Photo Technica clinches two awards at Entrepreneur Awards

?Achieving yet another milestone, Photo Technica clinched double honors at the prestigious ‘Sri Lankan Entrepreneur of the Year – 2015’ awards ceremony organized by the Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL).

IWW Steel company donates school gear to mark New Year

dawn of the New Year in a meaningful manner headed by its Chairman Dr. Shivalingam Ramesh. The significance of the event was the donation of school items to children of IWW Steel workers by its Chairman incurring all costs by himself. 

‘Marina’ honoured at SLIM Brand Excellence Awards

?NMK Group of Companies clinched a Bronze accolade for its ‘Marina’ brand name under the ‘Business to Business’ category, at the prestigious SLIM Brand Excellence–2015 awards organized by the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) in Colombo recently. 

Rupee slightly firmer on bank dlr sales; stocks down

REUTERS- The Sri Lankan rupee was slightly firmer yesterday, as dollar sales by a private bank outpaced demand for the greenback from importers, dealers said.

Harvard’s Center for International Development in Sri Lanka

Harvard Kennedy Schools (HKS), Center for International Development (CID) kicked-off its engagement with the Sri Lanka government at the ‘Sri Lankan Economic Forum 2016’. 

October trade gap contracts by 6.8%

Sri Lanka’s external sector showed improved performance in October 2015 with the trade gap contracting by 6.8 percent to US $ 791 million. But despite the modest progress, the deficit for the first ten months of 2015 expanded by 2.5 percent to US $ 6,936 million.

ComBank’s ATMs set new records for December

The automated teller machines (ATMs) of Commercial Bank dispensed a mind-boggling Rs 37.321 billion in December 2015, averaging Rs 1.204 billion a day, and processing an incredible 6.682 million transactions at a daily average of 215,548, Sri Lanka’s largest private bank reports.

Budget deficit hits 7.2% of GDP in 2015

Sri Lanka’s budget deficit overshot to 7.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2015, against a revised target of 6.0 percent, swelled by unexpected payments for contractors, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said.

Institute of Multimedia Education launched

The Institute of Multimedia Education (IME), which opened its doors on January 2, 2016, concentrates on providing a scientific, ethical and a professional education that focuses on modern trends, latest technology and application.

Chandanalepa to introduce 28 vocalists

Popular singing sensation representing the new generation Sanka Dineth will present ‘Sanka Dineth Live in Concert with 28 Voices’ musical show at the Maharagama National Youth Service Council Auditorium on January 16, at 6:30 p.m. The main sponsor of the event is

Holcim partners with DIMO to procure largest dozer

Holcim (Lanka) Ltd, a member of the LafargeHolcim group, in the pursuit of continued development in safety and technology has provided an astounding investment, partnering with facilitator, Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC (DIMO),

Leo Burnett recognizes Firzan Mulafer and Caryll Van Dort as Star Reachers of 2015

Leo Burnett Solutions Inc. (LBSI), the local office of the global advertising network Leo Burnett Worldwide, recently recognized Publicis Solutions Director Client Services Firzan Mulafer and ARC Worldwide Sri Lanka Director Public Relations Caryll Van Dort as the agency’s Star Reachers for the year 2015. 

Prima Kottumee launches crowd-sourced e-calendar 2016

Prima Kottumee took its annual Model Hunt event to a new level this year with the entire search being conducted through social media for the brand’s crowd-sourced e-calendar.

Sri Lanka heading towards a debt crisis

Sri Lanka is likely heading down the path of a foreign debt crisis, which the country’s foreign reserves cannot absorb, a former Central Bank Deputy Governor said.

Govt. shouldn’t overregulate tourism informal sector: expert

?The government should not overregulate the informal hospitality sector due to pressure from the larger hotels, a small and medium enterprise (SME) sector expert said at Sri Lanka Economic Forum 2016.

October exports fall 6%, imports down 6.4%

?Sri Lanka’s October exports fell 6 percent to US $ 847.3 million amid lower global demand, the Central Bank data released yesterday showed.

China shares dive; trading suspended

?Global shares dived yesterday, led by Chinese markets, which were suspended after a more than seven percent plunge as Beijing weakened the value of the yuan currency to a five year-low.

Top investor Soros expresses confidence in Sri Lanka

International financier and philanthropist George Soros yesterday expressed confidence in Sri Lanka’s economic prospects, though he warned that the country would have to tread carefully as the world economic environment remains “hostile”.

Market regulator to employ CID tactics to curb misconduct

Sri Lanka’s capital market regulator is currently acquiring the tactics used by the country’s intelligence agencies to tackle market misconduct, a top official said.

French double boost for Sri Lanka tourism

?Tourism in Sri Lanka received a double boost when a delegation representing the two biggest travel associations in France confirmed that both their annual conventions will be held in Sri Lanka later this year. 

Dr. Wimal Karandagoda appointed as Durdans Hospital COO, Director Medical Services

?The first Joint Commission International-accredited hospital in Sri Lanka - Durdans Hospital - recently appointed veteran medical administrator Dr. Wimal Karandagoda as its Chief Operations Officer (COO) and Director Medical Services. 

Malith Mendis new Dispute Resolution Board Foundation Country Representative

?Chartered Engineer Malith Mendis has been appointed as the Country Representative of the Dispute Resolution Board Foundation (DRBF). 

Colombo Land appoints Vasula Premawardhana as CEO

?Colombo Land and Development Company PLC (CLDC), a leading real estate development company in Sri Lanka, announced the appointment of Vasula Premawardhana as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CLDC with effect from January 1, 2016.

Hoover - A stylishly efficient brand by Abans

Abans shelters Hoover, a well-renowned brand globally for designing powerful, easy-to-use products that clean your entire home from floor to ceiling, thus, popularly known as an all-rounder in the department of cleanliness

‘Sri Lanka Next’ campaign propels country towards sustainable era

?‘Sri Lanka Next’, a landmark campaign to take Sri Lanka towards the blue-green era, was formally initiated on January 6, 2016 under the aegis of President Maithripala Sirisena at the Bandaranayake Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH). 

SewEasy-VITAS partnership to optimize value for wages in apparel

?Sri Lanka’s Honorary Consul in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Kevin Perera facilitated establishing a partnership between the leading apparel software exporter SewEasy and the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS). 

Buddhi Industries shines at Presidential Exports Excellence Awards

Buddhi Industries Private Limited excelled at the recently held Presidential Export Excellence Awards at the Nelum Pokuna Theatre. The award ceremony was organised by the Export Development Board (EDB). 

Hirdaramani’s H - Connect celebrates 3 years of success

Hirdaramani’s H - Connect recently celebrated its third year of operations as a rapidly growing finance and accounting outsourcing company based in Sri Lanka. 

Two leaves and a bud, no more!

Industry representatives yesterday expressed fears over the Ceylon tea cup losing its appeal in the global market with increasing amounts of low-quality leaves continuing to enter the manufacturing process, hampering the standard of the end product.

Rupee edges up on bank dollar sales

?REUTERS: The Sri Lankan rupee edged up yesterday as dollar sales by a private bank offset demand for the greenback from importers, dealers said.