All Blogs
Rolling Dice
The government has shelved plans to privatise the state owned Development Lotteries Board following opposition from President Chandrika Kumaratunga.ldblquote The privatisation process has been put off, instead we are hoping to re-organise Development Lotteries Board by introducing innovative products to popularise lotteries in Sri Lanka, dblquote Chairman, J K Fernando told journalists on Monday.rn rnHowever, […]
MICE Map
SriLankan Airlines launched their first MICE Travel brochure today, tapping into a niche market of lquote meetings, exhibitions and conference travellers. Driven by the belief that Sri Lanka can offer much more than the sun, surf and sand, hard driven efforts have been underway by the industry to tap into high-spending corporate tourists rn rnThe […]
Oversubscribed
The governments inaugural 10-year bond issue to one billion rupees was oversubscribed by nearly eight times on Friday.The bonds carry an annual coupon of eight and a half percent and a nine percent yield.rn rnHowever, at Fridays close, 5-year bonds were trading at 9.8 percent on the secondary market.rn rnDealers expect yields to slip further […]
Runaway Runway
The government is reconsidering its plans to build a second runway at the Katunayake international airport.The proposal ran into trouble due to heavy protests by residents who would loose their homes in land acquisitions for the new runway.rn rnPlans for the second runway at the countries only international airport were drafted to make the country […]
Fine Tuning
A team from the IMF is expected soon to start final negotiations on a structural adjustment loan expected by March this year.The International Monetary Fund team will arrive on January 20, to negotiate the final terms of a long-term loan.The IMF board could approve the loan in March if the terms are finalized during the […]
Conglomerates: reason d etre
Conglomerates around the world have been favorites with investors as long-term investments. A recent worldwide study found that of the top 35 companies that delivered the most shareholder value 20 were conglomerates.rnEven locally, a few dominant business groups have played a key role in the development of the economy.rnThis week we take a look at […]
Risky Business
Government announced plans to launch unemployment insurance as key labour legislation went through parliament recently.The safety or dole would be initially paid to employees who are displaced.rnDisplaced employees would also be able to access an employment database run together with the private sector.rnOfficials say the Jobs database and dole would eventually cover all unemployed individuals […]
Evaluating Reforms
Government projects are not always evaluated, and when they are the evaluations are not taken seriously.As a result failures are unaccounted for and future approaches unaltered. A national policy for evaluation of programs and organizations is expected to help. rn rnldblquote First of all a national Policy on Evaluation has to be done. A clear […]
Borrowing Cheap
The governments inaugural 10-year bond issue to raise Rs. 1 bn was oversubscribed by nearly eight times on Friday.The issue carries an annual 8.5 percent coupon, as opposed to the quarterly and half-yearly coupons offered on present treasury bonds.rn rnThe Central Bank said it accepted Rs. 1 bn worth of bids at a 9 percent […]
Holiday Travel
Three firms including Singapore based SBS Transit has shown interest to buy up a stake in the remaining seven state bus companies. The deadline to submit proposals for a 39% stake in the bus companies has also been put off to January 16, an extension by the Public Enterprises Reform Commission (PERC) to factor in […]
