India, Germany and Switzerland soften travel advisories on Sri Lanka

India, Germany, and Switzerland, which advised their citizens to avoid unnecessary travel to Sri Lanka in the aftermath of Easter Sunday bombings, have softened their stance on the island nation.

Stocks snap 2 days of falls; rupee edges lower

(Colombo) REUTERS: Sri Lankan shares snapped two consecutive sessions of falls yesterday in high turnover, led by Hatton Plantations Plc, while the rupee closed slightly weaker.

First Capital sees strong bias for rate cut

As Easter Sunday attacks further dampens Sri Lanka’s growth prospects, the Monetary Board of the Central Bank faces an inevitable situation to support the economy through a policy rate cut in the third monetary policy review meeting this week, the Colombo-based First Capital Research said.

HSBC launches int’l banking services for Lankan students planning to study overseas

At any given time there are close to 19,000 Sri Lankan students overseas on higher education. HSBC Sri Lanka, leveraging its international connectivity and capabilities, has come up with a unique proposition, becoming the first bank in the country that offers a full range of services to this segment.

Mitra Innovation CEO Suppiah wins ‘Technopreneur of the Year 2019’ Award

Celebrating rapid growth and commitment to innovation, Ashok Suppiah, the CEO of UK-based Mitra Innovation was named ‘Technopreneur of the Year 2019’ at the Global Leadership Awards 2019, held on May 2nd 2019 at the Malaysian Trade and Exhibition Center.

Samsung announces record-breaking sales for Galaxy S10

Affirming Samsung’s heritage of creating stunning designs and feature-rich smartphones, the Galaxy S10 has set a new benchmark for performance in Sri Lanka, with its pre order sales of Galaxy S10 going through the roof - recording more than double the sales as compared to S9 and S9+.

ITC support propels Sri Lankan IT companies to Swedish outsourcing market

Seven Sri Lankan companies travelled to Stockholm to hold 70 business meetings with 20 Swedish companies interested in outsourcing to Sri Lanka.

Mobitel joins GSMA APAC IoT Partnership Programme

Taking further strides in expanding its influence in the nascent Internet of Things (IoT) technologies space in Sri Lanka, Mobitel signed and exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding with the GSMA APAC IoT Partnership Programme at the recently concluded Smart City Summit & Expo event in Taipei, Taiwan.

SLT fibre to power newest apartment complex Green Star Residencies

Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), recently entered into a partnership with Idieal Engineering (Pvt) Ltd., professional engineering firm, which provides a comprehensive range of engineering and related services.

PropertyGuruAsia Awards 2019 eligibility period extended until August

The road to gold for Sri Lanka’s finest real estate developers has been extended until the end of August 2019, allowing companies more time to submit their entries for the prestigious real estate honours organised by PropertyGuru, Asia’s leading property technology company.

Emergence of Geospatial Cloud

In Sri Lanka, the public sector continues to be the largest user of GIS both as a mapping tool. To draw maps and make decisions. GIS is a wonderful multi-faceted technology to help visualize current information and data meaningfully on a map to make better sense.

MBSL Kuliyapitiya Leasing Wahanapola concludes successfully

The Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka and Finance PLC (MBSL), affiliated with the Bank of Ceylon, has launched a vehicle sales promotion programme named Leasing Wahanapola.

Final decision on hosting CITES conference in Colombo likely this week

The fate of Sri Lanka hosting the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora’s (CITES) World Wildlife Conference is likely to be decided this week, according to sources.

Stocks slip in thin trade; rupee edges up

(Colombo) REUTERS: Sri Lankan shares fell for the second straight session on Monday in thin trading volume amid worries over economic slowdown and lack of investor appetite for risky assets.

AIA Insurance Lanka exit offer open for 20 market days

AIA Insurance Lanka PLC yesterday said the exit offer aimed at delisting its shares from the official list of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) will be open for 20 market days till June 21.

Hemas escapes lacklustre business climate but worries about future

Hemas Holdings PLC reported positive performance for the quarter ended March 31, 2019 (4Q19), although its consumer businesses could not escape from the lacklustre sentiments, the interim financial accounts released to the Colombo Stock Exchange showed.

