Fitch cautions over volatile external front

International ratings agency Fitch Ratings warned Sri Lanka against ludicrous policies, persistent uncertainties in the political frontier and weakening foreign reserves while reaffirming the sovereign at ‘BB-’/Stable for the second quarter of 2015.

BOI signs Rs.24.6bn worth investment agreements in first five months

?Sri Lanka’ apex investment promotion body, Board of Investment (BOI) yesterday said it signed investment agreements amounting to estimated Rs.24.6 billion during the first five months of the year.

New recruitments to state banks

The Ceylon Bank Employees’ Union (CBEU) yesterday staged a protest opposite People’s Bank head office against the proposed recruitment of employees by the new government to the 3 state banks namely, Bank of Ceylon, People’s Bank and National Savings Banks.

Economic reforms cannot ignore Sri Lanka’s farmers

?As Sri Lanka deliberates its economic future and the major reforms that are needed to charter a resilient and viable course, it is important to get beyond the cliché’s of growth-speak and pay attention to the existing structure of the economy. 

Citrus Kalpitiya plan gets shareholder nod

?The shareholders of Kalpitiya Beach Resort PLC unanimously approved the plans of the board of directors to build 60-room Ayurveda and Spa Resort as an alternative first phase of development of ‘Citrus Kalpitiya’, during an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held last week.

ComBank makes dream of being a millionaire achievable

?Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC (ComBank), Sri Lanka’s benchmark private sector bank, has just launched a new, aspiration-linked savings account that offers account holders an opportunity to become millionaires in a short span of two to six years.

Tech One and Autodesk hold “Autodesk Solutions Day”

Tech One Global, in partnership with Autodesk, held the second consecutive “Autodesk Solutions Day” at Waters Edge recently.

Japan confirms plan to resume whale hunt

?AFP: Japan’s chief whaling negotiator confirmed yesterday its ships would return to the Antarctic this year, despite a call by global regulators to provide more evidence that the hunt has a scientific purpose.

SLT strengthens global connectivity with SEA-ME-WE 5

?Sri Lanka’s leading ICT solutions provider and national backbone operator, Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) is aggressively pursuing new markets in the region.

Bileeta’s Sanka Weerasinghe named ‘People Leader in IT’

?Sanka Weerasinghe, Chief Technology Officer/Chief Architect of Bileeta (Pvt) Ltd was adjudged the People Leader IT 2015 at the recently concluded IPM Sri Lanka National HR conference. 

Senthilverl ups Watawala stake over 10%

?High-net-worth investor Dr. T. Senthilverl has upped his stake in Watawala Plantations PLC over 10 percent.

Japan lends Rs.27bn to upgrade electricity transmission and distribution network

?The Government of Japan extended a yen loan amounting to 24,930 million Japanese yen (approximately Rs.27.4 billion) to Sri Lanka towards the national transmission and distribution network development. 

Mobitel’s Mydeal.lk and MyStore.lk partner with Laksala

?Sri Lanka Handicrafts Board - Laksala recently entered in to a partnership with Mobitel’s MyDeal.lk and MyStore.lk in a bid to offer their wide product range available at leading Laksala showrooms. 

Infront Consulting makes grand entrance to Sri Lankan market

?Redynamics Asia Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd recently hosted its rebranding event at the Hilton Residencies.  They are now known as Infront Consulting Group (Pvt.) Ltd. 

Is Sri Lanka heading for an oversupply of hotels?

?There have been recent news reports suggesting that Sri Lanka may face an over-capacity in the tourism industry. And there is growing skepticism among some investors about the leisure sector’s long term attractiveness. 

Epic charts strategic direction with MTI

?Sri Lanka’s leading technology provider in secure payment automation and information systems security solutions, Epic Lanka has commenced implementing its strategic directional plan that was developed in conjunction with MTI Consulting. 

Charting a course for Sri Lanka’s economy: Politics triumph Economics for now

Sri Lankans might be forgiven for thinking that the country’s economy must be sufficiently strong to be put on auto-pilot indefinitely while policy makers focus their energies almost entirely on political reforms for the better part of six months. 

Tudawe Trading revolutionises local industries with steam cleaning

?Tudawe Trading together with SJE Corporation of Korea recently launched a green revolution in the cleaning industry in Sri Lanka with the introduction of the Optima range of steam cleaning machines to the local market.

Expolanka sponsored Venture Engine wins at Asia Responsible Entrepreneurship Awards

?Asia Responsible Entrepreneurship Awards programme 2014 (AREA) held in Macau on 19th of June honoured Expolanka Holdings PLC for the Group’s involvement in the entrepreneurship development programme, ‘Venture Engine’. 

Prime Lands Group among top 20 ‘Great Places To Work’

Real estate company, Prime Lands Group was adjudged as one of Sri Lanka’s top 20 Great Places To Work at the recently concluded Great Places to Work Awards Ceremony 2015 organized by the Great Place To Work Institute in partnership with LMD and the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

Sri Lanka Security Providers Association hails government wage increase

?The Sri Lanka Security Providers Association of [ SLASSPA ] has hailed the move by the government to increase all private sector employee wages. 

CNCI Achiever Awards application closes on June 30

?The Ceylon National Chamber of Industries (CNCI) started issuing applications for the “Achievers’ Awards – 2015” after its launch in mid March 2015.  

Adfactors PR is PRWeek’s ‘South Asia Agency of the Year 2015’

?India’s number one public relations firm, Adfactors PR, has been awarded with the title of ‘South Asia Agency of the Year 2015’ by PRWeek, a globally renowned publication.

Hayleys Agriculture Holdings wins Asia’s Responsible Entrepreneurship Award in Social Empowerment ca

?The very ethos and business philosophy of Hayleys Agriculture Holdings is to serve the farming community through Agri inputs and value-added services that are made available through its islandwide network. 

AIA recognised as Asia’s Best in People Development

AIA Sri Lanka collected an amazing 5 accolades at the Great Place To Work Awards this year. Among the array of recognitions there was the Asia Award for Best Practices in People Development.

Air Seychelles named ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Airline’ at World Travel Awards

?Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, has been recognised with three highly-prized accolades at this year’s World Travel Awards (WTA), including the title of ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Airline’, at a prestigious event in Seychelles.

Pizza Hut franchise holder named ‘Best Place To Work’

?“Our dream is to get our people on the front page of everything we do. We measure success by the “happiness index” of our team and let profit and stakeholder satisfaction emerge as a consequence.

Air India connects Colombo and Delhi with a non-stop flight

Heralding a new era in aviation and tourism between the two neighbouring countries, India’s national carrier Air India launched a direct, non-stop flight on the Colombo-Delhi-Colombo route.

Eden Resort awarded TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence again

?The Eden Resort & Spa was recently recognized as a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Hall of Fame winner.  

hSenid Business Solutions partners National HR Conference

?hSenid Business Solutions was the Official Technology Partner for the National HR Conference-2015 organised by the Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka (IPM).