Category: Featured
Sri Lanka on Crisis watch list 2020
Jan 31, 2020 (LBO) – Crisis Group, an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organisation committed to preventing and resolving deadly conflict has identified and listed Sri Lanka in its watch list 2020. The early-warning Watch List identifies up to ten countries and regions at risk of conflict or escalation of violence. In these situations, early action, driven or […]
SL presents USD16Bn opportunity for pvt sector to invest in sustainable development: SC Bank
Jan 29, 2020 (LBO) – Opportunity2030: The Standard Chartered SDG Investment Map reveals an almost USD 10 trillion (USD 9.668 trillion) opportunity for private-sector investors across all emerging markets, with Sri Lanka representing USD16.2 billion of that total. The study identifies opportunities for the private sector to contribute to three infrastructure-focused goals between now and […]
Opinion: How technology shapes apparel sector supply chains: Shifting to nearshoring and reshoring
Nipuni Perera Advances in technology have made nearshoring – the practice of shifting production operations to a nearby country closer to the end market – and reshoring – bringing back offshore production back to the home country – more viable for apparel manufacturers, compared to offshoring production to far-away, developing countries. For instance, ‘SewBots’ – […]
Port City Colombo successfully achieved 12Mn safe work hours with zero accidents
Jan 20, 2020 (LBO) – Port City Colombo has successfully achieved 12 million safe work hours with zero accidents, according to the ‘2018-2019 Social Responsibility Report’ of Port City Colombo, launched at a ceremony on Monday, 13 January 2020. This is the first Social Responsibility Report released by Port City Colombo of its parent company […]
”’
Jan 16, 2020 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings has affirmed SriLankan Airlines Limited’s (SLA) USD175 million government guaranteed 7 percent unsecured bonds due 25 June 2024 at ‘B’. KEY RATING DRIVERS The airline’s bonds are rated at the same level as SLA’s parent, the government of Sri Lanka (B/Negative), due to the unconditional and irrevocable guarantee […]
S&P revises Sri Lanka’s outlook to negative; ratings affirmed at ’B/B’
Jan 16, 2020 (LBO) – Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s said it revised its outlook on Sri Lanka’s credit rating to negative from stable, citing increased risks from a deteriorating fiscal position. “Sri Lanka’s fiscal position deteriorated following the Easter Sunday attacks,” S&P said. “Although a recovery is expected, we expect a widening of the […]
China reaffirms steadfast support to Sri Lanka
Jan 16, 2020 (LBO) – The Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councilor Wang Yi met with the Minister of Foreign Relations Dinesh Gunawardena recently and reiterated its solidarity and support to the new Government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Welcoming Minister Wang Yi, Foreign, Minister Dinesh Gunawardena thanked China for its consistent contribution to Sri Lanka’s […]
World Bank forecasts Sri Lanka’s growth at 3.3-pct in 2020
Jan 14, 2020 (LBO) – The World Bank has forecast Sri Lanka’s economic growth for 2020 at 3.3 percent, the bank said in a statement. In its latest report of “World Bank’s January 2020 Global Economic Prospects,” the World Bank said for 2021 and 2022, it maintains the same forecast of 3.7 percent of economic […]
Opinion: Tobacco smoking in Sri Lanka, going the last mile
Chathurga Karunanayake and Chamini Thilanka Despite multiple measures by successive governments to bring down tobacco prevalence in Sri Lanka, still more than one in four males use tobacco. Reducing smoking prevalence is also identified as one of the concerns in the manifesto of the newly elected president of Sri Lanka.This blog argues that bringing down […]
Sri Lanka achieves 1.9Mn revised tourists arrival target for 2019: SLTDA
Jan 07, 2020 (LBO) – Despite 2019 being a tough year for the tourism industry, Sri Lanka has achieved the revised tourists’ arrival target for 2019 which stands at 1,913,702 as of 31st December. It is a decline of 18 percent from 2018 when 2,333,796 of tourists had visited the country during the same period, […]
Stern actions against discrimination of domestic tourists – SLTDA
Jan 06, 2020 (LBO) – Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLDA) cautions the licensed establishments which adopt discriminatory practices against local tourists with ‘foreigners only’ policy with stern actions. “Several complaints have been made by domestic tourists stating that they are not allowed to enter certain restaurants and hotels in the areas of Hikkaduwa and […]
‘Manufacturing in 2020: Connecting machines to networks and companies to end-consumers’
Antony Bourne – President- IFS Industries While change is buffeting the industrial manufacturing industry from a number of directions, the most disruptive changes will be those which manufacturers can and should make for themselves. Many of these manufacturers are already taking advantage of technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) and as we head into […]