Sri Lanka gives tax breaks to US$220mn sugar refinery

Apr 23, 2014 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has given a 10 year tax holiday to a 220 million US dollar sugar refinery by the Hambantota port including tax free salaries for 50 expatriate staff. Lanka Sugar Refinery Company (Pvt) Ltd, will import raw sugar for refining to the local and foreign markets, a notice published […]

Sri Lanka gets natural disaster credit from World Bank

Apr 24, 2014 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has been given a 102 million US dollar credit line that can be drawn immediately after a natural disaster, as well as another 110 million dollars for measures to cut disaster risk, the World Bank said. The lender said Sri Lanka is the first county in South Asia […]

Sri Lanka rates unchanged; lower state borrowings to boost credit: Central Bank

Apr 22, 2014 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank held policy rates unchanged in April saying reduced central government and state enterprise borrowings has created conditions for private credit to pick up. Rice taxes have been relaxed ahead of the drought though prices are now up. Meanwhile traders have been slapped with price controls. Sri […]

Sri Lanka Italy businesses in forum with Harsha

Apr 22, 2014 (LBO) – Sri Lanka-Italy Business Council, of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce said it is hosting a forum on ‘post war dividends’ where Harsha de Silva, an economist and legislator will speak. De Silva, who is the key economic spokesman at Sri Lanka’s United National Party, will speak on “The Road to […]

Sri Lanka inspiring entrepreneur: innovation comes from within

Apr 22, 2014 (LBO) – An inspiring Sri Lankan entrepreneur who broke into a global supply chain in precision tech components for the automobile industry says innovation comes from within.“I am usually not a person that complains,” Rohan Pallewatte, head of Lanka Harness Company (Pvt) Ltd, a precision manufacturing firm that makes impact sensors for […]

Sri Lanka port profit, revenues down despite higher volumes

Apr 20, 2014 (LBO) – Operating profits at Sri Lanka’s Ports Authority fell 53.4 percent to 2.4 billion rupees in 2013 with revenues also down 2.3 percent to 37.2 billion rupees, despite an increase in container volumes at Colombo, official data showed. Expenditure had increased 5.8 percent to 34.8 billion rupees. Containers handled in Colombo […]

Sri Lanka President sends condolences to South Korea

Apr 18, 2014 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa has sent condolences to South Korea over a ferry disaster which has killed an unknown number of persons.In a message to his counterpart President Park Geun-hye, President conveyed profound condolence on behalf of the people and government of Sri Lanka to Korea and the affected […]

Fuel Sales

Apr 16, 2014 (LBO) – Losses at Sri Lanka’s state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation fell to 7.7 billion rupees in 2013 from 89.6 billion rupees a year earlier, but bank debt was still high, official data showed.The Central Bank in its annual report said other state enterprises owed the CPC 75.1 billion rupees and CPC in […]

Sri Lanka could have credit upgrade on lower budget deficit, external debt: Fitch

Apr 16, 2014 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s sovereign credit could be upgraded on a steadily narrowing budget deficit and a lower external debt burden, which were weaker than similarly rated countries, Fitch Ratings has said. Among Fitch rated Asia Pacific sovereigns, Mongolia had a ‘B+’ rating with a negative outlook, Vietnam ‘B+/positive’, Philippines and Indonesia […]

‘s missing macaws

COLOMBO, April 16, 2014 (AFP) – Four macaws belonging to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse have escaped his tightly-guarded official residence in Colombo, his office said Wednesday as it appealed for help to trace the colourful long-tailed birds.Macaws — a species of parrot — are not indigenous to Sri Lanka, but several pet stores import […]

Canada suspends Commonwealth funding over Sri Lanka rights abuses

OTTAWA, April 14, 2014 (AFP) – Canada’s government announced Monday the suspension of funding to the Commonwealth over rotating chair Sri Lanka’s alleged rights abuses.While Sri Lanka remains chair of the 53-member bloc, Canada’s Can$10 million (US$9 million) annual contribution to the Commonwealth Secretariat will instead go for two years toward combatting the practice of […]

” Commonwealth

COLOMBO, April 15, 2014 (AFP) – Sri Lanka on Tuesday accused Canada of undermining the Commonwealth to score political points after it announced a suspension of funding while the island nation chairs the group.Colombo has denied the accusations, but the UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution in March to set up an investigation into […]

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