By Cassandra Mascarenhas Tackling the global issue of bridging the digital divide, Eisenhower Fellow Brigitte Daniel was in Colombo for a couple of days as part of her tour of South East Asia, looking at various technology solutions and infrastructure models and different types of emerging technologies to address the digital divide issues in the ...

By Dinali Goonewardene Laugfs Sunup Supermarkets Pvt Ltd. will be rebranded as Laugfs Supermarkets, given the superior strength of the Laugfs brand and the fact that customers are comparatively unaware of the Sunup brand. The supermarket will expand to 50 outlets within the next three years from the present 25, Laugfs Sunup Chief Executive Officer ...

By Devin Jayasundera Sri Lanka’s Leading Manufacturer of CFL Bulbs Orange Electric last week launched South Asia’s first ever CFL and fluorescent bulb recycling plant operating under the name Asia Recycling (Pvt) Ltd. This revolutionary initiative is in collaboration with the Nordic Recycling AB of Sweden a pioneering figure in the world of Green Technology. ...

 Mahinda urges brokers to venture overseas, market post-warSri Lanka among foreigners;  reach out and educate rural investors Cautions against pump and dump, thereby avoid sharp pricefluctuations endangering innocent investors Brokers say ASI dropping 2,000 points, PE down to 13 times from 26 create conducive environment for relaxed rules President Mahinda Rajapaksa stresses a point duri...

Mere news of Presidential meeting with brokers boosts stock market Benchmark index ASI up near 4%, highest daily gain in 15 months Market’s value swellsby Rs. 79 b Second tier and speculative stocks first to rebound with retail play; blue chips gain moderately The mere news of President Mahinda Rajapaksa meeting brokers, as exclusively reported ...

Kirthi Sri Karunaratne turns 80 todayLegendary couturier Kirthi Sri Karunaratne turns 80 today. Tracing his journey over the years in an interview with the Daily FT last Friday morning, he recalled how he entered the field of design at a time it wasn’t heard of in the country –

No unanimity on exchange rate movement A front page headline news item in this paper on last Saturday had reported on an apparent division of opinion between the two top policy makers of the country, namely the Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera and the Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal, on the depreciation of the ...

With 3Cs in place what more does private sector want from President Rajapaksa, asks Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera at Daily FT-Colombo Uni. MBA Alumni Association post-Budget seminar Urges business leaders to make best use of Budget 2012 aided by peaceful and sound macroeconomic

The Daily FT-Colombo University MBA Alumni Association co-organised post-Budget 2012 forum was held last morning at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel. The Chief Guest was Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera, while a line-up of top private sector leaders featured on a panel. Premier blue chip John Keells

By Cassandra Mascarenhas Exploring opportunities for trade, technology transfer and alliances with local companies, a delegation of business leaders from Northern Ireland was present in Sri Lanka earlier this week to meet with prospective partners to initiate further business relationships. Invest Northern Ireland (Invest NI), an initiative of UK regional business development agency, with the ...

With reference to the Daily FT 14 November 2011 article ‘Basil bats for revival bill,’ Colombo Hilton promoter and former Chairman of Hotel Developers Lanka Plc Cornel Perera has sent the following rebuttal:The article contained the full speech by Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa

Market suffers Rs. 22 b loss in value; selling pressure persists over uncertainty President Mahinda Raja-paksa’s seventh Budget may have got the thumbs up from most stakeholders, but it failed to boost the beleaguered Colombo bourse yesterday. Despite many labelling the 2012 Budget as development-oriented, balanced or progressive, the market saw Rs. 22 billion in ...

A unique sectoral focus involving a top panel of 10 industry experts and findings of an opinion poll are key draws at the Daily FT-Colombo University MBA Alumni Association co-organised post-Budget 2012 seminar tomorrow (24 November) from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Cinnamon Grand, Colombo

Today, the Daily FT celebrates its second anniversary. The Daily FT operates on the belief that accurate and timely knowledge is the new language of power, which is highlighted in its value proposition, ‘Be Empowered’. The Daily FT today renews its pledge to remain objective

FOR two years, the Daily FT team has worked to empower the people through dispensing knowledge of the emerging economy of Sri Lanka. Our belief is simple but pervasive. Since the end of a brutal three-decade conflict in 2009, Sri Lankans have been steadfast in their single-minded ambition to create

President Mahinda Rajapaksa presents development-oriented fiscal programme for 2012 and medium-term policy framework with support for almost all key segments of society and economy In their initial takes, overall welcome tone from private sector, though a few express concerns on select proposals President and Finance Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday presented what the Government described as ....

