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‘s mistakes taught Singapore to do different: Lee Kwan Yew
August 31, 2007 (LBO) – The mistakes of Sri Lanka and other newly independent ‘failed states’ made Singapore go in a different direction, its founding prime minister told the International Herald Tribune (IHT) in an interview. Lee Kwan Yew, now minister mentor, said when Singapore broke off from the Malayan Federation it had a hostile […]
Gas Formula
August 31, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s liquid petroleum gas (LPG) prices are to be adjusted every two months on a price formula agreed with the island’s consumer authority, Shell Gas Lanka said. Economic analysts say frequent changes in LP gas prices, which are only used in a third of the households in the country, […]
Sri Lanka August inflation eases to 17.3%
August 31, 2007 (LBO) – Consumer prices in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo eased 0.8 percent in the month August, with the 12-month inflation at 17.3 percent from 17.6 percent a month ago, the government’s statistics office said. The food category of CCPI index registered 5,177.3 points or 15.2 percent lower in August 2006, compared to […]
Sri Lanka needs stronger laws, value addition to develop gem trade
August 31, 2007 (LBO) – Updating laws on gem mining and trade, value addition and better certification methods will help Sri Lanka to develop the country’s gem industry, officials said. Minister of export development and international trade G L Peiris, opening the Facets2007 gem exhibition said the country’s policy structure that addresses the concerns of […]
Sri Lanka rupee trades marginally lower against greenback
August 30, 2007 (LBO) – The Sri Lanka rupee traded at a low of 113.17 against the greenback and closed at 113.12/18 Thursday, a day after it broke the resistance level at 113 rupees, dealers said.The rupee traded at 113.10 yesterday and also closed at 113.12/18 despite mild official intervention through a state name. The […]
Citi Performance
August 30, 2007 (LBO) – Citibank’s Sri Lanka unit net profits zoomed 82 percent in the first half of 2007 driven by hefty foreign exchange gains, interim results released by the bank showed.However the bank’s total loan book grew to 13.5 billion rupees from 9.7 billion and gross assets grew to 27.1 billion from 24.0 […]
Sri Lanka Hilton says multiple revenue streams cushions tourism hit
August 30, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Hilton Hotel is less affected than resort hotels by the drop in tourist numbers since it has multiple revenue streams, officials said. The hotel, which is owned by a Colombo listed company with state-ownership, is operated by the Hilton Hotels Corporation chain that has over 2,800 hotels in […]
Sri Lanka tea growers want to slash acreage, boost yields
August 30, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s tea industry should slash the vast acreages under cultivation by half and improve yields as it was becoming unaffordable to run huge plantations, a top tea plantations company official said Thursday. “No longer can we have huge plantations,” said Dan Seevaratnam, Executive Deputy Chairman of the listed Kahawatte […]
Fast Downlink
August 30, 2007 (LBO) — The US Agency for International Development has teamed up with local and international partners to launch over a dozen of high speed Internet kiosks in far-flung towns outside the city of Colombo, officials said Thursday.The 700,000 dollar project is targeting 15 budding entrepreneurs who are willing to take the risk, […]
Maldives invites bids to build luxury hotel in capital
Aug 30, 2007 (AFP) – The Maldives has invited international investors to bid for the right to construct the tropical nation’s first luxury hotel on the island capital Male, officials said Thursday.Holidaymakers have made Maldives the richest nation in South Asia, with a per capita income of 2,674 dollars.Tourism and fishing account for a large […]