Arundathie Abeysinghe

Colombo, Sri Lanka

Lecturer, researcher, veteran journalist, correspondent AsiaNews, Rome, Italy. BA (English) and MA (Political Science) University of Kelaniya and PGDIR (BCIS).

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Articles

Colombo's palm oil paradox

3 weeks ago | asianews.it | Arundathie Abeysinghe

Colombo (AsiaNews) - One of the mafia of large companies that do not consider the impact on the environment. A general ban that ultimately only harms new, environmentally friendly crops. This sums up the paradox surrounding palm oil in Sri Lanka. There are 13,000 acres of land in the country cultivated by private owners for this purpose, with the stated goal of soon reaching 20,000 acres.
Trump's tarrifs torpedo the textile industry. Tsunami effect on the local economy

1 month ago | asianews.it | Arundathie Abeysinghe

Colombo (AsiaNews) - The long arm of the tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump also risks sinking the export sector in Sri Lanka, with experts and operators looking to a (near) future with a dark cloud over it. The alarm has been raised by the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF), according to which the clothing sector - the island's largest export industry - is preparing to suffer a serious setback.
Hambantota port’s cutting-edge project to protect coral reef

1 month ago | asianews.it | Arundathie Abeysinghe

Colombo (AsiaNews) – The Hambantota International Port Group (HIPAG) recently launched the inaugural coral reef protection project, the first of its kind in a Sri Lankan port in line with a vision based on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The eco-conscious policies adopted by port authorities have favoured the creation of a sanctuary for the natural growth of different coral species along the port’s breakwaters and on the artificial island.
Amid tarriff wars, Colombo resumes car imports

1 month ago | asianews.it | Arundathie Abeysinghe

Colombo (AsiaNews) - Sri Lanka's car assembly sector, which has recently expanded significantly, is threatened by the recent decision to impose new taxes and to lift the ban on foreign imports, without introducing protection for local companies at the same time. Hence the alarm of the operators, who believe that the current measures could seriously damage the progress achieved.
Sri Lanka’s agriculture in crisis as rice, tea, and coconut productions drop while prices rise

1 month ago | asianews.it | Arundathie Abeysinghe

Colombo (AsiaNews) – Sri Lanka's agricultural sector is going through a severe crisis, with a significant drop in the production of major crops such as rice, tea and coconut. This is driving up inflation and contributing to higher food prices, worrying consumers and policymakers alike. According to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), the drop in paddy rice production (the country’s staple crop) has been particularly pronounced, affecting the overall price of rice.
Heavy metals in the Kelani River put Colombo's water at risk

2 months ago | asianews.it | Arundathie Abeysinghe

Colombo (AsiaNews) – A copper and brass mining plant is dumping heavy metals into the Kelani River, Sri Lanka's fourth-largest waterway, near Pethiyagoda (Kelaniya), north of Colombo, contaminating groundwater and soil. Residents complain that gases like sulphur oxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide released into the river and the surrounding area cause breathing problems, particularly for children and the elderly.
Colombo imposes a new tax on service exports

2 months ago | asianews.it | Arundathie Abeysinghe

Colombo (AsiaNews) – Starting in April, Sri Lanka will introduce a new 15% tax on income from the export of services, affecting professionals in the technology sector, financial consultants, accountants and software experts who work with foreign clients. While the government aims to increase tax revenue to address the economic crisis, the taxation could push professionals to seek alternative solutions, reducing the official flow of foreign currency into the country.
Sri Lankan fishermen caught in the geopolitical nets of China and India

2 months ago | asianews.it | Arundathie Abeysinghe

Colombo (AsiaNews) - Fishermen in northern Sri Lanka are increasingly at risk of getting caught up in regional geopolitics, following the emergence of China as a new player seeking to insert itself with increasing insistence in the confrontation between Colombo and Delhi. At the centre of the dispute between the two South Asian countries is the practice of illegal trawling by boats flying the Indian flag in Sri Lankan territorial waters.
Colombo's Madampitiya landfill a 'serious threat' to the environment and health

2 months ago | asianews.it | Arundathie Abeysinghe

Colombo (AsiaNews) - An environmental emergency is worrying experts and ecologists in Sri Lanka: the controversy revolves around the Madampitiya landfill site, managed by the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), which represents a “serious threat” to the entire area due to the accumulation of waste that has reached up to 15 meters in height. Located in the immediate vicinity of homes, schools, restaurants and shops, the site is growing to dangerous proportions with waste being dumped every day.
Outdated trains and obsolete signalling plague Sri Lanka's railway system

Feb 11, 2025 | asianews.it | Arundathie Abeysinghe

Colombo (AsiaNews) - Sri Lanka's railway system - which covers about 1500 km - is in an alarming condition. Overcrowded trains and excessive delays are the order of the day. In addition to the obsolete signalling system that hinders modern railway traffic, according to senior officials of the Department of Railways, 72 per cent of the locomotives are more than 40 years old, raising serious concerns about safety and efficiency.