Category: Industry
Withdrawn
Apr 04, 2013 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings has confirmed and withdrawn a ‘BB-(lka)’ rating of Sri Lanka’s Vallibel Finance Plc.Therefore, Fitch will no longer have sufficient information to maintain the rating. Accordingly, Fitch will no longer provide ratings or analytical coverage for VFL.The rating has a negative outlook.Fitch said it had withdrawn the rating as […]
Changeover
Apr 03, 2013 (LBO) – Rajendra Theagarajah, managing director and chief executive officer of Hatton National Bank will retire from June 20, to be replaced by deputy chief executive Jonathan Alles.HNB said in stock exchange filing that he will also resign from the board of director of the bank. Subject to central bank approval, Alles […]
Sri Lanka exports slump 18.2-pct in Jan, trade deficit narrows
Apr 02, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s exports fell 18.2 percent to 726.7 million US dollars in January 2013 from a year earlier, with apparel exports falling 8.9 percent to 333.9 million US dollars, Central Bank data showed.Sri Lanka has a trade deficit because domestic economic players get money abroad through means other than merchandise […]
Sri Lanka industries to get biggest subsidy after tariff hike
Apr 02, 2013 (LBO) – Industries will get an annual subsidy of nearly 15 billion rupees even after a tariff hike proposed from April, hotels will be marginally subsidized and customers classified as general purpose pay in excess of costs, an analysis by the regulator shows. A document prepared ahead of a public consultation scheduled […]
Sri Lanka hydro power output up, demand weak
Apr 02, 2013 (LBO) – Hydro power generation has picked up sharply in Sri Lanka allowing state-run Ceylon Electricity Board to cut thermal power, while demand was barely growing in January 2013, official data shows.Total power generation in the month rose just 0.6 percent to 987 GigaWatt hours (millions of units of electricity) from a […]
4G
Apr 02, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Dialog Axiata, a unit of Malaysia’s Axiata said it had launched commercial fourth generation mobile services in Colombo, making it the first in South Asia. Dialog’s service is based on frequency division – long term evolution standard (FD-LTE) technology requiring paired bandwidth for separate uplink and downlink channels. […]
Foreign Cash
April 01, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s DFCC Bank has raised 45 million US dollars in a loan syndicated among Middle Eastern and Asian banks, lead arranger HSBC said. “DFCC’s success in this debut international loan syndication…demonstrates the strong level of confidence placed in the Bank and on the positive growth outlook for the country […]
Credit Trend
Apr 01, 2013 (LBO) – Heavy state borrowings from banks crowded out credit to private business to a 44-month low in January 2013, despite the monetary authority cutting policy rates, official data show.Commercial banks loaned 9.7 billion rupees to private borrowers in the month, the lowest since May 2010, when 7.2 billion rupees was loaned […]
Sri Lanka power regulator cuts penalties on late payers
Mar 31, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s power regulator had directed state-run Ceylon Electricity Board to cut penalties on late payers and also halted penal interest accruing after disconnection. The CEB has also been directed to come up with a plan to pay interest on customer security deposits held by the power firm.The power utility […]
Sri Lanka combined cycles more expensive than diesel engines: data
Mar 30, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s combined cycle power plants which are supposed to be efficient and cheaper have turned out to be more expensive than internal combustion plants, published data show. According to a consultation document released by the Public Utilities Commission, Sri Lanka’s power regulator, private plants running IC engines including Heladanavi […]
Fourth Gen
Mar 28, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Dialog Axiata, which bought a slice of 1800MegaHertz band spectrum says it will launch fourth generation high speed mobile broadband services shortly. Dialog group operates Sri Lanka’s largest mobile network with 7.8 million subscribers with GSM, 3G and HSPA+ technology. Dialog says it was chosen as the internet […]
Value Destruction
Mar 28, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s transport sectors is estimated to contribute to 10 percent of the gross domestic product, but its shortcoming including accidents, traffic jams and delays cost 200 billion rupees, an expert has said.“However about 30 percent is lost due to accidents, congestion, lost time in public transport and damaged goods […]