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Sri Lanka coercive salary deduction under fire
Apr 11, 2011 (LBO) – An attempt by Sri Lanka’s state to deduct a two percent from workers’ salaries under to start a ‘pension scheme’ without any prior discussion with the workers themselves has come under heavy fire. The state which already deducts 8 percent from workers salaries for a state managed Employees Provident Fund, […]
Sri Lanka commercial rents rising: property firm
Apr 11, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s commercial rents have risen in 2010 with occupancy levels picking up from a slump in 2009, which saw the end of a 30-year war the owners of a prominent Colombo property has said. Overseas Realty Ceylon Ltd, a unit of Singapore’s S P Tao group said occupancy at […]
Sri Lanka vegetable traders hit by contradictory allegations
Apr 11, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s vegetable traders who are often accused of keeping prices up through a purchasing ‘mafia’ have now been accused of lowering prices through imports, according to a media report. Sri Lanka’s The Sunday Times newspaper said local tomatoes were being sold for prices between 100 to 120 rupees and […]
Banking Ties
Apr 10, 2011 (LBO) – Amana Bank, Sri Lanka’s first licensed commercial bank operating on Islamic banking principles will receive technical support from Bank Islam Malaysia which has taken a 20 percent stake, a media report said. Malaysia is a centre for Islamic finance, where banking is conducted under Sharia law, which prohibits the charging […]
Energy crisis leaves Nepal in the dark
KATHMANDU, April 10, 2011 (AFP) – By the light of a single candle Shankar Prasad Bhandari strains his eyes as he tries to count out the correct change for a customer in his blacked out shop on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Rolling 14-hour power cuts, triggered by a growing energy crisis, mean that much of […]
Rally for Sri Lanka ex-skipper flops
April 9, 2011 (AFP) – A campaign by fans of Sri Lanka’s World Cup-losing skipper Kumar Sangakkara to demand his reinstatement ended in a flop Saturday, with only a handful of supporters turning up. The wicketkeeper-batsman, currently in India to play in the lucrative Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament, has said he has no plans […]
Maldives forex shortages hit airlines: report
Apr 09, 2011 (LBO) – A dollar peg in the Maldives which is coming under pressure from excess domestic money has hit the airline business and also cut the real wages of expatriate workers, a media report said. Minivan News an online publication said Galaxy Enterprises which is the general sales agent for SriLankan Airlines […]
China speaks better English than India: study
NEW DELHI, April 8, 2011 (AFP) – Emerging market giant China has pipped neighbouring rival India in English language proficiency skills, despite the South Asian nation’s strong anglophone tradition, according to a new study. Both countries were given a “low-proficiency” score, with China standing 29th, one place ahead of India in a list of 44 […]
Sri Lanka officials learn WTO services rules from Singapore
Apr 09, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s government officials are learning more about World Trade Organization rules on services from Singapore as the country pushes ahead with becoming a trade and services hub. Experts from Singapore’s Temasek Foundation Centre for Trade and Negotiations (TFCTN) as well as experts from other countries are training Sri Lanka’s […]
Sri Lanka shares end up 0.5-pct
Apr 08, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares closed higher with interest in a new conglomerate and associatd firm and poultry companies although trading volmes were lower than usual in the run-up to a holiday break, brokers said. The stock market will be closed for the latter part of next week owing to the traditional […]