Attendance by Lankan MPs
The infographic below compiled and analysed by manthri.lk shows the attendance of MPs in the Sri Lanka Parliament for the May-July 2017 quarter. This publicly-available data follows a unanimous decision by MPs for parliament to release the attendance records from May 2017. The total number of sessions during this 3-month period was 21. The infographic [...]
Rs.1 bln facelift for Palaly airport
Sri Lankan authorities are currently looking at the possibility of developing the Palaly airport with state assistance amounting to about Rs.1 billion. The airport had been under the scanner by the Indian government which had expressed interest in developing, viewing it as a regional airport as well. Director General Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) H.M.C. Nimalsiri [...]
New Presidential Commission to probe old financial scams
A Presidential Commission of Inquiry with wider powers is to be appointed soon to inquire into irregular acts pertaining to Treasury bonds and other financial fraud in the pre-2015 era. This will be at the conclusion of an ongoing probe by a commission of inquiry into bond scams in 2015 and 2016 implicating both former [...]
Colombo Port to lease two properties
Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) has called for a second round of tenders to lease two plots of land at the Colombo Port. These two plots total about two acres per plot and there were about 12 bidders for the said properties belonging to the SLPA. One of the bidders, the Colombo Dockyard PLC is said [...]
SL apparel industry ‘sweats’ over workers
Sri Lanka’s apparel industry, a 400,000 strong workforce, is fighting hard to attract approximately 10,000 workers and will be having a serious deliberation on the matter. Some officials are talking of even hiring foreign recruits. Once a budding industry, easily attracting labour, today finds it difficult to retain staff in the face of stiff competition [...]
Mourning over zoning
To any visitor driving into Colombo from the Bandaranaike International Airport, the view is not only fascinating but virtually breathtaking. I am not talking of a picturesque city. Yes, green patches with tree-lined streets – now thankfully much of the heaps of earlier uncollected garbage have been removed – make it more pleasant than some [...]
Only 35% students in higher education enrolled in STEM-related fields :UNESCO study
Tremendous strides have been made in narrowing the gender gap in education in recent decades, with millions of girls and women previously shut out of learning opportunities altogether now exercising their fundamental right to education and thriving in the pursuit. However, beyond the head count, severe gender inequalities still persist for those already in school. [...]
Local firm objects to UDA plan to lease Chalmers Granary land
While objecting to Urban Development Authority (UDA)’s recent decision to call Requests for proposals (RFP) to lease Chalmers Granary land, Colombo Fort again, a local firm Multinational Property Developments Pvt Ltd (MPDL) has urged an amicable settlement of UDA‘s financial obligations pending since 1994 towards the company. In a letter to the UDA Chairman, MPDL [...]
Hotel School Association prepares 5-year plan aimed at producing world-class grads
The Ceylon Hotel School Graduates Association (CHSGA) in consultation with 3W Consulting is rolling out a 5-year strategic plan aimed at producing world class graduates. The plan encompasses all levels of associated sectors possible and practical. Effective coordination of plans between state and private institutions to stay ahead of the competition is one of the [...]
Hemas ‘Piyawara Singithi Diriya’ prison project to support children
The Hemas Outreach Foundation (HOF), in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs of Sri Lanka and the Welikada Prison Authorities, recently launched ‘Piyawara Singithi Diriya’, a special project aimed at empowering the lives of children under the age of five years living with their mothers at the Welikada prison for no fault [...]
CA Sri Lanka’s annual conference in October
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) is promoting the important need for corporate leaders to embrace dynamism and agility at the 38th National Conference of Chartered Accountants scheduled to be held in October this year. The conference will this year revolve around the theme ‘Dynamism – Agility in Leadership’. During [...]
Don’t be soft with software: Think global domination
‘Software’ is something that is ‘global’. Not regional or country specific. This is what Sanjiva Weerawarana, CEO of WSO2, a middleware (software that connects computer systems) production firm, wants all software-related fraternity and aspiring software industrialists to know. It’s true, he says noting that the software development phenomenon is a global thing and it’s increasingly [...]
Spark, transforming the actuarial services landscape in Sri Lanka
Although a relatively unheard-of profession in Sri Lanka, actuaries are an integral part of an insurance business. However, due to the time and effort required to be a fully qualified actuary, the profession has experienced slow growth in Sri Lanka, according to Spark Actuarial and Risk Consultants which was launched in 2015. Dr. Milanthi Sarukkali, [...]
