Sri Lanka detains asylum seekers expelled by Britain

September 29, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s police detained 50 failed asylum seekers flown back to the country Thursday after being expelled from Britain, police said. Eight women and 42 men — mostly ethnic minority Tamils– were deported by Britain’s Border Agency, which chartered an aircraft to return them home after they failed in a […]

Sri Lanka had BOP surplus by end July: Central Bank

Sept 29, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka had recorded a balance of payments surplus of 1,006 million US dollars by July 2011, with official foreign reserves climbing to 8,099 million US dollars, the Central Bank said. Foreign inflows to the state, including a billion dollar sovereign bond was 2,754 million US dollars and foreign direct […]

Sri Lanka to close prisons for commercial development

Sept 29, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will shift several prisons in prime city centres including the capital Colombo to make way for commercial development, minister Keheliya Rambukwelle said. Matara and Galle prisons will be shifted to Pitabeddara in the Matara district. The cabinet of ministers had approved a proposal by the prison reforms ministry […]

”: New York mayor

NEW YORK, September 28, 2011 (AFP) – Visa policies that keep skilled workers from settling in the United States amount to “national suicide,” New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Wednesday. “These businesses will hire American workers, and immigrants are more than twice as likely as those born in America to start a new company,” he […]

Sri Lanka bill yields steady

Sept 28, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Treasury bill yields edged up one basis points across maturities with the 3-month yield moving to 7. 15 percent, data from the state debt office showed. The 6-month yield moved one basis points to 7. 23 percent and the 12-month yield moved to 7. 31 percent. The debt […]

Sri Lanka stocks end down 0.4-pct

Sept 28, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lankan stocks closed weaker Wednesday after being stagnant for two days on rather thin turnover, brokers said. The main All Share Price Index fell 0.40 percent (27.01 points) to 6,710.67, while the more liquid Milanka index fell 0.47 percent (28.21 points) to close below the 5,000 mark at 5,999.28, […]

Vehicle Strategy

Sept 28, 2011 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan agency for South Korea’s KIA Motors is to set up three more service stations within the Colombo metropolitan region and then go outside the capital as sales soar. KIA Motors (Lanka) has said it is to invest about a billion rupees in the next three years to […]

Finance Offer

Sept 28, 2011 (LBO) – An initial public offer by Sri Lanka’s Trade Finance and Investments Limited (TIFL) was over-subscribed on the opening day Wednesday. Corporate Services (Pvt.) Ltd, registrars to the offer, told the Colombo Stock Exchange that the IPO would be closed at 4. 30 p.m. Wednesday. Trade Finance and Investments offered six […]

Sri Lanka promises quick electronic entry nod

Sept 28, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s new electronic travel authorization system will approve applications within 24 hours but most applications will be approved in a much shorter time, immigration officials said. The portal www.eta.gov.lk will be opened on September 30 and the new process will be applied after a “reasonable time”, Sri Lanka’s immigration […]

Sri Lanka leisure group rebrands hotels, raises rates

Sept 28, 2011 (LBO) – John Keells group has revamped and rebranded two hotels on Sri Lanka’s south coast, sharply raising rates as it lures tourists with leopard and whale watching tours. The group spent about 15.5 million US dollars in revamping the Chaaya Tranz Hikkaduwa beach hotel and the Chaaya Wild Yala game lodge, […]

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