Category: Other
Hidden Deals
The Sri Lanka Accounting and Auditing Standards Monitoring Board is looking at the accounts of Pramuka Bank following massive accounting irregularities discovered by Central Banks supervisors.rnrnThe watchdog is also looking at whether there were violations of auditing standards by its auditor KPMG Ford Rhodes & Thornton. Last year the firm qualified the report and highlighted […]
Wanted – Nurses
Tackling a dearth of skilled nurses and low nursing standards, the healthcare industry is debating ratification of an ILO convention (C149), dedicated to nursing.Currently, new entrants into the healthcare industry are faced with a dearth of about 40,000 skilled nurses in the industry and a huge demand for those that remain.rn rnThey are often compelled […]
Sowing The SEEDS
Government welfare schemes are trying to bring thousands of recipients out of poverty. Experts however agree that welfare payments alone wont reduce poverty.Micro finance provided by schemes like Samurdhi banks try to tackle this by getting aid recipients to set up their own business. rnBut micro finance has its pitfalls. In the third in a […]
Beyond in 2003
Sri Lankan Tea Exports is headed for a record high, with industry officials hoping for the total export quantity to exceed the landmark 300 million kilos. Cumulative exports to end October reached 246 million kilos, 3 million kilos above last years total for the same period. Officials feel there is much more to celebrate next […]
Tea Captain
Director of Gordon Frazer – Niraj de Mel, is poised to take over as CEO of the umbrella body the Tea Association of Sri Lanka.Appointed last week, he is expected to take over duties from February next year, leading the association for a two-year term, he confirmed. The Tea Association was formed as an umbrella […]
Road To eLanka
The government unveiled a road map to wire the countries population for economic and social advancement.The Information communications technology plan is trying to put everything from the land registry to filing tax returns, online.rn rnGovernment says it has donor commitment to implement the e-Sri Lanka project over a five-year period.rn rnCritics say the countries telecommunications […]
Shady Deals
Meanwhile Pramuka Merchant Corporation, an affiliate financial firm, of the bank also stopped repaying its maturing bondholders.rn rnEmployees say that the bank has invested their provident funds in the banks own securities leading to a US style loss of retirement funds. rn rnHowever, top bank officials say the primary cause of their present troubles were […]
Poverty Alleviation Party
The Samurdhi program is getting a clean up in an attempt to get back on track with the scheme quote s original objective.rn rnWhile, some poverty alleviation has been taking place, high politicization of the scheme has prevented it from helping the poor at large.rn rnThe restructuring of Samurdhi attempts to rid it of its […]
Tea (Pvt) Ltd
Moves to set up an Export Marketing Council for the tea industry is underway that will take over Tea Board promotions and include officials from the Export Development Board, the Board of Investment and the new Tourism Bureau.The proposed council will take over all promotional work currently carried out by the Tea Board, working hand […]
Fair Deals
A separate Monopolies and Mergers Commission is being spun off from the new Consumer Protection Act, Fair Trading Commission (FTC) officials said.Modelled on similar anti-trust legislation in other countries, the new Consumer Protection legislation is being split into two, with mergers and monopolies under a separate authority.rn rnIn theory, the new commission will be given […]
Falling Numbers
Sri Lankas tea crop slipped to 20.7 mn kilos in August, its lowest since 1999 when a figure of 19.4 mn kilos was recorded. Asia Siyaka Commodity brokers did not give a reason for production drop, but said the tea crop has fallen steeply by 38 percent todate, since peaking at 33 mn kilos in […]
Computers In Business
A new law that will formally recognize transactions and contracts made through computers is now being drafted officials say.Sri Lankan law does not recognize digital signatures.rn rnAs a result Sri Lankan companies may not be able to make the best use of information communications technology with their counterparts abroad.rn rnThe new law is expected to […]