By Cheranka Mendis Despite the Central Bank’s forecast reading 7.2% growth for 2012, RAM Ratings Lanka CEO Adrian Perera is confident that the country can touch the 7.5%-7.6% mark by the end of the year. Perera told the Daily FT that the new projection is a realistic number from the 8% noted

The inaugural Future Marketers Conference of The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), Sri Lanka Region, will be held on 17 March 2012 at the Grand Ballroom, Galadari Hotel Colombo from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Student Committee of CIM Sri Lanka Region, comprising of 17 members who are students and practicing marketershave taken great ...

By Uditha Jayasinghe Members of the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) want legal powers to implement their recommendations after a dispute resulted in unions threatening to pull out of the body. Employers Federation of Ceylon (EFC) Director General Ravi Peiris told Daily FT

Ceylinco leads, Union Assurance best performer Combined premium tops Rs. 35 b mark, up by Rs. 4 b or 13% over 2010 Allianz rises to number eight, beating Indian giant LIC   The Life insurance market has seen a near 13% growth last year with impressive growth for top players, whilst Ceylinco and Union Assurance ...

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has ruled that Melstacorp Ltd. must make a mandatory offer on Lanka Milk Foods (LMF) to all at Rs. 105 per share. This directive came following Melstacorp seeking same from the SEC. Last week LMF share price closed at Rs. 97.10, up by 80 cents from the previous week. ...

With its seventh birthday coming up this May, The Commons continues to keep diners and coming back for more with new menus and a maintained standard that’s hard to meet. Chic yet laid back, The Commons has continuously introduced new products and services along with its excellent restaurant menu. Spearheaded by Chef Manoj, the Commons ...

Malaysia’s second largest financial services provider CIMB Group is bullish on post-war Sri Lanka and prospects for financial services. Early this week CIMB entered into a strategic collaboration with John Keells Stock Brokers as part of a phased entry in to Sri Lanka. CIMB Group is also one of ASEAN’s leading universal banking groups and ...

Thousands of women in the apparel industry deserve respect for being partners in Sri Lanka’s highest foreign exchange earning sector By Uditha Jayasinghe Sri Lanka’s apparel industry clothes the world and earns the largest amount of foreign exchange but is struggling to retain its workforce as an estimated 30,000 vacancies remain open in hundreds of ...

By Cheranka Mendis With a membership of 107 top entrepreneurs of the country – among which close to 200 leading organisations is managed providing employment close to 250,000 people – the Chamber of Young Lankan Entrepreneurs (COYLE) is a unique and highly valuable organisation to the country. Taking the mantle of the Chamber from K.H. ...

The converting business ideas into an action program is based upon seven principles: Team members’ ideas for improving how work is done are valuable as they are derived from first-hand experience of their organisation’s waste of time, effort and materials. Team members’ voluntary contributions of ideas result in greater productivity and enhanced service quality. Coaxing ...

SLIC books hefty Rs. 4 b capital gain as an eager Harry secures large block; Ups control to 40.8%; Melstacorp to revise Spence mandatory offer price to Rs. 115 per share from Rs. 113 Business tycoon Harry Jayawardena-linked Melstacorp Ltd. yesterday acquired a strategic block of an 11% stake in Aitken Spence Plc for Rs. ...

Minority shareholders are strongly objecting to Watawala Plantation Plc’s (WATA) proposed sale of its marketing subsidiary, the company’s cash cow, to majority shareholder Estate Management Services Ltd. Their opposition is likely to be vehemently expressed today at the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) convened for shareholder approval. Last month, WATA in a brief filing to the ...

Diversified blue chip Hayleys Plc and Fitch Ratings Lanka Ltd., have parted ways after simmering discontent over their relationship reached the tipping point. Fitch in an announcement yesterday said that it has withdrawn Hayleys Plc’s A+ rating with a negative outlook and would no longer provide ratings or analytical coverage of Hayleys. Though Fitch’s announcement ...

Benito Mussolini, the fascist ruler of Italy, during World War II, said that his brand of fascism ‘should be more appropriately called Corporatism, because it is a merger of state and corporate power’. Compare this with the dictionary definition of capitalism: ‘A system in which a country’s business and industry are controlled and run for ...

Companies controlled by business tycoon Harry Jayawardena last week admitted that by an oversight they had failed to make a mandatory offer on Lanka Milk Foods Plc way back in September 2011. The bizarre development, which also exposed the failure by the regulators, Melstacorp Ltd., said that as at 12 September it (0.79%) together with ...

