4th Jan 08

ATTN: MR. CHANDIMA UDABAGE RUNDOWN THE STATE OF BUSINESS – 4TH JAN, 2008 FOREIGN

VTR

SAMANTHA

PAKISTAN

VTR

RIYAD

TRADE

FLASH

CHAMI

01:20

00.50

ADD STATE OF BUSINESS BRIDGE EDEX

VTR

NILANTHA

02.05

KALA POLA

VTR

ANOUK

02.00

FINLAYS

CARD

CHAMI

00.50

CORPORATE BRIDGE

BREAK 2 - STOCK WATCH STOCK UPDATE

CARDS

01.30

STOCKS

VTR

CURRENCY

CARDS

LINE UP EDITOR ANCHOR

- ANOUK - DAKSHITHA

00.20

headlines 1. sri lanka pakistan fta not fully exploited says the pakistani high commissioner, and 2. draft text of india-sri lanka cepa to be finalized shortly

1. foreign – vtr the government says that the termination of the cease fire agreement does not in anyway hamper the process of moving towards a negotiated political settlement to the ongoing northern conflict. addressing the media in colombo, the minister of foreign affairs rohitha bogollagama said the termination allows the government to pursue a political solution involving all sections of sri lankan polity. roll vtr 2. pakistan trade 2008 the pakistani high commissioner says the free trade agreement signed in 2002 between pakistan and sri lanka has not been fully exploited by both countries. however he added that while the fta officially came into operation in 2005, in one year’s time bilateral trade between the two countries increased by 100%. this was stated at a media conference announce the pakistan exhibition 2008.

held

today

to

roll vtr 3. trade – flash the department of commerce today revealed that the draft text of the cepa agreement scheduled to be signed between india and sri lanka is being finalized by the trade officials of the two nations. director general of the commerce department mrs. manel de silva said that this was done during the just concluded 11th round of discussions held between the two countries. the discussions were held in colombo and concluded this evening. according to de silva all chapters of the agreement have been compiled into one document and the next step is to forward the document for legal clearance.

the commerce department says a meeting is scheduled to be held during the month of march between the commerce secretaries of india and sri lanka to iron out various concerns both parties have in fully implementing the cepa. the comprehensive economic partnership agreement is expected to liberalize trade between the two nations to a greater extent. read on … break 4. edex – vtr edex- 2008, the national higher education and careers expo will be held for the fifth consecutive year this month in colombo and kandy. the organizers, the royal college union expects a visitor turnout of over 100,000 this year. more details about the event were disclosed conference held in colombo last evening.

at

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media

roll vtr 5. corporate- kala pola tempting art-lovers and artists themselves, once again the ‘kala pola’ comes alive on the 20th of this month. this time the event kicks off, not at its usual venue on the roadside in front of the art gallery, but at the viharamahadevi park. roll vtr 6. finlays – card the “adawatte tea estate” of finlay’s has recorded a net sale average of 304 rupees and 10 cents for a kilogram of tea in 2007 making it the number one estate in both the uva high and uva medium categories. card in

according to finlays this achievement has made adawatte the best tea estate in the uva province for 2007. with this adawatte also became the first ever estate to achieve a net sale average of above 300 rupees during a year in the entire sri lankan history. finlays says that during 2007 adawatte tea estate has achieved 98 top prices at the colombo tea auctions for last year, the highest in the uva medium category. card out meanwhile oodoowerre tea estate another finlays factory secured an average of 266 rupees and 63 cents for the year 2007 for a kilogram of tea. this the highest category. read on…

