Sri Lanka Fuel Pass QR System: Challenges in Registration Highlight the Road Ahead for Digital Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka reintroduced the QR-based National Fuel Pass system on 15 March 2026 to manage limited fuel stocks during the ongoing Middle East conflict and rising domestic demand. The initiative was rolled out quickly to prevent hoarding and ensure fair distribution at filling stations. While the system’s goal protecting reserves for essential services and everyday […]
Sri Lanka Reintroduces QR-Based National Fuel Pass: Managing Supply Amid Middle East Tensions and Rising Demand
Sri Lanka has reactivated its QR-based National Fuel Pass system starting at 6:00 a.m. on March 15, 2026. The move comes as supply chains face pressure from ongoing conflict in the Middle East and unusually high domestic demand is straining limited fuel reserves. The system aims to ensure fair distribution, prevent illegal hoarding and black-market […]
Why Was Sri Lanka’s CEB Split Into Six Companies? The Major Power Sector Reform Explained
Sri Lanka’s Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has officially been split into six new state-owned companies, marking the biggest structural reform in the country’s power sector in decades. At midnight on March 8, 2026, the institution that had controlled Sri Lanka’s electricity supply for 56 years was formally dissolved through an extraordinary gazette. Established under the […]
Global Gas Prices Explode Amid Middle East Conflict – Sri Lanka’s LPG Costs Spike in March 2026
Global gas and LNG markets have been thrown into turmoil by the escalating conflict in the Middle East, with benchmark prices surging to multi-year highs in the first two weeks of March 2026. Disruptions to Qatar’s LNG production the world’s second-largest exporter combined with restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz (which handles roughly 20% of […]
Sri Lanka Fuel Prices Surge Again in March 2026 – Middle East Conflict Drives Fresh Hike
Sri Lanka Fuel Prices Surge | The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (Ceypetco) has announced another round of fuel price increases, effective from midnight on March 9, 2026, citing rising global crude oil costs triggered by escalating conflict in the Middle East. This revision comes just days after the government assured the public of adequate fuel stocks […]
Is Sri Lanka Ready for the Next Global Economic Shock?
Sri Lanka has built meaningful buffers to handle external pressures, according to Central Bank Governor Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe. In a Bloomberg interview on 7 March 2026, the Governor explained that the country is now in a stronger position than in recent years to absorb global uncertainties. With inflation at a comfortable 1.6% and foreign […]
Sri Lankan Migrant Workers in the Middle East Amid Regional Tensions: Current Realities and Implications for Sri Lanka
As escalating conflict grips the Middle East in early March 2026, the lives of over one million Sri Lankan expatriate workers have come under renewed scrutiny. The recent intensification of hostilities triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent Iranian retaliatory actions across the region has created an atmosphere of uncertainty for the […]
Sri Lanka Inflation Slows to 1.6% in February 2026: Mixed Impact on Households
Sri Lanka recorded a further slowdown in headline inflation in February 2026. The Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI, base 2021=100) stood at 195.3, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 1.6%, down from 2.3% in January. This is the lowest headline inflation rate observed in recent months and remains well below the Central Bank’s 5% target under […]
Oil Prices Surge After Gulf Conflicts and Strait of Hormuz Tensions: Impact on Sri Lanka’s Fuel Costs in March 2026
Global oil prices have risen sharply following recent military actions in the Gulf region and warnings from Iran restricting navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway, which handles about 20% of the world’s oil supply, saw tanker traffic halt or divert after radio warnings from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards instructing ships not to pass. This […]
Maternity Benefits in Sri Lanka: Legal Framework, Sectoral Differences, and Support Systems in 2026
Sri Lanka operates a dual-track maternity protection system that distinguishes between formal private-sector employment categories while providing universal health and nutritional support to all mothers. As of February 2026, the statutory framework has remained stable since the significant reforms introduced in 2018. No new amendments to core maternity leave entitlements have been enacted. The two […]