Sri Lankans migrating for foreign employment dropped 4.2 percent to 297,664 in 2023 from 310,955 in 2022, data from Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau data shows.

Remittances for 2024 end are targeted to increase by 17 percent, from the recorded 5969 million dollars of 2023 to 7000 million dollars, the Bureau Publicity Manager Manjula Kularatne told Economy Next.

Sri Lanka’s workers leaving for work abroad dropped to around 203,087 by 2019, with economic growth low or through still positive. In 2022 official worker migration rebounded above 300,000 with the worst currency crisis in the history of the island’s soft-pegged central bank.

Sri Lanka last saw 300,703 workers migrating in 2014.

Sri Lanka has network of employment agencies which have been built up over decades of monetary instability and currency depreciation that had destroyed real wages in the island.

After the 2022 currency crisis, a sharp increase in personal income tax maintain the country’s bloated state under revenue based fiscal consolidation (encouragement to abandon cost-cutting as a method of reducing the budget deficit) professionals also started to migrate with the twin hit of monetary debasement and a hike in income tax which reduced disposable incomes.

Sri Lanka cut taxes in December 2019 to target potential output after two currency crises from money printed (inflationary rate cuts) to target potential output reduced growth.

Three females and a male were arrested by the Sampur Police on Sunday night for violating a court order by holding a commemoration event in remembrance of the Mullivaikkal war dead. According to sources, the arrested had allegedly distributed porridge to neighbours in memory of their relatives who were killed during the armed conflict.

United States’ Assistant Secretary Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Donald Lu, called on President Ranil Wickremesinghe today (13) at the Presidential Secretariat.

Education Minister Susil Premajayantha revealed today that only 6,000 out of 34,000 pre-school teachers and assistant teachers in Sri Lanka are diploma holders.

Cabinet approval was granted today to commence the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level (A/L) classes immediately after the completion of the GCE Ordinary Level (O/L) examinations.

Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Parliamentarian Duminda Dissanayake today instituted legal action before the Colombo District Court challenging the appointment of Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe and Keerthi Udawatta as SLFP Chairman and Acting General Secretary respectively.

Sri Lankan lawmaker Dayasiri Jayasekera speaking in Parliament highlighted the plight of Sri Lankan ex-servicemen fighting for Russia in the war against Ukraine, who have suffered amputations and lost limbs.

Sri Lanka Police officials have been caught on video behaving in an inhumane manner while arresting three women who had served porridge in memory of the Tamil people who were killed during the last phase of Sri Lanka’s war in Mullivaikal in 2009.

The number of Sri Lankan retired military personnel who have lost their lives in the Russia-Ukraine war has climbed to 14, according to Defense sources.

The birth rate in Sri Lanka is on a rapid decline, and currently it has decreased by 30%, Kalubowila Teaching Hospital gynecologist Prof. Ajith Fernando said. Addressing the media, the doctor said that the number of births, which was about 360,000, has decreased to about 240,000.

Defending the allegations on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa's decisions to construct an international airport, habour and cricket stadium in the Hambantota District, SLPP MP Chamal Rajapaksa said the issue is not the constructions but the failure to develop them as business ventures.

Clarifying the controversy over the GCE Ordinary Level (O/L) Science and English papers, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said today that steps will be taken to ensure that no injustice is caused to any students.

Transport, Highways and Mass Media Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana said the government’s income is Rs. 8,420 million and the expenditure is Rs.14,670 million so the amount in shortfall to meet the daily expenses is Rs.6250 million.

The passenger ferry services scheduled to begin operations on May 13 between Kankesanthurai in Sri Lanka and Nagapattinam in India wil be delayed further due to the delay in delivery of the ferry and unavoidable compliance requirements , IndSri Ferry Service Pvt. Ltd. said.

Former President Maithripala Sirisena stepped down from his role as Chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) paving the way for a new leadership.

Venerable Omalpe Sobitha Thera told the Daily Mirror today that there are over 10 members currently serving in Parliament who hold dual citizenship and said that those MPs should be removed from their posts before the elections.

Approximately 25,000 soldiers have left the service of the Sri Lanka Army without having reported for duty in the past five years, The Sunday Morning learns.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has expressed concern over the current government's plans to sell off national assets and state-owned enterprises, calling for the postponement of all such moves until after the next Presidential election, allowing the incoming government to address the issue according to its mandate.

The faction of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) under the leadership of former President Maithripala Sirisena has announced the appointment of Attorney-at-Law Keerthi Udawatte as the Acting General Secretary. This follows the appointment of new SLFP Chairman Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe.

Amid concerns over the presence of Chinese research vessels conducting surveys in the Indian Ocean, the US nominee to Sri Lanka Elizabeth K. Horst assured the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee to work with Sri Lanka to ensure a moratorium on these vessels remains in place.

The Sri Lanka Telecommunications (Amendment) Bill which seeks to penalize those who share false information over the telephone and cause public commotion was presented to Parliament.