Oman Air named‘Best In-Flight Duty Free’ providerin the Middle East in 2017 by Pax International Ma

Oman Air, the national airline for the Sultanate of Oman, has been voted the ‘Best In-Flight Duty Free’ provider in the Middle East by readers of the German passenger services industry publication,

BOI celebrates 40th anniversary; felicitates employees

The Board of Investment of Sri Lanka felicitated its long standing employees by providing them with a token of appreciation at a ceremony which was held at the BOI auditorium recently.  

Sri Lanka needs to move towards strategic HR – hSenid Chief

Commemorating 20 years of software development and services across the world, hSenid Group Chairman Dinesh Saparamadu talks about the start of his company and the journey towards international recognition. 

Tourist arrivals’ fivefold increase since 2009 opens up labour market opportunities

Despite the difficulties that came with the necessary repairs of the 30-year-old runway of Bandaranaike International Airport, Sri Lanka’s busiest international airport, tourism has experienced a good first quarter. 

mCash rewards key stakeholder groups at Infinity Awards

The national mobile service provider Mobitel’s mobile money platform, mCash, held its eagerly anticipated mCash Infinity Awards 2016 for the second consecutive year in recognition of the outstanding contribution by key stakeholder groups such as mCash retailers, distributors and sales staff. 

CIM Sri Lanka partners with Brantel Lanka

The Chartered Institute of Marketing Sri Lanka entered into a strategic partnership with Brantel Lanka (Pvt) Ltd for the CIM Talking Point series and for networking events which will be conducted throughout the year. 

Investing amid geopolitical storm clouds

Geopolitics has always posed a tricky challenge for investors. In the perennial tussle between greed and fear, heightened concerns about a likely geopolitical event often leads investors to turn defensive or even ‘flee’ the markets.

mCash partners with Cooplife Insurance Limited for Insurance Premium Payments

The National Mobile Service Provider, Mobitel has partnered with Cooplife Insurance Limited to increase its institute partner network for insurance premium payments via mCash. With the 

FDI in Sri Lanka: A real estate perspective

The significance of foreign direct investment (FDI) to an economy such as Sri Lanka’s cannot be overstated. Its correlation with economic growth is well established. Typically, the benefits to the recipient economy include a reduction in budget deficit, improvement to the balance of payments, a closing of the gap between savings and investment and reduced unemployment.

India’s demonised demonetisation

Since the November 2016 announcement that demonetised 86 percent of India’s currency in circulation, Rs.5,400 crore (US $ 837 million) of undisclosed income has been detected. Critics will surely latch on to this rather measly figure to declare that demonetisation has palpably failed in expropriating owners of ‘illegal money’. Such criticism would only further display the inherent ideological bias and politically-motivated oppos

Great managers know the fine art of turning talent into lasting performance

This series of articles is written directed at managers and senior executives who aspire to become leaders one fine day. So, we decided to talk about managers in the following four weeks – what they should know, what they should do and the four keys they should possess to open the door to join the leadership league. 

Great Manager Awards launched in Sri Lanka

The Great Manager Awards aims to identify, assess, recognize and benchmark great managers in the corporate sector. By bringing nominees together on to a level playing field, the adjudicators will assess their management style, focus on results, execution, people management and leadership integrity to recognize the best and provide guidance for development. 

Tony Robbins’s Business Mastery programme to go live in Amsterdam

How powerful would it be to learn the secrets behind some of the world’s most successful businesses directly from Tony Robbins and the entrepreneurs who created them?

Nestlé posts Rs. 9.4 billion sales in Q1 amidst tough market conditions; reaffirms commitment to Sri

“Severe drought leading to depressed consumer demand, and a significant increase in raw material costs, has made the start of this year particularly 

People’s Bank opens self-banking unit in Nuwara Eliya

The latest self-banking unit (CDM/ATM/Kiosk) of People’s Bank was inaugurated in Nuwara Eliya under the patronage of People’s Bank Chief Executive Officer/General Manager N. Vasantha Kumar. 

