SEC Chairman Senior Professor Hareendra Dissabandara has called for greater recognition of Sri Lanka’s capital market in financing sustainable economic growth, highlighting the need for long-term investment, reforms under the SEC’s 12-pillar strategy and stronger investor confidence.
A critical security flaw in PHP has forced businesses and government agencies worldwide to urgently protect their websites. With attackers already attempting to exploit the weaknesses and a fresh advisory issued on 23 October, website owners need to understand what has happened and whether their systems are protected.
HSBC’s reported decision to close its Sri Lankan global service centre after more than two decades comes as the bank simplifies its international operations and embraces AI. The development raises important questions about scale, competitiveness and the future of Sri Lanka’s business services industry.
Shrinking oil inventories, disrupted Middle East routes and new attacks on Russian energy infrastructure are creating a more complicated global supply problem. For Sri Lanka, the risk is not only expensive fuel: prolonged refinery disruption could also affect sulphur and phosphate-fertilizer supply chains.
The Federal Reserve has raised US interest rates for the first time since 2023 and signalled that another increase may follow. For Sri Lanka, the real story lies in the dollar, foreign capital, borrowing costs and the amount of room left for domestic monetary policy.
Sri Lanka was already paying nearly 60% more for fuel imports before Saudi Arabia’s vital East-West pipeline was knocked offline. With Hormuz still severely constrained and Red Sea risks rising, the next concern is not simply whether fuel is available, but how much it will cost to secure it.
AI risk once meant chatbots inventing facts. In 2026, the discussion has moved towards autonomous agents, cyber capability and AI helping build better AI. The evidence does not justify panic, but it does justify a much more serious approach to business risk.
Foreign purchases from Singapore rose from Rs. 2.6 billion in the year before the 2025 Invest Sri Lanka Forum to Rs. 7.7 billion in the year after. The increase is encouraging, but the bigger question is whether Sri Lanka can turn investor engagement into sustained participation.
The EU–India FTA has not yet entered into force, giving Sri Lanka a valuable preparation window. The real challenge is not losing EU access, but protecting competitiveness as Indian exporters gain stronger tariff advantages.
Sri Lanka is moving towards attracting investors for Mannar Basin gas development. The resource could improve energy security, but success depends on commercial viability, environmental safeguards and ensuring gas supports rather than delays the renewable transition.
