News
Price of rice and curry hits two-year-high for average family
By Sanath Nanayakkare
The cost of a meal consisting of rice, vegetables and meat or fish, consumed at an average Sri Lankan household, hit a two-year high in November 2021, a food price tracker for Sri Lanka has shown.
Advocata’s ‘Bath Curry Indicator (BCI), a simple tool that tracks the prices of common food items that go into a rice and curry dish in Sri Lanka, shows that the cost of a meal increased by 13.5% from October to November 2021.
“Since 2019, retail prices have increased by 44%. This means that an average family, which spends Rs. 960 weekly on the BCI basket of food items in November 2019, now has to pay Rs 1,390 for the same basket of goods just two years later,” the researcher said.
“The food items whose prices increased the most in the past month alone were tomatoes (206%), beans (33%) and green chilli (23%),” the Advocata study has revealed.
The BCI tracks the weekly retail prices in the Colombo market of the most commonly consumed food ingredients that might be used in a typical rice and curry meal. Information about the prices are collected from the ‘Weekly Indicators’ that the Central Bank publishes.
Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal said on Saturday that there had been an uptick in inflation and it would taper off as supply side disruptions and global commodity prices eased in the coming months.
SJB MP Harsha de Silva said on Monday that there was a correlation between inflation and the money supply. The government followed the Modern Monetary Theory and printed money at such a rate that it devalued the currency and spiked inflation.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
INS Sahyadri sets sail from Colombo
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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
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