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Maritime Thrust
Mar 13, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Hemas group wants to expand into ships and port operations after its entry to the sector by starting a shipping agency and capitalize on the island’s position on major sea lanes, an official said. . “The group as a policy has decided to invest in the maritime sector,” […]
Premium Rules
March 13, 2008 (LBO) – General insurance premiums must be settled within 60 days so that the insured have the ability to claim and for insurers to avoid solvency difficulties, Sri Lankan insurance companies and the regulator said. They said the regulator, the Insurance Board of Sri Lanka (IBSL), has instructed insurance firms to attach […]
Sri Lanka to raise power tariffs from March 15
Mar 13, 2008 (LBO) — Sri Lanka would raise power tariffs from March 15 by slapping a 30 percent fuel recovery charge on most users and taking away subsidies now given to industries and religious institutions, a senior minister said.“This government is already giving a fertilizer subsidy to farmers and building infrastructure, so we cannot […]
Sri Lankan graphite miner increases profit with powder exports
March 13, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan graphite miner Bogala Graphite Lanka said its net profit for 2007 was boosted 51 percent to 34.5 million rupees from the year before w by a new plant making high value powders. The plant can produce 29 grades of ‘classified graphite powders’ for export to end-users in the […]
European Carlyle investment fund to be liquidated
NEW YORK, March 13, 2008 (AFP) – Dutch-listed investment fund Carlyle Capital Corporation announced Thursday it had failed to reach a deal with its creditors and had defaulted on debt of nearly 17 billion dollars (11 billion euros).Share-trading in the troubled fund, linked to private equity giant Carlyle Group, was suspended in Amsterdam Friday, resumed […]
Dollar hits 12-year low vs yen, euro sets new record
TOKYO, March 13, 2008 (AFP) – The dollar slumped to a 12-year low against the yen and to a new all-time nadir versus the euro in Asian trade Thursday as traders bet on a hefty cut to US interest rates next week, dealers said. It is “only a matter of time before the dollar tests […]
Oil prices burst record 110 dollars as Fed printing weakens dollar
NEW YORK, March 12, 2008 (AFP) – Rocketing oil prices broke through 110 dollars per barrel for the first time in New York on Wednesday continuing a record run amid supply concerns and fevered market speculation.OPEC is under intense pressure from the United States to increase its production but declined to do so again as […]
”’ in global credit crisis
WASHINGTON, March 12, 2008 (AFP) – The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday warned authorities worldwide to “think the unthinkable” in planning to cope with a mounting crisis in the global financial system.John Lipsky, IMF first deputy managing director, called for “decisive policy action” amid a credit crunch that stems from the US real estate meltdown […]
No Hike
March 13, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s petroleum utility will not raise retail fuel prices at least until the traditional April Sinhala and Hindu New Year festival, despite record crude oil prices, petroleum minister A H M Fowzie said. The state-owned petroleum utility Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) will use profits from overcharging hapless petrol uses […]
Sri Lanka sells bills over auction offer; rates steady
Mar 12, 2008 (LBO) — Sri Lanka sold 10.8 billion rupees of Treasury bills at an auction Wednesday without moving rates up, the government’s debt office data showed, but it was later offering more bills at average rates, dealers said.However, analysts say in the past excess liquidity had been inflationary in Sri Lanka due to […]