Singer Sri Lanka buys control of group company

Singer (Sri Lanka) PLC has bought over 3.2 million shares of Singer Industries Ceylon PLC (SINI) for Rs.662 million in an off-the-floor deal, as part of a previously announced internal restructuring plan.

SAARC country officials visit Port of Colombo

?The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) hosted a ‘Seminar on JICA Survey on Cross-Border Maritime Traffic in South Asia’ with the support from the National Policies and Economic Affairs Ministry, Ports and Shipping Ministry and Sri Lanka Ports Authority recently in Colombo.  

HSBC launches first global online Premier concierge service

HSBC Premier that pioneered the concierge platform in 2005 is ready to give its customers a new digital experience with the relaunch of its personalised concierge service through a dedicated webpage www.hsbc.lk/premierconcierge that is accessible 24/7 from anywhere.

Lankan Young Global Leader to Davos

Asanga Abeyagoonasekera was selected as a Young Global Leader from Sri Lanka to attend this year’s World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, from January 20 to 23. 

Channa de Silva takes reins as LankaClear CEO

?Well-known ICT industry veteran Channa de Silva took reins as the General Manager/Chief Executive Officer of LankaClear recently with former General Manager/CEO Sunimal Weerasooriya moving away from the position following an illustrious eight-year tenure.

Can compostable & biodegradable lunch sheets replace non-degradable ones ?

All over the world people produce waste organic , plastic , and other types of waste .  Pollution and waste management are  worldwide issue because of single use plastic bags as far as plastic bags are considered .   

George Soros in town

International Investor, philanthropist and the founder/Chairman of Open Society Foundations George Soros landed in Sri Lanka on Saturday to attend the ‘Sri Lanka Economic Forum 2016,’ a forum organized in Colombo with the full backing of the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Gamani Corea Memorial Lecture on Jan.07

?The Second Gamani Corea Memorial Lecture will be delivered by Dr. Harsha Aturupane, Lead Education Specialist, The World Bank on “Enriching and Accelerating Higher Education Development in Sri Lanka” on January 07th at 5:00 p.m.

HDFC Chief appointed CEO from January 1

State-owned Housing Development and Finance Bank PLC’s Chief Operational Officer S. Dissanayake has been appointed as the acting CEO/General Manager with effect from January 1.

JKH to shed shares of insurance arm to keep it listed

?The John Keells Group will be shedding a minor portion of shares in its life insurance arm Union Assurance PLC to move into the secondary Diri Savi Board next year...

Worker remittances inflow likely to slow down in 2016

A top Sri Lankan policy maker expressed his doubts over the prospects of maintaining worker remittances from the Middle East (ME) this year amid growing financial instability and the political unrest in the region. 

Asiri Hospitals adjudged Healthcare Sector winner at CIMA LMD 100 Awards

Asiri Hospitals Holdings was recently adjudged the Healthcare Sector leader for the financial year 2014/15 according to LMD 100, the annual publication detailing Sri Lanka’s leading listed companies.

Healthcare sector leads the way in global mergers and acquisitions in 2015

?AFP: The volume of mergers and acquisitions worldwide set a new record in 2015 at more than $5 trillion, with tie-ups in the healthcare sector leading the way, consultants Dealogic said recently.

Litro Gas partners with Galle Season 2015

?Litro Gas, the largest importer and market leader of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in Sri Lanka, stepped up as the co-partner for Galle Season, the recently concluded annual event which is considered to be one of the most significant and popular fair and exhibition held in the southern province.

Fresenius Kabi pledges continued awareness on early Cancer detection

Fresenius Kabi GmbH with their local partner Malachi Holdings, (A fully owned subsidiary of Markss HLC (Pvt) Ltd), pledged its support towards enhancing overall awareness of early detection of Gynecological...

Gene-editing technique heals mice with muscular dystrophy

?AFP - Researchers have succeeded for the first time in reversing a degenerative illness in mice, using a revolutionary gene-editing technique that one day may help cure similar diseases in humans.

What if you are among 4.7 million people hospitalized each year in Sri Lanka?

Ever wondered why it costs more every time somebody in the family falls sick and has to visit the doctor, or worse, enter hospital even briefly?

Malik calls for efficiency in investment and export promotion agencies 

The Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade kicked off 2016 with its firm talking chief urging relevant authorities to start moving along the lines of productivity and deliver...

Japan’s ANA airline in billion-dollar Airbus deal: reports

AFP - Japan’s All Nippon Airways is buying three Airbus A380s in a billion-dollar deal, business daily Nikkei said yesterday, making it the first Japanese carrier to own the superjumbo jet.

ASEAN launches economic bloc but analysts sceptical

AFP - Southeast Asian nations officially launched an EU-inspired economic bloc this week aimed at boosting the region’s trading clout and attracting more investment, but analysts said a true single market was still a long way off.

​China’s new two-child policy law takes effect

AFP - Married couples in China will from yesterday be allowed to have two children, after concerns over an ageing population and shrinking workforce ushered in an end to the country’s controversial one-child policy.

EU-Ukraine trade deal comes into force, angers Moscow

AFP- Ukraine’s free-trade deal with the EU comes into effect from yesterday, coinciding with the start of Moscow’s food embargo against Kiev that will force the impoverished former Soviet republic to revisit its economic model.

China new home prices up in December as stimulus kicks in

AFP - China’s new home prices increased in December for the fifth straight month, a survey showed yesterday, following a series of stimulus measures aimed at boosting lending.

GE wins Saudi power plant contract worth nearly $1 bn

AFP - General Electric announced Thursday that it had won a contract worth nearly $1 billion from the Saudi Electricity Company to build and supply a power plant in northern Saudi Arabia.

US tuna fleet shut out of lucrative Pacific region

AFP - The US tuna fleet has been blocked from fishing in the lucrative western Pacific for the first time in three decades as a conflict over fees remains unresolved.

Obama to talk trade in Germany in April: White House

AFP - President Barack Obama will travel to Germany in April to talk trade with Chancellor Angela Merkel and promote US exports at a major industrial fair. Obama will attend the Hannover Messe

Nolimit rewards Arapaima loyalty members with hot air balloon tour

Sri Lanka’s biggest fashion chain, Nolimit’s Annual Grand Promotion 2015 for its Arapaima loyalty members, titled ‘Win with Arapaima hot air balloon tour with your partner’ concluded successfully, with 20 lucky loyalty members winning seats on this tour with their partners.

HSBC and British Council organise 24-hour hackathon for young entrepreneurs

HSBC Youth Enterprise Awards jointly organised by the British Council and HSBC is a business plan contest aimed at recognising and supporting young entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka to start-up their businesses. The competition, 

Gulf Insurance retains MTI for Strategizing

Gulf Insurance company (GIC), which is owned by Kuwait-based KIPCO and Canada-based Fairfax Financial Holdings , has recently concluded its 2016 Strategizing Exercise for Bahrain Kuwait Insurance  (BKIC) subsidiary. “The senior management team of BKIC-GIG was actively involved in this strategically 

Godrej discovers country’s best marketing brains through ‘Imminent Marketer’

Godrej Sri Lanka, a leading FMCG manufacturer of household and personal care products, partnered with the Department of Marketing Management of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura to discover the best marketing brains in Sri Lanka.