SenFin Research – News Updates – 12 April 2026

IMF calls for new strategies
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called upon the Government to take more decisive steps to strengthen State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), with particular attention to reviving SriLankan Airlines as a commercially viable entity.
Source: (Sunday Observer) https://www.sundayobserver.lk/2026/04/12/leadstory/75663/imf-calls-for-new-strategies/

Tourist traffic drops by 20% in March
Sri Lanka is currently witnessing a sharp drop in tourist traffic from the Europe and West Asia as airlines increase airfares amid limited flights made available amidst the US-Israel war against Iran.
Source: (Sunday Times) https://www.sundaytimes.lk/260412/business-times/tourist-traffic-drops-by-20-in-march-638636.html

Retailers bracing for spending decline
Retailers are bracing for a slowdown in consumer spending during the upcoming New Year season amid weakening purchasing power and growing economic uncertainty.
Source: (the morning) https://www.themorning.lk/articles/rZzFcRUNEuRnPrg7ma0v

CESS phase-out to deliver immediate tax relief
The Government’s plan to phase out Commodity Export Subsidy Scheme (CESS) taxes is set to provide immediate tax relief on intermediary goods as part of a broader effort to reduce production costs for industries catering to both domestic and export markets.
Source: (the morning) https://www.themorning.lk/articles/jBCm7dvqo696jVo903H2

Hoteliers warn of revenue impact from drop in European arrivals
The revenue impact from the recent decline in European tourist arrivals is likely to be far more severe than what headline arrival figures suggest, hoteliers warn.
Source: (the morning) https://www.themorning.lk/articles/LfqoGglXgoI7SugNoSbC

Residential real estate market shaped by affordability gaps?
Sri Lanka’s housing market is growing increasingly unaffordable to the typical local buyer. According to a March report by The Economist, Sri Lanka has been ranked the second most unaffordable housing market in Asia.
Source: (the morning) https://www.themorning.lk/articles/NR0ZQh93d9JopGqqflN0

PDMO sells 100% of T-bills on offer
Buoyed by the announcement of a ceasefire in the Middle East, the Public Debt Management Office (PDMO) successfully sold 100% of the Treasury bills (T-bills) on offer at the mid-week auction on Wednesday (8), marking the first full subscription in over six weeks.
Source: (the morning) https://www.themorning.lk/articles/jEmKzNCwjnd8iBsSro1q

Vidullanka acquires 100% stake in new hydro power plant
Vidullanka PLC has announced the acquisition of a 100 per cent equity stake in Bhoruka Power Lanka (Pvt) Ltd yesterday, which owns and operates the 4.5 MW Gurugoda mini hydro power plant situated in Aranayake, Sri Lanka. This latest addition serves as the company’s 12th mini hydro project, bringing the company’s portfolio to a total of 26 power projects, it said in a media release.
Source: (Sunday Times) https://www.sundaytimes.lk/260412/business-times/vidullanka-acquires-100-stake-in-new-hydro-power-plant-638606.html

NDB fiasco: Risk and audit committees on the radar
It started with Pramuka Savings and Development Bank, which collapsed in 2002 due to severe mismanagement. Golden Key Credit Card Company, a member of the Ceylinco Group, collapsed four years later after securing substantial deposits with high interest rates, resulting in a major financial scandal and prompting significant regulatory reforms.
Source: (Sunday Times) https://www.sundaytimes.lk/260412/business-times/ndb-fiasco-risk-and-audit-committees-on-the-radar-638621.html