1st Jan 08

ATTN: MR CHANDIMA UDABAGE RUNDOWN THE STATE OF BUSINESS – 1ST JAN, 2008 HEALTH

DRY

ANOUK

00:24

FCCISL

VTR

ANOUK

03:02

FITCH

VTR

NISHANI

BREAK 1 - ADD STATE OF BUSINESS BRIDGE ORAL HEALTH

VTR

SAMANTHA

BREAK 2 - STOCK WATCH STOCK

VTR

CURRENCY

CARDS

LINE UP EDITOR ANCHOR

RIYAD 00.20

- ANOUK/ NISHANI - NISHANI

HEADLINES 1. SOCIAL BETTERMENT VIA EMPLOYMENT- FCCISL PROJECTS AIMED AT COUNTERING YOUTH DISCONTENTMENT, AND

SEGMENT: MAIN DATE: 1ST JAN 08 REPORTER: ANOUK SLUG: HEALTH HEALTH MINISTER NIMAL SIRIPALA DE SILVA HAS ISSUED A CIRCULAR PREVENTING PRIVATE MEDICAL SALES REPRESENTATIVES FROM ENTERING GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS AND MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS FROM TODAY. AS SUCH, DOCTORS BOTH IN THE GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE PRACTICE, HAVE BEEN ADVISED TO ISSUE PRESCRIPTIONS USING THE GENERIC NAMES OF MEDICINES FROM TODAY IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE SALE OF MEDICINE AT HIGHER PRICES UNDER THEIR BRAND NAMES. READ ON

SEGMENT: MAIN DATE: 1ST JAN 08 REPORTER: ANOUK SLUG: FCCISL JOBSNET, A JOB RECRUITMENT ENGINE FUNDED BY NORAD, SIDA, AND THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION, IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE MINISTRY OF LABOR HAS NOW BEEN RECONSTITUTED UNDER A CABINET DIRECTIVE AS A PRIVATE SECTOR COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE. ACCORDINGLY, THE REPRESENTATION ON THE BOARD OF SRI LANKA JOBSNET LTD HAS BEEN REVISED TO FACILITATE THIS PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP, WITH KEY PERSONS FROM VARIOUS MINISTRIES, CHAMBERS, THE EFC AND WORKERS ASSOCIATIONS NOW BEING INCLUDED ON THE BOARD. ROLL VTR SUPER Nihal Rangala Director HRD and Industrial Relations FCCISL TAG ‘EMPLOYMENT CREATION’ Website accessible via www.jobsnet.lk ‘Social Uplifting through Employment Creation’ the main objective FCCISL is the official marketing agent for Ceylon German Tech & the ATI

VOICE OVER/ 1ST JAN 08/ FCCISL/ ANOUK JOBSNET, A NORAD, SIDA, AND ILO FUNDED PROJECT WAS LAUNCHED IN 2003 AS A NATIONAL SOURCING AND DELIVERY SYSTEM. HOWEVER, EARLY THIS YEAR THE PROJECT HAD SLIPPED INTO DORMANT MODE OVER SEVERAL MONTHS, UNTIL BEING REVIVED LATE LAST YEAR. THE FEDERATION OF CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY OF SRI LANKA WAS KEY IN WORKING WITH THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR TO RESURRECT THE PROGRAM. VOICE CUT (1:55) NOT ONLY RESURRECTING IT BUT GETTING JOBS NET INCORPORATED UNDER THE CABINET DIRECTIVE AS A PRIVATE COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE WHERE THEY BRING IN THE STATE, THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND WORKERS’ ASSOCIATIONS. WE’RE NOT RULED UNDER ANY STATE REGULATION, WE COME UNDER THE SHOP AND OFFICE ACT (2:33) SO HOW DOES JOBSNET WORK, SAY, FOR A COMPANY RECRUITER? VOICE CUT (3:10) WE COULD ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, SAY WITHIN HALF AN HOUR SEND HIM THE NAMES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE QUALIFICATION AT NO COST. THEY DON’T HAVE THE HASSLE OF HAVING TO ADVERTISE, SHORTLIST, HAVING TO GO THROUGH CV’S AND ALL OF THAT (3:35) FOLLOWING ITS REVIVAL, THE JOB RECRUITMENT ENGINE HAS MADE QUITE A BIT OF HEADWAY. VOICE CUT (14:41) WE HAD SOMETHING LIKE 200,000 ON OUR DATABASE TO DATE , AND ACHIEVED GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT FOR AROUND 16,000 PERSONS UP TO NOW (14:50) THE FCCISL SAYS THAT FOR THE NEXT SIX TARGETING UP TO 25,000 JOB PLACEMENTS.

