Vision Care expands with five new branch openings

With a core focus on expanding Vision Care’s range of optical services to a wider majority of areas covering all major districts in the country, the eye care solutions provider has embarked on yet another feat of branch expansion with their newest branches opened in Gampaha, Kuliyapitiya, 

Hameedia greets the New Year with a dynamic approach and strategic changes to its leadership

On the first day of 2017, Sri Lanka’s leading menswear specialist, Hameedia, embarked on the new year by gathering at the factory premises to focus on their personal

Alann Lopez takes up appointment as OMG Sri Lanka’s COO in the New Year

The Omnicom Media Group of Sri Lanka celebrated the New Year with the appointment of a new Chief Operations Officer. Made up of 50% method and 50% madness

Sri Lanka is paying past bills, planning for the future

2015 was a major turning point for Sri Lanka as a nation. It was a year that saw the Sri Lankan people reject a corrupt and authoritarian regime led by Mahinda Rajapaksa and move decisively towards democracy and communal reconciliation. 

An insight into new auditors’ report

Before deliberating on the new auditors’ report, it is important to know the sequence of events that created the necessity to bring in changes to the auditors’ report. At the outset, it is worthy of noting that ‘auditing’ has become the mostly misunderstood profession in the eyes of the public. It seems gone were the days the auditor was seen as a watch dog rather than a blood hound.  

Peopalizing governance – Acute need of the hour

So, almost 70 years on since our independence we are now discussing the need to return sovereign power back to the grassroots, thus it has taken us all this time to realize that bit-by-bit, the power to govern ourselves has been carefully and continuously removed from us; notwithstanding Article 3 of the constitution that proclaims that sovereignty of this republic lies in us, its people and is inalienable.

2017: Year of the connected customer

We are now squarely in the age of the customer. Customers are more empowered and choose how and where they want to engage the brands they buy products or services from. 

Sri Lanka’s overall PMI expands during December festive season

Expansions in Sri Lanka’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) this December showed that both manufacturing and services sectors have performed well during the festive season, according to the Central Bank. 

Bairaha to invest additional Rs.239mn in feed manufacturing and storage facility project

Bairaha Farms PLC (BFP) yesterday announced additional investments amounting to Rs.239 million to the ongoing construction of its animal feed manufacturing and storage facility.

Tobacco giant BAT buys out US firm Reynolds in mega-deal

AFP: British American Tobacco agreed yesterday to pay almost US $50 billion for control of US peer Reynolds American in a move which targets the lucrative United States market and the fast-growing e-cigarette sector.

Tourist arrivals to Maldives up 15% in November recording highest YoY growth

Tourist arrivals to Maldives rose by 15.9 percent in November, recording its highest year-on-year (YoY) growth in 2016 to 104, 572 as the arrivals from all major regions picked up from a year ago but the visitors from China, its largest sourcing market  continued to falter, the data released by the Maldivian Department of Immigration and Emigration showed. 

Rupee marginally higher on banks’ dollar sales

REUTERS: The Sri Lankan rupee traded marginally higher yesterday in light volume as foreign banks sold dollars, but the market expects the currency to weaken after the Central Bank allowed flexibility in the exchange rate, dealers said.

Asia drives rise in 2016 world tourism numbers: UN

AFP: The number of international tourists rose by four percent worldwide to 1.2 billion in 2016 as Asians travelled more, but security fears hit visitor arrivals in Europe, the World Tourism Organization (WTO) said yesterday.

Lankan delegation in Davos says several trade pacts will be finalized by June

Sri Lanka will finalize trade agreements with India, China and Singapore by June this year, the Sri Lankan delegation attending the World Economic Forum said yesterday. 

World’s leading open source provider upbeat on Lankan prospects

As Sri Lanka attempts to gain momentum in transforming its economy with the help of digitisation, the world’s leading open source provider, Red Hat yesterday expressed confidence in its entrance to the IT landscape boosting the growth pace and efficiency of state and private enterprises.

CICRA Campus launches first Bachelor of Cyber Security degree

In partnership with Australia’s top ranked Deakin University, CICRA Campus, the pioneering cyber security training provider, is introducing the first ever Bachelor of Cyber Security degree to Sri Lanka. “Parents should consider a cyber security degree for their ambitious child as an alternative to simply following a general IT degree. Cyber security profession is growing rapidly Sri Lanka and globally,” says Boshan Dayaratne, Gr

E-tel launches high-end, 4G, curved, virtual reality smartphone in Sri Lanka

E-tel, the popular home-grown mobile phone brand in Sri Lanka, has consolidated its position in the smartphone segment withthe launch of an all-new high-end 4G smartphone with a curved display and virtual reality feature.

Hands Global unveils super smart CCTV camera bulb

Hands Global (Pvt) Ltd enters into the local market with EUROtec Smart CCTV camera bulb equipped with globally-acclaimed European technology and quality. 

VirtusaPolaris recognized by HfSResearch for emerging block chain services in BFSI

VirtusaPolaris, the market-facing brand of Virtusa Corporation and Polaris Consulting & Services, Ltd., 

JKH files first patent related to novel energy storage material

John Keells Holdings PLC(JKH) filed its first patent jointly with the Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) – India, in the area of energy storage materials. 

‘No point’ in blaming globalisation for world’s problems: Xi

AFP: Chinese President Xi Jinping said yesterday that there is no point in blaming economic globalisation for the world’s problems, adding that no one would win a trade war.

Ceylon Chamber to hold seminar on 2017 economic outlook

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce will line up four well-known economists along with an international relations specialist to discuss the economic outlook and its implication for business during the year 2017, with a special session on the implications of new US President Trump on the global economy and Sri Lanka.

Maldives Education and Career Expo kick-starts end March

The Maldives International Education and Career Expo will be held on three consecutive days on the 30th, 31st of March and 1st of April in Male. 

CLC online offers mobile reloads, bill payments

Commercial Leasing & Finance PLC (CLC) takes another step in the journey towards providing optimal customer convenience and satisfaction in the ever evolving business world where value creation is shifting from the conventional brick and mortar structures to relying more on intangibles.  Now CLC online users can make any pre-paid (reload) and post-paid mobile payments real-time via CLC online, which enables CLC customers with a complete

Insurance industry overall GWP grows 17% in 3rd quarter

The insurance industry was able to achieve a growth of 16.97 percent in terms of overall gross written premium (GWP), at the end of the third quarter of 2016, recording an increase of Rs.14,823 million when compared to the same period in the year 2015.

Stage set for the ground breaking of Colombo’s first ever 7-star luxury apartment – Achilleion

Blue Mountain Apartments, part of the Blue Mountain Group, is set to commence the construction of its most iconic development project to date – Achilleion, 

Leo Burnett Sri Lanka launches 8th edition of Leo Art at the Fairway Galle Literary Fest

Leo Burnett Sri Lanka, the local office of the global advertising network Leo Burnett World wide,today launched the eighth edition of its Leo Art programme

Sunquick “Drink & Win”is back again with 100 Sisil Refrigerators

Sri Lanka’s premier and number one fruit juice brand “Sunquick” has once again commenced its annual consumer promotion, Sunquick “Drink & Win”, 

EMP secures export deal with Maldives’ Fenaka Corp

Rapidly gaining recognition as a leading electro mechanical engineering solutions provider in the South Asian region, Electro Metal Pressings (Pvt)

Sri Lanka’s future growth depends on foreign investor confidence: WB

Sri Lanka’s future growth will depend on foreign investor confidence, which in turn will depend on fiscal consolidation and an end to the political deadlock between the unity government’s major parties, a World Bank report said this week.