Author: lbostgadmin
Backward Integration
Apr.05 (LBO) — Cellular operator Mobitel (Pvt) Ltd hopes to double subscriber growth and plans to start test runs for third generation network next month, its chief executive said Wednesday. A fully owned subsidiary of Sri Lanka Telecom, the island’s largest fixed-line operator, Mobitel is on target to complete their US$ 140 to 150 million […]
Oily Row
Apr. 05 (LBO) – India has slapped a countervailing duty of between US$28-32 per metric tonne on vanaspati oil shipments from Sri Lanka, raising the stakes in a trade dispute that has been simmering for several months. -Mel Gunasekera: mel@ Imposed through the recent Indian budget, the levy comes at a crucial time, as both […]
Polls victory to boost Sri Lanka peace hopes: negotiator
Apr.04 (AFP) – Hopes for peace in Sri Lanka have been strengthened by the ruling party’s landslide victory in local polls, the government’s top peace negotiator said Tuesday.Nimal Siripala de Silva said he told Norway’s new peace envoy, Jon Hanssen-Bauer, that last week’s victory had strengthened President Mahinda Rajapakse. His political allies, who resist the […]
‘s Test career ends in pain
KANDY, Apr.04 (AFP) – Former Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya ended his Test career on a painful note on Tuesday when he suffered a thumb injury during the second Test against Pakistan here. Jayasuriya, 36, needed several stitches on his right thumb that was split while catching Pakistani opener Imran Farhat in the gully region […]
Later, Later
Apr.04 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s parliament Tuesday referred laws to safeguard the country from anti dumping and countervailing duties to a select committee for further deliberations. As a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and GATT (General Agreement for Trade & Tariff), Sri Lanka has to enact laws on subsidies and countervailing measures and […]
Little Treat
Apr.04 (LBO) – Sri Lanka Tuesday formalised an US$8.5 million grant on top of an already pledged US$7.0 million by Switzerland towards tsunami rebuilding work, the finance ministry said. The additional funds will be used to build owner driven housing programme in Matara and Trincomalee districts. Todate, a total of 8,617 houses have been rebuilt […]
Switching Gears
Apr.04 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Associated Motorways Ltd said Tuesday that they had invested Rs. 100 million to start a fully owned leasing company. AMW Capital Leasing Ltd was incorporated on February 23, and the firm is awaiting Central Bank’s approval to start business, AMW’s Company Secretary D Kumarasinghe said in a statement. -LBO Newsdesk: […]
Pakistan Tie
Apr.03 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has asked the Pakistan government to start a Colombo-Karachi ferry service and liberalise air services during President Mahinda Rajapakse’s recent state visit to the neighboring country, a senior government minister said. -Jayantha Kovilagodage: jayantha@ “At the moment there are three flights a week to Pakistan from Sri Lanka, and two […]
‘s new envoy launches Sri Lanka peace mission
Apr.03 (AFP) – Norway’s new peace envoy to Sri Lanka began work Monday, discussing how to shore up a fragile ceasefire ahead of meetings with Tamil rebels and the government. -Amal Jayasinghe: win98win@ Jon Hanssen-Bauer, on his first visit to the island, went straight into meetings with experts from think-tanks and development organisations after his […]
Sugar Power
April 03 (LBO) — Pelwatte Sugar has applied to the Ceylon Electricity Board to build a 25MegaWatt power plant fired by sugar cane waste, making it the largest dendro power plant proposed in Sri Lanka up to now.The company submitted the application after a recent cabinet decision raised the limit for buying power from dendro […]
Wired World
Apr. 03 (LBO) – Computer sales in Sri Lanka are forecasted to grow 11 percent by 2011, largely driven by demand from public sector, telecom and financial sectors, an IT study released Monday said. In 2005, sales of new computers rose 11 percent to 102,208 in Sri Lanka, despite risky peace talks and the after […]
Fresh Look
Apr.03 (PTI) – The BBC today announced a re-broadcasting deal with Sri Lanka’s state-run radio and said it was looking for possible joint ventures for Hindi and Urdu service channels in India. Sri Lanka’s SLBC radio will re-broadcast nine hours of BBC programing under the new deal, BBC World Service business development manager Michel Lobelle […]