Category: Industry
Sri Lanka insurance firms seen under pressure as interest rates fall
Jan 06, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan insurance firms face difficulties in maintaining margins as interest rates fall with most funds in risk-free government securities, RAM Ratings Lanka said. With interest rates falling, however, companies will be challenged to maintain their margins, RAM Ratings said. Although investments are an integral part of insurance companies, investment […]
Sri Lanka tea imports fall
Jan 05, 2010 (LBO) – Tea imports for re-export by Sri Lanka, a major exporter, fell sharply last year as opposition by producers to importing teas remained strong, Tea Board and industry officials said. Tea Board officials said pressure by the producer sector on the regulator led to more stringent checks on imported teas which […]
Sri Lankan Airlines says airport check-in back to normal
Jan 05, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s national carrier Sri Lankan Airlines said check-in at the Bandaranaike International Airport north of Colombo was back to normal and passengers need not come four hours ahead of departure. Airport officials said the congestion was caused at peak aircraft arrival and departure periods because immigration department officials had […]
Close Watch
Jan 05, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Central Bank intends to monitor more closely banking sector group companies to improve its supervision of financial institutions, Governor Nivard Cabraal said. The move is part of several measures being taken to better regulate the financial sector after several institutions, both regulated and unregulated, got into trouble in […]
Transport Links
Jan 05, 2010 (LBO) – The Asian Development Bank said the first batch of bidding documents for a road project it is funding in northern Sri Lanka is expected to be available this month. The proposed Northern Road Connectivity Project will cover repairs to about 120 km of national highways in the northern and north-central […]
Sri Lanka to set up export-import bank: CB Governor
Jan 04, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Central Bank is setting up an export-import bank to fast-track Sri Lanka’s international trade, governor Nivard Cabraal said. The proposed ˜ex-im bank’ will have an initial capital of 200 million rupees and may be financed by both government and commercial sources. “It will provide financial assistance to exporters […]
Sri Lanka Hemas buys small hydro power plant
Jan 04, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Hemas Power said it has bought a 2.6 megawatt (MW) hydro-power plant in the Nuwara Eliya district in the central hills from Senok Mark Hydro for 198.5 million rupees. In September 2009, Hemas Holdings floated its power generation business to build a 2.4 MW mini hydro plant in […]
Sri Lankan Airlines asks travelers to come early to airport
Jan 04, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s national carrier SriLankan Airlines said it was asking passengers on departing flights to report four hours before departure to the airport because of delays at immigration. It said in a statement there was heavy congestion at immigration counters at the Bandaranaike International Airport, north of Colombo. SriLankan Airlines […]
Interest Limit
Jan 04, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Central Bank said it has raised the ceiling on interest rates paid by registered finance companies and also allowed them to pay extra interest to senior citizens over 60 years from January 1. In revising the interest rates, the Monetary Board has considered the declining trend in market […]
Bailout Ceiling
Jan 04, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Central Bank said a new mandatory deposit insurance scheme to be introduced this year will cover up to 100,000 rupees per depositor. Coverage would increase as the deposit insurance fund grows, governor Nivard Cabraal said in a statement on its financial sector policies for 2010. The deposit insurance […]
Sri Lanka East safe for tourists: Britain
Jan 03, 2009 (LBO) – Britain said it is no longer advising its citizens against travel to Sri Lanka’s East, but the north continued to be out of bounds though a 30-year war in the area ended last May. Britain’s foreign and commonwealth office (FCO) said it had removed an ‘all but essential travel’ tag […]
Sri Lanka dismisses EU trade move
January 1, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s president on Friday dismissed the European Union’s suspension of preferential trade status to the island, saying his government would resist foreign “strategic interference”. “We will not be held back by threatened economic sanctions or withdrawn trade concessions by those who seek strategic interference in the national affairs of […]