Category: Special Reports

Following the legacy of the famous De Beers diamonds and Tahitian pearls, is a test bed range of branded lquote Sriya Ceylon sapphires, as Sri Lanka stakes its claim in world gem markets. Developed by a British designer and collectively sponsored by industry, this is Sri Lankas first attempt to brand its high quality and […]

But, Hasitha Premaratne, HNBs Research Manager says, the lack of liquidity and a low free float market capitalisation, is holding Hemas back from rubbing shoulders with other top conglomerates like the John Keells Holdings Group.rn rnClick here for full research report:rnAptly describing the Hemas Group as a lquote small wonder, HNB Stockbrokers talks about the […]

Top trade delegations from around the world will meet in the Mexican city of Cancun, at a meeting billed by many to be one that can drastically change world trade patterns.But developed and developing countries will have to agree on a large variety of issues from opening up their agricultural sectors to protecting intellectual property […]

Sri Lanka used to be the fifth largest rubber supplier to the world a few years ago. But synthetic rubber manufacturers took over the market as age-old production processes left natural rubber producers helpless. But now the industry is changing face.A locally manufactured industrial rubber has got oversea buyers ready to bargain.rn rnLankaprene rubber is […]

Its the most talked about conglomerate with diverse interest that reflects the Sri Lankan economy. The bluechip conglomerate is also the biggest stock currently listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange. rnrnrnrnrnrnNew Page 1rnrnrnrnrn Butrnthis giant elephant is trimming the fat and rationalising operations under thernChairmanship of Vivendra Lintotawela. John Keells Holdings recently hired thernBoston Consultancy […]

New technology from web enabled mobile phones to communication tools like email is changing the way people access information.Although the Internet and other digital technologies are fast becoming the primary source of information delivery, they are still not widely used for education.rn rnThe book and classroom based education system is however slowly changing.rn rnInteractive e-learning […]

Taxi fares have been falling rapidly even as associated costs like fuel, telephone and vehicle prices have rocketed. Take look at a typical Colombo wall with posters.Take a closer look at the posters and you start to notice patterns. rn rnPatterns of numbers. rn rnWhat is funny about these numbers is that they are catchy […]

Often exploited, fought over, and colossally under priced, water has become the stuff of international politics. As Sri Lanka wages peace, it is wading through its own issues of sharing and trading its water between new regional boundaries. Water management to date has unfortunately been everyones responsibility, with a staggering 40 different Acts and 20 […]

Demand for credit has been on a steady rise this year with the Central Bank saying that growth year-on-year could hit 13% -almost double the last years figure.Bankers who are reporting healthy profits for the half year just ended however say demand could still improve and that the big contributions to the bottomline is still […]

House ownership is on the rise but experts say the country is far from meeting the demand of 70,000 new units needed annually. Policy makers are however trying to kindle a boom in the sector by clearing legal bottlenecks and making housing more affordable.A housing drive in the late 80s took development and infrastructure to […]

The traditional kapuwa or marriage broker may be slowly going out of the scene, but certainly not his services.Local businessmen have now started to give a new face to the old kapuwa, with claimed higher rates of success.rn rnA number of match making and marriage services have sprouted in and around Colombo offering a variety […]

Upcoming laws to buyout dud loans of financial institutions, has wide ranging powers including prison terms for directors who fail to comply and powers to the asset management company to takeover a firm if its debts fall below 75 percent of its assets.However, critics say the draft piece of legislation is riddled with holes, and […]