Importance of organic matter in plantation agriculture

Soil organic matter is any material produced originally by living organisms (plant or animal) that is returned to the soil and goes through the decomposition process. At any given time, it consists of a range of materials from the intact original tissues of plants and animals to the substantially decomposed mixture of......

Third gantry cranes shipment arrives at CICT

Mega vessel, Zhen Hua 11 recently shipped a large consignment of gantry cranes and container trailers for the newly built Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT).

Launch of Sri Lanka’s 1st Crowdsourced Creative Agency

Me Idea, the creative agency of Loops Solutions, the leading digital marketing company in Sri Lanka was launched on Friday, 21st February 2014, offering for the first time in Sri Lanka, one of the most innovative and creative solutions to revolutionise the marketing industry through crowdsourcing.

Sri Lanka ventures into offshore fish farming

Oceanpick (Pvt.) Ltd, a local company seeking to pioneer sustainable marine aquaculture, recently installed the country’s first sea cage, initiating offshore fish farming off the Eastern coast of Sri Lanka.

Pareto Analysis - Taking mystery out of problem-solving

There are many problem-solving techniques available to managers and most of them are powerful tools for reaching a solution. However, one stands out as the power tool to use for deciding ‘which’ problems to solve; ‘Pareto Analysis’. It sorts the vital few from the trivial many. It is also known as ‘80/20 rule’,......

What should investors know about IPOs?

It is a formal legal document, which provides details about an investment offered to the public. It is important to read the prospectus because it provides information regarding the terms of the securities being offered as well as disclosure regarding the company’s business, financial condition, management and.....

Government’s five hubs and public service

The ‘Mahinda Chinthana Vision for the Future’ policy statement envisages making Sri Lanka a regional hub in five sectors. To ensure Sri Lanka is well poised to be the centre in the region, the government is looking to transform Sri Lanka into a strategically important economic centre by developing five strategic hubs

Lankan exporters invited to utilize Pakistan’s GSP Plus with EU

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Major General Qasim Qureshi made an open invitation to Sri Lankan exporters to utilize the current Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP) scheme Pakistan enjoys with the European Union (EU) and expand trade between the two countries through the existing free......

SLIA Architect 2014 inaugurated

The inauguration ceremony of Architect 2014, the 32nd Annual Session of the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects (SLIA) took place on February 19, 2014 at the Main Assembly Hall of the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH).

Nawaloka Construction purchases 20 TATA tippers

Nawaloka Construction Company Private Limited is an organisation that has been offering multidisciplinary services to suit customer requirements for over 60 years. It has the Category C1 for building work and P1 for piling work in the ICTAD grading and is a member of the NCCASL.

Greater profitability via CEO - employee communication - Obama points the way

An engaged workforce has a major bottom line impact, according to Gallup’s 2013 ‘State of the American Workplace’ survey, businesses with an engaged workforce made 150 percent higher earnings per share (EPS) than their competition in 2011/12.

Do you see career failures as learning opportunities?

Too many of us look at career failures for the face value –as failures. Yet, life’s lessons are anything to go by; failures are not setbacks but foot-steps towards greater success and bigger achievement.

Pathfinder Economic Flash How easy money can destroy communities and economy: Wigneswaran’s exposure

Northern Province Chief Minister Justice Wigneswaran has elaborated upon how diaspora remittances have deleterious effects. He has said that these remittances were having a very adverse impact on the lifestyles of the Tamils in the North.

Nearly 200 Cyber crime related incidents reported in SL each month

The Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team Coordination Centre (Sri Lanka CERT CC) established in 2007 to protect the country’s information infrastructure and coordinate protective measures against cyber security revealed that it receives about 200 complaints monthly related to cyber crime, cyber threats and hacking.

Alumex to use IPO proceeds to set up powder coating plant

The Hayleys group subsidiary Alumex Limited yesterday announced its plans for an Rs.838 million Initial Public Offering (IPO), to finance a capital requirement to set up a powder coating plant and also to benefit from a government tax discount.

