Category: Industry
Lace Curtain
July 22, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is to form a national media policy to regulate content aired on local television channels, President Mahinda Rajapakse said Saturday, during a meeting with heads of local broadcasting stations. Rajapakse said a consultative committee will also be formed on Monday to iron out procedures and regulations that will […]
Back Onboard
July 22, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s main port is limping back to work following government assurance to consider striking workers demand for a pay hike, an official said Saturday. “The unions called off the strike after a government delegation led by the shipping minister agreed to resolve the issue of a salary increment within […]
Going Up
LONDON, July 21, 2006 (AFP) – Oil prices firmed on Friday but remained below recent record peaks as traders paused for breath after a week of volatile trading, dealers said. New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in September, added 10 cents to 74.37 dollars per barrel in electronic deals before the official […]
Former Sri Lanka captain prefers cricket to politics
July 21, 2006 (AFP) – Former Sri Lanka cricket captain Arjuna Ranatunga said on Friday his love for the sport forced him to resign from the post of deputy minister in the government.“I love cricket above everything else and I am what I am today because of the game,” said Ranatunga, who resigned as deputy […]
Better Terms
July 21, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka may still keep its duty free benefits to Europe when an EU trade deal ends in 2008, with the scheme to be extended for a further seven years. Under the Generalised System of Preferences plus (GSP+) scheme, Sri Lanka gets duty free access for exports to the European […]
New Proposals
July 21 (LBO) – The government is planning to amend a controversial levy on imported television programs and commercials, with concessions for English programming, a senior official said. There will be concessionary amendments to the new levy. The proposed amendments have to be approved by President Mahinda Rajapakse, R T L Weerasinghe, Senior Tax Advisor […]
Drifting Away
July 21, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s main export industry is reeling due to the ongoing strike at the Colombo port, amid moves by feeder vessel operators to hike rates to recover losses, officials said Friday. The island’s 2.5 billion dollar clothing industry is unable to meet buyers’ deadlines and is contemplating taking legal action […]
Completely Clueless
July 20, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s media minister Thursday indicated that his ministry has not been consulted before a controversial tax on television stations airing foreign content, was implemented. “It is a decision under the Finance Act. We are just the implementing authority,” minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa told reporters. From July 16, all television […]
Desperate Measures
July 20, 2006 (LBO) – Top multinationals like Unilever have pulled out imported advertising on local television stations, after all foreign commercials were slapped with a one million rupee tax. With effect from July, all broadcasts of foreign television commercials are taxed at one million rupees a year, per ad, per language of broadcast and […]
Countdown
July 20, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka™s treasury secretary is to give a ruling on Friday over the controversial tax slapped on television stations airing English content, following a meeting with broadcasters late Thursday. The tax, which also applies to Hindi language content, largely affects English language viewers who account for around 5-percent of total […]
Mental Block
July 20, 2006 (LBO) – Trade union action at Sri Lanka’s main harbour entered its 10th day Thursday, despite a court ruling to restrain striking workers. The government urged striking union workers belonging to Sri Lanka Ports Authority to resume work despite union allegations that the Colombo District court order issued Wednesday is yet to […]
Ranatunga quits Sri Lanka ministry for cricket administration
July 20, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga resigned as junior minister for tourism on Thursday to devote time to the island nation’s cricket administration.Officials said Ranatunga, 42, sent his letter of resignation to President Mahinda Rajapakse giving up his political office to enter Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the main body […]