Hatton National Bank with WEBXPAY to empower Lankan micro, small and medium enterprises

Sri Lanka’s most digitally innovative bank, Hatton National Bank PLC (HNB), announced a breakthrough partnership with e-commerce software as a service (SaaS) provider, WEBXPAY, to launch an integrated e-commerce platform aimed at empowering micro, small and medium businesses in Sri Lanka to adapt to e-commerce.

StanChart lead manages record oversubscribed int’l bond issue for Sri Lanka

Standard Chartered has successfully priced a US $ 1.5 billion 10-year fixed rate senior unsecured 144A/Reg S issuance for Sri Lanka. This marks the sovereign’s 11th US dollar benchmark offering in the international bond markets since 2007 and reflects the continued international institutional support for Sri Lanka through the years. 

ComBank offers credit cardholders discounts up to 50% on hotel stays

North, south, east, west or centre, Commercial Bank’s credit cardholders have been accorded an opportunity to vacation at some of the country’s best hotels in May and June this year at discounts of up to 50 percent.

Top Aussie tourism official urges Lanka to undertake research to succeed

Sri Lanka must convert its plans into action by conducting market research to fuel its tourism policies in the future, an Australian tourism expert urged recently after evaluating the country’s 2020 Tourism Vision policy document.

TPG pulls out of SriLankan Airlines bid talks

REUTERS: U.S. private equity firm TPG, one of three bidders short-listed to buy a 49 percent stake in state-owned SriLankan Airlines, has pulled out of talks about the potential acquisition, the Chairman of the national carrier said.

Ravi K softens tone after slamming Central Bank’s conduct

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake appears to have moderated his views on the Central Bank even further as he recently expressed mixed sentiments on how far he is willing to go to clip the wings of the country’s monetary authority. 

BoI Chief says foreign investments safe in Sri Lanka

While providing a better understating of Board of Investment (BOI) policies for foreign investments, BOI Chairman Upul Jayasuriya assured that all foreign investments were safe in Sri Lanka, and that BoI was always prepared to facilitate  any shortcomings faced by  the investors. 

Sluggish consumer demand, higher costs hamper Nestlé Lanka’s March quarter

The sluggish consumer demand dented the sales of Nestlé Lanka PLC, while the prolonged drought pushed up the costs impacting the consumer food maker’s bottom line, the interim results filed by the company with the Colombo Stock Exchange showed. 

Sampath Bank 1Q17 net up 30% to Rs.2.4 bn over stronger growth in loans

Sampath Bank PLC reported earnings of Rs.12.81 or Rs.2.39 billion for its January - March quarter (1Q17), a 29.6 percent jump from a year ago, but the margins slightly narrowed amid rising cost of funds. 

India calls satellite ‘gift to South Asia’, Pakistan says no thanks

REUTERS: India launched a communications satellite last week for its smaller neighbours to share, part of its efforts to build goodwill in the region and counter Chinese influence, but arch- rival Pakistan said it would stay away from the project.

Lankem in Rs.480mn rights issue; subsidiary buys PET bottle maker for Rs.225mn

Diversified manufacturing and trading conglomerate, Lankem Ceylon PLC, is gearing up for a rights issue worth Rs.480 million in the near future to settle inter-company borrowings and working capital requirements.

Vesak celebrations!

A man paints statues of Buddha before packing them for sale at a workshop, ahead of Vesak Day celebrations in Colombo. (Reuters Photo)

Chinese developers of Colombo Port City look for prospective investors

As they are in the process of looking for prospective investors, the Chinese officials of the Colombo Port City, the offshore city being built on a man-made island, said that any interested developer or investor could contact them to invest in the project.

Bogawantalawa achieves Carbon Neutral Certification

Bogawantalawa Tea Estates PLC, renowned for its outstanding quality of tea grown in the Golden Valley nestling in the central hills, is perhaps the world’s first tea growing, manufacturing and marketing companyoffering uncompensated Carbon Neutral Teas from its state-of-the-art carbon neutral facilities. 

Serta mattresses now at Comfort World

Comfort World International, the market leader in mattress manufacture and retail in Sri Lanka, Maldives and Seychelles, introduced Serta mattresses, the emperor of mattresses to Sri Lanka recently.