Business
CSE plunges by 2.5 per cent in the wake of budget proposals
By Hiran H.Senewiratne
The CSE fell 2.5 percent at the beginning of trading yesterday subsequent to Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa’s 2022 budget presentation due to the 25 percent retrospective tax surcharge on firms that earned over Rs. 2 billion in 2020/21 and the 3 percent increase in Value Added Tax (VAT) for banks, insurance, and financing firms.
VAT was increased to 18 percent from the current 15 percent on banks and financial service providers under supply of financial services by specified institutions with effect from Jan.1, 2022, targeting Rs 14 billion from the proposal.
CSE fall was led by banks and financial sector institutions. This was expected and banks were worried about the tax because it would adversely impact the banking and financial sector institutions, market analysts said.
However, during the latter part of the day the CSE showed some recovery. It was the same in 2015 when the last government came up with a similar retrospective tax that was introduced, stock market analysts said.
The All- Share Price Index plunged to 10,372 immediately after it opened and dropped to over 2 percent but later recovered slightly due to the LOLC group witnessing some buying pressure from two main companies, LOLC Holdings and LOLC Finance, that drove the market, stock market analysts said.
Accordingly, both indices showed mixed reactions. The All -Share Price Index went up by 86.28 points and S and P SL20 went down by 17.57 points. Turnover stood at Rs 6.9 billion with two crossings. Those crossings were reported in Chevron Lubricants, where 340,000 shares crossed for Rs 35.7 million and its shares traded at Rs 105 and LOLC Holdings 29000 shares crossed for Rs 20.1 million, its shares traded at Rs 696.
In the retail market top five companies that mainly contributed to the turnover were, LOLC Finance Rs 2.1 billion (74.6 million shares traded), Expolanka Holdings Rs 428 million (2.1 million shares traded), Browns Investments Rs 423 million (36.6 million shares traded), RIL Properties Rs 364 million (23.8 million shares traded) and LOLC Holdings Rs 339 million (480,000 shares traded). During the day two LOLC Group companies share prices appreciated. Those were LOLC Holdings, whose share price appreciated by Rs 29.25 or four percent. Its share price shot up to Rs 738 from Rs 692.75, contributing 31 points to the All- Share Price Index. LOLC Finance share price appreciated by Rs 12.90 or 15 percent. Its share price shot up to Rs 95.50 from Rs 82.60. Other than the LOLC Group of companies, significant price appreciation was witnessed in Watawala Plantations, whose share price appreciated by 15 percent or Rs 12.90. Its share price appreciated to Rs 95.250 from Rs 82.60.During the day 316 million share volumes changed hands in 52000 share transactions.
MSCI Inc., the leading provider of research-based indexes and analytics, has included Expolanka Holdings PLC in its Frontier Markets Equity Index.
Expolanka is one of the three largest additions to the MSCI Frontier Markets Index measured by full company market capitalization. The other two are Phat Dat Real Estate (Vietnam) and Islandsbanki (Iceland).
MSCI also announced four deletions from the Index, including Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC. The MSCI Sri Lanka Index has two constituents. JKH is the other, apart from Expolanka. The MSCI Sri Lanka had offered 7.55 per cent return as opposed to 8.57 percent by MSCI Frontier Markets index since 31 May 2002. MSCI Sri Lanka’s PE ratio is 10.78 times as against 16.59 times of MSCI Frontier Index.
Yesterday, the US dollar was quoted at Rs 202.05 as per the Central Bank controlled price. This was introduced to control price increases of essential items in the local market.
Business
SIA warns of 1,000 SME collapses, urges fair policies to protect Sri Lanka’s rooftop solar sector
By Sanath Nanayakkare
The Solar Industries Association (SIA), representing over 1,000 companies and employing 40,000 workers in Sri Lanka’s rooftop solar sector, issued a stern warning recently regarding threats to the industry’s survival and the nation’s renewable energy ambitions. The association condemned recent regulatory instability and called for urgent policy reforms to avert economic and social crises.
The SIA categorically rejected the Ceylon Electricity Board’s (CEB) claim that rooftop solar installations caused the recent island-wide power outage, calling the accusation “baseless and misleading.”
