Cheaper coconuts
A government- lorry sells coconuts, cheaper than the market price, to consumers at a location in Colombo. Pic by Akila Jayawardena.
Sri Lanka safe but worries over future tourist bookings
The Sri Lankan tourism industry is concerned about future bookings due to the series of travel advisories by the US and several other countries which generate travellers to the country, while Sri Lanka Tourism has urged tourists to visit saying they are safe. At the moment except for a few there have not been any [...]
Coconut production hit by 40% drop
Sri Lanka’s coconut production has seen a drop of 40 per cent and this is notably felt at the Coconut Auction in Colombo where numbers have dwindled significantly primarily attributed to the effect of the ban on fertiliser application, white fly disease and increased exports. This significant drop in coconuts is due to the ban [...]
SL slips in digital nomad list
Sri Lanka has slipped into the least-liked countries for digital nomads from being the best paradise for digital nomads, three years ago. In January 2022, the hotel website, Club Med listed Sri Lanka as the second-best country for digital nomads to visit. At the time, over 50,000 digital nomads occupied the island. Club Med listed [...]
Sri Lanka seeks to renegotiate IMF bailout terms
While the new Sri Lankan government has reiterated its commitment to the US$2.9 billion bailout package agreed upon with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under the previous administration, it is keen to renegotiate some of the conditions tied to the package. Further negotiations on this is underway in Washington where a Sri Lankan team is [...]
Easing the visa process to enter Germany
Berlin: In a bid to encourage skilled migrants to Germany and ease the visa process, German authorities are planning to digitalise the entire visa process with effect from January 2025. “This will be a very transparent process where you can track at what stage your visa process is. We will use AI to support this [...]
SLID appoints Anitra Perera as CEO
The Sri Lanka Institute of Directors (SLID) has announced the appointment of Anitra Perera as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective September 2024. With a distinguished career in education, strategic consulting, and leadership, Ms. Perera brings a wealth of experience that will be instrumental in advancing the mission of SLID, the organisation said in [...]
Counting the people
Merrily playing his signature music, Aldoris, the choon- paan karaya, came down the lane in his tuk-tuk, warming the neighbourhood as they woke up on this Thursday morning. The trio had gathered at the gate expecting his arrival, and as he drove in, asked for ‘maalu-paans’. Doling out the hot-hot buns, Aldoris was asked whether [...]
“Rules of the game”
Three economists from the US, namely Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James Robinson were awarded this year’s Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences. They received the award for their extensive work on “how institutions are formed and affect prosperity” of a country. After reading the news, I thought of shedding some light on the subject area [...]
Government to boost economic stability and green growth
Sri Lanka’s new government is set to adhere to the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) latest country partnership strategy for 2024-2028. This strategy aims to build on the existing support provided to help the country restore macroeconomic stability and achieve environmentally sustainable, long-term growth. This will pave the way toward unlocking the bank’s US$100 million support. [...]
“SLBFE management reprimanded by Auditor”
With reference to the above article in last week’s Sunday Times Business, as the General Manager of the SLBFE, I have made a complaint to the Audit Service Commission against the Audit Superintendent, Ms. R.A.D.N. Gunasekara attached to the Auditor General’s Department regarding her unethical behaviour and abuse of power through the Secretary of the [...]
Neptune Recyclers, USAID combat plastic pollution
Neptune Recyclers has announced a collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), under USAID’s Oceans Plastics Reduction Activity. This partnership will improve waste collection systems, enhance recycling capabilities, and foster collaboration between public and private sectors in support of USAID’s broader efforts across Sri Lanka and the Maldives to reduce ocean plastic [...]
Sri Lanka’s first E-Care Battery Warranty from Browns
Browns Battery & Tyre Strategic Business Unit recently launched the Browns E-Care Battery Warranty activation.This marks a milestone in the implementation of the first-ever paperless E-Warranty in the Sri Lankan automotive battery sector, thereby transforming customer experience from this point forward. With this new innovation, customers can now disregard traditional printed warranty cards by opting [...]
NYK’s Regional Team visits Hambantota International Port
NYK’s new Regional Managing Director Hiroyuki Noma, stationed in Singapore, made a courtesy visit to Hambantota International Port (HIP) last week. The delegation also consisted of Keisuke Furukawa, Regional RORO head; Sagara Pieris, Group Management Committee Member; Jeremy Anandappa, Director NYK Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd.; and Dhammika Sampath, Deputy General Manager of Customer Service & Business [...]