ever

average

recorded

in

the

uva

high

BREAK STOX ANALYSTS SAY THE MARKET CONTINUED ITS DULL SPELL AND SAW A STEADY DOWNWARD TREND. COMMERCIAL BANK EXPERIENCED A CROSSING OF 75,000 SHARES AT 146 RUPEES. 3 CROSSINGS ALSO TOOK PLACE ON JKH WITH A TOTAL OF 600,000 SHARES MOVING, ALL AT 125. TESS AGRO HEADED THE DAY’S VOLUMES LIST TRADING 1.49 MILLION SHARES FOLLOWED BY JKH WHICH TRADED 0.75 MILLION. JKH ALSO CONTRIBUTED 94.2 MILLION RUPEES TO TURNOVER TODAY, THE HIGHEST FOR THE DAY, WHILE COMMERCIAL BANK AND HNB INJECTED 17.9 MILLION AND 12.8 MILLION RUPEES EACH. FOREIGN BUYING WAS AT 133.04 MILLION WITH FOREIGN SELLING WAS RECORDED AT 22.89 MILLION. THE ALL SHARE DIPPED 19.56 POINTS TO CLOSE AT 2,510.4 WHILE THE MILANKA ALSO LOST 10.08 POINTS ENDING THE DAY AT 3,220.19. TURNOVER WAS AT 237.4 MILLION RUPEES. THE TOP GAINERS TODAY WERE DIMO, ALLIANCE, LANKA ASHOK, MTD WALKERS AND YORK ARCADE, WHILE CDIC, HUEJAY, ABANS, SINGALANKA AND PDL LED THE LOSERS. NOW WE JOIN RAJIVE FROM ACTIVITIES FOR THIS WEEK.

HNB

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A

SYNOPSIS

COMING UP IS A LOOK AT THE DAY’S FOREX RATES!

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SEGMENT: DATE: REPORTER: EDITOR: SLUG:

MAIN 4TH JANUARY 2008 RIYAD R. ANOUK T. PAKISTAN TRADE 2008

PAKISTANI OFFICIALS SAY THE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT SIGNED IN 2002 BETWEEN PAKISTAN AND SRI LANKA HAS NOT BEEN FULLY EXPLOITED BY BOTH COUNTRIES. HOWEVER IT WAS ADDED THAT WHILE THE FTA OFFICIALLY CAME INTO OPERATION IN 2005, IN ONE YEAR’S TIME BILATERAL TRADE BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES INCREASED BY 100%. THIS WAS STATED AT A MEDIA CONFERENCE ANNOUNCE THE PAKISTAN EXHIBITION 2008. ROLL VTR Super Shahzad A. Chaudhry High Commissioner of Pakistan

HELD

TODAY

TO

VOICE OVER / PAKISTAN TRADE / RIYAD / 4TH JANUARY 2008 / VTR ACCORDING TO THE 2006 CENTRAL BANK ANNUAL STATISTICS BILATERAL TRADE BETWEEN SRI LANKA AND PAKISTAN WAS AT JUST OVER 21 BILLION RUPEES. IT’S A FRACTION OF THE TRADE BETWEEN INDIA, EU AND THE U.S. EXPORTS FROM SRI LANKA ACCOUNTED FOR 6.06 BILLION RUPEES. RUBBER WITH 1.93 BILLION AND TEA WITH DOMINATE THE EXPORT PROCEEDINGS TO PAKISTAN.

0.837

BILLION

WHILE PAKISTANI IMPORTS TO SRI LANKA STOOD AT 15.23 BILLION RUPEES. PAKISTANI HIGH COMMISSIONER SHAZHAD A. CHAUDHRY STATED THAT MOST SRI LANKAN BUSINESS HAVE UNDER UTILIZED THE FTA BETWEEN THE 2 COUNTRIES AND OVERSEEN PAKISTAN AS A CONDUCIVE LOCATION FOR BUSINESS. CUT HE ADDED THAT PAKISTAN IS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING ECONOMIES IN THE REGION AND THE FTA GIVES SRI LANKAN BUSINESS AN IDEAL OPPORTUNITY TO PENETRATE PAKISTAN’S 1000 PER CAPITA INCOME MARKET. CUT THE PAKISTAN EXHIBITION 2008 WILL BE HELD FROM THE 11TH TO 13TH JANUARY AT THE BMICH.

