Tag: Sri Lanka
Going Up
LONDON, July 21, 2006 (AFP) – Oil prices firmed on Friday but remained below recent record peaks as traders paused for breath after a week of volatile trading, dealers said. New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in September, added 10 cents to 74.37 dollars per barrel in electronic deals before the official […]
Bitter Prescription
July 18, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is taking a hard look on how to manage subsidising fuel prices amidst a worsening Middle East crisis that is threatening to send oil prices even higher. “Right now the middle east is entering into a sixth day of intensified conflict,” Treasury Secretary P B Jasundera said Tuesday […]
IPS to develop action plan for Sri Lankan industrialists
July 18, 2006 (LBO) – The Industrial Association of Sri Lanka has commissioned a study to develop a national action plan to be presented to the government later this year. The Institute of Policy Studies, a government think tank, will carry out the study on behalf of the trade body, with financial assistance from the […]
New Blend
July 17 (LBO) – The government has agreed to amend lubricant tariffs, narrowing the gap between lube imports and raw materials like base oil, to spur competition in the sector. New investors will also be allowed to blend lubricants locally, though the small size of the local lube market is widely expected to support just […]
Slow Down
VIENNA, July 17, 2006 (AFP) – Developments in the oil industry should help cool crude prices in 2007 but the market will remain vulnerable to geopolitical tensions, OPEC said in its July report published Monday. “The expected increase in OPEC capacity, combined with the projected decline in required OPEC crude, should help to moderate prices,” […]
Bigger Mix
July 16, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka Sunday invited new lubricant players to invest in the country, following interest from a few foreign companies. The government’s privatisation unit, PERC, said new players can either: 1) import, export, blend, produce, supply, distribute and sell lubricants in Sri Lanka; or 2) import, export, supply, distribute and sell […]
Newly appointed monetary board member Nimal Welgama declines the job
July 16, 2006 (LBO) – Businessman Nimal Welgama has declined a seat on the country’s Monetary Board due to an ongoing inquiry by the Central Bank, according to newspaper reports. Welgama, who was appointed to the board by President Mahinda Rajapakse on July 3, is currently the Managing Director of the Upali Group. The Upali […]
Southern Tip
July 13, 2006 (LBO) – Emirates based Star Petro Energy LLC, has secured Sri Lankan government consent to build the country’s second oil refinery in the south of the island, the government said Thursday. Built at a cost of around 1.5 billion dollars, the refinery’s entire output will be shipped to overseas markets, Media Minister […]
New Lease
July 13, 2006 (LBO) – Ceylon Petroleum Corporation has temporarily shelved plans to get back into the gas business, extending a five year agreement with Laugfs Gas that ends in October this year. The two sides have been in talks, with the supply agreement to be extended by another two years from October, a top […]
‘s trade deficit widens despite strong export growth in May
July 13, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s trade deficit expanded to 429 million dollars for the five months to May, amidst strong growth in export earnings. Exports from Sri Lanka rose 5.8 percent to 2,530 million dollars from Jan – May, as the island shipped more clothes, tea, rubber based products. During the month of […]
Tsunami displaced asked to build their own houses to beat costs
July 13, 2006 (LBO) – International donors who signed up to build homes for Sri Lankans displaced by the tsunami, are now altering plans to beat bureaucratic delays and rising construction costs, officials said Thursday. Over 98,000 houses needed to be built following the December 2004 tsunami that killed over 31,000 people and left nearly […]
Sri Lanka fills monetary board vacancy
July 13, 2006 (LBO) – Upali Group chairman Nimal Welgama, has been appointed to the Monetary Board, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka said Thursday. Welgama has been appointed by the President with effect from July 3. His term of office will be for the remaining period of office of P D Rodrigo, appointed member […]