Economy

Sri Lanka among countries with lowest terror threats in the world

Published

1 year ago

March 13, 2025

Sri Lanka has been named one of the countries with the lowest terror threats in the world, according to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2025.

The 12th annual GTI report, released on Wednesday (March 5), ranked Sri Lanka 100th among 163 countries considered in the index. However, with a GTI score of zero, Sri Lanka shares the lowest spot on the index with 63 other countries.

The report indicates that Sri Lanka has significantly improved, dropping 64 spots in the index within a year, thereby lowering the risk of terror threats within the island nation.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka also shares the lowest terror threat ranking in the South Asian region with Bhutan.

In 2024, South Asia had the highest average GTI score, a position it has held for the past decade. Despite an overall deterioration in the region—driven primarily by Pakistan—terrorism has significantly declined compared to a decade ago, with all South Asian countries showing improvement.

The report attributes this improvement largely to a decline in terrorist activity in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The region is home to two of the ten countries with the worst GTI scores: Afghanistan and Pakistan. Of the seven countries in South Asia, only Bhutan and Sri Lanka have a GTI score of zero, indicating that neither country has recorded a terrorist attack in the past five years.

The surge in terrorism in the region was primarily driven by Pakistan, where regional attacks increased from 726 to 1,399 and deaths rose from 961 to 1,303. Bangladesh and Pakistan were the only two countries in the region to record a deterioration in their scores in 2024. Consequently, Pakistan ranked as the second most terrorism-affected country globally for the second consecutive year, while India was ranked 14th.

Sri Lanka was the most improved South Asian country in 2024, having recorded no terrorist attacks or deaths for the fifth consecutive year since 2019. Nepal followed as the second most improved country, recording no attacks or deaths for the second consecutive year.

Meanwhile, the Sahel region remains the epicenter of terrorism, accounting for over half of all global terrorism-related deaths, according to the report.

The GTI is produced by the international think tank, the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), and has been published annually for the past 12 years. It is the most comprehensive resource on global terrorism trends, using multiple factors to calculate scores, including the number of incidents, fatalities, injuries, and hostage situations. These factors are combined with conflict and socioeconomic data to provide a holistic picture of terrorism worldwide.

Economy

Sri Lanka’s exports top US $ 9bn in first half

Published

3 days ago

July 23, 2026

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Sri Lanka’s export sector continued its strong upward trajectory during the first half of 2026, with the country’s total exports surpassing the significant US$9 billion milestone.

According to the latest figures, Sri Lanka’s combined merchandise and services exports reached an estimated US$9,012.24 million during the January to June 2026 period, recording an 8% increase compared to the corresponding period in 2025.

Further analysis showed that cumulative merchandise export earnings for the first six months of the year amounted to US$7,073.31 million, representing an 8.95% year-on-year increase. The performance highlights steady growth across key export sectors and underscores the continued competitiveness of Sri Lankan products in international markets.

Meanwhile, the services export sector maintained its positive growth trend, generating an estimated US$1,938.94 million during the January-June 2026 period. This marked a 4.49% increase compared to the same period last year and further reinforced the sector’s growing contribution to Sri Lanka’s overall export earnings and external sector performance.

Provisional data released by Sri Lanka Customs, together with estimated export values for Gems and Jewellery as well as Petroleum Products, indicated that merchandise exports reached US$1,314.10 million in June 2026 alone. This represented a robust 15.09% increase compared to June 2025, demonstrating growing demand for Sri Lankan exports despite evolving global market conditions.

Economy

Cabinet approves purchase of 600 deluxe buses for SLTB

Published

5 days ago

July 21, 2026

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The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal to procure 600 new Deluxe‑model, air‑conditioned buses for the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB), replacing an earlier plan to purchase standard‑model vehicles.

The project, part of the government’s 2026 investment programme, carries a budgetary allocation of Rs. 14,400 million. Initially, the funds were earmarked for 49–54‑seater standard buses.

However, under the Road Safety Plan 2025–2026, authorities identified the need for safer and more comfortable vehicles for intercity and long‑distance services.

Accordingly, specifications prepared for passenger transport recommended the deployment of Deluxe‑model buses for these routes.

Acting on that guidance, the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development presented the revised proposal, which has now received Cabinet approval.

Economy

29 unused oil tanks in Trincomalee open for local, foreign investors

Published

5 days ago

July 21, 2026

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In a bid for the commercialisation of the Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm, Trinco Petroleum Terminal Ltd (TPTL) is planning to go for international bidding for the development of 29 tanks out of 61 tanks in its possession.

A joint venture company, Trinco Petroleum Terminal Ltd (TPTL), was created in 2021. In it, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation holds 51 per cent and Lanka IOC (a subsidiary of Indian Oil Corporation) holds 49 per cent. The agreement covers 61 tanks out of 99 for joint development. When Indian Prime Minister Modi visited Sri Lanka last year, a tripartite agreement was signed among India, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to develop a multipurpose pipeline connecting the two countries for two-way energy supplies.

In the wake of the West Asian or Middle East crisis, Sri Lanka and India have recognised the need for the expeditious implementation of the Trincomalee petroleum hub project for energy security, but no specific timeline has been carved out yet.

An informed source said that the company would announce a Request for Proposals (RFP) within a month for the development of these tanks. The Cabinet Appointed Negotiation Committee (CANC) has approved the project for inviting bids for investors to develop the project. Once the project is evaluated by the company, it will be referred back to the CANC to make the final decision.

Trincomalee has been identified as a nodal point of cooperation between India and Sri Lanka in the field of energy security. The 1987 Indo–Sri Lanka Accord marked the first formal reference to Indian involvement in the development of the Trincomalee oil tank farm.