News
UNDP boost for industrial growth
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Industry, and Entrepreneurship Development (MoIED), have entered into a strategic partnership to enhance the Ministry’s institutional and technical capacity through the establishment of an Expert Support Unit, aimed at accelerating industrial development, strengthening entrepreneurship and SME competitiveness, and advancing evidence-based policymaking.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed recently between Secretary of the Ministry of Entrepreneurship Development J. M. Thilaka Jayasundara, and Resident Representative of UNDP in Sri Lanka, Azusa Kubota, in the presence of Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, Chathuranga Abeysinghe.
The partnership will support the design and operationalisation of an embedded Expert Support Unit, within the Ministry, providing high-quality technical, analytical, and coordination expertise across priority areas, including SME development, industrial zone development, trade and policy, digital transformation, data analytics, skills development, and international relations.
Sri Lanka’s industrial sector plays a critical role in driving economic growth, generating employment, and enhancing export competitiveness. As the Ministry’s mandate continues to expand to address emerging economic opportunities and challenges, the Expert Support Unit will provide agile and targeted expertise to strengthen programme implementation, policy innovation, stakeholder engagement, and strategic coordination.
Commenting on the Government of Sri Lanka’s vision on this area, Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, Chathuranga Abeysinghe, stated, “Sri Lanka’s ambitions for industrial growth, entrepreneurship development, and export competitiveness require agile institutions, equipped with the right expertise and innovative approaches. This partnership with UNDP represents an important step towards strengthening our capacity to develop and implement forward-looking policies, support our entrepreneurs and industries, and deliver impactful solutions that contribute to national economic transformation. The Expert Support Unit will help us accelerate key priorities while strengthening the Ministry’s ability to respond effectively to emerging challenges and opportunities.”
Drawing on UNDP’s experience supporting innovative government capacity-building mechanisms, the initiative will facilitate the rapid deployment of technical specialists while strengthening systems for project management, monitoring, reporting, and performance measurement. The partnership also seeks to mobilise support from development partners and private sector stakeholders to ensure sustainable and impactful results.
Adding to UNDP’s technical expertise, Resident Representative of UNDP in Sri Lanka, Azusa Kubota, highlighted, “UNDP has been proud to support Sri Lanka’s reform agenda through innovative and agile institutional support. We are pleased to partner with the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development in establishing the Expert Support Unit, a results-oriented mechanism that brings specialised expertise directly into government systems. The Ministry’s reform agenda has the potential to create jobs, strengthen Sri Lanka’s integration into global value chains, and accelerate sustainable economic growth. We look forward to supporting the capacities needed to drive this transformation.”
The Expert Support Unit is expected to comprise a multidisciplinary team of specialists, embedded within the Ministry, supporting strategic initiatives while fostering knowledge transfer and strengthening institutional capabilities over time.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Udaygiri departed the Port of Colombo today, 11 September 2026, following the successful completion of a four day official visit.
On her departure, the Sri Lanka Navy bade farewell to the ship in accordance with time-honoured naval traditions.
During the visit, naval personnel from both navies engaged in joint initiatives to strengthen bilateral ties. These included a friendly volleyball match, a beach cleanup along the Galle Face
promenade, and a training exercise on Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) conducted by the Sri Lanka Navy Special Boat Squadron (SBS).
As part of the visit, the Indian Navy handed over a consignment of spares and supplies to the Sri Lanka Navy. Visiting crew members also toured key tourist attractions in and around Colombo.
Official interactions of this nature aim to enhance cooperation and knowledge-sharing between the two maritime forces, supporting joint responses to evolving regional maritime challenges.
A meeting between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and representatives of the Sri Lanka Scout Association was held at the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday (10) afternoon .
The President was briefed on the 11th National Scout Jamboree, scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka in January 2027, as well as the current status and progress of its organisational arrangements.
The official logo of the National Scout Jamboree was also presented to the President and officially unveiled on the occasion.
Views were also exchanged on the programmes currently being implemented by the Sri Lanka Scout Association and its future plans.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasised the importance of expanding the Scout Movement to more schools and the contribution that the Scout Movement can make to the Government’s programmes to combat drugs.
President’s Senior Additional Secretary Roshan Gamage; Chief Scout Commissioner, Attorney-at-Law Manoj Nanayakkara; President of the Sri Lanka Scout Association Ransiri Perera; Deputy Chief Scout Commissioner (Acting) Kapila Perera; Chairman of the Executive Committee Kamalnath Jinadasa; and Jamboree Co-Organising Commissioner, Engineer Amil Abeysundara, were among the senior representatives of the Sri Lanka Scout Association who attended the occasion.
[President’s Media Division]
A meeting between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Catholic religious leaders, led by His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo, was held at the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday (10).
Special attention was given to the Government’s programme to strengthen coexistence, peace and reconciliation among all communities in the country and to ensure national unity by preventing any form of racist or religiously motivated hate activity.
The progress of investigations into the Easter Sunday attacks was also discussed.
Lengthy discussions were held on measures that could be taken to prevent environmental damage and destruction affecting the lives of the people.
The Catholic religious leaders commended the measures taken by the Government to safeguard trust among all communities and expressed their fullest support for these efforts.
The issues faced by Catholic communities, including infrastructure development in areas where Catholic people reside, as well as measures that should be taken to address these issues, were also discussed at length.
Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini, Rev. Fr. Julian Patrick and other priests, as well as Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs Muneer Mulaffer, President’s Senior Additional Secretary Roshan Gamage and others, were also present at the meeting.
President’s Media Division (PMD)
INS Udaygiri departs Colombo concluding formal visit
President meets representatives from Sri Lanka Scout Association
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Meeting between Catholic religious leaders and President
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