Part 3: Inalienable power is in the people, exercised in trust by the organs – the legislature, executive and judiciary – and prohibits transfer of power from one organ to anotherIn the public interest to create awareness of the issues involved, the FT will continue to publish extracts adapted from the Petition filed by public ...

EFC says if the Govt. is serious about fund returns to employees, it should be exempted; urges holistic look at pension funds and calls for better governance  By Uditha Jayasinghe As opposition political parties ready to do battle over the proposed amendments to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) that will be presented in Parliament today, ...

Part 2 – UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Judiciary entrusted with task of keeping every organ of the State within the law? In the public interest to create awareness of the issues involved, the Daily FT will continue to publish extracts from the petition filed by public

By Devin Jayasundera Kelani Cables PLC, the foremost name in Sri Lanka’s wiredrawing industry, last week conducted a programme titled ‘Knowledge Forum’ with the intention of enhancing the knowledge of the professionals in the industry. Over 200 engineers working in customer companies of Kelani Cables attended this event. “The primary objective of this forum is ...

How the key industry progressed last yearBy Cheranka Mendis Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, which saw a 30.8% growth over the previous year in 2011, has been driven by key markets India, UK and Germany and is likely to be the foremost contributor in 2012 as well. Named as ‘Visit Sri Lanka year,’ 2011 saw the ...

LTTE rump groups and pro-LTTE organisations are trying hard to achieve their separatist ideology in the countryDefence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Tuesday said that there is a possibility of the re-emergence of the LTTE in Sri Lanka, as LTTE sympathisers abroad are still struggling to achieve the LTTE’s separatist ideology in the country. He made ...

Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal has been increasingly under attack by UNP MP Dr. Harsha de Silva over some of the policies, actions and comments of the professional-turned-politician-turned-Chief of the monetary regulatory authority. Cabraal’s ambitious and robust Roadmap for 2012 and beyond too had come under critique as being overconfident. However, this is unlikely to ...

If time already taken wasn’t long enough then the Securities and Exchange Commission don’t agree, and hence opted to meet again on Monday to take a final decision on relaxation of rules on broker credit. Issuing a one paragraph statement the SEC said “At the 294th Commission Meeting of the Securities and Exchange Com-mission of ...

UNP MP and Consultant Economist Dr. Harsha de Silva yesterday opined that the Daily FT reported pullout of Aitken Spence Plc from the Colombo port’s new terminal project as a direct fallout of the contentious Expropriation Act. He alleged that the move was a “retaliatory act”

The Daily FT’s exclusive expose of Aitken Spence Plc’s pullout from Sri Lanka’s biggest ever FDI project – the upcoming US$ 500 million Colombo South Container Terminal sent shock waves in corporate, shipping, political and diplomatic circles yesterday whilst investors found

Respected blue chip Aitken Spence pulls out of biggest FDI project – the $ 500 m Colombo South Container Terminal due to issues with funding and cost escalations Construction cost up 30% to $ 350 m; overall project cost now estimated at $ 595 m up from $ 475 m at bid proposal stage Lender ...

Ends 2011 with record 855,975 arrivalsBy Cheranka Mendis The high-flying tourism industry closed the year with a record 855,975 arrivals, marking a rise of 100,000 from the original target for the year. Statistics revealed by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) yesterday noted that the figure reflects a 30.8% increase from the previous year. ...

Expects 2012 to continue 2011 success despite anticipating slow year By Cheranka Mendis Kia Motors is geared to embrace a phenomenal year in 2012, riding high on the extraordinary success of 2011. Launching the final model that was to be introduced to the local market in 2011, the all new fourth generation Kia Rio, Kia ...

As exclusively reported by the Daily FT yesterday, top professional and senior Board member Dinesh Weerakkody was appointed as the new Chairman of Commercial Bank. At 47 years old, he is also the youngest to be appointed as Chairman of Commercial Bank, the largest private sector bank

Dinesh tipped to be appointed Chairman; Dheerasinghe as Deputy; business leader Preethi new face on the Board Commercial Bank is slated to have a special Board meeting today, the second in three days, to elect a new Chairman. The move follows the resignation of longstanding Chairman and Board member Mahendra Amarasuriya, as exclusively reported by ...

