Category: Other
Public Debate
Sept 18, 2009 (LBO) – The 28th LBR-LBO chief executive forum debated the economic impact of public interest litigation, with a four member panel made up of legal and private sector representatives. Presentations were made by Rohan Samarajiva, head of LirneAsia, a think tank and a former telecom regulator, Preethi Jayawardena chief executive of Chemanex, […]
Disputed Justice
Sept 18, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s private sector should have been more forceful in challenging a chief judge seen as brilliant but dominating whose judgments raised questions about the process of public interest litigation, a public forum was told. Affected businesses could have asked for immediate reviews of what they considered bad decisions of […]
Sri Lanka state rice stock pile to be sold
Sept 17, 2009 (LBO) – A lower grade government rice stock pile in Sri Lanka would be sold at 33 rupees a kilo, a government minister said, at time when the island’s staple food is near last year’s ‘food crisis’ levels.“We have built up a 44,000 tonnes of buffer stocks, we are only selling 15,000 […]
Sri Lanka tea wage deal to cost industry Rs6bn extra
Sept 14, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s plantations industry will face about six billion rupees in extra costs owing to a deal with labour unions that ended a dispute over a wage hike that had disrupted tea supplies from hill-country estates, a senior official said. Regional plantations companies (RPCs) are to sign a deal today […]
Cambodia joins rubber association
PHNOM PENH, September 14, 2009 (AFP) – Cambodia has joined the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries in the hope of further developing the nation’s rubber industry, a government official said Monday.Ly Phalla, director-general of Cambodia’s directorate of rubber, said the ascension to the inter-governmental organisation will bring its burgeoning industry new technology and help […]
Sri Lanka tea wage crisis over, Rs6bn extra cost
Sept 14, 2009 (LBO) – A dispute over a wage hike that disrupted tea supplies from Sri Lankan plantations had ended with labour unions agreeing to a deal which will cost the industry about six billion rupees a year, a senior official said. Regional plantations companies (RPCs) and labour unions are to sign a deal […]
‘s Jet Airways, as strike ends
MUMBAI, September 13, 2009 (AFP) – Services on India’s second-largest private airline, Jet Airways, resumed on Sunday after a five-day walk-out by pilots ended, the company said.Jet officials, who sacked two other pilots for breach of disciplinary procedures, on Sunday told a news conference in Mumbai that no action would be taken against the pilots. […]
Sri Lanka estate wage dispute breakthrough seen
Sept 13, 2009 (LBO) – Talks between Sri Lankan plantations companies and labour unions on a pay hike appeared to have made some headway when the dominant union agreed on a deal, union officials said. Plantations companies had said they were unable to pay 500 rupees a day as they cannot afford it given high […]
Sri Lanka estate wage dispute deadlocked
Sept 12, 2009 (LBO) – Talks between Sri Lankan plantations companies and labour unions on a pay hike were unsuccessful Friday and are likely to be resumed next week, although the gap seems to have narrowed, union officials said.O A Ramiah,.Secretary General of the Joint Plantation Trade Union Centre, one of the three main unions […]
Sri Lanka sugar firm uses state credit to stop farmers switching to other crops
Sept 12, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Pelwatte Sugar Industries (PSISL) has used a state-supported credit scheme to stop farmers from moving into more attractive food crops and rubber cultivation and lobbied the government to increase tariff barriers.Chairman M J C Amarasuriya told shareholders the firm had been able to use a rural credit scheme […]
Indian ministers revolt over economy air travel: reports
NEW DELHI, September 11, 2009 (AFP) – Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has backed down after his cabinet revolted against an austerity drive that would have forced ministers to fly in economy class, reports said Friday.Singh faced a barrage of complaints when he chaired his weekly meeting on Thursday over a series of cost-cutting steps […]
”’s Jet Airways enters fourth day
MUMBAI, September 11, 2009 (AFP) – India’s second-largest private airline, Jet Airways, on Friday cancelled 171 flights, including 16 on international routes, as a stand-off between pilots and management entered a fourth day.But the further grounding of planes came amid hopes of an end to the dispute, as pilots prepared to meet bosses and India’s […]