Editor’s Note
The Prime Minister’s address highlights a persistent gap between Sri Lanka’s esteemed reputation for gems and its actual export performance. Her call for stable policy underscores a critical need to translate potential into tangible economic growth.
Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya stated that despite international recognition for Sri Lanka’s gems and jewelry, export growth has not yet reached the expected levels. She said the government is working to formulate stable policies to enable the country to penetrate the international gem and jewelry market.
She made these remarks while addressing the opening ceremony of the ‘Ratnapura Gem City – 2025’ international gem and jewelry exhibition, which aims to propel Sri Lanka’s gem and jewelry industry onto the global stage.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the ‘Ratnapura Gem City – 2025’ event is being held from August 15 to 17 at the Grand Silveray Hotel in Pelmadulla.
The exhibition, organized by the National Gem and Jewelry Authority, aims to elevate Sri Lanka’s position in the world’s leading gem and jewelry markets while showcasing a wide variety of gems, gem and jewelry mining and processing technologies, laboratory services, and training and educational opportunities in the field.
Minister of Industries and Enterprise Development Sunil Handunnetti stated in his address that a series of new policies, such as developing the diamond industry and introducing new laws allowing the direct export of raw gemstones, are in the pipeline to help the gem and jewelry industry achieve the challenging target of $1 billion in expected export revenue.
US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung stated that Sri Lanka should create a more favorable business environment by reducing non-tariff barriers and enhancing trade facilitation.
The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, in a statement, said the US envoy made these remarks during a meeting with Ceylon Chamber officials to discuss trade, investment, and economic opportunities between Sri Lanka and the United States.
Ambassador Chung met with Ceylon Chamber Chairman Krishan Balendra, Vice Chairmen Bingumal Thewarathanthri and Vinod Hirdaramani, Secretary General/CEO Buwanekabahu Perera, and other Ceylon Chamber representatives to explore trade, investment, and economic opportunities between Sri Lanka and the US.
She congratulated Mr. Krishan Balendra on his appointment as Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber and stated the US Embassy’s interest in continuing to strengthen collaboration with the Chamber as the premier and most influential representative of the private sector.
She also commended the Sri Lankan government for its cooperation and constructive negotiations with the US towards a fair, balanced, and reciprocal trade relationship.
The discussion highlighted Sri Lanka’s regional trade positioning and the potential to attract more interest from US businesses following recent shifts in global trade positioning. The statement added that Ambassador Chung emphasized that many US companies are increasingly looking at South Asia, with Sri Lanka emerging as a preferred choice.
According to a report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), more than half of households in Sri Lanka have adopted coping strategies such as skipping a meal, reducing preferred foods, or limiting portions amid food insecurity triggered by the economic crisis, with over 27% having insufficient diets.
Citing World Food Programme (WFP) data, OHCHR in its report on human rights violations in Sri Lanka in 2025 stated that 16% of households nationwide are food insecure due to the economic crisis.
The report said this has led to an increase in the malnutrition rate among underweight children under five from 12.2% to 17%.
According to the 2025 budget report, 8.9% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), nearly 60% of government revenue, is allocated to paying interest on government debt. “The health and education sectors received allocations of 1.83% and 1.88% of GDP respectively, an increase from the previous year and a step towards the election promises of 3% and 6% respectively for the people’s sovereignty of the country.”
The report also noted a lack of accountability for past and present human rights violations in Sri Lanka, particularly in cases allegedly involving members of the security forces.
The commission also stated: “The Government informed OHCHR that it had appointed a four-member committee on 22 April 2025 to study the reports of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to enable further investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. At the time of writing, over 40 criminal cases and over 280 civil cases had been filed in relation to these attacks; most remain at preliminary stages and none have resulted in convictions.”
The report further stated that the Office on Missing Persons, since its establishment in 2018, has not clarified the fate and whereabouts of thousands of enforced disappearances and faces distrust from victim groups. “Successive governments, particularly between 2019 and 2022, appointed members lacking credibility and independence, undermining the institution’s independence.” As of December 2024, the Office on Missing Persons had traced 18 individuals out of 15,000 cases submitted.
Indian Naval Ships ‘Rana’ (a guided missile destroyer) and ‘Jyoti’ (a fleet tanker) arrived in Colombo to participate in the 12th edition of the Sri Lanka-India Naval Exercise (SLINEX-25) scheduled from August 14 to 18.
Conceived in 2005, SLINEX is a bilateral naval exercise that has strengthened maritime cooperation between the two nations over the past two decades. The SLINEX exercise aims to enhance interoperability, maritime cooperation, and the exchange of best practices, and to jointly conduct multifaceted maritime operations.
The previous SLINEX exercise was held in Visakhapatnam, India, from December 17 to 20, 2024.
A Navy spokesperson, in a post on X on Friday, said the ships were warmly welcomed by Sri Lanka Navy personnel and will participate in exercises designed to “enhance interoperability, maritime cooperation, and exchange best practices while jointly conducting multifaceted maritime operations.”
According to the Ministry of Defence, the exercise will be conducted in two phases: the Harbour Phase in Colombo from August 14 to 16, 2025, and the Sea Phase from August 17 to 18, 2025.
The Sri Lanka Navy, in a statement, said SLNS Gajabahu and Vijayabahu (both Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessels) will represent the Sri Lanka Navy, with special forces from both navies also participating.
During the Harbour Phase, professional interactions, Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEE), best practice sharing, cultural and social exchanges, as well as yoga sessions and sports events will be conducted to further strengthen friendship and camaraderie between the two navies.
Naval exercises planned for the Sea Phase include gun firings, communication procedures, navigation, seamanship evolutions, Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS), and replenishment at sea.
The SLINEX maritime exercise exemplifies the deep cooperation between India and Sri Lanka, strengthening collaboration in the maritime domain, aligning with India’s ‘SAGAR’ (Security and Growth for All in the Region) policy.
Police said a total of 689 suspects were arrested during an island-wide special operation yesterday (15th).
Among those arrested, 24 direct suspects and 242 suspects with pending arrest warrants were taken into custody.
Additionally, 158 suspects with pending arrest warrants were arrested.
Meanwhile, police said 100 individuals were arrested for drunk driving, while another 27 were arrested for reckless driving.
Police also stated that legal action was taken against 3,635 individuals for violating various traffic regulations.