News
Raigam Tele’es marks 22nd anniversary, announces calendar for 2025 edition
The Raigam Tele’es Secretariat recently announced the 22nd edition of Sri Lanka’s premier television awards ceremony, Raigam Tele’es 2025, set to honour tele-creations aired during the 2025 calendar year.
The festival was officially declared at a press conference, led by Raigam Group Chairman Dr. Ravi Liyanage and senior representatives from partnering organisations including Sampath Bank and Dialog Television.
Applications for this year’s awards are now open and will close on 15 January 2026. The Nomination Evening, sponsored by Dialog Television, will take place on 27 February 2026 at Waters Edge, Sri Jayewardenepura, followed by the Grand Awards Night on 28 March 2026 at Shangri-La Colombo.
Launched in 2005 to fill a longstanding void in consistent and credible television award platforms, Raigam Tele’es is said to have grown into the country’s most influential TV festival. The event is known for its rigorous judging standards, extensive media reach and the pioneering introduction of a separate Nomination Evening—an initiative that appreciatively recognizes all nominees. This year, nominees will once again receive hospitalization insurance worth Rs. 200,000 and a life insurance cover of Rs. 1 million.
The awards span seven major categories, including Jury Awards, Television Media Programmes, Tele-Drama, Most Popular (via SMS voting), Most Viewed (based on islandwide research), Lifetime Appreciation, and Channel Awards. SMS voting for the Most Popular categories will be open from 27 February to 27 March 2026, with details to be released shortly.
Sampath Bank continues its long-standing partnership by offering “Sampath Mudal Thilina” cash prizes, which have been increased to a total of Rs. 3.4 million this year. Organizers emphasized that the Tele’es remains the only local festival to provide comprehensive insurance benefits to all nominees.
Entries can be submitted through the Raigam Tele’es Secretariat or designated submission centers. Further details and application forms are available at www.raigamtelees.lk or by contacting the Secretariat directly.
The Ministry of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development has recommended the establishment of Sri Lankan Standards, i.e. the import testing methodology for imported tires used for passenger cars and pneumatic tires for three-wheelers with the aim of ensuring a fair competitive environment for local
manufactures and ensuring consumer safety and security.
Taking into the said recommendations, “Import and Export (control regulations N0.08 of the 2026)” has been enacted to amend the existing regulations by means of the Extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 2508/27 dated 2026-10-01, prescribing Sri Lanka standard 1212 for the import of passenger types (HS Code 4011.10.90) and Sri Lanka standard 1347 for the import of
pneumatic tires for three – wheeled vehicles (HS Code 4011.90.10).
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development to submit the aforementioned regulations to Parliament for approval.
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 02.06.2025 to introduce a new act to promote and providing legal provisions for facilitating the Public Private Joint Enterprises within Sri Lanka as well as the establishment of the National Agency for Public Private Partnership Joint Enterprises.
Accordingly, the Legal Draftsman has formulated the relevant draft bill and the Attorney General has given his clearance to the said draft bill.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to publish the said
draft bill in the government gazette notification and thereby submit it to the Parliament for its concurrence.
Regulation, development and control of indigenous medical sector in Sri Lanka comprised of Ayurvedha, Sidhdha, Unani, Local Therapies are carried out under the provisions of Ayurvedha Act No. 31 of 1961.
Although amendments were made to the act from time to time as per the requirements, the necessity of further amending the Ayurvedha Act has been identified to enable efficiently maintaining all activities of local medical field productively, further formalizing the regulation of the sector, taking actions to providing licenses applicable to export of local medicines, and achieving the progress and sustainable development goals in the local medical sector.
Based on the said factors, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Health and Mass Media to direct the Legal Draftsman to formulate a draft bill to amend the Ayurvedha Act No. 31 of 1961.
Import and Export (Control) Regulations No. 08 of 2026
Draft Bill of the Public Private Partnership Enterprises Act to be gazzetted
Amendment of the Ayurvedha Act No. 31 of 1961
Cabinet nod to amend the Sri Lanka Development Administration Institute Act No. 9 of 1982
Establishment of the National Higher Performance Centre
State patronage for the cremation ceremony of the late deputy prelate (Anu Nayaka Thero) of the Sri Laka Ramangya Maha Nikaya, Gatambe Rajopawanramadhipatha, Siri Chandawimala Wanshalankara, Chandrakeerthi Sri Amarawansha, Sadhdharmawageeshwara, Shasanashobhanna Most Venerable Keppetiyagoda Siriwimalabhidhana Thero
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