8th Jan

ATTN: MR CHANDIMA UDABAGE RUNDOWN THE STATE OF BUSINESS – 08TH Jan, 2008 DAMU

CARD

RIYAD

00:31

EMIRATES FOLLOW

VTR

ANOUK

01:12

STOCKS

VTR

CHAMINDA 01:41

TOURISM

VTR

SHASHIKA 00:49

ADD STATE OF BUSINESS BRIDGE TRANSPORT

VTR

SAMANTHA 01.51

BREAK 2 - STOCK WATCH STOCK UPDATE

CARDS

01.30

CURRENCY

CARDS

00.20

LINE UP EDITOR ANCHOR

- ANOUK/ NISHANI - DAKSHITHA

HEADLINES 1. MINISTER D.M. DASSANAYAKE KILLED IN THIS MORNING’S EXPLOSION IN JA-ELA, AND 2. GOVERNMENT READY TO TAKE OVER MANAGEMENT OF SRI LANKAN AIRLINES

1. D.M. BLAST - CARD NON CABINET MINISTER OF NATION BUILDING D.M. DASSANAYAKE SUCCUMBED TO HIS INJURIES AT THE RAGAMA TEACHING HOSPITAL AT APPROXIMATELY 12.35 PM TODAY, FOLLOWING A CLAYMORE ATTACK ON HIS MOTORCADE IN JA-ELA THIS MORNING. CARD IN A RELEASE ISSUED BY THE GOVERNMENT INFORMATION DEPARTMENT CONDEMNS THE ATTACK SAYING IT WAS AN ACT OF THE LTTE. MINISTER DASSANAYAKA WAS RETURNING FROM HIS CONSTITUENCY OF PUTTALAM TO ATTEND A PARLIAMENTARY SESSION TO BE HELD THIS AFTERNOON. A FURTHER 1 PERSON WAS KILLED IN THE BLAST, PERSONS WERE ALSO INJURED IN THE EXPLOSION.

WHILE

12

CARD OUT READ ON 2. EMIRATES FOLLOWING DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND BOI OFFICIALS THIS AFTERNOON REGARDING SRI LANKAN AIRLINES, THE GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED TO TAKE OVER THE MANAGEMENT OF THE AIRLINE FROM THE 1ST OF APRIL THIS YEAR. THIS FOLLOWS AFTER EMIRATES WHICH HOLDS A 43.6% STAKE IN THE AIRLINE INFORMED THE GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA OVER THE WEEKEND THAT IT WILL NOT BE RENEWING ITS SHAREHOLDERS AGREEMENT WHICH EXPIRES ON THE 31ST OF MARCH. HERE IS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOI, DAMMIKA PERERA EXPLAINING THE OUTCOME OF THIS AFTERNOON’S MEETING. VOICE CUT EXTRO MEANWHILE, SRI LANKA TOURISM SAYS THAT THERE IS NO CAUSE FOR ALARM AMONG ITS STAKEHOLDERS AS IT IS EXPECTED THAT NORMAL OPERATIONS WILL CONTINUE DESPITE THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY EMIRATES.

IN A STATEMENT RELEASED TODAY, SRI LANKA TOURISM ADDED THAT THEY EXPECT THE TRANSFER OF MANAGEMENT FROM EMIRATES TO THE MAJOR SHAREHOLDER, THE GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA TO BE SMOOTH WITH MINIMUM IMPACT ON TOURISM OPERATIONS. IT SAYS THEY ARE ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING A FILLING UP OF ANY GAPS THAT MAY EXIST AS A RESULT OF THE EXPIRY OF THE AGREEMENT. ACCORDING TO THE STATEMENT IT IS ALSO EXPECTED THAT THE FOCUS ON THE DESTINATION TO BE FURTHER INCREASED. READ ON 3. CSE – VTR DURING THE YEAR 2007, THE COLOMBO STOCK MARKET RECORDED ITS HIGHEST NET FOREIGN INFLOW RECEIVED DURING A YEAR WHICH AMOUNTED TO 11.2 BILLION RUPEES. THIS FIGURE SURPASSES THE PREVIOUS RUPEES RECORDED IN THE YEAR 2005.

