Category: Other
No Pity for Prima
Treasury officials and monopoly flour distributor Prima were in talks to obtain a promised government subsidy while regulatory pressure was put on the company to keep flour prices down.The flour subsidy is one among the many subsidies the government is keen to maintain to shield consumers from rising international market prices.rn rnBut critics say the […]
Return of the Pharaohs
Central Bank has drafted new laws to combat pyramid schemes that are mushrooming around the country.Pyramid schemes use the same structure as multi-level marketing (MLM) where one entrant is required to bring in two or more recruits by the sale of a product or a voucher.rn rnBut Sri Lanka does not yet have specific provisions […]
Price Of Politics
The cash strapped Ceylon Electricity Boards large thermal plants need urgent repairs, but the utilitys tariffs are not being revised, as politicians dillydally over its financial viability.After years of behaving like a paranoid Ostrich and sticking its head in the sand whenever an awkward question is raised, the CEB finally came out with the real […]
Fly Away Peter’85
Colombo is unusual for a capital city in having a large number of wetlands.rnAround Kotte for example a number of wetlands still remain.rnBut these natural assets are deteriorating by the day. rnWhile in developed countries billions are being spent on re-creating nature reserves to enhance the quality of life of city dwellers, Sri Lankans are […]
Sams View
India and Pakistan were the main beneficiaries in moves by the United Sates to have South Asian allies after the events on September 11. International affairs experts say that smaller but more open Sri Lanka is also seeing some spin-off effects of US moves to push its agenda.The United States is the largest donor in […]
’85
Colombo is unusual for a capital city in having a large number of wetlands.rnAround Kotte for example a number of wetlands still remain.rnBut these natural assets are deteriorating by the day. rnWhile in developed countries billions are being spent on re-creating nature reserves to enhance the quality of life of city dwellers, Sri Lankans are […]
Drinking Poison
As traditional farming methods are lost to chemical fertilizer dumping in Sri Lanka, its people are paying with their lives. Over use of chemical fertilizer and pesticide is poisoning the waterbed.LBO goes on a field trip to the Kalpitiya Peninsula which houses Sri Lankas largest shallow water reserve.Forty-three year old J Sundaralingam, a cabbage farmer […]
Fine Cuppa
Russia is sipping more fine teas as the influence of rising average income increases average spending above US$ 5 per kilo in the wholesale markets.The switch to premium quality beverages is taking hold across Russia along with the rising purchasing power of Russian consumers. Trade sources say sales of hot drinks increased by 3.6% in […]
Sex, Lies and Religion
Sri Lankas main Muslim leader Tuesday accused the government of implicating him in a sex scandal to secure his vote while a Buddhist monk charged that a fellow monk legislator had been abducted. Muslim leader Rauf Hakeem in a special address to parliament said the ruling party had fabricated a sex scandal to pressure his […]
The Bright Side
US policy towards South Asia might offer a window of opportunity for peace and economic prosperity in Sri Lanka.rn rnOn December 7, 1941 Japan attacked the Pearl Harbor and dragged America into World War II, which shook US foreign policy at its base.rnOut of the ashes of the World War II the United States and […]
Teething Problems
rnrn The countrys largest telecom operator has failed to bill its customers since last December, due to delays in implementing its new US$ 20 mn billing system.rn With over 830,000 subscribers on its network, SLT is not expected to get is act right until August, says analysts Vajira Premawardhana and Shamlee Hasheem of Lanka OrixrnSecurities.rn […]
Fresh Growth
Sri Lanka shipped out 12 mn kilos more tea in the 1Q of 2004, up from 65 mn kilos exported in 2003.Adding to the good news, the total value of the export orders reached Rs. 18 bn from Rs. 14 bn, increasing the average price per kilo to Rs.234.2 from Rs. 225 in the previous […]