ENDS/ SEGMENT: DATE: REPORTER: SLUG:

MAIN 4 / 01 / 2008 CHAMINDA FINLAYS – CARD

THE “ADAWATTE TEA ESTATE” OF FINLAY’S HAS RECORDED A NET SALE AVERAGE OF 304 RUPEES AND 10 CENTS FOR A KILOGRAM OF TEA IN 2007 MAKING IT THE NUMBER ONE ESTATE IN BOTH THE UVA HIGH AND UVA MEDIUM CATEGORIES. CARD IN ACCORDING TO FINLAYS THIS ACHIEVEMENT HAS MADE ADAWATTE THE BEST TEA ESTATE IN THE UVA PROVINCE FOR 2007. WITH THIS ADAWATTE ALSO BECAME THE FIRST EVER ESTATE TO ACHIEVE A NET SALE AVERAGE OF ABOVE 300 RUPEES DURING A YEAR IN THE ENTIRE SRI LANKAN HISTORY. FINLAYS SAYS THAT DURING 2007 ADAWATTE TEA ESTATE HAS ACHIEVED 98 TOP PRICES AT THE COLOMBO TEA AUCTIONS FOR LAST YEAR, THE HIGHEST IN THE UVA MEDIUM CATEGORY. CARD OUT MEANWHILE OODOOWERRE TEA ESTATE ANOTHER FINLAYS FACTORY SECURED AN AVERAGE OF 266 RUPEES AND 63 CENTS FOR THE YEAR 2007 FOR A KILOGRAM OF TEA. THIS THE HIGHEST CATEGORY. READ ON…

EVER

AVERAGE

RECORDED

IN

THE

UVA

HIGH

FINLAYS TEA PRICES

“Finlays Tea Estates” have secured the no. 1 position in both Uva high & Uva medium categories

SEGMENT: DATE: REPORTER: SLUG:

MAIN 04/01/08 SAMANTHA FOREIGN – VTR

THE GOVERNMENT SAYS THAT THE TERMINATION OF THE CEASE FIRE AGREEMENT DOES NOT IN ANYWAY HAMPER THE PROCESS OF MOVING TOWARDS A NEGOTIATED POLITICAL SETTLEMENT TO THE ONGOING NORTHERN CONFLICT. ADDRESSING THE MEDIA IN COLOMBO, THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ROHITHA BOGOLLAGAMA SAID THE TERMINATION ALLOWS THE GOVERNMENT TO PURSUE A POLITICAL SOLUTION INVOLVING ALL SECTIONS OF SRI LANKAN POLITY. ROLL VTR ‘CEASEFIRE CEASED’ Effective from January 16th Truce monitors will also leave SUPER Rohitha Bogollagama Minister of Foreign Affairs

Voice over – foreign THE GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA FORMALLY NOTIFIED THE ROYAL NORWEGIAN GOVERNMENT OF ITS DECISION TO TERMINATE THE CEASE FIRE AGREEMENT WITH THE LTTE YESTERDAY. ACCORDINGLY THE FUNCTIONS OF THE SRI LANKA MONITORING MISSION WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED TO MONITOR THE CFA WILL BECOME DEFUNCT FROM THE 16TH OF THIS MONTH. THE FOREIGN MINISTER HAS ALSO BRIEFED MISSIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT’S STANCE. VOICE CUT END/

THE

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SEGMENT: DATE: REPORTER: SLUG:

MAIN 04/01/08 NILANTHA EDEX – VTR

EDEX- 2008, THE NATIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION AND CAREERS EXPO WILL BE HELD FOR THE FIFTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR THIS MONTH IN COLOMBO AND KANDY. THE ORGANIZERS, THE ROYAL COLLEGE UNION EXPECTS A VISITOR TURNOUT OF OVER 100,000 THIS YEAR. MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE EVENT WERE DISCLOSED CONFERENCE HELD IN COLOMBO LAST EVENING. ROLL VTR ‘EDEX 2008’ January 18-20 in Colombo January 22 & 23 in Kandy Confirmed participants from 16 countries Walk-in interviews held by leading private sector companies SUPER Kamal Abeysinghe Project Chairman EDEX 2008

