All Blogs
Aye for an eye
Government is planning to set up powerful Parliamentary committees to act as watchdogs on State institutions.The special committees will include committees to keep an eye on the management of State revenue, public management and economic development activities.rn rnSeveral standing orders will be issued shortly to form these committees.rnCabinet spokesman, G L Pieiris said that 14 […]
See-Me-there
The telecom watchdog has given the go ahead to licensed international voice and data operators to access the SEA-MEendash WE 3 submarine cable.Only Sri Lanka Telecom had access and control of the cable, which provides high bandwidth connectivity, as they were the only operator at the time to invest in a landing station.rn rnTelecommunication Regulatory […]
Holiday Tax
A one percent levy on turnover will be charged on all Tourist Board licensed institutions, under the new Finance Bill, passed Thursday. The tax will cover about 1000 licensed institutions under the Tourist Board Development Act and will be enforceable from September this year.rn rnAn initial Rs. 7.5 mn is to be raised, Tourist Board […]
Trade Net
Potential Euro-Sri Lankan business partners in the plastics and rubber sector will be linked up via a joint trade database floated today.rn Launched by the European Chamber, this will serve as a data source on rubber and plastic companies, product profiles, areas for joint ventures and technical assistance.rn rnThe database (www.eccsl.com) would be the starting […]
Outright sales
Central Bank may start outright sales of government securities as early as next week with rising foreign inflows boosting the countrys money supply.rnrnldblquote We have not made a final decision but we may hold the first auction next week, dblquote says Dr. D. S. Wijesinghe, Head of Central Banks Domestic Operations.rn rnThis indicates a slight […]
Looking Glass
Government plans to set up 14 Oversight Committees to look over key state functions is on track, with proposals going to parliament in a few weeks. ldblquote The proposals for the oversight committees are now ready and will be presented in parliament in the coming weeks dblquote , Enterprise Development Minister G.L Peiris said Thursday.rn […]
No Vacancy
HNB senior officials told Lanka Business Online that the Bank could consider rescheduling the loan if the owners put up a minimum 50 per cent of the outstanding amount before the auction.rn rnMarawila Resorts Directors told shareholders on Tuesday that they were in negotiations with HNB to find an amicable solution.rn rnHowever, HNB officials claim […]
Extension Cord
Continued lobbying from the telecom industry has now opened up access to undersea cable bandwidth. Direct access to the SEA ME WE (Cable connecting South East Asia, the Middle East and Western Europe) submarine cable facility will cut bandwidth cost by an estimated 50% for telecom operators, say industry sources.rn rnAccess to capacity in the […]
Redial
The telecom watchdog on Wednesday published a set of rules that will govern the short code auction scheduled for an August date. The online auction previously set for mid May was abandoned due to the lack of interconnection between operators.rn rnHowever, policy makers are due to meet next week to resolve the remaining issues holding […]
Priority Plan
The need for a clear port development plan was stressed by the ADB when it approved a US$ 150,000 technical assistance grant on Tuesday to prepare a master plan for the port sector to guide policy formulation and infrastructure investment. The plan is expected to define priorities in developing regional ports and map out capacity […]