Many elevators need modernisation, safety and quality standards in Sri Lanka
While technology plays a major role in making things easy and efficient, elevators and escalators also play an important part in moving people faster. Modernization of these elevators and escalators also need to take place while adapting to new technology, considering the safety and quality standards. There are instances where people have felt buildings shake [...]
Sri Lanka’s fisheries resources are badly managed
Throughout in the past and now, one fourth or 25 per cent of all fish produced in Sri Lanka goes waste due to a lack of proper cold storage facilities, according to Vijitha Herath, Propaganda Secretary, Central Committee Member, JVP and Gampaha District MP. Speaking at the occasion of electing office bearers to the All [...]
State hotel school to tap professionals to enter industry
The Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM) has established a special unit to ensure professionals could take up the opportunities within the industry through adequate awareness and training. The institute has planned to conduct a series of tourism related events, trainings and workshops for the benefit of tourism stakeholders through the newly [...]
Govt. to mill coffers from tourism after WA runs dry
The government is looking at increasing its income by cashing in on the lucrative tourism industry in the wake of the recent setbacks it has made following a drop in the money earned through its citizens in the Middle East (West Asia). Tourism and Christian Affairs Minister John Amaratunga said on Monday that with the [...]
AIA tops MDRT in Sri Lanka, crosses 100 member mark
AIA Sri Lanka has crossed 100 MDRT (Million Dollar Round Table) members for 2016, making it the first and only insurer in Sri Lanka to do so, the company says. AIA has the most number of MDRT members in Sri Lanka, with a total of 110 MDRT certificates awarded to AIA Wealth Planners and Bancassurance [...]
Hayleys new acquisition aimed at being the largest SL shipping firm
Hayleys Advantis Ltd, part of the giant Hayleys group, has taken control of Sri Lanka Shipping Co, acquiring a 94.81 per cent in the company at Rs. 4.9 billion on August 23, the group said in an announcement to the Colombo Stock Exchange on Monday. “The acquisition is in line with the group’s strategy on [...]
SLID conducts first customised training programme
The Sri Lanka Institute of Directors (SLID) recently held its first in-house customised training for the Council Members, Executive Council and staff of the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM). The programme was designed and delivered by expert business practitioners from the SLID Faculty to SLIM requirements. opening remarks were made by Ms.Aroshi Nanayakkara, Council [...]
Foreign loans, foreign reserves up but worker remittances continue to fall
Foreign inflows from loans, declining foreign remittances from workers and continued rise in tea prices were among the features of Sri Lanka’s economic performance in the six months ending June 2017, the Central Bank (CB) said last week. One positive was foreign direct investment inflow which saw an improvement by 13.2 per cent at $146.5 [...]
CIMA Launch Pad: Profiles of last year’s start-up contestants
Preparations are underway to hold CIMA Launch Pad 2017 which promises bigger and better opportunities for top Sri Lanka’s start-up community. Registrations to take part in the contest have already begun, according to the organisers. While two weeks ago, the Business Times carried profiles of champions and runners-up of last year’s competition, given today (based [...]
SLASSCOM, ICT Norway in joint effort to boost SL IT sector
In an effort aimed at helping Sri Lanka’s IT/BPM industry reach the US$5 billion mark by 2022, the country’s primary IT/BPO chamber, the Sri Lanka Association of Software and Service Companies (SLASSCOM) together with ICT Norway (IKT-Norge) have begun a fresh initiative to empower start-ups in the country. SLASSCOM and ICT Norway have come together [...]
Churning and chasms: Findings from livelihoods research in post-war Sri Lanka
From 2011-2016 the Secure Livelihoods Research Consortium (SLRC) implemented a series of qualitative and quantitative studies to understand the dynamics of livelihood recovery in fragile and conflict affected countries. The Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA) implemented the studies for the Sri Lankan leg of the project, and the findings provide important departure points for the [...]
CB Governor in unusual role ; defending the cricket team against unruly attacks
Sri Lanka’s Central Bank Governor Indrajit Coomaraswamy took on an unusual role last Monday ; coming to the rescue of the country’s struggling national cricket team. In an impassioned plea for understanding after the team lost yet another game to India, Dr. Coomaraswamy – no stranger to sport having captained the national rugby team and [...]
