Category: Industry
Tourists travel cautiously May arrivals show slow growth
June 20, 2006 (LBO) – Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka showed slow growth in May as local violence grows and travel from some European and South Asian markets slide. Arrivals were up about 7.2 percent in May to 43,824 travellers over the same month last year, with top generating markets India and the United Kingdom […]
Joint Force
FRANKFURT, June 19, 2006 (AFP) – Finnish telecommunications giant Nokia and German rival Siemens said Monday they would merge their telecoms equipment and network activities in an attempt to close the gap on market leader Ericsson. Nokia and Siemens said in a joint statement they planned to set up a 50-50 joint venture, to be […]
Outback PC
June 19 (LBO) – Intel Corp together with Sri Lanka’s ICT Agency will soon pilot a rugged alternative to the conventional PC for rural areas, running on a car battery if electricity goes out. The dust resistant, low power demand Intel model called a ˜Community PC’, developed and just rolled out in India, could find […]
’s tourist board chief prevented from leaving the country
June 19, 2006 (LBO) – The chairman of the Sri Lanka’s tourist board was prevented from leaving the country at the Bandaranaike International Airport early Monday morning, an official said. Immigration officials had stopped Udaya Nanayakkara from leaving Sri Lanka on a complaint from the Bribery Commission, Controller of Immigration P B Abeykoon said. Nanayakkara […]
Media blitz against child sex tourism in Sri Lanka
COLOMBO, June 19, 2006 (AFP) – The United Nations agency for children Monday announced the launch of a media campaign to discourage the sexual exploitation of Sri Lankan children by tourists.“A child who is a victim of sexual abuse may suffer serious, lifelong or even life-threatening consequences,” said UNICEF senior programme coordinator Yasmin Ali Haque.UNICEF […]
Fuel Buddies
June 19, 2006 (LBO) – Clubbing with big brother Emirates Airlines to get bulk fuel discounts and hedging oil prices on future markets has helped SriLankan Airlines to shave 11 million dollars of its energy bill, its Chief Executive said. Emirates, the largest Arab carrier that owns 43.6 percent of SriLankan, is also lending a […]
Sri Lanka’s tourist board chief prevented from leaving the country
June 19, 2006 (LBO) – The chairman of the Sri Lanka’s tourist board was prevented from leaving the country at the Bandaranaike International Airport early Monday morning, an official said. Immigration officials had stopped Udaya Nanayakkara from leaving Sri Lanka on a complaint from the Bribery Commission, Controller of Immigration P B Abeykoon said. Nanayakkara […]
Burning Low
June 18, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lankans have been urged to crawl under the sheets early, turn up the heat on air-conditioners and give up late night football to save energy¦..or not. But despite the best laid plans, “what people really respond to is price”, Siyambalapitiya says, over any real goodwill to dim the lights […]
Taxing Problem
June 18, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s financial sector has been a favorite target of fiscal authorities during the past few years. In addition to an increase in the income tax rate, the sector also has a debit tax on cheque transactions, a turnover tax on credit cards, and another income tax based tax called […]
Calling Cabbies
June 16, 2006 (LBO) — Sri Lanka has structured a call option instrument, which allows investors to bid for nine taxi service licenses to be auctioned on the Colombo Stock Exchange, officials said.Bidding, which runs for nine days, is due to open on August 14 and investors have to put up a 25 million rupee […]
Lets Chat
June 15, 2006 (LBO) – India has called for a meeting with Sri Lankan vanaspati producers on Friday to iron out issues, in the latest saga that has brought trade relations between both nations to a boiling point. Sri Lanka™s shipments of vanasapati an edible oil mainly used for cooking purposes came to a standstill […]
Luxury Fleet
June 15, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka Thursday sought interest from investors to bid for nine licenses to operator taxi services in the country, an official said. Those interested have been given two months to register and pick up a copy of the information memorandum. Starting August 14, the licenses will be issued via a […]