Eden Resort and Spa General Manager Eksath Wijeratne in an interview with Ceylon FT, opines that tourism stakeholders should seriously look at aggressively marketing Sri Lanka as a much sought-after tourist destination and should have a more investor-friendly bureaucracy, as far as the sector is concerned.

Although the hegemonic influence of India exerted through its long-standing political, economic and social relationship with Sri Lanka cannot be discounted, a level playing field can be achieved between the two parties at least in terms of trade disputes, in the event Sri Lanka-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) materializes, opines Asia Wealth Management Research.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) recently recognized 20 top companies as strategic level training partners at a special ceremony held at the Instituteandrsquo;s Colombo 7 premises.

Phoenix industries, one of the largest plastic molding company in Sri Lanka with over 35 years of industry experience, laid the foundation stone for a new plant situated at Horana, which will be fully dedicated to Unilever.

The first-ever Agency andlsquo;Show and Tellandrsquo; was held last Wednesday (29) for the finalists battling for the titles in the Spikes Media category and the Spikes Integrated category for the upcoming Festival of Creativity to be held in Singapore. The winners of their respective categories will represent Sri Lanka at the Young Spikes competition this September in Singapore.

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, this week hosted an advanced trade finance seminar in Colombo to train bankers from Sri Lanka and Maldives on using sophisticated trade finance products, the better to serve small entrepreneurs engaged in international trade.

HSBC Sri Lanka was presented with the prestigious Credit Card Initiative of the Year award by Asian Banking and Finance 2012 for the launch of its Visa Signature credit card in Sri Lanka, at a special awards ceremony held at the Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore on 23 August 2012.

HSBC in partnership with the British Council held andlsquo;HSBC Youth Enterprise Awards 2012andrsquo;andmdash; a business plan contest aimed at recognising young entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka, was held last Wednesday (29) at the Colombo Hilton.

The Annual General Meeting the Womenandrsquo;s Chamber of Industry and Commerce Sri Lanka (WCIC) was held on 24 August 2012. High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Ashok Kantha, graced the occasion as the chief guest.

Sri Lanka Ceramics and Glass Council Annual General Meeting (AGM)was held on August 28 at the Taj Samudra Hotel Colombo.

Consumer prices in Sri Lankaandrsquo;s capital Colombo rose 9.5% in August 2012, easing slightly from 9.8% in July, with the index falling in absolute terms in the month, State statistics office said.

Reuters: China’s economy is stabilising slowly as pro-growth government policies gain traction while real estate curbs have suppressed speculation, the head of the country’s top planning agency, the National Development and Reform Commission, said on Wednesday. Zhang told a meeting of the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s top legislature, that China’s two-pron...

24th August 2012 Dr. P. B. Jayasundera, Secretary to the Treasury, Ministry of Finance & Planning The Secretariat, Colombo 1. Dear Dr. Jayasundera, Establishment of a Financial Services Authority and a Banking and Finance Commission I suggest for your consideration that you duly evaluate the long-term national economic benefits of enhancing effective fiscal management capability ...

DFCC Vardhana Bank (DVB) continues to uphold its status as one of Sri Lankaandrsquo;s fastest growing banks. Fitch Ratings Lanka re-affirmed the bankandrsquo;s national long-term rating of andlsquo;AA-(lka)andrsquo; (stable outlook) with DVBandrsquo;s subordinated debentures also rated at andlsquo;A+(lka)andrsquo;.

The world leading international Emergency Services Company, Falck (Denmark) has acquired 50% of Sri Lankan Emergency Medical Services (EMS) company, Med1 (Pvt) Limited.Med1andnbsp;plans to launchandnbsp;emergencyandnbsp;medicalandnbsp;response services in the Colomboandnbsp;areaandnbsp;by the end of 2012.

Seychelles, which has the highest Human Development Index in Africa, wishes to implement Sri Lankaandrsquo;s backyard economic unit programme andmdash; Divinegumaandnbsp; andmdash; at its earliest, to kick-start agricultural revival in the country, Seychellesandrsquo; Minister of Natural Resources and Industry, Peter Sinon said recently.

Braille ballot papers in Australia News from Australia confirms that not everyone will cast votes the traditional way on 8 September. Those who are blind or with low vision can now register for Braille ballot papers for local government elections. Returned papers will be transcribed and added to the rest. This facility will be extended, ...

The seventh national Machinery, Technology and Services Exhibition called andlsquo;SME 2012andrsquo; facilitated by Industry and Commerce, supported by the Ministry of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development, and organised by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) and its Small and Medium Enterprise Developers (Project SMED), concluded last Sunday...

Freesh TV will bring a brand new television experience to their viewers by introducing the Web TV concept to Sri Lanka, Freesh TV President Suranga Katugampola said in an exclusive interview with Ceylon FT.

MBSL Savings Bank, a subsidiary of Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka (MBSL) continued its burst of expansion activity with the bankandrsquo;s relocation of its Kottawa Extension Office to no. 262/2A High-level Road.

Sri Lankaandrsquo;s foremost motor racing team EZY Racing, set about in creating yet another historical moment in Sri Lankan motor racing when they announced their newest partnership with Speed Drome, to introduce the EZY Racing Kart Fighters, a Pro Karting Challenge designed to attract new and younger drivers to motor racing.

Global CyberLympics is an international cybersecurity competition. There are teams fromvarious countries participating in the competition.

Supporting the internationally recognized pageant, the Siyatha Lux Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2012, Sri Lankaandrsquo;s premier sausage brand, Elephant House Sausages, was the official food provider at the recently concluded event. Sabrina Herft was adjudged the winner and will represent Sri Lanka at the Miss Universe pageant to be held in December this year.

Subhash Pinnapola, Executive Creative Director at Leo Burnett Solutions Inc. (LBSI) joins Spikes Asia 2012 as a member of the Jury for the andlsquo;Craftandrsquo; category, completing a world-class collective of 75 regional industry experts.

Sri Lanka requires proactive and pragmatic policy-making as there is a strong case for proactive policy-making to maintain the fiscal consolidation and revive the growth momentum in the economy, local think tank The Pathfinder Foundation said in its latest Economic Flash released yesterday.

A historic battle took place in the Kande Uda Rata Rajadhaniya, in the course of one of the many invasions by the Western colonial powers who once occupied what was known as the Maritime Provinces of Lanka, at the site of the ford at Wagolla village, a crossing point of the Mahaweli river on one ...

andlsquo;Haritha Kedalleandrsquo;, Hatton National Bank Nittambuwa branch building was presented andlsquo;Silver Flameandrsquo; Award at the andlsquo;Sri Lanka National Energy Efficiency Awardsandrsquo; held on 19 August at the Colombo Hilton.

The Motivation Charitable Trust (MCT), UK through the Sri Lanka Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled (SLFRD andndash; Colombo) together with four partner organizations Jaffna Jaipur Centre for Disability Rehabilitation (JJCDR), Centre for Handicapped (CFH) Kandy, Navajeevana Tangalle and Organization for the Rehabilitation of the Handicapped (ORHAN) Vavuniya recognized over 80 Public ...