Category: Special Reports

Governments depended on tough legislation and regulation to make sure companies don’t damage the environment or exploit labour. Governments depended on tough legislation and regulation to make sure companies don’t damage the environment or exploit labour. But globalization and the resulting open market economies are bringing the same pressures on companies minus the legal action. […]

Haycarb, the 68 percent owned subsidiary of the conglomerate Hayleys Group, plans to set up shop in Indonesia, while a surge in world gold prices swells its bottomline.Haycarb, the 68 percent owned subsidiary of the conglomerate Hayleys Group, plans to set up shop in Indonesia, while a surge in world gold prices swells its bottomline. […]

Labour law critics say the existing framework undermines worker productivity, forcing companies to treat employees as a cost and not a resource that needs to be developed. rnSlimline, part of one of the countrys biggest apparel groups, employs more than 3500 people at their Pannala factory. rn rnIts CEO Dayan Gomez likes to walk around […]

Given the recent yo-yo mood swings in the equities market, stockbrokers Asia Securities says punters should now focus on a companys cash reserves as a litmus test before investing.The market is presently highly volatile, low priced endash in absolute terms endash shares, with at times questionable earnings quality and balance sheet strength, and in view […]

Stockbrokers Asia Securities has downgraded Asian Hotels & Properties (AHPL) to hold, based on its poor short-medium term earnings prospects and an uncertain investment climate.rnrn Asian Hotels rnlong-term growth potential critically depends on the success of its new rnapartment complex endash The Monarch endash and the ability of its new management to add rnvalue to […]

Companies are paying more attention to the effect of their operations on stakeholders besides their owners. Although not regulated, businesses take the environment and other social concerns in to account because they think being accountable to the public is in their long-term interest.The Pelwatte sugar plantation is a popular spot for hungry elephants from the […]

Health institutions may soon be classified according to their service standards as private sector health care is coming to the forefront with the failure of state system to meet patient needs and regular trade union actions. Health institutions may soon be classified according to their service standards as private sector health care is coming to […]

The government has scrapped reform plans for utilities like electricity, petroleum and water.rnA donor funded government agency Public Interest Program Unit (PIPU) setup to speed up reforms will be wound-up at the end of the month.rn rnThe agency helped set up the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), a multi sector regulator that is ready to regulate […]

Sri Lankas commercial banks are in for a rough ride this year with the bond markets falling on top of increased taxes.The banking sectors 2004 first quarter interim results saw commercial banks significantly under-performing the broader market.rn rnSector profits fell over 30 percent year on year and share prices fell on average by 30.8 percent […]

Natural gas, a fossil fuel sold on its environmental friendliness, is available in large quantities and burns cleanly. Its problem is often its distance from the market, so that gas-processing technology is dominated by the need to prepare it for long distance transportation, either in pipelines or by ship as a liquid.rn rnOnce pumped out […]

Sri Lankans who get into pyramid schemes simply because they are lquote not illegal would find themselves in a legal vacuum with no help from the system, a top legal luminary points out.One of Sri Lankas top lawyers and a former head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Arittha Wickremanayake says authorities should speed up […]

Several persons who joined the referral marketing plan of the GoldQuest numismatics company, have been reportedly quizzed by the Central Bank for possible violations of Exchange Control regulations by the illegal use of credit cards.rnrn Central Banks Exchange Control Director, H ArnG Hettiarachchi confirmed that the Department was investigating creditrncardholders who made paymentsrnfor third parties […]