A small village community in Matale produces tea packs made out of reed under a regular Rs 2 million monthly contract -- in a-too-good-to-be-true story -- thanks to the efforts of Bio Foods (Pvt) Ltd.The Kandy-based company founded by former Tea Research Institute (TRI) Scientist Dr Sarath Ranaweera is Sri Lanka’s biggest organic food producer and amongst the best in the world with turnover this year likely to reach 5 million Euros (Rs 800 million).

The Indian rupee is gaining at an astounding rate against the US dollar while Sri Lanka’s rupee is depreciating faster than any other regional currency but it picked up last week on the back of the full subscription of the US$500 million bond.

The Mount Lavinia Hotel Group has joined its peers Aitken Spence and John Keells Hotels in venturing into the Maldives to try and balance the country risk.“We have applied for exchange control approval together with other relevant documents to take the lease of an island for 10 years,” Sanath Ukwatte, Chairman and Managing Director, Mount Lavinia told The Sunday Times FT.

No doubt many people next week will focus on the budget even though it is unlikely to bring any wide ranging relief particularly in the context of the galloping cost of living.