Category: Industry
Battered Pakistan tourism industry looks to Sri Lanka example
KARACHI, March 12, 2009 (AFP) – Fida Hussain, 52, was once a frequent visitor to Pakistan’s scenic northwest, driving north into the mountains every time he flew over from the United States.But not any more. “I won’t go to Swat or any other place in the area as the Taliban rule there now and no […]
Sri Lanka tourist arrivals fall 15.7-pct in February 2009
Mar 12, 2009 (LBO) – Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka fell 15.7 percent in February to 34,169 with the first two months of 2009 showing a 25.5 percent fall, and visitors from India halving, the country’s tourism promotion office said. East Asian arrivals dropped 28.4 percent to 3,153. Japan dropped 8.3 percent to 867 and […]
Good Year
Mar12, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Sampath Bank group has posted a profit of 1.49 billion rupees for the 2008 financial year, up 30 percent from 2007, in what its senior management called a tough year to operate in. During 2008 Sampath’s interest income had jumped by 30.1 percent to 19.4 billion, while interest expenses […]
Sri Lanka coach fears Commonwealth Games a target
MELBOURNE, March 10, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka cricket coach Trevor Bayliss voiced fears on Tuesday that extremists would target next year’s Commonwealth Games in India and backed criticism of security arrangements in Pakistan. He supported criticism from match officials travelling in a minibus behind Sri Lanka’s team bus in Lahore that security was inadequate. […]
No Problem
Mar 10, 2009 (LBO) – Managers of Sri Lanka’s state-run pension fund of private sector workers, under fire for investing funds for state purposes as a ‘captive’ source, have said the fund is operating well. In an interview, officials managing the EPF denied all suggestions of impropriety, conflict of interest, or coming under pressure to […]
Hatton Performance
Mar 10, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Hatton National Bank group has reported profits of 3,830 million rupees in 2008, down 10.1 percent over the previous year on interest income of 38.7 billion rupees which grew 20.7 percent. Loan loss provisions increased 27.6 percent to 1,159 million rupees, while 259 million rupees was charged for […]
Hair labels ICC chief a bully over umpire attack comments
MELBOURNE, March 9, 2009 (AFP) – Outspoken Australian umpire Darrell Hair labelled ICC chief Haroon Lorgat a bully Monday for telling officials caught in the Lahore attack to be “more rational” about their experience. Australian umpires Simon Taufel and Steve Davis have complained that Pakistan failed to protect them when gunmen opened fire as they […]
Sri Lanka hydro storage fall below 300 million units
Mar 09, 2009 (LBO) – Hydro storage at Sri Lanka’s state-run power utility fell below 300 million units or 24 percent of capacity, with the firm offering to pay large customers to generate their own power.A newspaper advertisement by the Ceylon Electricity Board said inflow to its reservoirs during the past five months was the […]
Usage Gap
Mar 09, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankans low income customers of mobile communications, used phones least for business related activities in the region, potentially opening up a new marketing opportunity for celcos, a new study has found. “People who use phones for such activities have a higher income and people who don’t have a lower […]
Psychologists help Sri Lanka cricketers
March 8, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka has hired psychologists to help its national cricket team overcome the trauma they suffered in the militant attacks in Pakistan, a doctor said Sunday. The four specialists would work “to mentally boost our cricketers, help them heal their mental scars and overcome the tragedy,” Geethanjana Mendis, head of […]
Better Margins
March 08, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Nations Trust Bank (NTB) said group net profit rose 17 percent to 593 million rupees in 2008 from a year ago and that it managed to increase market share.Group total income in the financial year ending December 31, 2008 rose 49 percent to 13.9 billion rupees with net […]
Docking Trends
March 07, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan ship builder Colombo Dockyard said net profit rose 32 percent to almost 1.5 billion rupees in 2008 from the year before, as it reaped the benefits of the shipping boom earlier in the year. To receive instant alerts from LBO on your Dialog mobile type ‘lbo’ and send […]