AT

A

MEDIA

VOICE OVER – EDEX 2008 EDEX, THE NATIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION AND CAREERS EXPO IS THE LARGEST SINGLE NATION-WIDE PLATFORM CONNECTING SRI LANKAN YOUTH WITH CHOICES, OPTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE POSTSECONDARY, GRADUATE, POST-GRADUATE, TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING STUDIES LEADING TO GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT. V/C THE MAIN EVENT WILL BE HELD AT THE BMICH FROM JANUARY 18 TO 20TH WHILE THE SECOND EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE IN KANDY ON THE 22ND AND 23RD OF THIS MONTH. THE CEYLON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND ICTA WILL BE THE STRATEGIC PARTNERS. EDEX 2008 WILL FEATURE THREE MAIN PAVILIONS WHICH INCLUDE DOMESTIC EDUCATION, INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION AND CAREERS & RECRUITMENTS. SPOT ADMISSIONS TO OVER 350 FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES AND ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS WILL BE FACILITATED FOR THE NEEDY AT THE EXHIBITION VENUES. THERE WILL ALSO BE CAREER GUIDANCE SEMINARS CONDUCTED FOR THE PARTICIPANTS THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THE EXHIBITION WHILE WALK IN INTERVIEWS FOR JOB RECRUITMENT WILL BE CARRIED OUT BY LEADING PRIVATE SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS. ENDS/

SEGMENT: CORPORATE DATE: 4TH JAN 08 REPORTER: ANOUK SLUG: KALA POLA TEMPTING ART-LOVERS AND ARTISTS THEMSELVES, ONCE AGAIN THE ‘KALA POLA’ COMES ALIVE ON THE 20TH OF THIS MONTH. THIS TIME THE EVENT KICKS OFF, NOT AT ITS USUAL VENUE ON THE ROADSIDE IN FRONT OF THE ART GALLERY, BUT AT THE VIHARAMAHADEVI PARK. ROLL VTR ‘KALA POLA 2008’ SUPER Cedric De Silva President George Keyt Foundation Channa Ekanayake Artist

VOICE OVER/ 4TH JAN 08/ KALA POLA/ ANOUK A PRODUCT OF THE GEORGE KEYT FOUNDATION, THE KALA POLA WHICH IS A MEETING POINT FOR ARTISTS AND BUYERS FROM ALL OVER THE ISLAND, ENJOYS THE PATRONAGE OF THE JOHN KEELLS GROUP F0R THE 15TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR. BEARING TESTIMONY TO ITS EVER-INCREASING POPULARITY, IS THE GROWTH IN THE NUMBER OF ARTISTS PARTICIPATING EACH YEAR. VOICE CUT IN JANUARY 2000 WE HAD 138 ARTISTS AT KALA POLA. THE NUMBER HAD GROWN GRADUALLY. THE NUMBER INCREASED TO 180 IN THE YEAR 2001, AND IN 2002 WE HAD 238, FOLLOWED BY AS MANY AS 328 IN 2003 AND INCREASING FURTHER TO 353 IN 2004. AND KEEPING TO OVER 300 THEREAFTER (07:17) THIS YEAR TOO THE POLA WILL FEATURE ARTISTS AND SCULPTORS, IN AN ATMOSPHERE FILLED WITH MUSIC, SONG AND FUN. NOT ONLY IS THE EVENT A SOURCE OF INCOME FOR PARTICIPATING ARTISTS, BUT IS ALSO A LAUNCHPAD FOR THEIR CAREERS, AS IS EVIDENT WITH THIS ARTIST. (09:32) AS AN ARTIST MY FOUNDATION LAID ON KALA POLA. IN 2001 I EXHIBITED MY WORK ON KALA POLA FOR THE FIRST TIME. IT WAS LIKE A ONE-DAY DRAMA TO ME. IT WAS THE DAY WHICH CHANGED MY WHOLE CAREER BECAUSE AFTER THAT I HAD TO GIVE UP MY OTHER PROFESSIONS. I HAD TO GIVE UP TEACHING, I HAD TO GIVE UP WRITING AND BECOME A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST. NOW I’M WORKING AS A FULL-TIME ARTIST. (10:16) THE KALA POLA 2008 KICKS OFF AT 10 AM ON SUNDAY THE 20TH OF JANUARY. ENDS/

