Headlines during the week on Sunday Times Online edition
View(s):The following are some of the stories that ran in the Sunday Times Online website (http://www.sundaytimes.lk/150208/) during the week. Some of these stories may be repeated in other sections of the Business Times with more, updated information.
Well-known lawyer Jayasuriya heads Sri Lanka’s Investment Agency
Upul Jayasuriya, a well-known lawyer and President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, has been appointed as the new chairman of the country’s premier state investment body, the Board of Investment (BOI), officials said.
Mr. Jayasuriya led the strong association battle against human rights violations and the ‘illegal’ dumping of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake.
New heads at Sri Lanka state tourism agencies
New heads to the state tourism agencies and bodies have been appointed by Sri Lankan Tourism Minister Navin Dissanayake with well-known marketer Rohantha Athukorala being picked to lead the Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) and veteran hotelier Paddy Withana heading the Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), officials said.
Other Government sources said Mr. Athukorala was also offered the chairmanship of the Export Development Board, which he once held, but had opted for the SLTPB post.
Mr. Withana is serving his second stint in a state tourism agency having being chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourist Board in 2002-2004 which combined all the state tourism activities. A few years ago, the board split into different segments handling promotion, development, conventions and the hotel school.
New chairpersons were also appointed to head the Conventions Bureau and the hotel school. A new Managing Director at SLTPB and a new Director General of the SLTDA has also been appointed, the officials said.
Hybrid vehicle tax infuriates new Sri Lankan importers
The additional tax imposed on new hybrid vehicles in last week’s interim budget has infuriated many Sri Lankans who had opened letters of credit and now have to pay anything between Rs.700,000 to Rs. 1.2 million more to clear these vehicles. Many who had opened LCs for the popular hybrid vehicles are now at a loss as to what to do. Several of these individual importers including car vehicle organised importers invited journalists to a media briefing on Wednesday at a reception hall in Maharagama to express their concerns and urge the Government to withdraw the tax or reduce it drastically.
Hydrids – which run on a mixture of fuel and electricity – are popular in Sri Lanka as it’s cheaper than operating a fuel-powered car.