JKH says finalising agreement for new Maldivian resort

Premier blue chip John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH) said they are currently finalising a sublease agreement for a new property under the ‘Cinnamon’ umbrella in Maldives.

Over 90% govt. institutions to be connected to one network with ICTA support

Sri Lanka will connect over 90 percent of the country’s government offices to Lanka Government Network (LGN), with a Rs.6 billion investment within a year, Digital Infrastructure and Information Technology Non Cabinet Minister Ajith P. Perera told Mirror Business.

Tourism industry awaits subsidised working capital loans

Sri Lanka’s crisis-hit tourism industry is anxiously awaiting the interest-subsidised working capital loans announced by the government under the financial relief package for the industry following the Easter Sunday bombings that crippled the once booming industry.

Shangri-La H’tota announces Annual Anniversary Golf Tournament in June

Shangri-La’s Hambantota Golf Resort and Spa celebrates three years of golfing and good times with its Annual Anniversary Golf Tournament to be held on June 28 and 29, 2019.

CA Sri Lanka engages stakeholders on SLFRS 9 Post Implementation Review

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) commenced the post implementation review of SLFRS 9 Financial instruments with the engagement of key stakeholders.

Unilever Global CEO Alan Jope makes official visit to Sri Lanka

Unilever’s Global CEO Alan Jope arrived in Sri Lanka on an official visit recently to review Unilever Sri Lanka’soperations and engage with employees of the organisation.

GSK brings back bonuses for some sales reps

REUTERS: British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline said it will reintroduce incentive payments for sales representatives in some countries to retain talent after stopping them for years in the wake of scandals over illegal sales practices.

MyDoctor recognized among top 20 e-commerce platforms in Sri Lanka

 MyDoctor, Sri Lanka’s premier holistic digital healthcare platform was recognized among the top 20 e-commerce platforms in Sri Lanka in 2019. The assessment was carried out by Brand Finance, a leading independent band valuation Company with its headquarters in the UK. The overall Vision of MyDoctor’s is to create a connected Healthcare eco-system with the help of ever expanding digital technology to pursue collaboration across the Healthcare Ec

Ruhunu Hospital Diagnostics bestowed with ISO 15189 Accreditation

Ruhunu Hospital Diagnostics (RHD) achieved yet another milestone by becoming the only private healthcare provider in the Southern Province when RHD was bestowed with the globally acclaimed ISO 15189 Medical Laboratory Accreditation by the Sri Lanka Accreditation Board (SLAB) and International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).

Lanka Hospitals introduces first one-stop Urology Care Centre in Sri Lanka

Lanka Hospitals, the internationally accredited multi award-winning private healthcare provider launched the first full-fledged, one-stop Urology Care Centre in Sri Lanka for all urology related needs.

Trash talk: Dealing with marine plastic pollution in Sri Lanka’s oceans

If current marine plastic pollution trends continue, the ocean will contain more plastic than fish by 2050, predicts the World Economic Forum report The New Plastics Economy. The Ocean Conservancy estimates that over 150 million metric tons of plastic are currently circulating in the ocean,while another eight million metric tons are added annually.

Can cyber-era terrorism be fought with ‘gal-katas’ technology?

A photo showing a ‘cop’ checking the sack of ‘terrorist suspect’ for ‘explosives’ went viral over past weeks. The ‘cop’ was a boy of about 17 years old in his all white school uniform, conspicuously displaying the badge of a prefect.

It’s bloody unfair!

Today is Menstrual Hygiene Day. Most of you might not be aware of it because in Sri Lanka, we pretend that women don’t bleed. Poor menstrual hygiene is caused by a lack of education on the issue, persisting taboos and stigma, limited access to hygienic menstrual products and poor sanitation infrastructure that undermines the educational opportunities, health and overall social status of women and girls around the world. As a result, millions of w

Do we hold too much cash?

After being de-sensitised for many years by virtually zero interest rates, one can suddenly earn a positive yield on cash again in many major currencies.