Bank of Ceylon Wellawatte
I have had the misfortune to be at the Bank of Ceylon, Wellawatte branch on August 21 to make a deposit of cash to the Road Development Authority. (RDA) for usage of the electronic gate at the Katunayake Expressway. The time was 9.10 am and only one bank counter was in operation. There were by [...]
Global entrepreneurs group sets up Sri Lanka chapter
The formation of the Entrepreneurs’ Organisation (EO), Sri Lanka was announced at a media briefing in Colombo last week. EO is the world’s largest peer-to-peer network of entrepreneurs to learn and grow. It is a global business community of over 12,000 leading entrepreneurs in 160 chapters present in 53 countries. EO Sri Lanka is the [...]
PwC, SLASSCOM bring back top startup event for local entries
PwC Sri Lanka and SLASSCOM have once again teamed up to bring back the local pitching event for Europe’s leading and largest annual start-up and technology event, SLUSH, with an opportunity that will allow the winner at the local competition to take part at the global event to be held in Finland later this year. [...]
RDB, LDB to merge into Lanka Enterprise Development Bank
Preliminary procedures are now underway in creating a much stronger and larger state bank to cater to the needs of small and medium scale enterprises by merging Regional Development Bank (RDB) with Lankaputhra Development Bank (LDB), Chairman of RDB Prasanna Premaratne told the Business Times. The Cabinet sub-committee has given clearance to establish the “Lanka [...]
Asia dominates new Microsoft Cyber Security report
Microsoft Asia recently released regional findings from their global Security Intelligence Report (SIR), Volume 22, which found that Asian countries, especially emerging ones, are most exposed to malicious programmes. Out of the top locations across the globe most at risk of malware infection in the first quarter of 2017, most of them are developing economies [...]
MICE is not an extension of tourism
Sri Lanka, having faced vicissitudes in the past, has regained her position in tourism and is now looking for strategies to move forward from where the industry is placed at present. Apart from the total peace in 2009, there were many factors that contributed to this present achievements which included: Tourism campaign for two years [...]
Colombo Dockyard shipbuilding biz fuels export earnings
Sri Lanka’s shipbuilding business has generated a sizeable cash infusion into the export earnings in the first half of this year; but sluggish oil prices adversely impacting on future orders for offshore vessels has resulted in the Colombo Dockyard PLC (CDPLC) looking for business in the cruise vessel segment. The Central Bank releasing export data [...]
Competency framework created for new public service culture
A new framework to ensure a more efficient, and people-friendly public service has been developed. This has been done jointly by the National Human Resources Development Council of Sri Lanka (NHRDC), the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration (SLIDA), Department of Management Services, Ministry of Public Administration and Management, Public Service Commission and Faculty of [...]
Calamities in the construction industry; Fires that destroy
The recent building collapses in Sri Lanka and disturbing fires in the world arena created chaos in global construction circles. The umpteen number of gutting of shops and factories were seen in Sri Lanka recently. Losses and damages to property were in the range of millions of rupees. Faulty electrical connections, non-compliances to regulations are [...]
ETF undergoes technology re-orientation
The Employees Trust Fund (ETF) is undergoing a re-orientation in its operations through a modern technological strategy to be compatible with current socio-economic environment, Chairman of the Board Mahinda Madihahewa said. He said a project to streamline the operations of ETF under this new IT strategy was launched at its headquarters in Colombo this week. [...]
Google Launchpad Accelerator opens to Sri Lankan start-ups
Google opened its Launchpad Accelerator to Sri Lanka on August 31 aimed at providing an opportunity to local developers to formulate solutions to local challenges. “Google Launchpad Accelerator gives us an opportunity to work with and empower amazing developers, who are solving major challenges all around the world – whether it’s streamlining digital commerce across [...]
LOLC General Insurance celebrates opening of new corporate head office
LOLC General Insurance Ltd recently relocated its head office to a modern and spacious premises located at No. 481, T. B. Jaya Mawatha (Darley Road), Colombo 10. Strategically situated in a prime, business location in Colombo, LOLC General Insurance relocated to the same premises as LOLC Life Assurance and the two entities are now geared [...]