Unhappy after questionable downgrade Hayleys fires letter; legal action next?   Rating agency Fitch is under fire for some  of its judgments and the latest to join the chorus is Hayleys Plc. Seemingly disturbed by the downgrade from AA- to A+ with a negative outlook by Fitch, Hayleys has fired a letter expressing its reservations, ...

The Pathfinder Foundation issued the following response to the IFC opinion piece on its Economic Alert No. 20 titled ‘Improving Sri Lanka’s Business Climate,’ published in the Daily FT: The Pathfinder Foun-dation (PF) is grateful to the International Finance Corporation (IFC

to the article above in yesterday’s Daily FT by the Pathfinder Foundation – in which there a...

By Cheranka Mendis Dismissing claims that the merger of Dialog and Suntel has created the second largest fixed line provider, the rightful owner of the title Lanka Bell is now on the go to rectify the wrongful claims. Lanka Bell Managing Director Prasad Samarasinghe told the Daily FT yesterday

The right to privacy is our right to keep a domain around us, which includes all those things that are part of us, such as our body, home, thoughts, feelings, secrets and identity. The right to privacy gives us the ability to choose which parts in this domain can be accessed by others, and to ...

By Dinali Goonewardene The private sector yesterday welcomed the relaxation of rules for foreign investment in debentures and overseas borrowings by Sri Lankan firms. The Central Bank yesterday announced it was relaxing regulations for foreign investment in corporate debentures of Sri Lankan firms and foreign borrowings by local firms. In the case of corporate debentures ...

Daily FT Editor Nisthar Cassim was among 40 top individuals apart from 60 institutions from private and public sectors picked last night for Global Commerce Excellence by the Shippers Academy Colombo, with support from the Central Bank, Export Development Board, Sri Lanka Ports Authority

Following is a response from Hotel Developers (Lanka) Limited to the article titled ‘Cornel Perera rebuts Basil’ published in the Daily FT of 24 November 2011 We give below a fair summary of the background of establishment of Hilton Hotel Colombo given by the well-respected Attorney

By Cheranka Mendis Sunquick Sri Lanka, the much loved super concentrated fruit quash will today bring home the prestigious Co-Ro Best country award also known as the Global Sunquick best awards. The award is an annual presentation by the brand owners of Sunquick, Co-Ro Food A/S, a Danish Company awarded for the country that marks ...

By Marianne David Triumph International Lanka unveiled a revolutionary innovation in shapewear with the launch of its all-new ‘Shape Sensation’ collection last evening at its Majestic City Triumph Store. The company’s General Manager Shalindra Fernando presented the first set of the ‘Shape Sensation’ series to former Miss Sri Lanka for Miss Universe Aruni Rajapaksha a...

With the world’s largest and most prestigious professional body for marketing, the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) celebrating its centenary this year, CIM Chairman Chris Lenton spent a couple of days in Sri Lanka to be part of the celebrations in the country earlier this week and to speak to the marketing community here to ...

By Cheranka Mendis Sri Lanka got its fair share of Formula 1 racing yesterday as duty free operator Autogrill Lanka Ltd unveiled the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes F1 racing car used by former World Champions Lewis Hamilton and Jensen Button at the Bandaranaike International Airport. F1 car first, next Grand Prix? Airport and Aviation Services Chairman ...

 Mahinda urges brokers to venture overseas, market post-warSri Lanka among foreigners;  reach out and educate rural investors Cautions against pump and dump, thereby avoid sharp pricefluctuations endangering innocent investors Brokers say ASI dropping 2,000 points, PE down to 13 times from 26 create conducive environment for relaxed rules President Mahinda Rajapaksa stresses a point duri...

No unanimity on exchange rate movement A front page headline news item in this paper on last Saturday had reported on an apparent division of opinion between the two top policy makers of the country, namely the Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera and the Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal, on the depreciation of the ...

With 3Cs in place what more does private sector want from President Rajapaksa, asks Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera at Daily FT-Colombo Uni. MBA Alumni Association post-Budget seminar Urges business leaders to make best use of Budget 2012 aided by peaceful and sound macroeconomic