TAXES ON CIGARETTES HIKED
The Cabinet recently decided to impose a 15 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) on cigarettes, increase the current production tax to Rs. 5, and increase the cess on beedi leaf imports from Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 3,000, to curb smoking in the country
SHORTFALL IN TEA PRODUCTION
With Sri Lankan tea production in August falling by 13 percent compared to last year, from 3.4 million kilogrammes (kg) to 23 million kg, the country is predicted to head for a significant shortfall in tea production by the end of the year
COMPUTER LITERACY RISES
Computer literacy in Sri Lanka has increased from 16.1 percent in 2006/07 to 27.1 percent in 2015, according to a national survey conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics