Category: Industry
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 […]
Stolen Loot
July 20 (LBO) – The British High Commission Thursday warned Sri Lankans of being duped by lottery scams, especially if asked for money or personal bank details to claim winnings. The British High Commission says it gets letters from many Sri Lankans who have received authentic looking letters claiming they have won prizes in UK […]
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 […]
Fresh trouble in Sri Lanka Cricket as minister delays decision
July 19, 2006 (AFP) – Former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga on Wednesday slammed the sports minister for the delay in naming a committee to oversee the sport in the island nation.Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse had last week, on the request of Ranatunga and other former players, ordered that elections to a deeply divided […]
Long Call
July 19, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s telecom watchdog Wednesday issued notice against two internet service providers for violating license conditions. The regulator said Lanka Global Online (Pvt) Ltd and Pan Lanka Networking (Pvt) Ltd for not filing their audited financial statements for four-years since 2002. Both firms were given 15 days to comply, Telecommunications […]
Phase Out
July 19, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state run transport authority will give private bus owners a financial handout to encourage them to replace run down buses with new ones. The National Transport Commission will give qualified bus owners 96,000 rupees per bus over 12 months little over three percent of the three million rupee […]
Let’s Talk
July 19, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s ports minister Mangala Samaraweera said he was willing to negotiate with striking trade unions if they get back to work on Thursday. “I would like to invite all employees of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority who do not want to sabotage the SLPA (Sri Lanka Ports Authority), to […]
Bitter Prescription
July 18, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is taking a hard look on how to manage subsidising fuel prices amidst a worsening Middle East crisis that is threatening to send oil prices even higher. “Right now the middle east is entering into a sixth day of intensified conflict,” Treasury Secretary P B Jasundera said Tuesday […]
Govt agrees to rationalise lubricant tariffs
July 17 (LBO) – The government has agreed to amend lubricant tariffs, narrowing the gap between lube imports and raw materials like base oil, to spur competition in the sector. New investors will also be allowed to blend lubricants locally, though the small size of the local lube market is widely expected to support just […]