Many readers would have by now heard and read about the annual Oxford – Cambridge boat race over the weekend, where a spoiler sprang an underwater surprise and about an oar that broke. All this led to what I would term as a less than wholesome win awarded to Cambridge. Almost three weeks ago, I ...

The Daily FT on Thursday featured on page 1 a story based on some startling comments and allegations by UNP MP Dr. Harsha De Silva and young business leader Dilith Jayaweera. The headlines and the contents wouldn’t have been a good read for President Mahinda Rajapaksa

World famous Olivia Newton John last night produced a stellar performance in her first live concert in Colombo at Musaeus College Auditorium. Internationally-acclaimed multiple Grammy award winner Olivia will be holding her second and final concert tonight. The shows are produced by Wizard Entertainment. She arrived on Tuesday night and was accorded a warm welcome ...

The CBSL’s directive issued last year, which takes into account credit, market, operational and liquidity risk, is very much in line with the recommendations of the Bank of International Settlements (BIS), which recommends in particular capital adequacy for government banks, said internationally-renowned risk consultant and CEO/Principal of Independent Global Research Ltd. David Roden. Addre...

GlaxoSmithKline, one of the top three global research based pharmaceutical companies operating in over 117 countries, is to invest a further $ 11.2 million (over Rs. 1.4 billion) in expanding its operations in Sri Lanka. The company will also shortly commission a new facility in Moratuwa for manufacturing their global brand Panadol. The investment on ...

By Cassandra Mascarenhas The latter part of the forum on insider trading titled ‘Insider Trading – Good, Bad or Ugly’ organised by the Institute of Chartered Corporate Secretaries of Sri Lanka and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka in partnership with the Daily FT

By Cheranka Mendis While Sri Lanka’s largest mega trade, investment and tourism promotion initiative ‘Expo 2012’ has been welcomed by stakeholders as a timely affair, stallholders shared mixed feelings on the order of the show. Some were elated having received inquires just two days into the event, while others expressed disappointment with regard to the ...

By Cassandra Mascarenhas Bringing to the spotlight an issue that has plagued the Sri Lankan stock market over the past several months, the Institute of Chartered Corporate Secretaries of Sri Lanka and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka in partnership with the Daily FT

By Cassandra Mascarenhas Newly appointed Chairman Tilak Karunaratne yesterday emphasised that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will not turn a blind eye to robbers invading the Bourse and promised stringent action against those engaged in insider dealing and manipulation. Speaking for the first time at a public forum since assuming duties, Karunaratne told the ...

EDB says 1,350 visitors from 55 countries already registered; flow halted due to lack of rooms The first-ever international style exhibition to promote exports in 18 years, Sri Lanka Expo 2012, which kicks off on Wednesday, has drawn 1,350 visitors from 55 countries with further demand facing a snag due to unavailability of hotel accommodation. ...

By Uditha Jayasinghe Showcasing the need for vigilance, over 1,500 foreigners who remained illegally in the country after their visas expired were detected within the first two months of 2012, a top immigration official said yesterday. Controller General of Immigration and Emigration Commissioner for Registration of Persons of Indian Origin W. Perera told the Daily ...

For a change, there is good news from Sri Lanka Cricket with the new administration led by Upali Dharmadasa succeeding in achieving record ticket sales worth over Rs. 80 million so far for the two Test matches with the visiting England team. “The amount raised so far is a record,” Tour Organising Committee Chairman Asanga ...

Suren Rajanathan is Vice President of 3M Sri Lanka, an innovation-based company which boasts a catalog of over 1,000 products sold in Sri Lanka that span 25 different business categories. 3M has an income internationally of $30 billion in sales, employs about 84,000 people worldwide, and has operations in more than 65 countries with products ...

and Exchange Commission (SEC) in partnership with the Daily FT. Dissanaike will ...

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) spokesman and parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayaka in an interview with the Daily FT critiques the on-going sessions of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the state of bad governance, deteriorating law and order and the economic crisis in the country.  

The country’s forex market encompassing highly dependent importers and key source exporters was yesterday rocked by what analysts described as the sharpest day gain in the US dollar exchange rate. Before mid-day the Rupee touched a new low of Rs. 127 and then on to Rs. 128 prompting many to assume the rate had bottomed ...

The Institute of Chartered Corporate Secretaries and the Securities Exchange Commission in partnership with the Daily FT will hold a seminar on insider trading on 26 March.  The seminar is to be held from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Hilton Colombo Residencies and panellists include Professor Gishan

With just 12 days to go, Sri Lanka’s largest mega trade, investment and tourism promotion initiative ‘Expo 2012’ has attracted close to 1,200 people, exceeding the expected 1,000 mark, EDB Chairman Janaka Ratnayake said yesterday. Speaking to the Daily FT, he asserted

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 ...