HIGH

OF

6.2

BILLION

ROLL VTR 4. TOURISM – VTR THE COUNTRY HAS EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN TOURISM SURGE OWING TO THE ARRIVAL OF 10,000 VISITORS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL DAWOODI BOHRA COMMUNITY. THE TOURISM MINISTRY SAYS THIS HAS RESULTED IN THE ROOM OCCUPANCY OF CITY HOTELS INCREASING. ROLL VTR BREAK 5. TRANSPORT - VTR THE TRANSPORT MINISTRY SAYS THAT IT PLANS TO DEVELOP THE BASTIAN MAWATHA PRIVATE BUS STAND AS A NEW TERMINAL FOR LONG DISTANCE PASSENGERS. THIS WAS STATED AT A MEDIA CONFERENCE HELD IN COLOMBO TODAY WHERE THE MINISTRY ALSO OUTLINED FURTHER PLANS TO DEVELOP PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SERVICES.

ROLL VTR BREAK STOX THE MARKET WAS ON A DOWNWARD TREND THROUGHOUT THE DAY TODAY AS WELL, WITH LOW ACTIVITY LEVELS AND RETAIL PARTICIPATION. VALLIBEL TRADED THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF SHARES OF 1.62 MILLION TODAY WHILE SINGER AND TOKYO-NON VOTING TRADED 1.02 MILLION AND 0.74 MILLION SHARES RESPECTIVELY. SINGER ALSO CONTRIBUTED 66.5 MILLION RUPEES TO THE DAY’S TURNOVER FOLLOWED BY COMMERCIAL BANK AND TOKYO NON VOTING. FOREIGN BUYING FOR THE DAY WAS FOREIGN SALES WAS AT 9.3 MILLION.

AT

129.7

MILLION

WHILE

BOTH INDICES ENDED IN THE RED TODAY. THE ALL SHARE LOST 56.34 POINTS TO END THE DAY AT 2,432.21 WHILE THE MILANKA DIPPED 70.55 POINTS AND CLOSED AT 3,124.45. THE DAY’S TURN OVER WAS RECORDED AT 225.2 MILLION RUPEES. THE TOP GAINERS TODAY WERE BOGAWABTALAWA, BROWNS, SOY FOODS, CFI AND MALWATTE, WHILE HUEJAY, HOTELS CORPORATION, RADIANT GEMS, CFT AND MTD WALKERS WERE THE MAIN LOSERS OF THE DAY. FOREX RATES

SEGMENT: DATE: REPORTER: EDITOR: SLUG:

MAIN 8TH JANUARY 2008 RIYAD R. ANOUK T. D.M. BLAST - CARD

NON CABINET MINISTER OF NATION BUILDING D.M. DASSANAYAKE SUCCUMBED TO HIS INJURIES AT THE RAGAMA TEACHING HOSPITAL AT APPROXIMATELY 12.35 PM TODAY, FOLLOWING A CLAYMORE ATTACK ON HIS MOTORCADE IN JA-ELA THIS MORNING. CARD IN A RELEASE ISSUED BY THE GOVERNMENT INFORMATION DEPARTMENT CONDEMNS THE ATTACK SAYING IT WAS AN ACT OF THE LTTE. MINISTER DASSANAYAKA WAS RETURNING FROM HIS CONSTITUENCY OF PUTTALAM TO ATTEND A PARLIAMENTARY SESSION TO BE HELD THIS AFTERNOON. A FURTHER 1 PERSON WAS KILLED IN THE BLAST, PERSONS WERE ALSO INJURED IN THE EXPLOSION. CARD OUT READ ON

WHILE

12

SEGMENT: DATE: REPORTER: SLUG:

MAIN 08/01/08 SAMANTHA TRANSPORT - VTR

THE TRANSPORT MINISTRY SAYS THAT IT PLANS TO DEVELOP THE BASTIAN MAWATHA PRIVATE BUS STAND AS A NEW TERMINAL FOR LONG DISTANCE PASSENGERS. THIS WAS STATED AT A MEDIA CONFERENCE HELD IN COLOMBO TODAY WHERE THE MINISTRY ALSO OUTLINED FURTHER PLANS TO DEVELOP PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SERVICES. ROLL VTR SUPER Dalas Alahapperuma Minister of Transport TAGS “DEVELOPING TRANSPORT” 830,000 passengers enter Colombo daily Fort railway station & Bastian Mawatha terminal to be linked

