Biz Round Up 6th Jan

ATTN: CHANDIMA UDABAGE – MD-ART TV BIZ ROUND UP – JANUARY 06, 2007 1. SRI LANKAN

VTR

TUES 08

- MAIN 02

- ANOUK

2. CEB

VTR

THUR 10

- MAIN 01 - RAVI

3. WORLD BANK

VTR

WEN

09

– MAIN 01 – RIYAD

4. TOURISM

VTR

WEN

09

- ECO.OV

- SHASHIKA

BREAK WRAP – NEWS IN BRIEF MAIN NEWS 1. SLIM

VTR

THUR

10

CORP

- NISHANI

2. ICTA

CARD

WEND

09

MAIN 03

– CHAMINDA

3. ASASL

VTR

MON

1. FASHION WEEK

VTR

THUR

10

2. CIMA

VTR

WEND

09

3. AIRPORT

VTR

MON

07

CORP

- SAMANTHA

CORPORATE WRAP

07

CORP

- ANOUK

CORP

- SAMANTHA

CORP

- RAVI

BREAK 2 WEEKLY FOCUS

TRANSPORT SHORT BRIDGE WEEKEND DIALOG

VTR

TUES

08

ECO.OV

SAMANTHA

PROF.AMAL VS ANOUK

SHORT BRIDGE STOCKS @ ASHAPHILLIPS STOCKBROKERS

VTR

ANCHOR: ANOUK PRODUCER: SHASHIKA

HEADLINES 1. GOVERNMENT READY TO TAKE OVER MANAGEMENT OF SRI LANKAN AIRLINES AND 2. WORLD BANK PROVIDES ADDITIONAL 40 MILLION DOLLAR FUNDING FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECT

1. FOREIGN – VTR FOLLOWING DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND BOI OFFICIALS LAST TUESDAY REGARDING SRI LANKAN AIRLINES, THE GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO TAKE OVER THE MANAGEMENT OF THE AIRLINE FROM THE 1ST OF APRIL THIS YEAR. THIS MOVE FOLLOWS AFTER EMIRATES WHICH HOLDS A 43.6% STAKE IN THE AIRLINE INFORMED THE GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA LAST WEEKEND THAT IT WILL NOT BE RENEWING ITS SHAREHOLDER AGREEMENT WHICH EXPIRES ON THE 31ST OF MARCH. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOI, DAMMIKA PERERA EXPLAINED THE OUTCOME OF THE 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 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

2. THE MINISTRY OF POWER AND ENERGY SAYS THEY ARE LOOKING AT EITHER RAISING ELECTRICITY TARIFFS OR FINDING NEW WAYS OF CURBING THE LOSSES OF THE CEYLON ELECTRICITY BOARD. THE COUNTRY’S MAIN POWER UTILITY LAST YEAR BORE A LOSS OF 13 BILLION RUPEES. THIS WAS REVEALED DURING THE CABINET MEDIA BRIEFING HELD LAST WEEK.

3. THE TREASURY LAST WEDNESDAY SIGNED AN AGREEMENT WITH THE WORLD BANK FOR THE PROVISION OF 40 MILLION DOLLARS ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE ONGOING RENEWABLE ENERGY FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT OR ‘R.E.R.E.D’ PROJECT. THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING WILL BOOST THE GRID-CONNECTING CAPACITY BY A FURTHER 50 MEGA WATTS WHILE OFF-GRID ELECTRICITY SERVICES WILL BE EXTENDED TO 60,000 ADDITIONAL HOUSEHOLDS AND 500 RURAL MICRO AND SMALL-SCALE ENTERPRISES IN RURAL AREAS. ROLL VTR

4. A REVENUE DROP COUPLED WITH THE NEGATIVE ARRIVAL GROWTH DURING 2007, RENEWED VIOLENCE AND THE TERMINATION OF THE EMIRATES DEAL WITH THE NATIONAL CARRIER ARE SOME OF THE SERIOUS IMPENDING CHALLENGES SRI LANKA TOURISM IS FACED WITH AT THE BEGINNING OF 2008. ART TV TAKES A LOOK. ROLL VTR

5. THE CONSUMER AFFAIRS AUTHORITY LAST WEEK GRANTED PERMISSION TO LAUGFS GAS PRIVATE LIMITED TO REVISE THE RETAIL PRICE OF ITS 12.5 KG DOMESTIC GAS CYLINDER BY 212 RUPEES. ACCORDINGLY THE NEW PRICE OF A LAUGHS DOMESTIC GAS CYLINDER WAS SET AT 1,460 RUPEES. ROLL VTR WE TAKE A BREAK, STAY WITH US FOR MORE LOCAL BUSINESS NEWS…… WELCOME BACK…YOU’RE WITH BIZ ROUND UP…. AND NOW WE TAKE A LOOK AT STORIES WHICH MADE HEADLINES IN THE BUSINESS SECTOR LAST WEEK.....

