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Sri Lanka tourist arrivals up 67-pct in April
May 12, 2011 (LBO) – Tourist arrivals into Sri Lanka rose 66. 7 percent to 63,835 in April 2011 from a year ago with sharp increases in visitors from south Asia and the traditional Western European markets. Total arrivals were up 40.4 percent to 278,959 in the four months to April, data from the tourist […]
Mobile Numbers
May 12, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lankan mobile phone operator Dialog Axiata group said March 2011 net profit rose 64 percent to 1.2 billion rupees from a year ago with subscribers growing and lower losses from TV and broadband units. The profit was slightly lower than the 1.3 billion rupee net profit made in the […]
Australia and India launch free trade talks
SYDNEY, May 12, 2011 (AFP) – Australia and India launched talks Thursday on establishing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) aimed at greater economic integration between the two countries. Negotiations took place between Australian Trade Minister Craig Emerson and his Indian counterpart Anand Sharma with the focus on broadening the base of merchandise trade and removing […]
Sri Lanka fabric maker makes US$7mn annual loss
May 12, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lankan fabric maker Hayleys MGT Knitting Mills made a loss of seven million US dollars in the financial year ended March 2011 following provisioning after an audit inquiry into a fraud. Annual sales rose 17 percent to 58 million US dollars,according to interim results filed with the stock exchange […]
Sri Lanka launches own T20 league
May 12, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s cricket board on Thursday announced its own glitzy Twenty20 tournament, seeking to emulate the success of the hugely popular Indian Premier League. The first edition of the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) will be played over 18 days from July 19 and will feature teams from the island’s […]
Sri Lanka govt expands overstaffed public service
May 12, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s government has created a new service within an already bloated public service to give jobs to 15,000 unemployed graduates and another 15,000 youth, a statement said. The Cabinet of ministers has approved a proposal to establish a ‘Sri Lanka Development Officers’ Service’ and a ‘Sri Lanka Development Assistants’ […]
Sri Lanka Treasuries yields steady
May 11, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Treasuries yields were steady at Wednesday’s auction with the government rolling over 8. 8 billion rupees worth maturing bills, according to data released by the government’s debt office. The 3-month yield edged up 01 basis point to 7. 06 percent, the 6-month yield rose 01 basis point to […]
Sri Lanka stocks close down 0.8-pct
May 11, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lankan stocks slumped Wednesday with losses seen in several index-heavy stocks, brokers said. The main All Share Price Index closed at 7,280. 66, down 0.80 percent (58.99 points) while the more liquid Milanka index fell 0.27 percent (18.33 points) to close at 6,722.49, according to stock exchange provisional figures. […]
Auto Trends
May 11, 2011 (LBO) – KIA Motors of South Korea plans to begin selling small cars in Sri Lanka by July 2011 following the introduction of its KIA Optima car in the island, an official said. KIA Optima cars with 2.0 litre petrol engines will begin arriving by September and will be sold at an […]
Shipping Costs
May 11, 2011 (LBO) – Hong Kong-based Orient Overseas Container Line has become the latest container shipping line to announce a freight rate hike in what carriers call ‘rate restoration’ programmes. OOCL has told shippers it is raising rates on Asia-Europe trade lanes as present rates were not sustainable. “The ocean freight rate for Asia […]
Fresh Capital
May 11, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Hatton National Bank has changed plans to raise fresh capital by dropping a private placement and increasing a rights issue for existing shareholders, a stock exchange filing said. The amount of funds to be raised, to strengthen its capital and balance sheet and to support growth, has been […]
Sri Lanka Three Acre March net up despite price cuts
May 11, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Three Acre Farms said March 2011 quarter group net profit was 41 million rupees compared with just half-a-million rupees the year before although excess stocks forced it to cut prices. But there have been excess stocks in recent months after the government allowed chicken imports in the run […]