Tag: lbo
Red Flag
The woes the Indian state oil giant IOC’s Sri Lankan unit continues, as the firm took an unprecedented hit on its accounts to provision off a disputed subsidy due from the government. Lanka IOC’s profits for the 9-months ended December 2005 slipped deep into red after the company made a provision of Rs. 7 billion […]
Sick Leave
Feb 22 (LBO) – Some workers at Sri Lanka’s state owned power utility struck work on Wednesday in protest over unpaid wages, without disrupting power supplies. The politically affiliated Viduli Sevaka Sangamaya (VSS) said they would be on a ‘sick-note’ campaign, not reporting to work until 4.00 pm on Wednesday evening. The Ceylon Electricity Board […]
Last Warning
Feb. 21 (LBO) – About 50 public sector trade unions called off a planned strike, giving the government a ten day ultimatum to sort out salary anomalies. Unions want the government to give low and middle level public sector workers higher wage increases, instead of the 25 percent or less approved by a government circular […]
Treasure Hunt
Feb. 20 (LBO) – India’s Reliance group is scouting for investment opportunities in Sri Lanka, with an eye on oil exploration in potential areas off Mannar on the Western coast, officials said Monday. Two rounds of seismic surveys have shown that Sri Lanka has potential oil reserves in the Cauvery Basin off the west coast, […]
Here’s Hoping
Reports that the treasury has set off tax liabilities of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation against the full subsidy due from the government, has raised expectations that Lanka IOC would also get the full subsidy owed to it. The treasury has agreed to set off Rs. 25 billion in taxes due to the government, a top […]
‘s Hoping
Reports that the treasury has set off tax liabilities of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation against the full subsidy due from the government, has raised expectations that Lanka IOC would also get the full subsidy owed to it. The treasury has agreed to set off Rs. 25 billion in taxes due to the government, a top […]
Sri Lankan taxpayers too afraid of tax collectors to complain about mistreatment
Jan 15 (LBO) – Sri Lankan tax payers are too afraid of retaliation by tax collectors to complain about mistreatment. Sri Lanka appointed a tax ombudsman in September 2005 to mediate between the Department of Inland Revenue and the island’s small number of tax payers, as a way of easing strained relations. However the tax […]
Betting Big
Feb. 15 (LBO) – Smaller lubricant players are asking the Sri Lankan government to scrap a five-year license fee and instead opt for a 0.5 percent tax on each firm’s turnover, an industry official said Wednesday. Last month, Sri Lanka doubled licence fees for lubricant operators fixing it at Rs. 10 million (US$ 100,000) for […]
Seventeen badly run state-institutions cost taxpayers Rs. 70 bn annually
Feb. 14 (LBO) – Despite just over two decades of public sector reforms, 17 government entities continue to hemorrhage, draining Rs. 70 billion each year from state coffers, Treasury Secretary said Tuesday. Mega Plans Sri Lanka is pushing ahead with mega projects in three key districts next month with full state patronage, Treasury Secretary […]
Green Fingers
Feb. 13 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Richard Pieris Group, owners of the ‘Arpico’ brand, are ploughing Rs. 150 million to generate energy off trees, a top official said. The Group’s core strengths lie in rubber and rubber products, tyres, plastics, retailing and plantations, which includes tea. Richard Pieris recently extended their reach into the real […]
Oil prices fuel Sri Lanka’s trade gap
Feb. 10 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s trade deficit widened by 12 percent to US$ 2.5 billion for the year ended 2005, though foreign remittances helped strengthen the island’s balance of payments, the Central Bank said Friday. The country’s trade balance reported a US$ 502 million surplus as at end 2005, helped by a 26 percent […]
‘s trade gap
Feb. 10 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s trade deficit widened by 12 percent to US$ 2.5 billion for the year ended 2005, though foreign remittances helped strengthen the island’s balance of payments, the Central Bank said Friday. The country’s trade balance reported a US$ 502 million surplus as at end 2005, helped by a 26 percent […]