By Devin Jayasundera HDFC, Sri Lanka’s only bank which specialises in Housing finance industry launched its newest product HDFC Housing Fund that provides affordable and accessible financial services for housing purposes at a media briefing yesterday. HDFC Bank officials believe that these kinds of innovative schemes will strengthen the housing sector in Sri Lanka. The ...

Nov 17, Colombo: Private sector trade unions in Sri Lanka have commenced a campaign to create awareness among the public on the alleged misuse of the retirement fund of the country's workforce, Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) monies by the government.

The UNP yesterday criticised the Board of Investment (BOI) for misleading investors by changing its web site's previous assurance that foreign investments will not be nationalised. An apparent development following the passing of Takeover Bill in parliament on Wednesday, in the BOI web site's section listing Supportive Government Policies, the new version only states "Safety ...

By: R. M. B. Senanayake The EPF has defended their investments in the stock market. But it has missed the point of the criticism leveled by the public.  No one is opposing the EPF investing in the stock market. But the EPF should not gamble with the workers money for they are trustees

The Central Bank yesterday issued a fresh statement defending the stock market investments made by the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), which has come under criticism from the Opposition and others. The statement said in an era where interest rates are likely to decline in the medium to long term

Nov 02, Colombo: Sri Lanka's monetary authority, Central Bank says the retirement fund of the country's workforce, Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) is focused on providing long term growth and advised the millions of stakeholders of the fund not to be misled by 'vituperative and negative

The Employees Provident Fund has defended its recent investment moves where it purchased shares of various listed firms through the Colombo Stock Exchange and also made investments in some unlisted firms. EPF says these investments are essential in an era where interest rates are likely to decline

Govt. outlines plan to move into top 30 Doing Business Ranking by 2014 By Cheranka Mendis The Government yesterday outlined the roadmap to up Sri Lanka’s ranking to number 30 in the Doing Business Ranking by 2014 from the current position of 89. The plan highlights the need to reform operations in key institutions with ...

Marque fund manager and investor Asanga Seneviratne structures deal; Galadari Brothers part sell stake as part of settlement of cases in UAEThe buying of a 16% stake in Galadari Hotel (Lanka) Plc by the Dubai Government for Rs. 1.18 billion yesterday is expected to throw open the city five star as an attractive investment in ...

Oct 30, Colombo: Labor Minister of Sri Lanka Gamini Lokuge says there is no problem in Employees Provident Fund (EPF) monies being invested in the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE).

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) affiliated Inter Company Employees’ Union (ICEU) says that authorities were swindling monies of the working masses in the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF). ICEU Head Wasantha Samarasinghe says the decision to invest EPF monies in the Colombo Stock Exchange

Oct 28, Colombo: Sri Lanka's Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) affiliated Inter Company Employees' Union (ICEU) says that authorities were swindling monies of the working masses in the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF).

Dr. Lalith P. Chandradasa, a doctor of medicine and a brother-in-law of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the pioneering development finance institution DFCC Bank. The appointment as an Independent Director had been approved by the DFCC Bank Board following the go ahead by the Director of Bank Supervision, ...

The main opposition in Sri Lanka has accused the government of making "secret deals" in the stock market forcing the market to collapse. The United National Party (UNP) said the employees' provident fund (EPF) lost nearly SLR 30 million ($270,000) as a result of such deals in the marker

UNP parliamentarian Dr. Harsha de Silva said that the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) that functions under the Central Bank has incurred a Rs. 270 million loss last week since the Fund had not followed the proper investment procedures.

By Cheranka Mendis Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal yesterday declared that the country’s biggest fund, the EPF, was well managed and not corrupted, in remarks that signalled an apparent dismissal of allegations levelled by the main opposition UNP. Sri Lanka’s largest fund

Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabral has said that they had no intention of vesting the Employees Provident in another party. He was speaking at the relocation of the EPF Department at a new venue. The Employees Provident Fund Department has been relocated in the Lloyds Building at Sir Baron

aUNP MP and the party’s Economic Spokesman Dr. Harsha de Silva yesterday renewed his warning over the fate of EPF’s questionable investments in the stock market. In a statement, he urged that EPF must follow its own investment guidelines and code of professional conduct or else

The adage ‘there is no smoke without fire’ appears to be a perfect fit to Monday’s mega deal of EPF buying an 8% stake in Laugfs Holdings Plc for Rs. 1.6 billion, given its timing and the price paid. The Employees Provident Fund (EPF), which is heading towards a fund base of Rs. 1

The Central Bank last week said that the base of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) is expected to reach the Rs. 1 trillion milestone later this year. “As at 31 August 2011, the value of total assets of the EPF reached Rs. 976 billion, recording an annual growth of 14.6%. With this growth

Employees Provident Fund has purchased 33 million ordinary voting shares of the Laugfs Gas PLC from Laugfs Holdings Limited. The transaction took place today and a share has been sold at Rs. 48. Consequent to this sale, Laugfs Holdings owned 260,000,000 million shares (260 Mln shares) of Laugfs Gas PLC. However, following the transaction, the share amount held ...

Sri Lanka’s Employees Provident Fund’s asset value is expected to reach the Rs. 1 trillion mark during this year, announced the Central Bank. The Bank says as of 31st of August this year the total assets of the EPF have grown up to Rs 976 billion. According to the Central Bank this is an annual

As at 31 August 2011, the value of total assets of the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) reached Rs. 976 billion, recording an annual growth of 14.6%. With this growth, the EPF is expected to reach the total assets value of Rs.1 trillion by end of 2011.

Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) Leader and Livestock Development and Rural Economy Minister Arumugam Thondaman has expressed concerns over the Government’s plan to lease out tea estates under the purview of the Janatha Estate Development Board (JEDB) to the private sector. In a statement he said that estate workers have been left in the lurch without ...

Management inefficiency has led to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) failing to collect as much as Rs.666 million in terms of contributions and surcharges from employers in 2009,

The UNP says payment of salaries to employees of a state institution has been delayed while benefit payments have been delayed since 2007. UNP parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekera has said while salaries of employees at Salu Sala have been delayed, their Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees

Corporate institutions can now make Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) payments in a convenient manner via ‘Paymaster,’ the innovative electronic total payment solution of the Commercial Bank of Ceylon, the Bank rated internationally as Sri Lanka’s best. The formal agreement

Business leader Dhammika Perera sells 51% personal stake in Amaya Leisure to Hayleys Group for Rs. 2.6 b and buys 9% more of the latter for same amount Deputy Chairman’s control in Hayleys tops 40%; Hayleys Group firms pay Rs. 107 per Amaya share after getting independent report valuing share at Rs. 160; to announce ...

By Harsha de Silva We understand that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is planning to compound undisclosed securities fraud by some billionaire investors. Media reports have begun to circulate that Environmental Resources Investments (ERI) and its Directors have agreed with the SEC to pay an insignificant fine of Rs. 10 million and compound an ...

Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC) has sold 3.4% stake in DFCC Bank to Employees Provident Fund (EPF) for Rs. 1.2 billion. Of the amount 7.9 million shares were sold Tuesday at Rs. 135 each whilst on Monday 1.24 million shares were sold at the same price. Monday’s sale was the entire