The post-Budget 2012 seminar organised by the Daily FT in partnership with Colombo University MBA Alumni Association will be most comprehensive as it involves a panel of 12 experts.     The event scheduled for Thursday, 24 November from 8.00 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. at the Oak

Analysts say sound fiscal programme for 2012 and medium term private sector oriented policy framework crucial for country to move forward putting behind controversial Expropriation Act Improving fiscal management gives hope for further progress Robust public investment programme; lower deficit; greater clarity and consistency taking on from 2011 Budget envisaged Budget 2012 tipped to showcase ...

Following are the brief key suggestions that came out at the groundbreaking pre-Budget 2012 brainstorming session held recently under a joint initiative by the Daily FT and the MBA Alumni Association of University of Colombo with Secretary to the Treasury Dr. P.B. Jayasundera as the Chief Guest

The Daily FT, which broke new grounds last year by being the first newspaper to co-host a packed post-Budget seminar, has this year come up with an impressive lineup of experts to share key insights to the Government’s upcoming 2012 fiscal program. Organised in partnership with the MBA Alumni

UNP MP Dr. Harsha de Silva fired a fresh salvo at Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal for moving away from his statutory role of being monetary policy-centric and making strong statements concerning fiscal policy which is the job of Finance Ministry. Dr. de Silva was responding to some of the recent statements by Cabraal about ...

This is the eighth article in the Daily FT’s fortnightly series titled ‘Business of Sports,’ focusing on the back office of the various sports administered and played in this country. Readers are invited to share their views and express their opinion via email to editor@ft.lk

The Institute of Chartered Corporate Secretaries of Sri Lanka in partnership with the Daily FT organised a seminar titled ‘Share Market Volatility – Causes and Remedies,’ last week which brought to the table many issues concerning the Colombo stock market

Offering epic safari adventures, Chaaya Wild transcends expectations and enthrals nature enthusiastsBy Marianne David If there’s one message that Yala reinforces, it’s the fact Sri Lanka is so abundantly blessed – a miracle in many ways. Despite its rising position as a hotspot for leopards being temporarily halted in its tracks during the latter stages ...

In an exclusive interview with the Daily FT, Keells Hotel Management Services Head of Eco Tourism and Special Projects Chitral Jayatilake said that over the years, Yala has progressed from being a great place to go on safari to a great place to see leopards. According to Jayatilake, the transition took place over the last ...

By Cheranka Mendis  Godrej Locks will launch an aggressive three year marketing and expansion road map in April 2012 in a bid to expand its global footprint with Sri Lanka at the forefront. Godrej Locks, the number on locks in India yesterday announced a partnership with Abans Group to promote and market the brand’s globally ...

By Cassandra Mascarenhas Market experts last week declared that the stock market has corrected itself enough and that it is now a good time for investors to buy. This assessment was made at an interactive forum titled ‘Share Market Volatility – Causes and Remedies’ organised by the Institute of Chartered Corporate Secretaries of Sri Lanka ...

In the midst of the volatility and speculation currently shrouding the Colombo Stock Exchange, the Institute of Chartered Corporate Secretaries of Sri Lanka in partnership with the Daily FT organised a seminar titled ‘Share Market Volatility – Causes and Remedies,’ which featured

By Devin Jayasundera Siedles (Pvt) Ltd. in its attempt to expand the Sony customer base in Sri Lanka and to provide a world class service to its cutomers launched a state-of-the-art Sony showroom at 150/3, Ward Place, Colombo 7 last week. The flagship Sony showroom equipped with the latest modern designs and sleek interior is ...

By Cheranka Mendis The tourism industry yesterday welcomed the reduction in the online visa processing fee from the initial US$ 50 flat rate for every country, giving into the concerns and objections of industry stakeholders. The scheme, scheduled to be in effect from January 2012, will now charge US$ 10 from travellers from South Asian ...