Latest News
New circular issued to support disaster-affected Micro, Small and Self-Employed Businesses
A new circular has been issued by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to provide relief to micro, small and self-employed businesses affected by the emergency situation caused by Cyclone Ditwah. The circular has been issued in line with Circular No. 08/2025, which was introduced to restore disrupted livelihoods following the disaster.
The Government programme to empower communities affected by the disaster was introduced through Budget Circular No. 08/2025 dated December 5, 2025. Expanding this relief framework further and ensuring more effective and efficient delivery of assistance, additional circulars No. 08/2025(i) dated December 20, 2025 and No. 08/2025(iii) dated January 22, 2026 have been issued.
The social empowerment programme under the newly issued circular is structured as follows.
Assistance for affected individual, small and micro businesses
A one-time grant to restore businesses damaged by the disaster to a condition suitable for reopening.
LKR 200,000 for individual, small and micro-businesses registered with the Ministry of Industry.
LKR 200,000 for individual, small and micro-businesses registered with the Divisional Secretariat as a business entity.
LKR 50,000 for unregistered home-based businesses operated from a permanent structure.
LKR 50,000 per unit for unregistered production industries, including greenhouses.
LKR 25,000 for temporary business setups, including mobile and street hawking.
A grant will be provided to owners of the commercial buildings affected by the disaster to restore their business premises to operational condition.
A grant of Rs. 500,000/- will be provided to each business building owner who voluntarily opts to receive assistance without a damage assessment.
A grant of up to Rs. 5,000,000/- will be provided to each business building owner who opts to receive assistance after a damage assessment, based on the assessed value of the building.
In addition to the above grants, the following loan facilities have also been provided.
In addition to these grants, the Treasury has introduced a new credit scheme to provide loans for business owners whose enterprises were affected by the disaster, enabling them to restart their operations and meet essential requirements.
Accordingly:
Facilities have been provided for affected businesses to obtain loans ranging from Rs. 250,000 to Rs. 25,000,000 through the banking system at an interest rate of 3%, with a 6-month grace period and repayment over 3 years to restart their operations.
As part of the investment loans for business reconstruction, entrepreneurs whose businesses were damaged can access bank loans of up to Rs. 25 million at an interest rate of 5%, with a 12-month grace period and repayment over 10 years.
Latest News
Heat Index at Caution Level in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Eastern, North-western, Northern and North-central provinces and in Monaragala district.
Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
Issued at 3.30 p.m. on 02 April 2026, valid for 03 April 2026.
The Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Eastern, North-western, Northern and North-central provinces and in Monaragala district.
The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.
Effect of the heat index on the human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.
ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.
Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.
Former Matara District Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister Mahinda Wijesekara has passed away this morning (02) at the age of 83 family sources have announced.
Mahinda Wijesekara served as a Member of Parliament for the Matara district for over two decades (1989 to 2010), representing the People’s Alliance, the United National Party and the United People’s Freedom Alliance.
He held several ministerial portfolios, including Minister of Postal and Telecommunication Services in 2008, Minister of Forestry and Envioronment 1999-2001, Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Resources from 2001 to 2004 and Minister of Special Projects 2007-2008
He was in poor health following injuries sustained in the 2009 bomb attack by the LTTE terrorists in Godapitiya, Matara.
He was the father of former Minister Kanchana Wijesekara.
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake has hit the Northern Molucca Sea off the coast of the city of Ternate, in Indonesia, killing at least one person and triggering a tsunami warning that was subsequently lifted.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said Thursday’s quake, which was initially recorded at a magnitude of 7.8, struck at a depth of 35km (22 miles), greater than the early figure of 10km (six miles). There were no immediate reports of injuries.
The epicentre of the earthquake was about 120km (75 miles) from Ternate, in Indonesia’s North Maluku province.
Local authorities in some cities, such as Ternate and Tidore, were urged to prepare citizens for evacuation, while news channel Metro TV broadcast images of damaged buildings.
One person was killed when a building collapsed in the city of Manado in North Sulawesi province, a local search and rescue official told AFP news agency.
“The quake was felt strongly and around Manado … one person died and one person had a leg injury,” George Leo Mercy Randang told AFP by telephone. The victim was “buried under the rubble” of a collapsed building, he said.
The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) initially said hazardous tsunami waves were possible within 1,000 kilometres (621 miles) of the epicentre along the coasts of Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia.
Within half an hour of the quake, waves up to 75 centimetres were recorded in North Minahasa and 20 centimetres in Bitung, both in the north of Sulawesi island, according to Indonesia’s BMKG geological agency.
Thirty-centimetre waves were also logged in North Maluku province.
The PTWC lifted its warning just over two hours after the tremor, saying the tsunami threat “has now passed”.
Indonesia straddles the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of high seismic activity where tectonic plates meet and earthquakes are frequent.
[Aljazeera]
Atmospheric conditions will be favorable for afternoon thundershowers in most parts of the island.
Nuwan Thushara files lawsuit against SLC for IPL NOC
Mercury fears over coal imports: CEJ urges urgent standards, health probe
Heat Index at Caution Level in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Eastern, North-western, Northern and North-central provinces and in Monaragala district.
Govt. toys with the idea of moving public sector work online
Namal blames President for coal scam
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