VOICE CUT/TRANSPORT/SAMANTHA/08-01-08 ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL TRANSPORT COMMISSION EIGHT HUNDRED AND THIRTY THOUSAND (830,000) PASSENGERS ENTER COLOMBO DAILY, WITH 56% OF THIS NUMBER TRAVELLING VIA PUBLIC BUSES. BUT ACCORDING TO THE COMMISSION THERE ARE INSUFFICIENT FACILITIES FOR LONG DISTANCE PASSENGERS ESPECIALLY AT THE BASTIAN MAWATHA PRIVATE BUS STAND. AS SUCH, THE TRANSPORT MINISTRY SAYS IT HAS ALLOCATED TEN MILLION RUPEES TO CONSTRUCT THE NEW TERMINAL FOR LONG DISTANCE PASSENGERS, WHICH WILL INCLUDE PASSENGER WAITING ROOMS AND INFORMATION CENTERS. MEANWHILE THE TRANSPORT MINISTER ALSO SAID THAT MORE PLANS TO DEVELOP TRANSPORT SERVICES ARE ON THE CARDS. VOICE CUT-SINHALA 07:20 WE DON’T INTEND TO ONLY DEVELOP THE BASTIAN MAWATHA AREA IN THIS REGARD. OF THE LONG-DISTANCE BUSES, WHICH ENTER COLOMBO, SOME USE BASTIAN MAWATHA, OTHERS USE GUNASINGHEPURA. BUT THERE IS NO CONNECTION BETWEEN THE TWO. THEREFORE, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PASSENGERS WE HOPE TO IMPLEMENT A WELL-DEVELOPED PLAN. 09:00 OTHER SERVICES, WHICH WILL ALSO BE ON OFFER FOR LONGDISTANCE COMMUTERS ARE, FACILITIES TO BOOK SEATS ON BUSES IN ADVANCE, AND THE USAGE OF TECHNOLOGY TO PROVIDE A BETTER SERVICE WHERE EVER POSSIBLE. A PROPOSAL HAS ALSO BEEN FORWARDED TO IMPLEMENT A COMMUTER TRAIN SERVICE CONNECTING THE FORT RAILWAY STATION- BASTIAN MAWATHA LONG-DISTANCE TERMINAL AND THE PETTAH SLTB BUS TERMINAL DURING THIS YEAR. END/

SEGMENT: MAIN DATE: 08.01.2008 REPORTER: SHASHIKA SLUG: TOURISM – VTR THE COUNTRY HAS EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN TOURISM SURGE OWING TO THE ARRIVAL OF 10,000 VISITORS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL DAWOODI BOHRA COMMUNITY. THE TOURISM MINISTRY SAYS THIS HAS RESULTED IN THE ROOM OCCUPANCY OF CITY HOTELS INCREASING. ROLL VTR

VOICE OVER / TOURISM / SHASHIKA / 08/01/08 NEARLY 10,000 MEMBERS OF THE BOHRA COMMUNITY FROM ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD ARE NOW IN SRI LANKA. THEY HAVE ARRIVED IN THE ISLAND ALONG WITH THEIR SPIRITUAL LEADER WHO IS HERE TO ATTEND THE 10 DAY ASHARA MUBARAK CEREMONY. HIS HOLINESS ARRIVED IN THE COUNTRY LAST SUNDAY. THIS EVENT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT IN THE DAWOODI BOHRA ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS CALENDAR WHICH MARKS THE MARTYRDOM OF THE HOLY PROPHET MOHAMMED’S GRANDSON, IMAM HUSSAIN. THE CEREMONY WILL LAST FOR 10 DAYS. 15 COUNTRIES HAVE BID TO WIN HIS ARRIVAL. ENDS/