“Public trust is eroded when accountability is misdirected,” the SIA stated. “We demand an independent, transparent investigation led by experts appointed by the Ministry or the Public Utilities Commission (PUCSL). The CEB’s unilateral statements disregard the sector’s contributions and jeopardize Sri Lanka’s renewable energy transition,” they said.
“While acknowledging the formation of a tariff determination committee, the SIA criticized its narrow focus on financial parameters, ignoring the sector’s socioeconomic value. Rooftop solar empowers businesses and households with energy independence, reduces grid strain, and supports climate goals. However, proposed volatile tariff structures risk destabilizing over 100,000 installations—primarily owned by middle-class families—and deter future investment,” they noted.
“A rigid, equation-based tariff system is unsustainable,” the association warned. “Sri Lanka needs a stable policy framework to attract long-term investments. For instance, retirees could invest EPF savings into solar projects, securing income while advancing national energy targets. Without urgent action, 1,000 SMEs and 40,000 jobs face collapse, with dire consequences for employment, energy security, and economic stability,” they pointed out.
SIA urged policymakers to establish an independent committee to investigate the power outage fairly, expand the tariff committee’s mandate to include socioeconomic and environmental benefits and implement predictable policies to safeguard SMEs, households, and investor confidence.
“Sri Lanka stands at a crossroads,” the SIA emphasized. “Protecting rooftop solar isn’t just about energy—it’s about livelihoods, economic resilience, and a sustainable future. We urge stakeholders to collaborate on solutions that prioritize both people and progress,: they emphasized.
SLT-MOBITEL has entered into a strategic partnership with Rush Lanka Group to provide exclusive SLT-MOBITEL Fibre connectivity solutions to their portfolio of luxury apartment developments in Colombo and the suburbs, enhancing the digital experience of all residents.
The agreement was signed between Imantha Wijekoon, Chief Business Officer of Consumer Business at SLT, and Zaid Ariff, Director of Construction at the Rush Group headquarters. Representatives from both companies also attended the ceremony.
Under the partnership, SLT-MOBITEL will serve as the exclusive digital service provider for five prestigious Rush Lanka developments including Street Rush Residencies and Rush Court 4 in Mt. Lavinia, Rush Tower 2, Rush Metropolis in Dehiwala, and Rush Court 5 in Colombo 14. The collaboration ensures residents will enjoy superior fibre connectivity speeds, enabling seamless digital experiences in modern smart homes. The partnership with the Rush Lanka Group aligns with SLT-MOBITEL’s commitment to offer ultra-fast, reliable connectivity solutions to residential developments. Delivering exclusive fibre connectivity to luxury apartments, SLT-MOBITEL ensures residents have access to world-class digital services that complement the living experience promised by Rush Lanka Group.
Powered by advanced fibre technology, SLT-MOBITEL network will provide the residences with seamless performance across digital activities. The SLT-MOBITEL Fibre backbone ensures lag-free experiences whether tenants are gaming online, attending virtual classes, working remotely, or streaming high-definition entertainment. SLT-MOBITEL Fibre will transform the lifestyles of all apartment users bringing greater convenience and superior quality of life.
Rush Lanka Group, established in 1992, is a property developer specializing in luxury and semi-luxury apartments.
Starting its promotional work for 2025, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) added another feather into its cap of endorsements, by being recognized as the most innovative Tourism Board promotion in Outbound Travel Mart (OTM) . In parallel to that, several other sub events were held. The OTM was held in Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai—India, from 30th January to 01st February 2025.Before OTM, the Global Village – Global Exchange & Trade Exhibition was held at the Surat International Exhibition & Convention Centre , Sarsana, Surat (Gujarat – India , from 25th to 27th January 2025. This travel fair was organized by Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI).
Sri Lanka participated in both OTM and South Asia’s Travel & Tourism Exchange (SATTE), held from 19th – 21st Feb 2025, in New Delhi, India . This was an excellent opportunity for Sri Lanka to promote it’s potential as a unique travel destination, especially for the Indian counterparts, as SLTPB has identified India as the number one source market for Sri Lanka, tourism bringing the largest number of tourist arrivals to the destination.
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