Kicking off for the 18th consecutive year, the highly anticipated Profood Propack and Agbiz 2019 trade exhibition opened its doors to the public yesterday and will go on till August 4 from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

PARIS (AFP) - EU governments began voting yesterday on their candidate to lead the International Monetary Fund (IMF), France’s finance ministry said, an unusual move that underscores lingering mistrust between nort

SEOUL (AFP) - South Korean President Moon Jae-in yesterday condemned Japan’s decision to remove his country from a ‘white list’ of favoured trading partners, calling it a ‘very reckless’ move and threatening unspecified countermeasures. Tok

Sri Lankan business chambers have failed to stand with Muslim-owned small and medium-sized enterprises at their darkest hour, a leading Muslim politician in the country said yesterday. “It was very sad for me to see the silence of the Chamber of

Union Assurance PLC (UAL) said yesterday its Executive Director/CEO Dirk Pereira tendered three months notice of his resignation from his post.

The Immigration and Emigration Department is seeking funds from the Treasury to set up a deep risk analysis, targeting, tracking and operational centre to enhance measures to counter terrorist entering the country.

(Washington) AFP: The US Federal Reserve, under intense pressure from Donald Trump to stimulate the economy, produced on Wednesday the first interest rate cut in more than a decade but struggled to justify the move or explain where it goes next. The

The Payments and Settlements Department of the Central Bank yesterday urged people to register for real-time SMS alerts and obtain EMV chip-based payments cards to prevent fraudulent electronic transaction.

(Colombo) REUTERS: Sri Lankan shares fell for a third straight session yesterday to near one-week low, dragged down by banking and diversified shares, while the rupee ended weaker due to importer dollar demand.

One of the most common complaints of businesses/entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka is policy inconsistency and ad hoc policy changes. From the changes in taxes to changes in interest rates, Sri Lankan businesses are often faced with challenging conditions.

(San Francisco) REUTERS: U.S. central bankers are expected to lower borrowing costs this week for the first time since the depths of the financial crisis more than a decade ago. That’s the easy part.

The United States plans to become an equal partner to Sri Lanka from a donor by assisting the island nation to address the binding constraints to economic growth through Millennium Challenge Corporation’s (MCC) US $ 480 million grant.

The proposed free-visa scheme for 48 countries comes into effect from today for the next six months, aiming to speed up the recovery of the Sri Lanka tourism industry in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday attacks.

Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption authority is to introduce sweeping legislations to expand its scope to curb corruption stemming from the private sector, while holding public officials, including politicians, more accountable.

Come August, Sri Lanka will finally see the establishment of an automobile manufacturing plant as Indian multinational car manufacturing corporation Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd is set to inaugurate the complex, which will up the island nation’s scope f

The Cabinet ministers with vested business interests should relinquish their interests or step down in order to create a clean government, asserted Finance State Minister Eran Wickramaratne, at a recent anti-graft forum in Colombo.

Inflation measured by the Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI) fell to 3.3 percent in July on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, decelerating from 3.8 percent recorded for the month of June, the Census and Statistics Department said.

Exporters this week blamed the country’s political leadership for failing to unlock the growth potential in the post-war Sri Lanka while driving the country on path to increased corruption. “The political leadership has failed to lead this coun

Seylan Bank PLC saw its June quarter (2Q19) earnings hit by flat net interest income and impact stemming from Debt Repayment Levy, the interim accounts released by the bank to the Colombo Stock Exchange showed. The banking group record

Califolink Logistics (CLL), the logistics arm of the Jinadasa Group was recently acquired for an undisclosed sum by Ceyline Holdings, a Jinadasa Group statement said. The integrated logistics company, which has a strong presence in Sri Lanka, has bee

Sri Lanka’s largest bank, Bank of Ceylon (BOC), yesterday commenced 80th anniversary celebrations of the bank at the BMICH under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The picture shows BOC Chairman

(Colombo) REUTERS: Sri Lankan shares snapped their five-session gaining streak yesterday as investors booked profits, while the rupee ended weaker due to importer dollar demand. The country’s benc

As per the directive given by the Insurance Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (IRCSL) has not been heeded by the Agriculture and Agrarian Insurance Board (AAIB), Ceylinco General Insurance Ltd. has taken the

The writ petition seeking a court order directing legal action to be taken against the parties liable for the waste containers was heard at the Court of Appeal yesterday During today’s hearing, Romesh De Silva PC addressing the court clarified th

The Tea Exporters Association (TEA) issuing a statement yesterday expressed concern over the government’s plan to use part of the funds collected from tea exporters to give a boost to replanting activities by amending the Tea Promotion Levy Gazette

The Hayleys group knit fabric maker Hayleys Fabric PLC saw a surge in earnings for the June quarter (1Q20), well supported by the firm’s top line, the interim financial accounts released to the Colombo Stock Exchange yesterday, showed.

(London) AFP: London Stock Exchange shares soared yesterday after confirming talks over a vast US $ 27-billion takeover of US financial data provider Refinitiv, potentially placing it in direct competition with Bloomberg.

(Colombo) REUTERS: Sri Lankan shares hit their highest close in six months yesterday, led by a rally in banks and diversified stocks along with healthy purchases by domestic investors.

Sri Lanka’s gem and jewellery industry is seeking government assistance in finding new markets for its products, following the April 21 Easter Sunday bombings, which dealt a severe blow to the industry with the slowing down of tourist arrivals.

While releasing its interim accounts for the quarter ended June 30, 2019 (1Q20), listed brush maker BPPL Holdings PLC yesterday said a fire that broke out at its factory premises on July 28 “should not” impact its future earnings significantly.