Importers secure increase in age limit for cars and commercial vehicles; higher duty to stay President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday stepped up the accelerator for re-conditioned vehicles agreeing to revise the recently imposed age limit rules at a meeting with importers. Responding to pleas by motorists as well as Vehicle Importers Association, the President has agreed ...

The country’s forex market encompassing highly dependent importers and key source exporters was yesterday rocked by what analysts described as the sharpest day gain in the US dollar exchange rate. Before mid-day the Rupee touched a new low of Rs. 127 and then on to Rs. 128 prompting many to assume the rate had bottomed ...

By Cheranka Mendis Despite the Central Bank’s forecast reading 7.2% growth for 2012, RAM Ratings Lanka CEO Adrian Perera is confident that the country can touch the 7.5%-7.6% mark by the end of the year. Perera told the Daily FT that the new projection is a realistic number from the 8% noted

Contrary to exaggerated claims the EPF investments in to the stock market last week had amounted to only less than 10% of market activity and unlike some past contentious buys, this time around it had focused on blue chips. The total turnover of the Colombo bourse last week was Rs. 8.6 billion and local purchases ...

ASI gains by 5% as Bourse’s value swells by Rs. 96 b Brokers positive after fresh meeting with SEC EPF, private institutional and high networth investors active on attractive valuations The Colombo stock market yesterday produced a major rebound gaining by 5% thanks what some described as “spirited support” whilst others emphasised it was largely due ...

By Chamitha Kuruppu The Government has decided to grant a fuel subsidy to private bus owners, school vans and three wheeler operators. A kerosene coupon will be issued to the low income families. Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera told the Daily FT that cost of the relief scheme estimated

Fuel hike fires up fresh crisis Unprecedented rise to rocket cost of living; Opposition says hike anti-poor; subsidy scheme impractical Import bill in 2011 first 11 months at $ 4.1 b far above 2010 full year figure of $ 3 b Experts urge country to go back to automatic monthly price revision Hike likely to ...

The Colombo stock market showed signs of struggle on the New Year’s first day of trading, managing to close up on a razor-thin margin with a turnover of just Rs. 419 million. In an apparent reflection of continuity of past year’s woes, the ASI gained by 0.01% or 0.4 points whilst MPI improved by over ...