SEGMENT: MAIN DATE: 8TH JAN 08 REPORTER: ANOUK SLUG: EMIRATES FOLLOWING DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND BOI OFFICIALS THIS AFTERNOON REGARDING SRI LANKAN AIRLINES, THE GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED TO TAKE OVER THE MANAGEMENT OF THE AIRLINE FROM THE 1ST OF APRIL THIS YEAR. THIS FOLLOWS AFTER EMIRATES WHICH HOLDS A 43.6% STAKE IN THE AIRLINE INFORMED THE GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA OVER THE WEEKEND THAT IT WILL NOT BE RENEWING ITS SHAREHOLDERS AGREEMENT WHICH EXPIRES ON THE 31ST OF MARCH. HERE IS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOI, DAMMIKA PERERA EXPLAINING THE OUTCOME OF THIS AFTERNOON’S MEETING. VOICE CUT MEANWHILE, SRI LANKA TOURISM SAYS THAT THERE IS NO CAUSE FOR ALARM AMONG ITS STAKEHOLDERS AS IT IS EXPECTED THAT NORMAL OPERATIONS WILL CONTINUE DESPITE THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY EMIRATES. IN A STATEMENT RELEASED TODAY, SRI LANKA TOURISM ADDED THAT THEY EXPECT THE TRANSFER OF MANAGEMENT FROM EMIRATES TO THE MAJOR SHAREHOLDER, THE GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA TO BE SMOOTH WITH MINIMUM IMPACT ON TOURISM OPERATIONS. IT SAYS THEY ARE ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING A FILLING UP OF ANY GAPS THAT MAY EXIST AS A RESULT OF THE EXPIRY OF THE AGREEMENT. ACCORDING TO THE STATEMENT IT IS ALSO EXPECTED THAT THE FOCUS ON THE DESTINATION TO BE FURTHER INCREASED. READ ON

SEGMENT: DATE: REPORTER: SLUG:

MAIN 08 / 01 / 2008 CHAMINDA CSE – VTR

DURING THE YEAR 2007, THE COLOMBO STOCK MARKET RECORDED ITS HIGHEST NET FOREIGN INFLOW RECEIVED DURING A YEAR WHICH AMOUNTED TO 11.2 BILLION RUPEES. THIS FIGURE SURPASSES THE PREVIOUS RUPEES RECORDED IN THE YEAR 2005.

HIGH

OF

6.2

ROLL VTR ‘STOCK TRADING’ Rs. 11.2 Bn of Net Foreign Inflow in 2007 Interest on Telecom, Banks, Finance and Insurance Number of factors contributed to this record inflow: Analysts

BILLION

VOICE OVER – CSE – CHAMINDA – 08 / 01 / 2008 FOREIGN PURCHASES DURING THE YEAR 2007 AMOUNTED TO 46.8 BILLION RUPEES AT THE CSE WHILE FOREIGN SELLING AMOUNTED TO 35.5 BILLION RUPEES. THIS IN TURN HAS BROUGHT IN A NET FOREIGN INFLOW OF 11.2 BILLION RUPEES. THE CSE SAYS MAJORITY OF THE FOREIGN INVESTMENTS HAVE BEEN ON DIVERSIFIED SECTORS SUCH AS TELECOM AND BANKS, FINANCE AND INSURANCE. VOICE CUT. FOREIGN PARTICIPATION DURING LAST YEAR HAD CONTRIBUTED TO 39 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL TURNOVER OF THE MARKET WHICH EQUALLED 104.9 BILLION RUPEES. ENDS.

STOX THE MARKET WAS ON A DOWNWARD TREND THROUGHOUT THE DAY TODAY AS WELL, WITH LOW ACTIVITY LEVELS AND RETAIL PARTICIPATION. VALLIBEL TRADED THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF SHARES OF 1.62 MILLION TODAY WHILE SINGER AND TOKYO-NON VOTING TRADED 1.02 MILLION AND 0.74 MILLION SHARES RESPECTIVELY. SINGER ALSO CONTRIBUTED 66.5 MILLION RUPEES TO THE DAY’S TURNOVER FOLLOWED BY COMMERCIAL BANK AND TOKYO NON VOTING. FOREIGN BUYING FOR THE DAY WAS FOREIGN SALES WAS AT 9.3 MILLION.

AT

129.7

MILLION

WHILE

BOTH INDICES ENDED IN THE RED TODAY. THE ALL SHARE LOST 56.34 POINTS TO END THE DAY AT 2,432.21 WHILE THE MILANKA DIPPED 70.55 POINTS AND CLOSED AT 3,124.45. THE DAY’S TURN OVER WAS RECORDED AT 225.2 MILLION RUPEES. THE TOP GAINERS TODAY WERE BOGAWABTALAWA, BROWNS, SOY FOODS, CFI AND MALWATTE, WHILE HUEJAY, HOTELS CORPORATION, RADIANT GEMS, CFT AND MTD WALKERS WERE THE MAIN LOSERS OF THE DAY. FOREX RATES