New tax concessions for integrated resorts

The Cabinet of Ministers of Sri Lanka once again appears to have approved investment concessions for three super luxury integrated resort projects, the recent gazette notification published showed.

The fallacy of island mentality in stock market

The Colombo bourse’s upward trajectory which was evident in January 2014 got slightly held back in the 12 trading days, leading up to mid-February with the All Share Price Index (ASPI) losing 2.2 percent or 135 points to be precise.

How we could contribute to Knowledge Hub

Sri Lanka in order to become a knowledge hub would require to invest big, to strengthen the existing skills base, that would however require the sort of great national leap forward we saw in 2009 to ensure we have the kind of skilled workforce needed to compete in a new, high tech industrial era.

Facebook to buy WhatsApp for U $19 billion

Facebook Inc will buy fast-growing mobile-messaging startup WhatsApp for $19 billion in cash and stock, as the world's largest social network looks for ways to boost its popularity, especially among a younger crowd

Busting capital expenditure myth

Consider this simple question: “Does the present government have a strong commitment to high levels of capital expenditure?” Today in Sri Lanka most analysts tend to answer this question with a confident “yes”.

Dialog posts Rs.1.1bn net in 4Q

Dialog Axiata, the local unit of Malaysia’s Axiata Group said its net profit for the quarter ended December 31, 2013 (4Q13) increased to Rs.1.1 billion from Rs.927 million it reported in the same period last year.

Canon Singapore boss in town for landmark Image Square launch

President and CEO of Canon Singapore Pte Ltd, Kensaku Konishi arrived in Sri Lanka this morning on the invitation of Metropolitan Group, Canon’s local agent for the past 35-years.

Is it time to go back to where we came from?

Achieving food security continues to be a challenge for Sri Lanka. Increasing population, changes in lifestyles, changes in food preferences and emerging middle income class demand more production. Therefore, governments need to make sure they are self-sufficient in their staple food, in our case, it is rice.

Quirky IPOs make a splash in Hong Kong

AFP- Nightclubs with diamante toilets, luxury cemeteries and local restaurants have made a splash during their debuts on Hong Kong’s stock exchange, proving particularly popular among “mom and pop” investors squeezed out of more mainstream openings.

Fashion Bug wins Gold for Triumph

Fashion Bug, one of Sri Lanka’s leading retail clothing stores with over 17 outlets island-wide, clinched a Gold award for ‘Best Key Account Partner’ at the recent Annual Sales Conference of Triumph International held on 7th February at Hotel Galadari.

Process Mapping: Tool for improving standards compliance

Process Mapping is at the heart of many continuous improvement techniques, ranging from the very simple, (e.g. Standard Operating Procedure) to the very complex, (e.g. Six Sigma) Process Mapping is founded on the premise that if you create a picture or a map of a process, it will be much easier to understand it.

What should investors know about IPOs?

The year 2014 is expected to be a promising year for the Sri Lankan equity market. The All Share Price Index has witnessed a growth of nearly 5 percent within one month. Further on, analysts predict an increase in market activities especially in the primary market as a result of the expected increase in Initial Public Offerings (IPOs).

We can become a breakout nation: CA Sri Lanka chief

Following is the inaugural speech by Arjuna Herath as President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, delivered at the 22nd President’s Induction ceremony of the Institute held at Cinnamon Grand Colombo.

Making use of technology for entrepreneurship

They are young women of a generation that grew up with the Internet, software and lap tops. They seek solutions in technology and believe in the power of technology that can be harnessed to produce great many things. They belong to a new generation of entrepreneurs whose very existence is dependent on technology.

Pathfinder Economic Alert SL’s development prospects: How to overcome emerging HR bottleneck

Sri Lanka has potentially extremely favourable medium-term prospects. In addition, macroeconomic conditions are likely to be more benign in the short term with 2014 being better than last year, provided the US Federal Reserve’s tapering programme does not cause severe turbulence in emerging and frontier markets.