Category: Industry
”s Leasing net down 35-pct in Dec
Feb 01, 2013 (LBO) – Profits at Sri Lanka’s People’s Leasing and Finance, the country’s largest non-bank lender fell 35.8 percent to 534 million rupees in the December 2012 quarter from a year earlier interim accounts show. Deposits from customers rose 42 percent to 12.3 billion rupees. The group reported earnings of 32 cents per […]
Risky Appetite
January 31, 2012 (LBO) – Rising banking system leverage in Asia-Pacific is increasing rating pressure for banks in the region, Fitch Ratings said. Strong credit growth across the region, particularly in China, is driving the region’s credit-to-GDP up towards its 1998-1999 peak. Credit growth in APAC has accelerated since 2007 due to underlying economic growth […]
Sea Protectors
January 31, 2013 (LBO) – The Royal Netherlands government has begun using key ports across Sri Lanka as points to disembark groups of marines deployed to protect Dutch marines from piracy attacks in the Indian Ocean. The group of Vessel Protection Detachment (VPD) team, currently protect vessels originating from Suez in Egypt. Most of these […]
”’ acquires two aircraft
Jan 31, 2013 (LBO) – A domestic airline unit of Sri Lanka’s John Keells Holdings, has acquired two amphibian Cessna aircraft chairman Susantha Ratnayake told shareholders.The airline which is to operated under the brand ‘Cinnamon Air’ is will commence during this quarter he said. Cinnamon air is expected to have a fleet of three aircraft […]
Margin Matter
Jan 30, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lankan suppliers of fuel to ships could be pushed out of business if a new tax is implemented, shipping officials and tax experts have warned. The trade has begun lobbying for the withdrawal of the five percent Ports and Airports Development Levy, (PAL) which they say could force them […]
Sri Lanka hotel occupancy rates down
Jan 29, 2013 (LBO) – Occupancy rates at Sri Lanka’s hotels had slipped across star categories in November 2012 from a year earlier, worsening from October despite arrivals going up, official data show. Sri Lanka full year tourist arrivals rose 17.5 percent to 1,005,605 in 2012. The average occupancy rates of hotels tracked by the […]
Debt Protection
Jan 28, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state-run Ceylon Electricity Board may be asked to import fuel directly to protect the main petroleum distributor from mounting unpaid dues, a media report said.A temporary surcharge on electricity was imposed in February 2012 as part of measures to avert a balance of payments crisis partly triggered by […]
Oil Law
Jan 26, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will update its petroleum exploration law to bring the rule in line with the latest international practices, information minister Keheliya Rambukwelle said.Amendments to Sri Lanka’s Petroleum Resources Act, No.26 of 2003, have been approved by the cabinet of ministers, he said. The changes proposed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa […]
Sri Lanka Keells hotels net down 22-pct
Jan 26, 2013 (LBO) – Keells Hotels Plc, which has operations in Sri Lanka and the Maldives said net profit for the December 2012 quarter fell 22 percent to 222 million rupees from a year earlier, amid higher interest costs.In the nine months to December Keells Hotels’ Sri Lanka operations lost 117 million rupees, reversing […]
Sri Lanka regulator starts power price revision process
Jan 24, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s power regulator has kicked off a process to revise tariffs saying it has received cost estimates from the main state-run transmission and distribution licensee. Regular energy price revisions based on a rule of law allows the exchange rate to strong and inflation low. A depreciating exchange rate destroys […]
Sri Lanka opposition backs stronger economic links with India
Jan 23, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s main opposition United National Party said it welcomed a move to start talks on a special economic partnership with India after an earlier deal was put on the backburner due to nationalism. “We welcome the news that Sri Lanka and India have decided to begin discussions to develop […]
Securities Watch
Jan 23, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s MillenniumIT, a unit of the London Stock Exchange said its software is being used for monitoring equity and derivative markets in Malaysia. The ‘Millennium Surveillance’ software integrated the equity and derivatives trading platforms to a unified system offering Bursa Malaysia offering a better insight into trading behavior and […]