Category: Special Reports

Devendra is putting final touches on a Sesatha, traditionally used as a symbol of power but in modern times a decorative item in homes.Although its usage has changed overtime the process of making one has remained the same over the centuries.rn rnDevendra uses traditional methods passed down through the generations to hand paint a Sesatha. […]

In the run up to the polls Lanka Business Online published the opinion polls of Org Marg Smart. Dr. Harsha de Silva, a pioneer in opinion polling in Sri Lanka, who has been observing the polling by both OMS and the CPA and their interpretations has attempted a combined analysis of both the OMS and […]

Sri Lankas two main parties may find it hard to secure a comfortable lead, as weeks of campaigning comes to an end on Tue, an independent poll reveals.In its last survey to the run up of April 2 polls, independent research firm Org-Marg Smart says the opposition United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has a slight […]

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Last year Sri Lankas six top local banks collectively made Rs. 8.3 billion in profits, up from just Rs.2.9.rnbillion in 2001.rnrnrn Behind part of the profitsrnlay bond profits from a falling interest rate environment.rn The Central Bank was able torncut rates because for the first time in almost a decade the Treasurys fiscalrnpolicy was in […]

In 1912, one man with a life savings of 75 cents turned a tea kiosk into one of the largest biscuit manufacturers in the country. With a third generation at the helm, Maliban talks of going public as it charts a course of new growth.Exports are expected to lead that drive, with new markets mapped […]

As the drought, dubbed as the worst in the last fifty years, drained the hydro reservoirs making it hard for the electricity utility to meet peak consumer demand, the government stepped in saying it would pump in Rs. 3 billion to secure emergency power to shore up the national power grid.Water inflows to the hydro […]

Last year alone, severe drought and floods hit the Southern Sri Lanka alternatively leaving many families homeless and poor.rnBut for the villages in the Hambantota district these conditions are a part of their lives.rnThe district has to also deal with issues like economic migration, malnutrition, unemployment and diseases, a direct result of the arid weather.rn […]

With court room and board room battles firmly behind, the diversified Richard Pieris Group made it to the news this week to pick up two plantation companies. The acquisition is the latest, after picking up Sathosa and getting a tentative foot into financial sector through Pramuka Bank.Its been a while since the once family controlled […]

Politicians of all hues and sizes have thrown their hat into the ring for next months snap poll. But smaller parties championing the Sinhala Buddhist, Tamil and Muslim votes are jostling to play the trump card in Sri Lankas next parliament. rnrn Inrnthe second in a series of political updates, Vajira Premawardhana ManagerrnResearch at Lanka […]

The Power Ministry is calling upon the Sri Lankan public to collect merit for their after-life by saving power, while industrialists with generators will also get cash into the bargain, if they use their own power.The Ceylon Electricity Board, Sri Lankas power utility which runs into power shortages every few years, is now trying to […]

The ambitious new regulations on food labelling and advertising could turn out to be an April fools joke, as the trade pushes to delay its implementation, while the Health Ministry pussyfoots the issue. The regulations, due to come into force on April 1, sets out new legal standards for the labelling and advertising of food […]