Author: lbostgadmin
Sri Lanka mock rescue ends in tragedy
Mar 20 (AFP) – A Sri Lankan airforce officer drowned Monday after falling from a helicopter during a search and rescue exercise, officials said.The man was descending down a cable when it snapped and sent him crashing into the Indian Ocean, a rescuer said adding that the training mission had turned into a real life […]
Sri Lanka puts off vote in troubled regions
Mar 20 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s elections department Monday put off for six months scheduled local government polls in the island’s embattled northern and eastern regions, large areas of which are under the control of Tamil Tiger guerrillas.The vote due on March 30 was postponed till September 30, officials said. They said the decision followed […]
Comfort Letter
Mar. 20 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s telecommunications regulator has upheld two private fixed operators’ claim to import handsets duty free, and blocked the country’s main investment body’s move to tax the instruments, a top official said. Last month, Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI) slapped a 33 percent import duty on Code Division Multiple […]
Legal Boost
Mar. 20 (LBO) — The modernisation of the main piece of legislation that governs the incorporation and running of Sri Lankan companies would substantially boost capital market activities, corporation law experts have said A draft bill to replace Sri Lanka’s antiquated Companies Act, which has been 13 years in the making, is due to be […]
New Dentures
Mar. 20 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s parliament on Tuesday will take up key laws governing the financial sector, giving effect to proposal presented in the 2006 budget. The Inland Revenue Bill, Finance Bill, Economic Service Charge Bill, Stamp Duty (special provisions) Bill, Monetary Law (Amendment), Banking (Amendment), VAT (Amendment) and Betting & Gaming Levy are […]
Dollar Gush
Mar. 20 (LBO) – Non-governmental organisations operating in Sri Lanka’s tsunami-hit regions has received Rs40.1 billion (US$400 million) in aid for reconstruction work last year, the Central Bank said Monday. According to a bank survey, which tracked 256 non-governmental organisations or NGO’s, 79 percent of the funds received had already been withdrawn. Bulk of the […]
Home Bound
Mar 20 (AFP) – More than 100 US troops who were stranded in Sri Lanka after their aircraft made an emergency landing last week left the island Monday aboard a chartered plane, airport officials said. A Boeing 757-200 aircraft carrying 119 troops and crew was diverted to Colombo’s Bandaranaike International airport on Thursday while travelling […]
Not all negative on growth prospects for 2006
Mar. 19 (LBO) – Out of more than 1200 readers who responded to an online poll on LBO (33.57 percent) has said Sri Lanka would not achieve 8 percent growth in 2006, while one-sixth (16.98 percent) said the country would never reach 8 percent economic growth. The definite nay sayers totaled 50.55 percent. Meanwhile another […]
‘s a curse
Mar. 19 (LBO) – A prominent parliamentarian representing the minority Tamil community had branded a controversial government decision to tax television programs imported for the entertainment of minority communities as discriminatory.“It is absurd and discriminatory,” said N Raviraj member for the Jaffna district representing the Tamil National Alliance. The government has decided to charge a […]
Tick Tock
Mar 18 (LBO) – Energy consultant Thilak Siyambalapitiya joins in the lively debate on the link between electricity usage and Sri Lanka’s decision to turn back the clock after ten-years. Hence the reasons to retain the present timing at GMT+6 are very strong indeed. There is absolutely no truth in the reported claim that school […]
Norway names Middle East expert to head Sri Lanka peace process
Mar. 17 (LBO) – Peace broker Norway Friday named a Middle East expert as Sri Lanka’s new special envoy amid fears that the government and the Tamil Tiger rebels may skip the second round of talks next month. Jon Hanssen-Bauer, 53, replaces Erik Solhem and will be responsible for day-to-day contact with the Colombo based […]
Brand Bible
Mar. 17 (LBO) — Sri Lanka’s top brands, from tea to popular ayurvedic balms could get a listing in a global catalogue of super-brands, by September this year.A global body set up to recognise brands, Superbrands is in over 50 countries, giving selected companies a host of promotional benefits. About 600 local and international brands […]