Health Hopes

June 10, 2010 (LBO) – A new hospital in Sri Lanka’s Asiri healthcare group is set to break-even and generate positive cashflows despite overshooting its construction budget by 20 percent, an official said. The Central hospital, which started operations two months ago and cost 5.5 billion to build, is generating enough cash flows to be […]

Education Promises

June 10, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s newly appointed higher education ministry has promised better syllabuses, elimination of ‘ragging’ of freshmen and stronger English language skills to boost the employability of graduates from state universities. Dissanayake who is also a state university graduate and former activist, said the current academic syllabus taught at universities will […]

Steady Steps

June 10, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Citizens Development Business Finance says it has maintained profitability and managed non performing loans last year in a tough operating environment and is now looking to expand. The firm has changed its financial year from December to March and posted revenues of 1.9 billion rupees for the 15 […]

Sri Lankan stocks close 0.71-pct up

June 10, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan stocks closed up Thursday from institutional and high net worth interest on selected high value and midcap shares, while retail investors continued to chase after midcap and ‘penny stocks’, brokers said. The All Share Price Index (ASPI) closed at 4,496. 24, up 31.83 points, while the Milanka index […]

Sri Lanka CB appoints top committee to boost sovereign rating

June 10, 2010 (LBO) – A committee made up of top central bank, finance ministry and private sector representatives had been appointed to develop strategy to push Sri Lanka’s sovereign rating to investment grade, the island’s monetary authority said. The committee is charged with devising a strategy of taking Sri Lanka current speculative B+ (Fitch) […]

IMF warns Asia of spillovers from European crisis

SINGAPORE, June 9, 2010 (AFP) – The IMF warned Asia Wednesday of the potential spillovers of the European debt crisis, saying it could dampen trade, make capital flows volatile and overheat economies in the region. Greece is at the epicentre of a mounting debt crisis that threatens to spread across the eurozone and has pulled […]

Sri Lanka consumer spending rebounds: FMCG firm

June 09, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Hemas group said its fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) division grew revenues at double digit rates in the latest financial year and it re-launched brands as consumer spending rebounded. Sri Lanka had high inflation in 2008. It hit a peak of 28 percent in mid-2009 but fell thereafter. […]

‘s post-war boom accelerates

June 9, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s central bank raised its growth forecast for the year on Wednesday, citing strong post-war expansion in reconstruction and agriculture, particularly in former conflict zones. Cabraal also said the central bank was in the process of evaluating two international banks who have sought to open branches in Sri Lanka. […]

Sri Lanka overwhelm Zimbabwe in series final

HARARE, June 9, 2010 (AFP) – A dominant Sri Lanka came to within a freak run-out of whitewashing Zimbabwe in the final of the Tri-nations tournament at Harare Sports Club here on Wednesday. The Sri Lankans scored a leisurely 203-1 in 34. 4 overs to win with ease in reply to Zimbabwe’s effort of 199 […]

Sri Lanka businesses say Vietnam embassy needed to boost trade

June 09, 2010 (LBO) – Trade and economic links with Vietnam could grow fast if Hanoi sets up an embassy in Colombo to grease official clearances and visas, Sri Lankan businessmen told a visiting Vietnamese minister. The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce formed a Sri Lanka – Vietnam Business Council Tuesday in the presence of visiting […]

Sri Lankan state airline appoints two directors

June 09, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan Airlines had appointed two new directors from private sector firms to its board, and has re-appointed existing directors, the airlines said, with the government on track to buy back a minority stake from Emirates. The airline said it was about to launch a new service to Shanghai, and […]

‘s India visit marred by Tamil protests

NEW DELHI, June 9, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse on Wednesday began his first foreign trip to influential neighbour India since being re-elected, in a visit that has drawn protests from Indian Tamils. Rajapakse, who was re-elected in January on the back of a resounding victory over Tamil separatists that ended a […]

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