Sri Lanka's stock market closed higher on Thursday following a landmark share transaction, while the government raised additional Treasury bill funds and announced reforms across multiple sectors including healthcare and transparency measures.
The Colombo Stock Exchange concluded Thursday's trading session with gains, as the All Share Price Index advanced 0.49 percent to 21,269.67 points. Market activity was bolstered by a historic 9 billion rupee share transaction involving Commercial Credit and Finance, representing the largest book-built trade in CSE history. The sale involved a 28 percent stake held by Group Lease Holdings, a Singaporean company currently in liquidation, and contributed to overall market turnover reaching 12.24 billion rupees—the highest recorded for 2026. Financial stocks led positive momentum, with Commercial Bank of Ceylon and Central Finance Company among significant gainers.
On the government financing front, Sri Lanka's public debt management office sold an additional 14 billion rupees in Treasury bills through tap offerings on Thursday, bringing the week's total bill sales to 154 billion rupees. The three-month, six-month, and twelve-month bills were offered at rates of 9.77 percent, 9.99 percent, and 10.19 percent respectively, responding to market subscription totaling 58.6 billion rupees.
The Deputy Minister of Health announced substantial reforms to the medical sector, addressing longstanding grievances among healthcare professionals. The government is evaluating revisions to doctor allowances, work conditions, and career pathways, while processing a backlog of nearly 2,000 medical graduates awaiting internship placements. Officials confirmed plans to streamline extra duty payments and introduce a new "Mid-Grade" scheme for career progression, with legislative changes expected to reach Parliament shortly.
On transparency matters, the government reaffirmed its commitment to public access for asset declarations of politicians while moving to amend the Anti-Corruption Act. Minister Bimal Rathnayake stated that public representatives' financial disclosures would remain fully accessible, though protective measures would be considered for non-political state officials. This position counters concerns raised by Transparency International Sri Lanka regarding proposed restrictions on disclosure information.
