News & market updates

A seminar on Beneficial Ownership compliance will be held on 22 July 2026 at The Kingsbury, Colombo to provide guidance on BO filings under the Companies Act No. 12 of 2025 and CBSL Direction 2 of 2026, highlighting the statutory BO filing deadline of 30 September 2026 and non-compliance risks.

The Thailand–Sri Lanka forum highlighted the newly enacted SLTFTA and reported bilateral trade rose 48% to $649m in 2025. Officials said the FTA and related measures should expand market access and investment across logistics, manufacturing, tourism, food processing, IT and healthcare.

Sri Lanka and Thailand plan to deepen trade and investment using the Sri Lanka–Thailand FTA and enhanced B2B engagement, targeting tourism, hospitality, food processing, agriculture, logistics and other sectors to boost bilateral ties and supply‑chain links.

The Kingsbury PLC obtained an enjoining order from the Colombo District Court on 8 June 2026 restraining former minister Wimal Weerawansa from republishing a video alleged to defame the hotel; the company sought Rs. 1 billion in damages and the case is listed for 22 June 2026.

Hayleys PLC secured a District Court of Kaduwela enjoining order preventing former MP Wimal Weerawansa from making or publishing defamatory statements about the company. Hayleys has sought Rs. 6 billion in cumulative damages; the matter is listed for hearing on 23 June 2026.

The Embassy of Sri Lanka and VJSC hosted a tourism promotion event in Ho Chi Minh City on 8 June, highlighting VietJet's planned Ho Chi Minh–Colombo service from 18 Aug 2026 and Vietnam Airlines' direct flights later in 2026, boosting prospects for Sri Lanka's tourism industry and hotels.

The Insurance Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka will host the OECD–ADBI Roundtable on Insurance and Retirement Savings on 2–3 June 2026 at The Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo, bringing global policymakers and regulators; the event will raise exposure for Sri Lanka's insurance/pension sector and showcase the hospitality/tourism industry.

All companies on the Colombo Stock Exchange Main Board must adopt sustainability reporting under SLFRS S1 and S2 effective 1 January 2026. A seminar on ‘Sustainability Reporting for Corporates’ will be held 26 March 2026 at The Kingsbury to brief directors and senior executives.

Colombo Stock Exchange fell sharply as the ASPI dropped 3.47% (753.29 pts) to 20,939.26 and the S&P SL20 fell 3.17% to 5,891.67, with major decliners including John Keells, Dialog Axiata, Commercial Bank, HNB and DFCC. Siyapatha Finance, a Sampath Bank subsidiary, received CSE approval in principle to list Rs.3.75bn of 11.50% debentures.

Hayleys PLC won the Gold Award for Overall Excellence in Corporate Reporting at CA Sri Lanka's TAGS Awards 2025 for the fourth consecutive year, with the Group securing 21 awards including 14 Golds. Several listed firms on the shortlist also won sector awards, including Haycarb, Kelani Valley, Singer, Dipped Products, Alumex, Talawakelle, Horana and Kingsbury.

The ninth Boat & Marine Show Sri Lanka was held 30 Jan–1 Feb 2026 at Port City, Colombo, showcasing marine tourism and boat-building (50 exhibitors, 90 stalls) to promote exports and B2B links with international buyers. The event aimed to boost nautical tourism and attract investment into boat-building and related services.

CIM has appointed a Sri Lanka Professional Member Support Committee led by Dr. Lewie Diasz; the panel includes senior marketing executives from Lion Brewery, Hayleys, National Development Bank, HNB, DIMO and The Kingsbury.

Seylan Bank PLC is running a Seylan Cards Christmas campaign (18 Nov–31 Dec 2025) with weekly iPhone 17 Pro giveaways (seven winners), merchant discounts up to 50%, grocery savings up to 30% and 0% 36‑month EPP to boost card spending and partner transactions.

The EDB hosted an EU inward delegation (17–22 Nov) to promote Sri Lankan Fair Trade products and is targeting an increase in EU orders of about US$4–6 million for 2025–26. EU buyers showed interest in spices, rice, coconut products, tropical fruits and tea, with plans to link exporters to supermarket chains.

