA) CEO and Global Technology and Business Services Council Chair Kerry Hallard.

During the event, Sri Lanka High Commission to the UK Minister – Commercial Somasena Mahadiulwewa gave a presentation on Sri Lanka Expo 2026, organised by the Export Development Board (EDB) of Sri Lanka. Scheduled to take place from 18 to 21 June at the BMICH in Colombo, the Expo will feature investment and export opportunities, alongside parallel events and special concessions for foreign buyers, visitors, and journalists. He emphasised the importance of strong UK participation and announced that the High Commission would facilitate UK delegations in partnership with the EDB.

The event concluded with a lively Q and A and networking sessions, allowing over 40 participants to engage directly with the speakers and panellists. Key discussion topics included Sri Lanka’s strategic location as a gateway to Asia, its tourism potential, strengths in IT and BPO, product branding, the Colombo Port City Project, and broader trade and investment opportunities, including Sri Lanka’s integration into global value chains.

SLUKCC Directors Lushani Kodituwakku, Shyamali Ranasinghe, Thana Sivasambu, Peter Hawkins, Simon Culhane, Angelo De Visser, Safdar Bandukwala, Charles Rohan De Alwis, and President Eranga Pathirage attended the event.

The Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce (WCIC) has expressed concern over the resignation of Ramani Jayasundara, Chairperson of Sri Lanka’s inaugural National Commission on Women (NCW), urging the Government to safeguard the progress made on women’s rights and representation.

In a statement, the WCIC said it had welcomed the establishment of the Commission, which was mandated to address gender-based violence, provide legal aid, and ensure women’s participation in decision-making, and had anticipated constructive engagement on broader structural issues.

‘Having rejoiced with the establishment of a specific commission which was tasked with addressing gender-based violence, providing legal aid, and ensuring women’s participation in decision-making, we were looking forward to meaningful engagements on issues of relevance to address the low economic participation of women in the country,’ the Chamber said.

The WCIC called on the Government to not take a step back from the progressive steps taken and consider the reasons to ensure an effective, viable Commission.

‘We urge the Government to take adequate steps to provide the necessary resources and power to take the Commission’s agenda forward and bring back the trust,’ the Chamber said.

As we mark our Independence Day once again, for many citizens this anniversary has, in recent years, become another ritual stripped of real meaning. Flags are raised, speeches delivered, and parades held, but beneath the ceremony lies a deep sense of disillusionment. Independence, for a nation, is not merely the absence of colonial rule but also it is the presence of dignity, equality, opportunity, and justice for all its people. On these counts, Sri Lanka continues to fall painfully short of its true potential.

Decades of corruption, economic mismanagement, and a brutal civil war have left lasting scars. Two generations were lost to violence, fear, and missed opportunity. Institutions were weakened, trust in governance eroded, and divisions hardened along ethnic, religious, and political lines. Rather than a day of celebration, Independence Day has increasingly become a moment of reflection tinged with frustration and a reminder of what could have been, and what still has not been achieved.

Against this backdrop, the election of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, along with his Government’s overwhelming mandate in Parliament, was widely seen as a turning point. It was meant to break the monotony of failed promises and recycled leadership, and to herald an era of meaningful change. The scale of the electoral mandate, cutting across the North and the South, was a rare and powerful signal that the people were speaking in a single voice, demanding transformation, accountability, and a new political culture.

That hope, however, remains only partially fulfilled. While not everything has been a disappointment, the monumental change many expected has yet to materialise. Structural reforms have been slow, and the deep-rooted divisions that once dragged the country into war continue to persist. The grievances of minority communities, long acknowledged but rarely addressed with sincerity, remain unresolved. Reconciliation cannot be postponed indefinitely, nor can it be reduced to symbolic gestures that fail to alter lived realities.

Acts such as signing the national anthem in two languages, while important symbols of inclusion, ring hollow in the absence of meaningful systemic change. True unity cannot be manufactured through ceremony alone. It must be built through policies that ensure equality before the law, fair access to resources, genuine political representation, and respect for cultural and linguistic diversity. Without these, symbols risk becoming performative, offering the appearance of progress without its substance.

Independence must mean that every citizen regardless of ethnicity, religion, or region feels an equal sense of belonging to this country. It must mean that the wounds of the past are addressed through truth, justice, and reconciliation, not silence or selective memory. It must mean that governance serves the people rather than entrenched interests, and that corruption and impunity are confronted rather than tolerated.

