Category: Special Reports

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Perfume isnt all smell. Men and women who splash it on no less than baby cologne, are driving growth and pushing retail sales in the mass market for fragrances.Baby is big business, and dual use is common in a relatively low-end market driven by price, sheer convenience and the perception of perfume as a lquote […]

Developed economies spend the equivalent of two to three percent of their GDP on Research and Development (R&D).rnBut the figure is much lower for emerging markets including Sri Lanka.rnrnExperts say without prosperity there wont be enough for R&D expenditure and without R&D spending growth will always be below par.rn rnWithout prosperity there wont be enough […]

Sanjiva is excited about prospects for open source software in Sri Lanka.Clad in a denim shirt like any other software engineer he is taking some time off from his regular job at IBM to work with some students at the Colombo University.rn rnSanjivas involvement with these tech savvy students comes through the Lanka Software Foundation […]