High Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka Ashok K. Kantha recently launched Sri Lanka’s first-ever Corporate Fuel Card and XtraPremium Euro 3 at. Felix Perera, Lanka IOC’s flagship retail outlet in Colombo 7. This new Corporate Fuel Card has been launched by Lanka IOC in a tie-up with Dialog and will be issued to corporate ...

CIMB Group Holdings Berhad (CIMB Group) and John Keells Stock Brokers (Pvt) Ltd. (JKSB) yesterday announced a strategic collaboration to promote and facilitate trading on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and provide co-branded research for CIMB’s clientele. JKSB, a founder member of the CSE and a subsidiary of John Keells Holdings PLC, the largest listed ...

Reuters: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday forecast Sri Lanka’s economic growth would cool to less than 7.5% due to its tighter monetary policy and currency depreciation measures, aimed at cutting the trade and current account deficits. The global lender has withheld the last $800 million left in a $2.6 billion loan program since ...

At the beginning of March, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, will be presenting one world premiere and two European premieres at the Geneva Motor Show. The new generation of the Boxster will make its debut in front of an international public at the Porsche press conference on 6 March at 09:30 a.m. (MEZ) ...

Scanning through the papers recently after the Central Bank of Sri Lanka published its 2011 external sector performance report, I was reminded of a pithy observation made by William W. Watt: “Do not put your faith in what statistics say until you have carefully considered what they do not say.” Some of the data were ...

Passenger traffic continues by 5.7% to rise in January; cargo remains in doldrums with 8% dipThe International Air Transport Association (IATA) last week announced global traffic results for January showing a 5.7% rise in passenger demand but an 8.0% decline in air freight compared to the same month in 2011. The occurrence of Chinese New ...

Tyranny of the international capital markets Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy, ex-Central Banker and International Civil Servant, did not mince words when he addressed the country’s exporters last week. The veteran economist, having made an assessment of the risks associated with Sri Lanka’s external sector crisis, warned that the country will have to grapple with “the tyranny ...

Reuters: The head of the United Nations body that oversees civil aviation said on Friday that his agency still plans to have a proposal on measures to address emissions from aviation by the end of 2012, even as critics push for faster change. “I read the press like anyone. I listen to all of the ...

The Treasury has defended the Government’s recent decision to increase fuel prices ranging from 30% to 50%, linking it to spikes in global prices, rising losses for CPC and the need to safeguard subsidies to the people. In a statement posted on the Treasury’s website, the Finance Ministry has responded to various allegations as well ...

Ford this week announced the winning project under their Environmental Conservation and Grants program in Sri Lanka. The ‘Fire Prevention in Knuckles Forest Reserve’ project was selected as the winner after heavy jury examination and will receive up to $ 10,000 from Ford Motor Company to implement their proposal. Ford Motor Company’s Conservation and Environmental ...

The Central Bank last night said the revision of Sri Lanka Foreign Currency Rating Outlook from ‘Positive’ to ‘Stable’ and lowering of the country’s long-term local currency rating from BB- to B+ by Standard & Poor’s was unwarranted. In a statement, the Central Bank said the Sri Lankan economy is estimated to have grown by ...

By Cheranka Mendis Asian economies must face the rising issues of energy by getting their act together and moving forward even though the countries in the region seem to be facing discrimination from the West in the area of using nuclear power as an alternative source to non-replaceable oil sources. Independent Power Producers Association of ...

Managed to divert from crisis to stability through policy changes By Cheranka Mendis Sri Lanka, teetering on the brink of a crisis, just managed to save itself through the recent policy measures taken by the Government such as the exchange rate changes, said the Commonwealth Secretariat Economic Affairs Division’s former Director Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy yesterday. ...

Clouded prospects in developed markets cast a shadow over outlook for trade and economyBy Jonathan Story Two key forces that have driven Asia’s transformation for decades can be counted on to continue apace in the coming year: economic development and China’s rise. Nonetheless, individual Asian countries will struggle to balance domestic and international responsibilities in ...

