Category: Industry
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 […]
Fibre Rail
Jan 17, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will invite a private operator to build an optical fibre backbone in partnership with the state-owned railway system, a senior minister said. Sri Lanka’s transport ministry which runs the railways department had been given approval to start looking for a telecom operator to lease the country’s 1,200 kilometres […]
Authors flock to Sri Lanka as Galle literary festival opens
Galle, Sri Lanka Jan 17, 2008 (LBO) – Hundreds of international and local authors, dramatists, poets, historians and architects are flocking to a coastal town in southern Sri Lanka, as the ‘Galle International Literary Festival’ takes off. . The festival is being staged in and around a fort in Galle, a southwestern coastal town 116 […]
Terror Funding
Jan 17, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) set up under the Central Bank to combat money laundering and terrorist financing should be more independent, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said. Sri Lankan authorities should ensure that the FIU should be given operational independence to ensure freedom from undue influence or […]
New Buildings
Jan 17, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Mercantile Shipping Company Ltd. is acquiring two newly built cargo ships as part of efforts to renew its fleet, company officials said. The company has signed an agreement with the Dutch government for a ship building grant for the two multi-purpose vessels each of 7,800 tonnes deadweight. The […]