SEGMENT: DATE: REPORTER: SLUG:

MAIN 04 / 01 / 2008 CHAMINDA TRADE – FLASH

THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TODAY REVEALED THAT THE DRAFT TEXT OF THE CEPA AGREEMENT SCHEDULED TO BE SIGNED BETWEEN INDIA AND SRI LANKA IS BEING FINALIZED BY THE TRADE OFFICIALS OF THE TWO NATIONS. CARD IN: - INDIA – SRI LANKA CEPA DRAFT TEXT FINALIZED DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE COMMERCE DEPARTMENT MRS. MANEL DE SILVA SAID THAT THIS WAS DONE DURING THE JUST CONCLUDED 11TH ROUND OF DISCUSSIONS HELD BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES. THE DISCUSSIONS WERE HELD IN COLOMBO AND CONCLUDED THIS EVENING. ACCORDING TO DE SILVA ALL CHAPTERS OF THE AGREEMENT HAVE BEEN COMPILED INTO ONE DOCUMENT AND THE NEXT STEP IS TO FORWARD THE DOCUMENT FOR LEGAL CLEARANCE. THE COMMERCE DEPARTMENT SAYS A MEETING IS SCHEDULED TO BE HELD DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH BETWEEN THE COMMERCE SECRETARIES OF INDIA AND SRI LANKA TO IRON OUT VARIOUS CONCERNS BOTH PARTIES HAVE IN IMPLEMENTING THE CEPA FULLY. THE COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT IS EXPECTED TO LIBERALIZE TRADE BETWEEN THE TWO NATIONS TO A GREATER EXTENT. READ ON …

[email protected]

STOX ANALYSTS SAY THE MARKET CONTINUED ITS DULL SPELL AND SAW A STEADY DOWNWARD TREND. COMMERCIAL BANK EXPERIENCED A CROSSING OF 75,000 SHARES AT 146 RUPEES. 3 CROSSINGS ALSO TOOK PLACE ON JKH WITH A TOTAL OF 600,000 SHARES MOVING, ALL AT 125. TESS AGRO HEADED THE DAY’S VOLUMES LIST TRADING 1.49 MILLION SHARES FOLLOWED BY JKH WHICH TRADED 0.75 MILLION. JKH ALSO CONTRIBUTED 94.2 MILLION RUPEES TO TURNOVER TODAY, THE HIGHEST FOR THE DAY, WHILE COMMERCIAL BANK AND HNB INJECTED 17.9 MILLION AND 12.8 MILLION RUPEES EACH. FOREIGN BUYING WAS AT 133.04 MILLION WITH FOREIGN SELLING WAS RECORDED AT 22.89 MILLION. THE ALL SHARE DIPPED 19.56 POINTS TO CLOSE AT 2,510.4 WHILE THE MILANKA ALSO LOST 10.08 POINTS ENDING THE DAY AT 3,220.19. TURNOVER WAS AT 237.4 MILLION RUPEES. THE TOP GAINERS TODAY WERE DIMO, ALLIANCE, LANKA ASHOK, MTD WALKERS AND YORK ARCADE, WHILE CDIC, HUEJAY, ABANS, SINGALANKA AND PDL LED THE LOSERS. NOW WE JOIN RAJIVE FROM ACTIVITIES FOR THIS WEEK.

HNB

FOR

A

SYNOPSIS

COMING UP IS A LOOK AT THE DAY’S FOREX RATES!

OF

TRADING