By Cheranka Mendis Gathered to discuss the implications, opportunities and challenges of the sudden announcement and introduction of the Government’s new policies, the export community was advised by a panel of experts to watch ahead, be prepared and make their own judgments from the information provided. With the country facing no immediate risks of getting ...

Reuters: Leading economies told Europe it must put up extra money to fight its debt crisis if it wants more help from the rest of the world, piling pressure on Germany to drop its opposition to a bigger European bailout fund.  Euro zone countries pledged on Sunday, at a meeting of finance leaders from the ...

In a change of sentiment, the Government is asking people to step onto the streets and protest the possible US resolution Sri Lanka is facing at the United Nations Human Rights Council sessions, which kicked off yesterday. It was reported that over 150 protests were organised by different parties around the country and in an ...

Subsidies? Well yes, but make them smart subsidiesNigeria: Subsidising the neighbours Nigeria’s Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamidi Sanusi, had a problem. In a recent live interview with the Aljazeera TV, he said that his country had to raise the retail prices of all petroleum products to match the rising international prices, despite the violent and ...

TOKYO (Reuters): Asian shares crept higher on Friday as solid U.S. data improved sentiment, but gains may be limited by concerns that rising oil prices could deal a further blow to the fragile euro zone economy and moves to take profits after recent rallies. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia Pacific shares outside Japan was up ...

Avoiding a crisis The Pathfinder Foundation (PF) commends the Treasury and Central Bank for the policy measures introduced recently. This has prevented an external payments crisis. Without remedial action, the country would not have been able to meet its debt obligations and/or finance essential imports within a short period of time. The increases in the ...

THE effects of the fuel price hike and its effect on public expenditure is finally beginning to surface. The Finance Ministry has directed all Government institutions to limit their consumption of fuel and electricity as a priority following the upward revision of prices. The Ministry has emphasised that this is a national responsibility entrusted on ...

Safety and food hygiene of Colombo eating houses quite poor, says CMC’s Chief Medical Officer By Cheranka Mendis Even though Colombo has over 750 eating houses (from five-star hotels to roadside ‘bath kades’), only 290 obtained trade licenses last year, CMC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam said. Speaking at the Indexpo food and management ...

The following is the full statement issued by UNP MP Karu Jayasuriya yesterday: The Government has stated that they do not suppress peaceful demonstrations.  However this statement was made after suppressing the demonstration held during last week by unarmed masses and political parties demanding the Government to reduce the price of fuel and the cost ...

UNP demands closure of Mihin Lanka and halt inconstruction of new tower UNP MP Dr. Harsha de Silva yesterday demanded that the Government give subsidies that will support families with the increasing prices. On the kerosene subsidy that the State said would be given, he noted that Rs. 200 was inadequate to support rising costs. ...

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 ...

EPF and stock market I was sad to see in the FT that EPF has begun to purchase stocks in the market again. Is it to give the market a boost or is it to fatten someone’s pocket again, as some people claim? It was not very long ago that the fund made so much ...

Sharp reduction in vegetables prices thanks to higher output could help soften an otherwise sharp spike in inflation following the unprecedented fuel hike and devaluation of the rupee, according to analysts. In recent weeks, prices of vegetables have dropped by as much as 50% or more and this development will make the additional cost following ...

Reuters: Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said on Saturday a nuclear-armed Iran would trigger an arms race in the Middle East and nations should impose “crippling” sanctions on Tehran to force it to give up its atomic programme. “A nuclear Iran is a threat to the whole world, not just to Israel … Other major ...

Reuters: Asian shares rebounded on Friday on signs that euro zone officials will soon approve a long-awaited bailout for Greece, and after jobs and factory data pointed to a healthier U.S. economy. Financial bookmakers expected European stocks to track Asian shares higher, with financial spreadbetters calling the main indexes in London .FTSE, Paris .FCHI and ...

Reuters: Iran, facing sanctions that could cripple its oil exports, has told world powers it wants to resume long-stalled talks with “new initiatives”, and France said it might be open to addressing suspicions about its nuclear programme. Tehran made the offer in a letter to the EU’s foreign policy chief obtained by Reuters on Thursday, ...