By Cheranka Mendis The much anticipated fashion event for the year, HSBC Colombo Fashion Week (HSBC CFW) will start its three day journey today evening at Hilton Colombo. Everything is ready for an event that has reached the ‘tier two’ in fashion, on par with the famed Barcelona and Madrid Fashion Weeks CFW President Ajai ...

Executive Vice President and CEO says IFC will explore a good mix of enhanced financing and advisory services on a range of sectors apart from promoting FDIs to the country Encouraged by the post-war optimism the World Bank’s private sector investment arm – International Finance Corporation (IFC) yesterday revealed plans to expand its support in ...

By Cheranka Mendis Tucked away on the southern coastal belt, Avani Bentota Resort and Spa is the perfect epicentre for rest and relaxation. From the moment you walk in, a sense of peace settles in, heightened by the bright white walls, the simple sketches that hang almost rhythmically from the walls and the calming blues ...

State giant’s leadership in general insurance gets stronger on high growth Harry J’s Continental fastest growing in 2011 Top four players ranking intact amidst mixed performance Overall General insurance market enjoys 20% growth as against 11% in 2010 The highly-competitive general insurance industry last year had enjoyed healthy growth, with State-owned giant Sri Lanka Insurance ...

By Cassandra Mascarenhas The role and responsibilities of a director on the board of a company is a topic that has risen to the forefront of the business community, both in Sri Lanka and globally, in recent times and tackling the billion rupee question of ‘Sweat or Blood,’ a CEO Breakfast Debate on accountability and ...

Contrary to exaggerated claims the EPF investments in to the stock market last week had amounted to only less than 10% of market activity and unlike some past contentious buys, this time around it had focused on blue chips. The total turnover of the Colombo bourse last week was Rs. 8.6 billion and local purchases ...

By Cheranka Mendis Sri Lanka is the new destination on the global 70.3 calendar hosting the Ironman triathlon on Sunday. The first ever to be held in Asia, Ironman has managed to lure down over 250 triathlon athletes from world over. Race Director Shannon Kurek told the Daily FT

World famous photographer Shahidul Alam expresses his views on resistance and furthering the social movement through the medium of photography Colombo Art Biennale has taken the city by storm this week and while attending one of the ‘Art Talks’ sessions titled ‘Building Bridges – The South Asian Context’ held in the picturesque setting of Nuga ...

ASI gains by 5% as Bourse’s value swells by Rs. 96 b Brokers positive after fresh meeting with SEC EPF, private institutional and high networth investors active on attractive valuations The Colombo stock market yesterday produced a major rebound gaining by 5% thanks what some described as “spirited support” whilst others emphasised it was largely due ...

Directors’ responsibilities and liabilities under the Companies Act will come under spotlight at a unique forum over breakfast on Friday with several experts sharing  key insights. The forum titled “Accountability and Protection” organized by ACCA Sri Lanka in association with the Institute of Chartered Corporate Secretaries of Sri Lanka (ICCS), Janshakthi Insurance Plc and ...

The Daily FT spoke to the Immediate Past President of Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) and Chairman and Managing Director of Conniassance de Ceylan Ltd., on the state of post-war Sri Lanka tourism industry, the progress and key challenges as well as future prospects

Contrary to Government assurance of minimal impact from the unprecedented fuel hike of Sunday, a set of upward price revisions including on bus fares and electricity will become reality from today. Striking private bus operators yesterday won their demand with the Government agreeing to let fares up by 20% with minimum ticket priced at Rs. ...

Fuel hike fires up fresh crisis Unprecedented rise to rocket cost of living; Opposition says hike anti-poor; subsidy scheme impractical Import bill in 2011 first 11 months at $ 4.1 b far above 2010 full year figure of $ 3 b Experts urge country to go back to automatic monthly price revision Hike likely to ...

UNP MP and its chief spokesman on the economy Dr. Harsha de Silva is expected to ask in Parliament today the Government stand on the remaining tranche worth US$ 800 million of the IMF assistance via its Stand-By-Arrangement (SBA). There hasn’t been a clear stand on the part of the Government during and following the ...

This is the 14th article in the Daily FT’s fortnightly series titled ‘Business of Sports,’ focusing on the back office of the various sports administered and played in this country. Readers are invited to share their views and express their opinion via email to editor@ft.lk