1. THE NEWLY FORMED ASIA MARKETING FEDERATION IN COLLABORATION WITH THE SRI LANKA INSTITUTE OF MARKETING WILL HOLD ITS FIRST EVER PROFESSIONAL GATHERING ON THE 26TH OF THIS MONTH AT THE WATER’S EDGE. THE CONFERENCE TITLED ‘BUSINESS IN THE NEW WORLD’ WILL BE LED BY SPEAKERS OF TOP CALIBRE AND HIGH POWERED DISCUSSION PANELS. A MEDIA CONFERENCE IN THIS REGARD WAS HELD IN COLOMBO RECENTLY. READ ON

2. THE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY AGENCY HAS INTRODUCED A GRANT SCHEME TO PROVIDE OVERSEAS TRAINING FOR LOCAL ICT MANAGERS WHO ARE IN SENIOR POSITIONS. ACCORDINGLY INTERESTED ICT MANAGERS CAN NOW APPLY TO GAIN ACCESS TO OVERSEAS TRAINING VIA THIS SCHEME, FOR WHICH THE ICTA SAYS, IT WILL BEAR 75 PERCENT OF THE COST, SO THAT ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES CAN FOLLOW INTENSIVE OVERSEAS SHORT COURSES. READ ON

3. THE FIRST NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON STATISTICS ORGANIZED BY THE APPLIED STATISTICS ASSOCIATION OF SRI LANKA WAS HELD LAST WEEK AT THE COLOMBO UNIVERSITY.

DATA COLLECTION AND DATA MINING, MODELLING AND SIMULATION, MEDICAL STATISTICS, DESIGN OF EXPERIMENTS AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUES ARE SOME OF THE AREAS THAT WERE LOOKED AT DURING THE CONFERENCE. THE EVENT ALSO SAW THE ASSOCIATION LAUNCHING THEIR ANNUAL JOURNAL. READ ON AND IN CO PRATE RAP

1.

THE COLOMBO FASHION WEEK TAKES THE RAMP FROM THE 27 TH TO THE 29TH OF THIS MONTH AT THE TAJ SAMUDRA HOTEL UNDER THE THEME ‘SPRING/SUMMER 2008’. THE EVENT WILL FEATURE FIFTEEN SHOWS IN THE THREE DAYS, SHOWCASING THE DESIGNS OF BOTH LOCAL AND FOREIGN DESIGNERS. ORGANIZERS OF THE EVENT SAY 14 DESIGNERS WILL SHOWCASE THEIR WORK AT THE COLOMBO FASHION WEEK 2008 OF WHICH 6 WILL BE HIGH-PROFILE DESIGNERS FROM INDIA, PAKISTAN, BANGLADESH AND ITALY. 3 UP AND COMING YOUNG SRI LANKAN DESIGNERS ARE ALSO AMONG TALENT TO BE FEATURED.

2. THE CHARTED INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT IS NOW CALLING FOR APPLICATIONS FROM PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATES TO COMPETE IN THE CIMA – JANASHAKTHI PINNACLE AWARDS. THE ANNUAL PINNACLE AWARDS CEREMONY WHICH HAS VENTURED INTO ITS FIFTH YEAR IS ORGANIZED IN A BID TO RECOGNIZE SRI LANKAN BUSINESS EXCELLENCE. THE CIMA – JANASHAKTHI PINNACLE AWARDS CEREMONY IS SCHEDULED TO BE HELD ON THE 2ND OF APRIL THIS YEAR. ORGANIZERS SAY CIMA MEMBERS, STUDENTS AND ALSO THE PUBLIC WHO HAVE MADE RECORD BREAKING ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE BUSINESS SECTOR CAN APPLY FOR THE COMPETITION.

3. THE FIRST AUTHENTIC DINE-IN RESTAURANT, SIAM HOUSE WAS OPENED LAST WEEK AT THE BANDARANYAKE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BY BENJORONG PVT. LTD. SIAM HOUSE IS LOCATED AT THE DEPARTURE CONCORD OF THE AIR PORT. SIAM HOUSE SERVES SRI LANKAN, THAI AND WESTERN CUISINE PREPARED BY A TEAM WHICH INCLUDES 5 THAI CHEFS. THE NEW RESTAURANT WHICH BOASTS A SEATING CAPACITY OF UP TO 100 PEOPLE WILL CATER TO PASSENGERS, VISITORS AND THE AIR PORT STAFF AMOUNTING TO AROUND 5,000. READ ON COMING UP AFTER THE BREAK IS WEEKLY FOCUS…..DO STAY WITH US…. WELCOME BACK 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 RECENTLY WHERE THE MINISTRY ALSO OUTLINED FURTHER PLANS TO DEVELOP PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SERVICES. ROLL VTR THAT ENDS BIZ ROUND-UP FOR THIS WEEK…..... THANK U FOR WATCHING…….. DO JOIN US AGAIN AT THE SAME TIME NEXT WEEK….....