Category: Industry
Sri Lanka Spence Hotel seeks funds for expansion
Feb 19, 2010 9LBO) Sri Lanka’s Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings said it plans a rights issue to raise funds for future expansion as the island’s tourist industry recovers from the effects of a long war. The company said in a stock exchange filing that it plans to make a rights issue of one new ordinary […]
Financial Fallout
Feb 19, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s registered finance companies, which were shaken last year by the collapse of an unregulated firm, may see consolidation especially among weak smaller firms, the Central Bank said. The profitability of the finance company sector declined and some companies made losses last year because of high interest rates and […]
Volatile Voyage
Feb 19, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shippers facing rapidly rising freight rates are advised to try to negotiate long-term contracts with shipping lines, an industry official said. Increasing freight rates are a problem for us,†said Gehan Kuruppu, vice president of the Sri Lanka Shippers’ Council. Now rates are not holding even for one […]
Oil Slick
Feb 18, 2010 (LBO) – Lanka IOC, a unit of the Indian Oil Corporation, said it was making ship oil or bunker deliveries from Colombo port through locally registered vessels after barges contracted by the firm were detained by Sri Lanka shipping authorities. Shipping sources say the bunker tankers of other operators are mostly idle […]
Healing Numbers
Feb 18, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Seylan Bank group said losses narrowed to 16.5 million rupees in the December quarter from 689 million a year ago and that it ended the year with a profit. The bank said in a stock exchange filing that it made a full year net profit of 569 million […]
Lost Gains
Feb 18, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Commercial Bank said dividends not claimed by shareholders after six years are to be considered forfeited from March. Any interim or final dividend declared by Commercial Bank from February 2000 to February 2004 which remains unclaimed will be considered as fortified by the owners and considered as the […]
Pirate Peril
Feb 17, 2010 (LBO) – Software piracy by private sector companies in Sri Lanka is the main problem facing software developers, the Business Software Alliance (BSA), an industry body said. The organization, which represents the commercial software industry and its hardware partners, said in a statement it has taken legal action against companies using pirated […]
High Capacity
February 17, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan computer hardware distributor eSys Technologies has launched a range of high capacity, eco-friendly network storage devices. The products include Universal Tech’s NoTouchâ„¢ Elite 2800 External Storage and MyXerverâ„¢ MX3600 Network Storage devices, eSys said in a statement. Universal Tech is an Asian brand for external storage devices, offering […]
Terminal Target
Feb 17, 2010 (LBO) – Construction of a new deep-water container terminal to be built and run by the private sector in Colombo port is to start in the second quarter of this year, a Sri Lanka port official said. Colombo port’s cargo flows are also recovering as trade recovers from recession, Wickrama said. “Our […]
Fuel Fortunes
Feb 17, 2010 (LBO) – The Sri Lanka unit of Indian Oil Corporation said it made a ˜nominal’ profit in the December quarter compared with a loss a year ago on higher petrol prices and other products like marine fuel and lubricants. Government-mandated retail petrol prices were cut by 15 rupees a litre on December […]
Sri Lanka gets ADB, Japan help to improve electricity services
Feb 17, 2010 (LBO) – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Japan will provide support to Sri Lanka to improve its power transmission system and expand rural electrification, an ADB statement said. It is also expected to reduce poverty by improving access to electricity in rural areas, and enhance energy efficiency and renewable energy development, […]
Sri Lanka negotiating with Emirates to buy national carrier stake
Feb 17, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s government is negotiating with Dubai-based Emirates to buy its stake in Sri Lankan Airlines, the island’s state-run national carrier, chairman Nishanta Wickremasinghe said. But with a revival in tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka after the end of a 30-year war, the airline is expecting a turnaround later in […]