Rural Transport

Oct 23, 2009 (LBO) – The Asian Development Bank said it has given financial assistance amounting to 70 million dollars to Sri Lanka for rebuilding roads in two provinces affected by war.The total investment cost of the project in the island’s Eastern and North Central Provinces is 78 million dollars of which eight million will […]

Sri Lanka milk farmers get marketing support

Oct 23, 2009 (LBO) – The US Agency for International Development (USAID) said it has partnered with a unit of the listed Chemical Industries (Colombo) (CIC) to help milk farmers take their product to market and increase incomes. The agency said in a statement it has established a dairy farmer network in Punani, in the […]

Charity Front

WASHINGTON, October 22, 2009 (AFP) – About 30 victims of attacks by Sri Lanka’s rebel Tamil Tigers filed a suit Thursday against the billionaire head of a US hedge fund facing insider trading charges. The suit alleges that Galleon Group founder Raj Rajaratnam and a family foundation led by his father gave more than five […]

Canada ship migrant wanted on terror charges

OTTAWA, October 22, 2009 (AFP) – One of 76 migrants arrested on a rusted ship off Canada’s Pacific Coast is wanted in Sri Lanka on terror charges, a source close to the investigation said Thursday.The 26-year-old man, whose identity was withheld due to a court-ordered publication ban, is being sought by Sri Lankan authorities who […]

Sri Lanka not claiming full duty free access to US

Oct 23, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan exporters are not making enough use of duty free access to the United States under its Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme, officials said. “It is necessary to educate our exporters about the duty free access to the US,” said Gomi Senadheera, Sri Lanka’s Director-General of Commerce. “There […]

Sri Lanka at disadvantage in Iraq tea tender

Oct 23, 2009 (LBO) – Iraq has issued a tender for 15 million kilos of packed black tea but Sri Lankan exporters are disadvantaged by high prices of Ceylon teas and payment problems, a broker said. But the deficit is still 42 million kilos compared with the output in 2008. The global tea tea production […]

Sri Lanka GSP trade deal dropped from EU resolution

Oct 23, 2009 (LBO) – A European Parliament resolution that was critical of Sri Lanka’s human rights record dropped a reference to the GSP Plus trade deal giving duty free access to the island’s exports to European Union markets.The future of the GSP deal is in doubt after a European Commission report earlier in the […]

29 asylum-seekers stopped off Australia: minister

SYDNEY, October 23, 2009 (AFP) – Australian border guards intercepted a boat carrying 29 suspected asylum-seekers off the country’s northwest on Friday, the home minister said, as debate raged over a sharp rise in arrivals. Home Minister Brendan O’Connor said the 29, along with four crew, were stopped near Ashmore Island, off Australia’s northwest coast. […]

Sri Lanka urged to cut tax breaks

Oct 23, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka should cut down on tax incentives to attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and concentrate on improving the business climate to maximize the benefits of peace, a senior economist said. Despite vast concessions offered to investors Sri Lanka could only muster 900 million dollars in FDI in 2008. Most […]

Sri Lankan shares down 0.85-pct

Oct 22, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares failed to hold onto morning gains Thursday as retailers with weak finances sold to meet margin calls, while some investors were seen taking profits from yesterday’s gains, brokers said. The All Share Price Index closed down 0.85 percent (25.73 points) to end at 2,992.87, while the Milanka […]

Deposit Franchise

Oct 22, 2009 (LBO) – RAM Ratings Lanka said it has assigned long- and short-term financial institutions rating of A and P1 to Sri Lanka’s State Mortgage and Investment Bank (SMIB). “The ratings are primarily based on the state ownership of the bank, tempered by the wide asset-liability maturity mismatch (ALMM) inherent in its business […]

Sri Lanka tea output down in September

Oct 22, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s production of black tea in September 2009 fell three percent to 25.5 million kilos from a year ago, according to the Sri Lanka Tea Board’s statistics. The deficit of 42 million kilos makes up for the bulk of the global tea production shortfall that has driven up prices […]

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