Category: Industry
Moving On
Mobitel will install a 200,000 line island wide GSM network by August, the first stage in its migration from its existing TDMA backbone. The migration could see mobile tapping the local financial market to raise the US $ 50 million it requires for the infrastructure project.rn rn”We are still evaluating sources of funding and raising […]
Last Round
A top IFC official who is on a routine visit to Sri Lanka, signed the deal this evening.rn rnUnder the agreement, IFCs will be represented on Commercial Banks board by a single board seat.rn rnCommercial Bank will also buy back 5 percent of its shares held by SLIC to start an employee share trust.rn rnBoth […]
Riding High
Citibank NA Sri Lanka branch topped the honours list by securing a SL AAA (Triple A) national rating from Fitch Ratings Lank for its implied unsecured senior debt.This is the first time a local bank has secured a Triple A rating from Fitch Ratings Lanka (FRL).rn rnldblquote A Triple A rating means we are resilient […]
High Jump
Commercial Bank of Ceylon Ltd on Wednesday notched a 25 percent profit growth and said it was taking a bold step to move towards triple bottomline reporting.Sri Lankas most profitable private bank said its turnover topped Rs. 8.1 bn, and post tax profits clocked in Rs. 1.3 bn during the period under review.rn rnldblquote We […]
Hurry up
Pramuka Bank Stakeholders Association is urging Central Bank to quickly give the information required by Janashakthi Capital for their restructure proposal, before the firm loses interest.ldblquote The more the Central Bank delays, the more difficult it will be to do anything, dblquote says Stakeholders Association President Sunimal Dabrera. ldblquote These people may also lose interest. […]
Oil Shock
SriLankan Airlines has sought Civil Aviation Authority approval to raise outbound airfares by US$ 5 per sector.The airline has sought the increase, as fuel prices have shot up by 10 percent to 12 percent over the past three-months due to Middle East tension.rn rnldblquote This is not a decision we took on our own. We […]
Waiting Room
Twenty one applicants vying to get into the external gateway operations industry got their licences today, including network operators Suntel, Lanka Bell, Dialog, Hutchison and Celtell.However, non network operators will have to wait till May 2003 to commence full operation, when the telecom regulator hopes to auction short codes – four digit numbers that will […]
Getting Bigger
Ceylinco Life, Sri Lankas largest private insurer, has ended the year with a record Rs 2.360 bn in premium income.Figures released this week show that the company continued to outperform its closest rival by more than Rs.500 mn in terms of premium income, the firm said in a release on Monday.rn rnThe firms Life Fund […]
Life Protection
Indias Life Insurance Corp. plans to set up an ombudsman to settle life insurance disputes as part of its efforts to encourage Sri Lankans to take up insurance policies.The Indian life insurance giant officially opened its doors for business over the weekend through its local unit LIC Corp. (Lanka) Ltd. rn rnThe local arm is […]
Hello There
SLT is announcing international direct dialing rate cuts of up to 25 percent, as the government finalises plans to offer an unlimited number of international gateway licenses.The dominant carrier also reported a 28 percent rise in profits for the last financial year slightly lower than analyst expectations.rn rnSri Lanka Telecom reported a group net profit […]
Hot Cakes
Developers of a new apartment complex say the demand for housing is on the rise with the upturn in the economy.Finance & Guarantee Property Developers say the large number of Sri Lankans returning to the island and the peace process is contributing to the growth in demand.rn rnldblquote Next five to ten years there is […]
Cost Cutting
SriLankan Airlines expects to sharply cut its losses during the current financial year but said the group will be in the black.The national carrier said it expects losses of around US$ 10 mn to US$ 15 mn this year, sharply lower than the US$ 60 mn loss recorded during the last financial year.rn rnAs a […]