Ogilvy’s Geometry Global wins 5 Coveted Awards
Geometry Global, a Strategic Business Unit of the Ogilvy Group Sri Lanka, won five awards including the coveted Blue Dragon for the ‘Best Campaign in Country’, at the Dragons of Asia 2024 Awards held recently in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. These awards recognised the agency’s impactful ‘Books that Keep on Giving’ campaign for ProMate (Printxcel), a [...]
AMW warns against deliberate misinformation on social media
Associated Motorways (Pvt) Ltd (AMW), a leader in Sri Lanka’s automotive industry, and sole distributor for Suzuki and other leading automotive brands, this week expressed its growing concern about the spread of misinformation via a multitude of social media posts deliberately promoting speculative pricing on new vehicles that will be imported. In a statement, AMW [...]
Fuel subsidy lifeline for Sri Lanka’s fishermen
The new administration has swiftly launched a fuel subsidy initiative aimed at revitalising the struggling fishing industry in Sri Lanka, which has faced economic challenges since 2019. This policy is focused on developing and managing the fishing sector in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way, aiming to boost fish production, improve accessibility for consumers at [...]
LOLC Life Assurance wins at Emerging Asia Insurance Awards
LOLC Life Assurance has won the Best Customer-Oriented Company of the Year award at the 4th Emerging Asia Insurance Awards held in India. This achievement underscores LOLC Life Assurance’s unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional customer service, understanding customer needs, and providing tailored solutions that offer security and peace of mind to individuals and families across [...]
CoinCeylon x Intersect hosts annual members
In a major step for blockchain governance in South Asia, CoinCeylon, in collaboration with Intersect, successfully hosted the inaugural Annual Members Meeting (AMM) at the Hilton Colombo recently. The event gathered over 100 attendees, including business leaders, media representatives, and blockchain enthusiasts. It was a critical opportunity for the Sri Lankan blockchain community to engage [...]
Monin and Liquid Island moot local beverage industry
Liquid Island Sri Lanka, the exclusive distributor of World’s leading Syrup Monin, recently hosted a special visit from Felipe Valencia Santander, Beverage Expert from Monin in the Middle East to Sri Lanka. With over 100 years of expertise in syrups and beverage solutions, Monin is a family-run French company now present in over 150 countries. [...]
Imperial Advisers opens operations
Imperial Advisers has commenced operations in Sri Lanka, establishing an offshore Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO) firm aimed at catering to the needs of practising lawyers, law firms, and other entities involved in legal transactions. The firm offers a range of services, including administrative support, finance support, operational support, and an outsourced client services team. Having [...]
Sri Lanka Tourism at next month’s WTM 2024 in London
Sri Lanka Tourism (SLT) is taking part, as usual, at the upcoming World Travel Market (WTM) 2024 in London, UK on November 5-7. The largest-ever trade delegation will represent Sri Lanka at this year’s show, with a historical record number of over 100 travel agencies/tour operators/hoteliers from the travel industry. The participation underscores the country’s [...]
Hela and Reebok’s partnership making waves in Europe
Hela Apparel Holdings PLC, the publicly-listed fashion conglomerate headquartered in Sri Lanka, recently announced an exclusive long-term partnership with Authentic Brands Group to design, manufacture, and sell Reebok-branded outerwear across the UK and Europe. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in expanding the Hela Group’s offering to the fashion industry by fusing its design, manufacturing [...]
Futureworld’s glamorous iPhone 16 Launch
Futureworld recently unveiled the iPhone 16 in Sri Lanka. The iPhone 16 has arrived, boasting features like an ultra-slim profile, a stunning new camera system, and the unmatched power of Apple’s A17 chip. Beyond the tech specs, this is a phone that seamlessly integrates into a modern, fast-paced lifestyle, making it the ultimate accessory for [...]
NDB empowers SMEs through the Development Awards
National Development Bank PLC (NDB Bank) has partnered with the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) for the SLIM SME Development Awards, further strengthening its commitment to supporting and empowering the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector in Sri Lanka. NDB Bank has come on board as the official banking partner for this significant initiative [...]