President Anura Kumara Disanayake has approved the establishment of dedicated anti-corruption investigation units within provincial councils and local government institutions, aiming to combat corruption and administrative inefficiencies. The decision follows a request by provincial governors during a high-level discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat today (May 15).

During the meeting, President Disanayake emphasised that provincial governors bear the primary responsibility for driving development initiatives and ensuring accountability within their respective provinces. He noted, “Strengthening governance mechanisms is critical to addressing systemic challenges and achieving equitable progress.”

Among the key decisions taken was the creation of anti-corruption investigation units modelled after similar bodies operating at the ministerial level. These units will be tasked with monitoring financial transactions, investigating irregularities and enforcing transparency in development projects. The initiative aligns with the government’s broader agenda to eliminate malpractice in public institutions.

The discussion also highlighted that provincial councils have received three times the financial allocations compared to the previous fiscal year. However, governors raised concerns regarding delays and bureaucratic hurdles in utilising these funds effectively. In response, President Disanayake directed officials to streamline procedures and adopt results-oriented mechanisms to accelerate infrastructure development.

Persistent obstacles in upgrading provincial infrastructure such as road networks, healthcare facilities and utility services, were also discussed. The President pledged to implement practical solutions to address these challenges and urged governors to prioritise projects that deliver tangible benefits to citizens.
The Governors further stressed the need for improved coordination between provincial councils and central ministries to avoid duplication of efforts. Acknowledging these concerns, President Disanayake underlined the importance of collaborative governance to ensure efficient resource allocation. 

“While increased funding is a positive step, its prudent management is non-negotiable. Provincial authorities must ensure every rupee is accounted for and spent efficiently,” he asserted.

The meeting was attended by several senior officials, including Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the President, Kapila Janaka Bandara, Senior Additional Secretary to the President, Provincial Governors: Hanif Yusuf (Western Province), Sarath Bandara Samarasinghe Abayakon (Central Province), Bandula Harischandra (Southern Province), Tissa Kumarasiri Warnasuriya (North Western Province), Wasantha Kumara Wimalasiri (North Central Province), Nagalingam Vedanayagam (Northern Province), Prof. Jayantha Lal Ratnasekera (Eastern Province), Champa Janaki Rajaratne (Sabaragamuwa Province) and Kapila Jayasekara (Uva Province). 

(President’s Media Division)

03 young Sri Lankans have been featured in the Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia list for 2025.

They are :
Nikin Matharaarachchi, in 2021, founded Sri Lanka-based Synapse AI Labs is the company behind Kommon Poll, an AI-powered social listening tool. Kommon Poll provides businesses marketing insights by analyzing keyword performance across multiple online platforms, including news sites, blogs and social media.

Charith N Silva, known for videos showing him preparing dishes in outdoor settings, launched the YouTube channel ‘Wild Cookbook’ in 2020 during the pandemic. With over 600 videos, ‘Wild Cookbook’ is now Sri Lanka’s largest YouTube channel with over 10 million subscribers, and Silva has over 2.3 million Instagram followers. In November 2024, he opened a restaurant in Colombo called Wildish.

Yanika Amarasekera-Siyaguna, a UC Berkeley and Imperial College London alumna, founded Silver Aisle, Sri Lanka’s first online wedding registry, in 2019. The e-commerce platform has since expanded beyond wedding gifts to include presents for all occasions as well as dining ,vacation packages and lessons in horse riding, golf and pottery, among others. In 2023, Amarasekera-Siyaguna was appointed an independent director of LB Finance, one of Sri Lanka’s largest finance firms.

Sri Lanka and India have signed a USD 930.8 million debt restructuring deal recently on Sri Lanka’s present External Debt Restructuring Process. 

The signing of Bilateral Amendatory Agreements between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Export-Import Bank (EXIM) of India took place on March 25, 2025 and April 03, 2025, respectively. 

The deal concerns 07 Line of Credit and 04 Buyer’s Credit Facility agreements with the Government of India.

Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development, Mr. K.M. Mahinda Siriwardana, signed the agreements on behalf of the Sri Lankan Government.

General Manager of the EXIM Bank of India, Mr.Nirmit Ved, signed the Line of Credits, and Deputy General Manager of the EXIM Bank of India, Mr. Amith Kumar, signed the Buyer’s Credit Agreements.

Issuing a statement, the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development stated that the signing of these bilateral amendatory agreements marks a significant milestone in Sri Lanka’s ongoing External Debt Restructuring Process.