Category: Industry
Battle Lines
June 05 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will fight new Indian restrictions on duty free vanaspati exports, ahead of another round of Indo-Lanka trade talks at the end of June. Duty free exports of Vanaspati a hydrogenated vegetable oil, has been a sore point in Indo-Sri Lanka trade relations, with Sri Lanka accused of flooding Indian […]
Mouse Trail
PARIS, June 5, 2006 (AFP) – Nearly one out of two airline tickets issued to travellers is currently in electronic form and paper tickets are on track to disappear completely by 2007, International Air Transport Association (IATA) said Monday.The association, which represents 265 airlines accounting for 94 percent of international air traffic, indicated that it […]
Quick Thinking
June 3, 2006 (AFP) – A Thai airways flight from Colombo to Bangkok made an emergency landing Saturday at Sri Lanka’s only international airport shortly after take-off, airport officials said.The Airbus A-330 aircraft carrying over 225 passengers and crew reported engine trouble and returned to the airport after being in the air for a few […]
No Bribes
June 02 (LBO) – A government help line linked up to 20 key state departments is to be rolled out soon, to offer general public information from getting birth certificates to a driving license. The Government Information Centre (GIC), accessed by dialing 1919 from anywhere in the island, is still in beta testing stages and […]
Package Deal
Jun 01 (LBO) – The government has approved a restructuring plan for loss making Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), which includes re-scheduling 60 billion rupees of its long term debt. Top officials said Thursday that 50 percent of the debt will be off-loaded to the Treasury, with CEB taking over repayment once the Norachcholai coal plant […]
De Mel to take charge of Sri Lanka one-day selection
LONDON, June 1, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s chairman of selectors, Asantha de Mel is to take charge of selection for the one-day series with England later this month when he arrives for the five-match limited overs campaign. De Mel was widely regarded as having played a key role in former captain Sanath Jayasuriya’s decision […]
Winning Bets
June 1, 2006 (LBO) – John Keells Holdings Ltd., Sri Lanka’s second-largest quoted company, had a 34 percent rise in its full-year profit as gains from transport and property countered losses in tourism. Revenue rose 27 percent to 29.3 billion rupees, while net profits surged 34 percent to 3.05 billion rupees for the financial year […]
Petroleum Politics
May 31, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Energy Minister has set the stage to take back Ceylon Petroleum Corporation assets, currently vested with the Treasury. Officials from CPC will sit down with their treasury counterparts this week to push for another fuel hike to keep up with runaway world crude oil prices. Fowzie says CPC […]
Muralitharan told to carry on
NOTTINGHAM, May 31, 2006 (AFP) – Muttiah Muralitharan has been told to keep his remarkable career going for as long as possible by Sri Lanka team-mate Michael Vandort. Off-spin great Muralitharan has said in the build-up to this week’s third Test that he is determined to “go out in England on a high”, suggesting that […]
Work Anyone?
May 31, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lankans make model workers, a local study shows, with most happy in their jobs, with their pay and are content to stay there. Their grouse, if at all, is sick leave. But though employees were happy with their pay, other benefits did not go down well, sick leave and […]
Office Blocks
May 29 (LBO) – The Korean government gave Sri Lanka a 20 million dollar loan on Monday for an administrative complex in the South to relocate tsunami hit offices. Most government offices in the Hambantota district are currently located in private houses after tidal waves in December 2004 destroyed large numbers of state buildings. The […]
Giant Strides
May 29, 2006 (LBO) – Bank of Ceylon, Sri Lanka’s biggest state owned lender in terms of assets, is confident of making a 4.5 billion profit before taxes for the full year 2006-7, a top official said Monday. Sri Lanka has 10 domestic banks, of which two are state owned Bank of Ceylon and the […]