Author: lbostgadmin
Hold On
Political power play has put in the balance plans by HSBC to set up a huge call center in the country.The banking giant was planning to set up a call center and a back office operation in the country and was seeking government cooperation for minor adjustments to the Labor Laws to facilitate the investments.rn […]
Restart? Retry? Abort?
The IT industry is slowly recovering. And so is demand for IT pros. But the job market for IT professionals has also gone through some rapid changes with private universities churning out hundreds of graduates. A shortage of skilled professionals is no longer a problem for the industry, which has now become very picky, on […]
Cease Lease
Attempts through the budget to force leasing companies to pay tax could make leasing unattractive and uncompetitive according to the industry.Government in its budget 2004 announced that leased assets would be taxed at their market value when being transferred to the lessee or the party obtaining the lease.rn rnLeasing industry says taxing transfers will result […]
Please Give
The government is hoping to persuade BOI firms to submit to the proposed Economic Service Charge.Finance Minister K N Choksy says the agreements with BOI firms and International Investor Protection Agreements, that the government is signatory to, prevented the state from slapping such levies against their will.rn rnFinance Minister however says they should pay the […]
‘s Talking?
The main opposition Peoples Alliance is geared for Act Two of the ongoing political drama, with the President on Thursday setting a mid December deadline for political haggling with the Prime Minister to end.President Chandrika Kumaratunga set this deadline, while addressing a cross section of the business community late Thursday.rn rnA memorandum of understanding between […]
Hidden Costs
World Bank is likely to chip in and help the government foot the hefty early retirement bill to off load around 300,000 public servants. rnrnrnrnrnrnrnNew Page 1rnrnrnrnrn Talks on negotiating the wish list under thernfourth tranche of the World Banks Poverty Reduction Support Programme, is duernto start next year. Part of the hefty VRS package […]
Slithering Down
Sri Lanka Telecom reported a 26 percent dip in net profits for the first nine months, due to an early retirement scheme, higher operating costs and losses from its cellular subsidiary.The monopoly telecom giant said Friday that net profits fell to Rs.1.788 bn from Rs. 2.425 bn reported during the corresponding period 2002.rn rnRevenues during […]
No Sacred Cow
The UNF administration looks set go ahead with the tax on share trading profits, with the same determination, it is implementing unpopular reforms against less privileged classes in the country.Pampered equity investors who have been protected from taxation for more than two decades howled in protest at the 15 percent tax proposed by Finance K […]
Out Of Focus
The Treasury is taking a second look at budget proposal to slap a new tax on equity trading, following howling protest by market players.rnrnrnrnrnrnProposals like a tax on mobile phones and Economic Service Chargernrnrnrnrn Proposals like a tax onrnmobile phones and Economic Service Charge (ESC), have also grabbed policymakersrnattention for some tinkering before they come […]
Is It A Mirage?
The UNF government is prepared to forget the past and offer a greater role for the opposition in the current peace talks, if a consensus can be developed on the peace process and the economy, Minister G L Pieris says.ldblquote The government wishes very strongly to put the strains and tensions, that have characterised the […]
Travel Charger
Collection problems could bog down state plans to charge a Rs. 300 annual levy on mobile handsets as planned from next January, which works out to less than 85 cents a day.The new charge, meant to compensate the government for Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue lost due to smuggled cellular handsets entering the market, will […]
Soaring Eagle
Eagle Insurance says its net profits have soared 55 percent for the first nine months of this year, despite stiff competition in the local arena.Group net profits for the period under review touched Rs. 145 mn, as against Rs. 94 mn reported during the same period 2002.rn rnThe bulls come back to the bourse, prudent […]