Category: Industry
Cheap Labour
ABU DHABI, Jan 22, 2008 (AFP) – Gulf Arab states heavily dependent on an Asian labour force agreed on Tuesday with labour-sending Asian countries to join forces against the exploitation of expat workers from Asia.Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) labour ministers and counterparts from Asia are to propose an action plan to protect the welfare of […]
Mobile Strategy
Jan 22, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s mobile service provider Tigo plans to rely on giving better value to increase market share and revenue and not wage a price war with rival local mobile operators, company officials said. “We do not believe that a price war will benefit anybody including the customer. There has to […]
Sri Lanka to tackle young Australian guns
MELBOURNE, Jan 21, 2008 (AFP) – A number of Australian Test hopefuls will get the chance to stake their claim for higher honours when they play for the Prime Minister’s XI against Sri Lanka on January 30 at Canberra’s Manuka Oval.Cricket Australia Monday announced a strong squad for the match and included in the side […]
Sri Lanka sees major power failure
Jan 21, 2008 (LBO) — Power supply to most parts of Sri Lanka failed as a transformer in a transmission line just outside the capital burst in the early hours of Monday, officials at the state power utility said. A current transformer in the Kotugoda grid substation had burst tripping off the adjacent Biyagama substation […]
Stereotype
Jan 20, 2008 (LBO) — Sri Lankan writers trying to break into the international arena are facing a barrier from foreign publishers who expect books themed on the three-decade long conflict in the island.She says budding authors also need publishers who provide guidance with good editors who will help spruce up a book. “The books […]
Sri Lanka too risky, Russian tourists told
Jan 20, 2007 (LBO) –Russia’s Foreign Ministry has issued a recommendation to Russian citizens to refrain from trips to Sri Lanka in the wake of growing terrorist activity by the Tamil Tigers. “This organization has noticeably stepped up its terrorist activity of late,” a source at the Foreign Ministry was quoted as saying by Itar-Tass […]
New Times
Jan 19, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s cash strapped state-run railway utility has revamped its schedule from Saturday, following requests from ‘commuter associations’, officials said. . “Railway Department took this decision after requests from passengers,” railways chief Lalitha Siri Gunaruwan, said. “This is because we want to give a better service to the public.” The […]
Fleecing Ethics
Jan 18, 2007 (LBO) — Sri Lanka’s opposition has added fuel to the growing fire over petroleum firms fleecing petrol users to give subsidies to diesel consumers especially in commercial sectors.Sri Lanka’s government also taxes petrol users heavily but now the two main fuel distributors, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and Lanka IOC, a unit of Indian […]
Bigger One
Jan 18, 2008 (LBO) — Sri Lanka’s state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) refinery expansion may be doubled to a 100,000 barrels-per-day project and its cost may go up to a billion dollars, a top official said.“An Iranian team has already started a feasibility project and now we are looking at a bigger project, which may […]
Developing Ideas
Jan 18, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan community organizations that come up with innovative ways to combat discrimination against HIV/AIDS sufferers would get World Bank support to develop and implement their ideas, an official said. More information on the Development Marketplace The World Bank is looking for “creative, innovative ways of carrying a message”, says […]
Diesel Move
Jan 17, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) has struck a deal with Trafigura, a petro firm in Singapore, to get up to 500 million dollars of supplier’s credit for diesel, a top official said. Trafigura will give CPC 6-months of supplier’s credit at London Interbank Offered Rate plus 1.6 percent, […]
‘s Mihin charts flight path for 2008: interview
Jan 17, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state owned budget carrier Mihin Air is promising better results this year after burning up its capital and clocking up a 1.4 billion rupee loss in the first year of operations. In a wide ranging interview with Shamindra Kulamannage from ETV’s Lanka Business Report (LBR) program Mihin chief […]