(25.04.2012)     Airport and Aviation Services Ltd, (AASL) has secured credit facilities to the tune of US $ 350 million from Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA). This is the first time that a government institution had received direct credit from an overseas organisation. Chairman AASL, Prasanna Wickramasuriya said that these funds would be utilized for the second phase development of the Colombo International Airport. Sri Lankan tourism is fast developing and the arrival numbers are increasing. In addition airlines want to increase frequencies while new carriers too want to fly to Colombo. This is the reason that the Colombo airport needs more capacity,” he said.

(23.04.2012)     President Mahinda Rajapaksa will open the stretch of road from Udathenna to Mahiyanganaya which is popularly known as the Dahata Wanguwa Para (18 hair-pin bends) on the Kandy- Padiyathalawa via Mahiyanganaya main road (A-26 ) next month.

(23.04.2012)     Seychelles Foreign Minister Jean-Paul Adam who was on a two day visit to Sri Lanka at the invitation of External Affairs Minister Prof G L Peiris said Seychelles President James Alix Mitchel has the vision to promote Sri Lanka as the Shipbuilding Hub and build strong links with Sri Lanka.

(23.04.2012)     A leading German airline is exploring the possibility at investing in the Hambantota International Airport (HIA). The airline is also seeking a working relationship with SriLankan Airlines. An official from Ministry of Civil Aviation told Daily News Business that the German airline is contemplating in setting up a Mechanical Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at the HIA.

(23.04.2012)     The government projects private investments to rise from around 21 percent of GDP in 2011 to about 26-28 percent in the next few years according to Asian Development Outlook 2012.

(19.04.2012)     Sri Lanka’s apparel industry is exploring the posibility of entering into preferential trade agreements with India and Japan whilst sharply penetrating a number of non traditional markets for exports.

(18.04.2012)     Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka picked up by 21.3% in March in comparison to last year. Last month 91,102 tourists visited the country and this figure was 75,130 in 2011 March. This was also the highest number of arrivals in a month for 2012.

(18.04.2012)     The Asian Development Bank (ADB) yesterday described Sri Lanka’s economic outlook as ‘moderate but still strong’, adding that the economy would grow at 7 percent during 2012 and improve to 8 percent in the coming years amidst a better global economic outlook and growth driven mainly by domestic and foreign investment.

(18.04.2012)     Travel time Between Matara and Colombo will be drastically reduced when the modernized coastal rail track is reopened for rail traffic on April 19, said General Manager of Railways B. A. P. Ariyaratne.

(18.04.2012)     The Economic Development Ministry had allocated Rs 1,364.99 million under the Negenehira Navodaya programme to housing development programmes in the Eastern Province during the year 2011, a ministry report said.

(18.04.2012)     Sri Lanka achieved a major development goal last year by restricting the budget deficit to 6.9 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

(17.04.2012)     Once every four years, a large and distinguished gathering of the Global Tea Community gravitates to Colombo to attend one of the most keenly anticipated events in the international tea calendar.

(17.04.2012)     As an effective measure to ease the long berthing delays experienced by Roll on Roll off vessels at the Port of Colombo, SLPA has decided to route all such vessels to the Magam Ruhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port with effect from May 31, 2012 with consultation of shipping lines and importers.

(17.04.2012)     Sri Lanka would increase its per capita income from the current US $ 2,399 in 2012 to US $ 4,400 in 2015. The country would also develop fast and would have a growth rate of around 9% during the period said Dr. T. Lalitha Gunaruwan, Senior Lecturer (Economics), University of Colombo, Speaking at the 'Railways for Our Future' seminar organized by the Institute of Supply and Material Management (ISMM) at the OPA Auditorium he said that the demand for logistics and transport would experience enormous pressure. Doubling of per-capita income by 2015 will lead to parallel increase of value of time.

(16.04.2012)     During the last three months 236,910 tourists visited Sri Lanka, Economic Development Deputy Minister Laksman Yapa Abeywardena said.