Sri Lanka’s Debt Path After Restructuring: Why Stock Relief Is Not Enough
Sri Lanka has crossed the hardest miles of debt restructuring. Eurobonds were exchanged in December 2024. Bilateral deals have advanced with Japan, India, and others. According to IMF Mission Chief Evan Papageorgiou, only about US$500 million of the US$28 billion “under the perimeter” remains to be finalised. That is real progress. It is not, by […]
Targeting Social Protection: Cut leakage, cut exclusion, protect the vulnerable
Sri Lanka cannot afford waste in social protection. Transfers must reach poor and near-poor households on time, with minimal leakage to the non-poor and minimal exclusion of eligible families. The goal is simple: pay the right people, quickly and predictably, while preserving dignity and privacy. The problem, stated plainly Two errors dominate weak systems. Leakage: […]
Essential medicines in Sri Lanka: where the chain breaks today
Sri Lanka still runs a fragile medicine supply chain. Imports account for most items, so any policy, forex, or logistics shock turns into stock-outs at the ward. The crisis of 2022 exposed systemic weaknesses. Many remain. The following map shows the binding constraints today and the quickest levers to relieve them. 1) Planning and demand […]
Reimagining Sri Lanka’s Tourism Strategy: A Path to Sustainable Growth
Sri Lanka’s Tourism Strategy | Sri Lanka, the pearl of the Indian Ocean, has long captivated travelers with its lush landscapes, rich culture, and warm hospitality. Yet, the tourism sector, once a pillar of the economy has faced significant setbacks in recent years due to political instability, economic crises, and global disruptions like the COVID-19 […]
Corruption: Patterns, Signals, and Systemic Dynamics
Corruption rarely distributes evenly across a public sector. It clusters where discretion, value, and opacity intersect. That triad explains why certain interfaces carry outsized risk compared with routine services. It also explains why public perception often diverges from the locations of greatest fiscal harm. Citizens notice corruption where they stand in queues or meet officers. […]
Pine Labs Limited’s Credit+ platform powers a secure and scalable multi-currency prepaid forex instrument for Bank of Ceylon
Sri Lanka, September 29, 2025 – Global fintech platform, Pine Labs Limited today announced its partnership with Bank of Ceylon in Sri Lanka. This banking-fintech partnership will enable the bank to issue and manage prepaid multi-currency travel cards to its customers. Powered by Pine Labs Limited’s Credit+ platform, the card issuance technology for the bank […]
What is the Impact of UN Environmental Sessions on Sri Lanka?
Global Environmental Sessions and Their Reach UN environmental sessions such as the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA), the annual Climate Change Conferences (COP), and the negotiations for the High Seas Biodiversity Treaty are where global environmental standards are set. These forums do not merely produce statements; they create frameworks that shape national policy, financing flows and […]
Rightsizing the Public Sector: World Bank’s Roadmap for Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s fiscal crisis has forced a difficult debate: how to balance essential public services with the need to cut spending and stabilise debt. In its Public Finance Review 2025, the World Bank urges the government to “trim” the public sector, not through sudden layoffs, but through a careful process of rightsizing and efficiency reforms. […]
CEB Restructuring: A Turning Point for Sri Lanka’s Power Sector
Sri Lanka has embarked on a significant reform journey to restructure the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB). The intention is clear: to transform electricity generation, transmission, and distribution into a system that is efficient, financially sustainable, and capable of supporting the country’s renewable energy ambitions. What is Being Proposed Unbundling of functionsThe CEB will be divided […]
AI in Sri Lanka’s Financial Sector: What the Central Bank’s Signal Means
On 17 September 2025, Central Bank Governor Dr P. Nandalal Weerasinghe argued that artificial intelligence is no longer optional for Sri Lanka’s financial sector. He called AI a “strategic imperative” for banks and finance companies, highlighting gains in efficiency, fraud prevention, inclusion, and sustainable finance while warning about privacy, bias, and governance risks that demand […]
