Economy

Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals surpass 2 million in 2024

Published

1 year ago

December 26, 2024

Sri Lanka has welcomed its 2 millionth tourist who arrived from Bangkok this year, at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), after a five-year gap.

This marks the fourth time in history that annual tourist arrivals have surpassed 2 million, with previous instances occurring in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Deputy Minister of Tourism Ruwan Ranasinghe and Chairman of the Tourism Promotion Bureau Buddhika Hewawasam were at the airport to greet the milestone tourist.

A special ceremony was also organised by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau at the Silk Route Lounge of the BIA to mark the occasion.

According to statistics, 195,127 tourists have arrived in Sri Lanka in the first 26 days of December, with expectations to exceed 250,000 by December 31. February 2019 was the only month to have seen more than 250,000 tourist arrivals.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism said that the country’s tourism sector, which had been severely impacted by the 2019 Easter attacks, the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing economic crisis, is now experiencing rapid growth following the new government’s efforts.

The Ministry said that the government had addressed issues related to online visas for foreign tourists. In addition, steps have been taken to ensure the safety of tourists and resolve challenges faced by travel service providers.

According to the Ministry, a total of 515,192 tourists have visited Sri Lanka during the past three months.

Furthermore, the new government has introduced free visa facilities for citizens from 39 countries and is working towards its goal of attracting 3 million tourists by 2025.

Source – Daily Mirror

Economy

Sri Lanka to Launch First Digital Motor Insurance Card from May 1

Published

2 days ago

April 25, 2026

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Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development has announced that the country’s first digital motor insurance card will be introduced from May 1.

The Ministry stated that this initiative represents a significant step toward advancing national digitalization while also enhancing public safety.

By replacing physical plastic cards, the move is also expected to contribute to environmental sustainability across the country.

The Ministry added that the digital motor insurance card will be officially launched in collaboration with the Insurance Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka, the Insurance Association of Sri Lanka, and the Sri Lanka Police.

Economy

Sri Lanka Confirms Hackers Diverted USD 2.5M Meant for Australian Debt Repayment

Published

3 days ago

April 24, 2026

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Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Finance has revealed that cyber hackers infiltrated the computer system of the External Resources Department, leading to the fraudulent diversion of a foreign debt repayment of nearly USD 2.5 million intended for Australia.

Addressing the issue, Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, said the intrusion was first detected in January 2026, when officials became aware that hackers had attempted to gain unauthorized access to the External Resources Department’s systems and compromise them. Upon identifying the threat, the Ministry immediately alerted law‑enforcement authorities.

He said reports were lodged with the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SL‑CERT) and the Computer Crimes Investigation Division of the Sri Lanka Police to investigate the attempted system breach. In parallel, ministry officials instructed the External Resources Department to conduct an internal review to determine whether any further damage had occurred beyond the initial incident.

Subsequent investigations revealed that the cyberattack had taken place earlier than first detected. A review of previous months’ transactions uncovered that hackers had intercepted email communications linked to a government‑to‑government debt repayment involving Australia.

Economy

Hackers hit Sri Lanka Finance Ministry as USD 2.5M storm erupts

Published

4 days ago

April 23, 2026

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The Government is facing scrutiny following reports that $ 2.5 million (nearly Rs. 800 million) of Treasury funds was diverted during a foreign debt repayment, with the amount yet to reach the intended creditor country.

The funds were part of a bilateral payment to Australia amounting $ 22.9 million, with settlement due in September 2025.

The Treasury has appointed a Technical Investigation Committee to probe a suspected fraudulent payment involving $ 2.5 million linked to a bilateral transaction with Australia. The committee includes two Deputy Secretaries to the Treasury and will be co-chaired by A.N. Hapugala and S.S. Mudalige. The other members are National Planning Department Director General K.T.I. Premaratne, Legal Affairs Department Additional Director General A.K.D.D. Arandara, and Information Technology Management Department Assistant Director E.D. Shirantha.

The Committee has been tasked with probing the risk of fraudulent payment instructions received via email, which may have contributed to the disappearance of the funds remitted to Australia. It has been directed to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the incident and submit its report at the earliest.

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