All Blogs
Sri Lanka tourist arrivals up 7.0-pct in Oct
Nov 10, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s October tourist arrivals grew 7.0 percent to 37,575 from a year earlier, but were slightly lower than the September figure of 37,983, data from the tourist promotion office showed. Meanwhile the state has also mandated minimum prices for Colombo’s five star rated hotels, and at least one hotel […]
Sri Lanka hotels score at World Travel Awards
Nov 10, 2009 (LBO) – A top Sri Lankan hotel group and several hotels won recognition at the World Travel Awards 2009 in London based on votes by travel agents worldwide. The Taj Samudra Colombo was named Sri Lanka’s leading hotel and another group hotel, Taj Exotica in southern Bentota was named Sri Lanka’s leading […]
Sri Lanka agri-firm eyes north-east investments
Nov 10, 2009 (LBO) – Coco Lanka, a Sri Lankan agri-business firm, said it is eyeing investment opportunities in the former northern and eastern war zones. The company said in a stock exchange filing that group net profit in the September 2009 quarter rose six percent to 66.5 million rupees from a year ago while […]
Sri Lanka agri-business call for easier land access
Nov 10, 2009 (LBO) – A top Sri Lankan farming firm has called for easier access to land for commercial agriculture in the quest to transform subsistence farmers into viable agri-businesses. Samantha Ranatunga, chief executive of the listed Chemical Industries (Colombo), said improvements in the legal, regulatory and policy environment were needed to promote private […]
New Window
Nov 10, 2009 (LBO) – Microsoft launched its latest operating system (OS), Windows 7, in Sri Lanka promising easier use with more functions. “The new OS provides users with an experience that is above and beyond anything they have used before,” Ken Wye Saw, Vice-President, Microsoft Asia Pacific said at the launch. “The product is […]
No link between global warming and melting glaciers: India
NEW DELHI, November 10, 2009 (AFP) – India’s environment minister said there was no scientific proof to support the idea that the melting of Himalayan glaciers was being caused by global warming, reports said Tuesday.“There is no conclusive scientific evidence to link global warming and Himalayan glaciers,” business daily Live Mint quoted Environment Minister Jairam […]
Waste disposal in Sri Lanka: User fees or kappam?
Nov 10, 2009 (LBO) – In the bad old days, when Sri Lanka Telecom/Department of Telecommunications was the sole supplier/regulator/policy maker, one had to make payments up and down the system to get a phone and then to keep the phone working. Some major companies in Colombo, who could not afford to be disconnected, put […]
Sri Lanka trade unions reject government pay hike
Nov 10, 2009 (LBO) – Labour unions in several key state-owned utilities have rejected a government offer of a pay hike and said they would start a ‘work-to-rule’ from Wednesday that could slowdown economic activity. The joint trade unions of state refiner, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), National Water Board, Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and port […]
Sri Lanka at “moderate risk” of external debt distress: IMF
Nov 10, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has a “moderate risk” of external debt distress over the 2009-14 period, an International Monetary Fund staff analysis has said. “All debt indicators are projected to remain below indicative thresholds under the program baseline scenario,” the IMF said. “This conclusion rests heavily on the satisfactory implementation of the […]
Sri Lanka agriculture, fishing revive in former war zone
Nov 10, 2009 (LBO) – Farmers and fishermen have been among the main borrowers under a Sri Lankan government loan scheme to revive economic activity in the former northern war zone, the Central Bank said. It said in a statement that a total of 1,875 loans valued at 264 million rupees has been disbursed under […]