Credit Flow

LONDON, August 1, 2010 (AFP) – British banks must use first-half profits to boost lending to businesses, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said in an interview on Sunday, ahead of key results for the nation’s top lenders. “But the industry’s ability to support the economy needs to be considered as the increased capital and […]

Call Charges

Aug 01, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka Telecom has changed its tariff plans for new ‘Citylink’ fixed wireless telephone connections with a rate of one rupee a minute for outgoing calls within its own network for prepaid subscribers. SLT said in a statement the charges for the CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) fixed wireless telephone […]

Sri Lankan, Hawaiian sites added to world heritage list

BRASILIA, July 31, 2010 (AFP) – A region of mountainous forests in Sri Lanka and an isolated archipelago off Hawaii have been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list, officials of the UN cultural and scientific body said Saturday. The World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization decided to add the […]

Sri Lanka insurer to cover graduate study

Aug 01, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Chartis Insurance has tied up with an information technology school to cover degree study costs of students who lose support owing to the loss of their parent or guardian, officials said. In the event of accidental death or dismemberment affecting a parent or guardian, the student will receive […]

Sri Lanka travel warning removed by Britain

July 31, 2010 (LBO) – The British government has removed a travel warning on Sri Lanka advising against visits to the former northern war zone, following the withdrawal of previous travel warnings in the rest of the island. A British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) statement said it no longer advised against all travel to […]

Bangladesh police, garment workers clash for second day

DHAKA, July 31, 2010 (AFP) – Bangladeshi police fired rubber bullets Saturday in a bid to subdue garment workers who rioted for a second day in protest against low pay as unrest spread to areas outside Dhaka, police said. Workers fought pitched street battles with riot police in the manufacturing hub of Ashulia, north of […]

Sri Lanka gets more Emirates flights to Male

July 31, 2010 (LBO) – Emirates is to increase the frequency of flights between Sri Lanka and the Maldives to cater to increasing tourist traffic, a statement said. These flights will be served by Emirates’ Airbus A330-200 aircraft in a three-class configuration, with 12 seats in First Class, 42 seats in Business Class and 183 […]

Sri Lanka rupee appreciation a concern, exporters say

July 31, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan exporters have urged the government not to allow the rupee to appreciate as it would erode their competitiveness. Exporters’ Association chairperson Nirmalie Samarathunga said they were bracing for the loss of duty free market access to Europe after a trade deal with the European Union ends in August. […]

Sri Lankan stocks close up 0.82-pct

July 30, 2010 (LBO) – Bullish Sri Lankan investors drove stock prices higher in record territory Friday continuing a buying spree with large deals on Environmental Resources Investments (ERI) group boosting revenue, brokers said. The All Share Price Index closed at 5,161.18, up 42.08 points, while the more liquid Milanka index gained 0.85 percent (49.33 […]

Lower Profits

July 30, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s PABC Bank’s net profit for the June 2010 quarter fell 60 percent to 83 million rupees from a year earlier, despite lower loan loss provisions, as fee income fell steeply. Interest income fell 17 percent to 704 million rupees amid a falling rate environment and interest expenses fell […]

LBO-LBR CEO Forum

July 30, 2010 (LB0) – Recently imposed floor prices on mobile users by the regulator can be removed within two years, while celco operators have themselves to blame for pushing the sector deep into the red, a senior executive said. “None of us are saying that having an anti-market instrument like floor prices is a […]

Bangladesh garment workers rampage in Dhaka: police

DHAKA, July 30, 2010 (AFP) – Thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers blocked highways, attacked factories and looted shops in Dhaka on Friday, police said, after rejecting the terms of a government wage hike. An estimated 5,000 workers, who stitch clothes for leading Western brands, blocked the city’s main Tejgaon link road and attacked dozens of […]

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