Business

I came to serve the people and not any politician – CBSL Governor

Published

4 years ago

2022/04/12

By Hiran H.Senewiratne

“My intention is to maintain the Central Bank as a highly independent institution that could take decisions without any political interference and to also get the support of multi-lateral agencies in Sri Lanka’s efforts to overcome its economic difficulties. I came to serve the people and not any politician, newly appointed Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe said at his first media briefing held at the Central Bank Head Office in Colombo after assuming duties last Friday.

The CBSL Governor said a virtual meeting had been requested for April 11 with the IMF. The Letter of Intent to the IMF is to be presented later, he said.

Dr. Weerasinghe said that he can’t reverse what has happened but will use all his experience, including his exposure to multi-lateral partners, such as IMF and World Bank, to serve the people.

Weerasinghe added: “I want to run the Central Bank independently without any external influence and I have been given the authority to do so by the President. I have been asked by him to expedite measures to get the country out of the current crisis.

‘Overcoming the crisis was not something that could be done overnight and would take some time, but political and social stability is essential to overcome the present crisis.

‘I would be taking a number of correct decisions without any political interference. I also pledge to work with transparency and truthfulness. I would not be hiding anything from the public and I hope to work independently.

‘The Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka has decided to increase policy interest rates by 7% to offset the imbalance in the country’s financial system. This is the first time in Sri Lanka that the interest rate has been raised so high.

‘The new rate hike will give a strong signal to investors and markets that we are coming out of this as soon as possible.

“We want to give a firm signal. We are serious in what we are doing and we are independent in what we are doing. We took the necessary and sufficient actions today immediately to address the situation. With this measure I expect to see some stability in the market and a positive reaction from it from Monday when it opens.

‘We met with the bankers soon after assuming duties and gave them a clear message that we will be very transparent in dealing with them. We will be open, transparent and truthful and we need their full support. I want to be very clear that this message is not one of blind positivity.

“Things are challenging and we need to take decisive action. Things will get worse before they get better, but we need to apply the brakes to this vehicle before it crashes.

‘It won’t turn around immediately. The situation could get worse and take weeks or months. But the turnaround will happen at some point. I am very confident that we can turn it around but the necessary conditions for it are not only the economic policies but also the two key components; political stability and social stability.

‘What we expect is a stable government, evolved democratically and constitutionally, and the social unrest at present should come down sooner so that people can get into normal activity so that their actions will be much more effective.’

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Business

HNB Finance strengthens Board with four independent directors

Published

7 hours ago

2026/09/13

Thilina Walpola

Newly appointed HNB FINANCE PLC Independent Non- Executive Directors (from left): Renuke Wijayawardhane, Shanti Gnanapragasam, Nabiha Mohamed and Dr. Thisuri Wanniarachchi

HNB FINANCE PLC has strengthened its Board with the appointment of four Independent Non-Executive Directors, effective September 8, 2026.

The new directors are Renuke Wijayawardhane, Shanti Gnanapragasam, Nabiha Mohamed and Dr. Thisuri Wanniarachchi, who collectively bring extensive experience in financial regulation, banking, risk management, corporate finance, investment strategy, development finance and public policy.

Wijayawardhane, an Attorney-at-Law and capital market professional, retired in July 2025 as Chief Regulatory Officer of the Colombo Stock Exchange after more than 31 years with the Exchange. His experience covers securities regulation, corporate governance, market infrastructure and compliance.

Gnanapragasam has over four decades of banking experience spanning treasury, risk management, credit and trade finance. She currently serves as an Independent Non-Executive Director of Cargills Bank, Wealth Trust and Vision Fund Lanka.

Mohamed is a corporate finance and investment professional who previously served as Lead Transaction Advisor at the State-Owned Enterprise Restructuring Unit of the Ministry of Finance, where she led five divestiture transactions worth over US$600 million.

Dr. Wanniarachchi brings over a decade of experience in development finance, institutional reform and social protection, including work with the World Bank and the Government of Sri Lanka.

Business

Prime Residencies hands over The Palace Gampaha

Published

7 hours ago

2026/09/13

Thilina Walpola

Prime Group Chairman Premalal Brahmanage speaking at the event

Prime Lands Residencies PLC has completed and officially handed over The Palace Gampaha, described as the largest planned gated residential community in Gampaha, to its homeowners.

The development, which commenced construction in 2021, is located two kilometres from Gampaha town and 100 metres from the Colombo-Kandy main road.

Spread across 13.5 acres, The Palace Gampaha comprises 480 two- and three-bedroom apartments in a ground-plus-three-floor development, with prices starting from Rs. 27.5 million.

The project allocates about 80% of its land to landscaped areas and common facilities, while the remaining 20% is used for apartment development. Facilities include a swimming pool, gymnasium, clubhouse, library, community kitchen, laundry, mini-mart and a daycare centre managed by the Lyceum Group.

The fully gated community also incorporates solar power for common areas, underground electricity cabling and a sewage treatment plant with water recycling facilities.

Prime Residencies said all statutory approvals required for the handover had been secured, including certifications from the Condominium Management Authority and registration of the Condominium Plan and Deed of Declaration.

Prime Group Chairman Premalal Brahmanage said the project reflected the company’s vision of creating large-scale residential communities designed to enhance the quality of life of Sri Lankan families.

The project is the latest addition to Prime Group’s portfolio of more than 70 gated community and apartment developments.

Business

SLANA warns NVOCC business losing ground amid THC concerns

Published

7 hours ago

2026/09/13

Thilina Walpola

SLANA Chairperson Swabha Wickramasinghe presenting a memento to Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Anura Karunathilaka at the eventually

Sri Lanka’s Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC) sector is losing ground despite the expansion of the industry in several regional markets, Sri Lanka Association of NVOCC Agents (SLANA) Chairperson Swabha Wickramasinghe said.

Wickramasinghe, re-elected for a third consecutive term at SLANA’s ninth Annual General Meeting last week said the continued difficulty in collecting Colombo Terminal Handling Charges (THC) as a separate land-based cost was among the key challenges facing the industry.

She said the practice placed Sri Lanka at a competitive disadvantage as principals consider the overall economics of operating through Colombo.

“When Sri Lanka becomes less commercially attractive compared with other regional destinations, the consequences eventually reach our members,” she said.

Wickramasinghe said a committee had been proposed at a recent meeting with the Minister and Deputy Minister to evaluate the THC issue, urging the authorities to expedite its appointment and review.

She also called for an early solution to the problem of uncleared salt containers at the Port of Colombo, which has resulted in delays in releasing empty containers.

With more than 75 NVOCC lines operating in Sri Lanka, she stressed the sector’s importance to regional trade, particularly links with India and China.

Ports Minister Anura Karunathilaka said Sri Lanka should expand regional business while exploring areas such as bunkering, freight forwarding and e-commerce logistics.