Sri Lanka rice import barrier too high: consumer minister

Mar 13, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is expected to re-erect an import barrier soon to keep cheaper rice out of the reach of the island’s consumers, but the country’s 25 rupee a kilo duty is too high, consumer affairs minister Bandula Gunewardene said. “I personally think the duty of 25 rupees on a kilo […]

Sri Lanka lifts taxes on gold imports

Mar 13, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has lifted taxes and levies on gold imports from to promote jewellery industries in the country, the central bank said. “The removal of all applicable import taxes and other levies on gold imports will reduce the gold prices in the market and contribute to promote gold and jewellery […]

Sri Lanka stocks close 0.33-pct up, Hotel Services heavy traded

Mar 12, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan stocks closed up Friday as investors bought selected blue chip and midcap shares, while the sale of a controlling stake in Hotel Services pushed turnover past 2.8 billion rupees, brokers said. The All Share Price Index closed at 3,844.84, up 12.54 points, while the Milanka index of more […]

Gas Supply

Mar 12, 2010 (LBO) – The Sri Lanka Ports Authority is in talks with suppliers of liquid petroleum gas to introduce a third player in the local market once a storage terminal is built in a new port, an official said. SLPA chairman Priyath Wickrama said the LPG storage terminal would come up in the […]

Sri Lanka Hayleys buys 51-pct stake in Hotel Ceylon Continental

Mar 12, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Hayleys group said it bought a 51 percent stake in Ceylon Continental Hotel Friday for 1. 8 billion rupees. Hayleys said in a stock exchange filing that under stock market rules it has to make a mandatory offer to other shareholders of Hotel Services. Updated The stake was […]

Sri Lanka Hotel Services shares traded heavily

Mar 12, 2010 (LBO) – Large parcels of Hotel Services (Ceylon), owners of Hotel Ceylon Continental, changed hands in early trade on the Colombo bourse Friday amid speculation its owner businessman Nahil Wijesuriya was selling out. The trades pushed turnover on the bourse to over two billion rupees by mid-morning, brokers said. The indices also […]

Sri Lanka tea prices rise, crops fall

Mar 12, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan tea prices rose at this week’s auction as quality improved and crops coming down owing to drought, brokers said. Prices of some varieties of ‘Western high grown’ teas cultivated on the Western slopes of the central hills rose by 15 rupees a kilo and more following quality, brokers […]

Sri Lankan Airlines to expand routes, frequencies

Mar 12, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan Airlines plans to add more destinations and increase frequencies on existing routes as it expands and the island’s tourist trade revives with the end of a war, senior officials said. “Now we’ve managed to reduce losses. There’s a gradual rise towards profitability. ” The island’s national carrier also […]

Sri Lanka budget airline says no longer making losses

Mar 12, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state-owned budget airline, Mihin Lanka, whose losses have been subsidized by government, said it has begun making monthly profits after breaking even last August. However, the controversial airline, which stopped operating in 2008 after losing over three billion rupees and leaving bad loans at two state banks and […]

Sri Lanka abused human rights: US report

WASHINGTON, March 11, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lanka violated human rights last year as it dealt a final blow to Tamil Tiger insurgents and clamped down on media freedom, the US State Department said Thursday. But the State Department also reported some improvements. It said that the number of disappearances went down with the end […]

Page 2319 of 4079