Voyage Sri Lanka 2025, organised by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, concluded on 16 Oct at The Kingsbury with over 250 delegates, showcasing blue-economy opportunities in shipbuilding, offshore energy, boat building and nautical tourism and involving sponsors including Hayleys, Seylan Bank and Lanka IOC.

The Worldwide Week of Italian Cuisine's tenth edition begins in Colombo on 15 November 2025, with The Kingsbury among four five-star hotels and five Italian restaurants offering special Italian-themed menus, masterclasses and a pastry webinar.

Voyage Sri Lanka 2025, organised by the Export Development Board on 16 Oct at the Kingsbury, drew over 250 delegates from about six countries and highlighted blue-economy opportunities across shipbuilding, offshore energy (LNG, wind), fisheries and nautical tourism. Sponsors and participants included Seylan Bank, Lanka IOC and Hayleys Advantis.

VOYAGE SRI LANKA 2025 was held on Oct 16 in Colombo to promote Sri Lanka's Blue Economy and attract international investment for maritime infrastructure and services. Sponsors and participants included Seylan Bank, Lanka IOC, Hayleys (Advantis), Colombo Dockyard and stakeholders from government and development partners.

A delegation of 10 foreign investors from India, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Oman toured Colombo Port and Port City and attended the Voyage Sri Lanka 2025 Marine Summit held at the Kingsbury Hotel; they explored investment opportunities in marine/offshore services and boat manufacturing.

Voyage Sri Lanka 2025, an international marine summit, will be held on 16 October 2025 at The Kingsbury in Colombo with four days left to register; Seylan Bank is the official banking partner and Lanka IOC is a silver sponsor. The event will focus on shipbuilding, offshore services, offshore wind, fisheries and nautical tourism.

Samara Perera was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of The Kingsbury PLC and Horana Plantations PLC. She has prior experience with Hayleys PLC and Vallibel One PLC.

Voyage Sri Lanka 2025, a marine summit promoting the blue economy, will be held on 16 October 2025 at the Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo. The conference will spotlight marine/offshore services and boat/shipbuilding to attract investment and boost exports.

Voyage Sri Lanka 2025 Marine Summit will be held on 16 October 2025 at The Kingsbury, Colombo, organized by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board to promote the country's blue economy. Sponsors and partners include Seylan Bank (official banking partner), Lanka IOC, Hayleys Advantis and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.

Dr. Senaka Wijesinghe launched his book 'How to Use NLP for Sales Success' at the Kingsbury Hotel, Colombo. The event was attended by industry figures and notes Dr. Wijesinghe's founding of Agrovista in 2023, an agricultural conglomerate operating across five divisions.

Voyage Sri Lanka 2025 marine summit will be held on 16 October 2025 at The Kingsbury, with early-bird registration extended to 15 September for a 10% discount. Seylan Bank is the official banking partner and Lanka IOC and Hayleys Advantis are listed sponsors.

The Export Development Board launched the official website for Voyage Sri Lanka 2025, a marine summit set for 16 October at The Kingsbury Hotel, Colombo, targeting 300+ attendees from 12+ countries. Official partners include Seylan Bank (banking partner) and Lanka IOC (silver partner).

The Sri Lanka Export Development Board launched the official Voyage Sri Lanka 2025 website; the summit is scheduled for Oct 16, 2025 at The Kingsbury Hotel, targeting 300+ attendees and 12+ nations. Official sponsors include Seylan Bank, Lanka IOC and The Kingsbury.

Brand Finance published Sri Lanka's 100 Most Valuable Brands for 2025, ranking Bank of Ceylon top with a brand value of Rs.57,411m; Commercial Bank, Dialog and People’s Bank follow the top positions. The list covers firms across banking, telecoms, FMCG, healthcare, hospitality and other sectors.

Profit-taking dragged the Colombo market down, with ASPI closing 8 points lower (‑0.04%) at 18,877 on turnover of Rs.6.2bn and foreign net selling of Rs.115.2m. COMB, MELS, SAMP and NDB were top negative contributors while JETS, SERV and AEL recorded gains.

Hatton National Bank (HNB) has partnered with The Kingsbury (SERV) to introduce SOLO/LankaQR digital payments across all The Kingsbury restaurants. The integration enables customers, including international visitors, to pay via UPI, Alipay, UnionPay and other LankaQR-enabled apps.