Category: Industry
Up on a Hill
Hunas Falls is dressing up its hill country hotel, to get a booking in the Small Luxury Hotels of the world catalogue. The Jetwing managed hotel is spending some Rs.25 mn of the Hunas Falls internal funds to upgrade and expand 20 of its 31 rooms to mini-suites.rn rnAlong with the standard features added with […]
Dollar Challenge
Sri Lanka has been asked to submit its proposal promoting economic growth to draw down funds from the Millennium Challenge Corp.s (MCC) billion-dollar kitty.The MCC is a U.S. Government corporation created in January, to work with developing countries by providing grants through the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA).rn rnSri Lanka is one of the 16 countries […]
Lost Kitty
Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) says it has just plugged in a Rs. 60 mn revenue seepage, which was discovered after its new US$ 20 mn billing system kicked in.The telecom giant says around four million minutes of international inpayment calls were not billed, while nearly 3,000 customers were not sent invoices.rn rnLucky subscribers who got […]
Fairy Godmother
The Treasury is considering the possibility of taking on the cost of thermal electricity generation to ease the CEBs cash crunch.CEB sources say the Treasury is now considering, among other measures, the feasibility of taking on the cost of thermal electricity generation to ease the CEBs financial difficulties.rn rnldblquote This cost will be treated like […]
Boom Times
The Seylan Merchant Bank (SMB) Groups earnings doubled for the first quarter ending March 31, boosted by its booming leasing portfolio.In results released this week, SMB Group reported a consolidated post-tax profit of Rs 10.4 million, up 100.30 per cent from the Rs 5.2 million reported in the first quarter of 2003.rn rnNet Interest Income […]
Hello There
Competition just got louder in the local telecom industry with Indian telco giant VSNL stepping up its operations in Sri Lanka. VSNL on Monday formally launched its international data and voice services here for the corporate and retail markets.rn rnHowever, VSNL has been busy behind the scene capturing overseas voice business since last year, when […]
Clean Deal
Commercial Bank of Ceylon will scrap the commission charged on cheques drawn on its outstation branches starting June 1, 2004.This means that recipients of Commercial Banks outstation cheques will henceforth receive the full face value on these cheques.rn rnThis move supplements the existing practice where the commission on outstation cheques of other banks deposited with […]
Chef De Plane
SriLankan Airlines Catering will tap the market for US$ 22.5 million to fund its new in-flight catering kitchen in Katunayake.A Commercial Bank led consortium is to finalise the borrowing plan, repayable over seven years, SriLankan Catering CEO Dilip Nijhawan told Lanka Business OnlineThe automated kitchen will cost a total of about US$ 25 million and […]
Critical Update
The first in a series of Microsoft organised workshops to upgrade IT awareness in Sri Lanka got off this month. Microsoft Country Manager for Sri Lanka Sriyan de Silva Wijeyeratne says the software giant would be rolling out a series of workshops in Colombo and in rural areas with very low IT penetration.rn rnSpecial emphasis […]
Mind Your Manners
The Labour Minister will start a workers trade union school to change attitudes of employers and employees to foster better working relations.Sri Lanka lost around 87,000 man-days to strikes during 2003, while a number of strikes have already taken place within the five months of this year, mostly among essential services in the public sector.rn […]
Comfort Zone
Leasing specialist, Ceylease Financial Services, has secured a BBB-(sri) national rating for its long term senior debt, from Fitch Ratings Lanka.A BBB-(sri) or triple B minus rating denotes a low expectation of credit risk. It reflects the firms ability to meet timely payments, but its exposure to external economic changes may impair this capacity, Fitch […]
Pyramid Warning
The Sri Lanka Banks Association (SLBA) warned the public not to invest in get-rich-quick pyramid schemes, which may result in losses.Pyramid schemes are money making methods that have one person recruiting several others, with each person paying a recruitment fee, or overpriced goods.rn rnThe build up of the network of participants, starting from one person, […]