Category:
Freedom Day
Police raided a Tamil journalists home in Colombo Monday night, asrnjournalists around the world celebrated World Press Freedom Day.rnrnThe journalist, Sivaram Dharmeratnam writes the popular lquote Taraki, Tamil affairs column for The Daily Mirror, and also contributes to several Tamil publications. At the time of the raid, only his wife and children were in the […]
African Roots
rnThe Sri Lankan business community will take lessons from its South African counterparts on how the sector can contribute towards national economic growth while improving social standards. rnA 15-member business delegation will visit South Africa on May 1st on a study tour to examine the South African Business Trust.rnrn rnThe South African Business Trust is […]
Good Job
Early last year, the government had forecasted a 5.5 percent economic growth. The 5.9 percent year on growth for 2003, is the highest since 2000, when the economy expanded by 6.0 percent.rn rnAfter contracting by 1.5 percent in 2001, the government is forecasting gross domestic product to touch 5.5 percent in 2004.rn rnBut private sector […]
Reality Check
Treasury Bond yields touched 8.06 percent at this weeks auction for paper maturing in 316 days.The yield is slightly above one-year treasury bill notes which slipped to 7.71 percent at Wednesdays auction.rn rnThe Central Bank said it accepted bids for Rs. 1.5 bn though receiving offers for Rs. 3,160 mn.rn rnThursdays short-term issue carries a […]
Road Blocks
The ADB is to help package road development into a shelf of projects complete with backward clearances in place, making it easier for investors to step in. A US$ 15 mn Asian Development Bank technical assistance grant is in the works to change over from ad-hoc development to a more planned project lending process.rn rnldblquote […]
Low Leaf
Asia Siyaka Commodity Brokers said that buyers at the Colombo Tea Auction are concerned by the quality of future low grown teas on offer, driven by the surge in production associated with Sri Lankas famous long holidays. “Many traders seem to have taken the position that they would need to stock up on the superior […]
Hanging Up
The telecom watchdog ended its standoff with Mobitel (Pvt) Ltd on Thursday, withdrawing its case with the Fort Magistrate after the two parties reached a settlement. Mobitel agreed to pay Rs. 2 mn to cover the Telecommunication Regulatory Commissions legal costs and re-affirm the regulators authority over the telco industry.rn rnThe settlement comes after months […]
Missing Dentures
Sri Lanka lacks lquote sufficient organised public outrage to bring about any meaningful changes, say civil advocacy groups, about the abuse of public property during the April elections.ldblquote What we lack in Sri Lanka is sufficient organised public outrage, dblquote said Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, from the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV), at the launch […]
Taxing Times
With total State revenue falling by around 18 percent last year, the Asian Development Bank asked the government to pay closer attention to closing tax loopholes and streamline its tariff policies.Unveiling its 2004 Asian Development Outlook, the Manila based bank said government revenue fell to around Rs.248 bn from the projected figure of Rs.303 bn […]
Regional Curfew
Sri Lankan police clamped indefinite curfews and troops poured into a central tea-growing region Thursday after two people were killed in ethnic violence, officials and residents said.rn A curfew was imposed on the picturesque Kandapola region after clashes between the Tamil and Sinhalese communities that left more than 20 shops destroyed, officials said.rn rn They […]
Refugee Status
The United Nations refugees agency said Thursday Sri Lanka risked losing international financial support if it did not pay more attention to resettling nearly 400,000 internally displaced people.A top official of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Dennis McNamara, said the agency expected the new government to pay “renewed attention” to resolve the […]
First Flush
Sri Lankas new government held its first talks with neighbouring India Thursday ahead of plans to revive stalled peace talks with Tamil Tiger rebelsLakshman Kadirgamar, the foreign minister in President Chandrika Kumaratungas government, met Indian leaders on a brief visit to New Delhi before Norwegian peace brokers begin a trip to Sri Lanka at the […]