If Independence Day is to regain its meaning, President Dissanayake and his administration must act decisively on the mandate given to them by the people. That mandate was not merely to govern differently, but to govern courageously and to dismantle systems that perpetuate inequality and division, and to replace them with institutions worthy of a modern, pluralistic democracy.

A truly independent Sri Lanka would be one where its people are united not by enforced conformity, but by shared ownership of their future. Only then can Independence Day become more than a date on the calendar, becoming instead a genuine celebration of a nation finally at peace with itself, and proud to call this land its own.

The Legal Officers’ Association of the Attorney General’s Department has raised serious concerns over what it described as unfounded and personal attacks directed at Attorney General (AG) Parinda Ranasinghe (Jnr.), PC, and officers of the Department in the course of carrying out their official duties.

In a resolution adopted at a Special General Meeting held on 29 January, the Association condemned what it said were repeated and baseless attacks on the AG, noting that such actions appeared to form part of coordinated efforts to exert pressure on the Department. It said these actions undermine the independence of the AG’s Department and its officers.

The Association referred to similar incidents in the recent past and said the timing and pattern of the attacks warranted concern. It observed that social media platforms were being misused to project a perception of public dissatisfaction, cautioning against what it termed systematic attempts to intimidate the Department.

Warning of the broader implications, the Association said continued attacks of this nature risk demoralising officers and could impair the Department’s ability to discharge its responsibilities effectively in the public interest.

The Legal Officers’ Association also stressed that the AG remains subject to the rule of law and that individuals aggrieved by any act or omission have access to lawful avenues of redress. It noted that such remedies have been used previously and remain available to those with legitimate grievances.

The Association called on the public to refrain from sharing unverified information and unsubstantiated allegations, urging responsible conduct in public discourse.

India has offered foreign cloud service providers a 20-year tax holiday running until 2047 on revenues earned from services sold outside the country, provided those services are delivered using data centres located in India, as New Delhi moves to attract large-scale investment in artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud infrastructure.

Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the measure in the 2026-27 Budget, saying income from global cloud services operated out of Indian data centres would be exempt from tax for more than two decades. Services sold to Indian customers would continue to be routed through locally incorporated resellers and taxed domestically.

The Budget also proposes a 15% cost-plus safe harbour for Indian data-centre operators providing services to related foreign entities, aimed at reducing transfer-pricing disputes and offering greater tax certainty for multinational cloud providers.

The measures come as global technology companies expand data-centre capacity to support rising AI workloads. India has positioned itself as an alternative location for compute infrastructure, citing its engineering talent base and growing domestic demand, even as competition intensifies across the US, Europe, and parts of Asia.

Several US technology firms have announced significant commitments.

Google said in October 2025 it would invest $ 15 billion to build an AI hub and expand data-centre infrastructure in India, following a $ 10 billion commitment in 2020. Microsoft announced in December 2025 plans to invest $ 17.5 billion by 2029 to expand its AI and cloud footprint, while Amazon said it would invest an additional $ 35 billion by 2030, taking its total planned investment in India to about $ 75 billion.

Domestic investment is also rising. In November 2025, Digital Connexion, a joint venture backed by Reliance Industries, Brookfield Asset Management, and Digital Realty Trust, said it would invest $ 11 billion by 2030 to develop a 1-gigawatt AI-focused data-centre campus in Andhra Pradesh. Adani Group said in December 2025 it plans to invest up to $ 5 billion alongside Google in an AI data-centre project in the country.

However, scaling up capacity remains constrained by power availability, electricity costs, and water stress, all of which are critical inputs for energy-intensive AI workloads and could affect construction timelines and operating costs.

According to think tank Future Shift Labs, India’s data-centre power capacity is projected to exceed 2 gigawatts by 2026, up from just over 1 gigawatt currently, and could rise to more than 8 gigawatts by 2030, driven by capital investment of over $ 30 billion.

Beyond cloud and AI infrastructure, the Budget also expanded incentives for electronics and semiconductor manufacturing. The Indian Government said it would launch a second phase of the India Semiconductor Mission, focusing on equipment and materials production, domestic chip intellectual property, and industry-led research and training centres.

Spending under the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme has been increased to INR 400 billion from INR 229.19 billion, after the program attracted investment commitments exceeding its original targets. The scheme links incentives to incremental production and investment, covering components used in smartphones, servers, and data-centre equipment.

The Budget also proposed a five-year tax exemption from April for foreign companies supplying equipment and tooling to electronics manufacturers operating in bonded zones, and announced measures to strengthen rare-earth supply chains and ease cross-border e-commerce by removing the INR 1 million value cap per consignment on courier exports.