MONTHS

THEY

ARE

SO WHAT IF ONE ENCOUNTERS THE PERFECT JOB OPPORTUNITY, BUT LACKS THE REQUIRED QUALIFICATION?

NOT A PROBLEM, SAYS THE FCCISL, WHICH HAS ACCESS TO THE BEST STATE RUN TECHNICAL TRAINING PROVIDERS IN THE COUNTRY FOR TECHNICAL TRAINING. THEY HAVE ALSO TEAMED UP WITH GEORGE STEUARTS LTD., TO CONDUCT INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PROFESSIONAL COURSES SUCH AS CIMA, CIM AND AAT AMONG OTHERS. PROFESSIONAL COURSES WILL COMMENCE FROM THIS MONTH AT THE GEORGE STEUARTS EDUCATION SERVICES LTD. STATE-OF-THE-ART BUSINESS SCHOOL IN MT LAVINIA. VOICE CUT (05:50) WHAT IS IMPORTANT WITH THE NEW MOU WITH GEORGE STEUARTS IS THAT WE’RE SERVING THE ENTIRETY OF COLOMBO SOUTH WHERE THEY FIND IT DIFFICULT TO COME TO COLOMBO (06:08) HE SAYS THAT FOR DESERVING STUDENTS EASY PAYMENT SCHEMES ARE AVAILABLE, AS ARE SCHOLARSHIPS, WHICH WILL BE CONSIDERED ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS. SO IT’S COMMENDABLE WORK THAT IS CARRIED OUT FOR A NOBLE CAUSE! VOICE CUT (16:40) WE CAN’T TRANSFORM THE COUNTRY IN 24 HOURS, BUT IN OUR OWN WAY WE CAN DO MUCH IN ASSISTING THE NATIONAL CAUSE, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREA OF YOUTH, YOUTH FRUSTRATION, EDUCATION, AND UNEMPLOYMENT (17:01) ENDS/

SEGMENT:MAIN AIRED:1ST JAN SHOT: REPORTER:NISHANI SLUG:FITCH/HDFC-VTR/CARD FITCH RATINGS LANKA DOWNGRADED THE NATIONAL LONG TERM RATING OF THE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FINANCE CORPORATION BANK OF SRI LANKA FROM A LANKA TO A MINUS LANKA. THE OUT LOOK ON THE NEGATIVE FROM STABLE. ROLL VTR

RATINGS

HAS

ALSO

BEING

REVISED

TO

VOICE OVER/NISHANI/FITCH/1ST JAN CARD 1 Fitch downgrades the national long term rating of the HDFC from a (lka) to a-(lka). Outlook on the ratings also revised to negative from stable. THE AGENCY SAYS THE DOWNGRADING REFLECTS THE DETERIORATING PROFITABILITY BROUGHT ON BY THE ESCALATING INTEREST RATES IN THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT. HDFC IS EXPOSED TO A SIGNIFICANT LEVEL OF INTEREST RATE RISK DUE TO THE INHERENT MISMATCH BETWEEN ITS FUNDING AVENUES AND INTEREST EARNING ASSETS. CARD 2 HDFC Earning assets - housing loans with tenures of 10-15 years at fixed interest rates. Funding - local institutional borrowings and term deposits. HDFC’S EARNING ASSETS CONSIST ALMOST ENTIRELY OF HOUSING LOANS WITH TENURES OF 10-15 YEARS AT FIXED INTEREST RATES WHILE ITS FUNDING COMPRISES OF LOCAL INSTITUTIONAL BORROWINGS AND TERM DEPOSITS WHICH ARE RE-PRICED IN CYCLES OF ONE YEAR OR LESS. ACCORDING TO FITCH ALTHOUGH THE BANK INCREASED ITS LENDING RATES ON ITS NEW LOANS TO PRESERVE MARGINS ITS ABILITY TO RE-PRICE LOANS ORIGINATED IN THE PAST IS LIMITED DUE TO THE NATURE OF ITS CLIENT BASE WHO ARE LARGELY FROM THE LOW AND MIDDLE FIXED INCOME EARNERS.

CARD 3 -2005/2010, 2015,2020 debentures of LKR 250 Mn. -2005/2009 125 Mn.

Senior

Senior

unsecured

unsecured

redeemable

redeemable

debentures

of

LKR

AT THE SAME TIME FITCH RATINGS ALSO DOWNGRADED THE RATING ON THE SENIOR UNSECURED DEBENTURES ISSUED BY HDFC TO (A) MINUS LANKA FROM (A) LANKA. ENDS/.