Biz Roundup 2nd Dec 07

ATTN: CHANDIMA UDABAGE – MD-ART TV BIZ ROUND UP – DEC 2ND, 2007 1. CEB

VTR

FRI 29

RIYAD

2. MILK

VTR

FRI 30

LASHINI

3. ADB

VTR

WED 28

CHAMINDA

4. IFS

VTR

MON 26

ANOUK

WRAP – NEWS IN BRIEF MAIN NEWS 1. EDB

VTR

TUE 27

2. FITCH

CARD TUE 27

NISH/ANOUK

3. MOBITEL NEWS

VTR

CHAMI

4. COCA COLA

VTR

TUE 27

NILANTHA

5. MILITARY

VTR

THU 29

SAMANTHA

TUE 27

ANOUK

CORPORATE NEWS 1. S-LON

VTR

MON 26

NILANTHA

2. CARGILLS

VTR

TUE 27

RAVI

3. L’OREAL

VTR

THU 29

NISHANI

VTR

THU 29

CHAMI

BREAK 1 WEEKLY FOCUS LOGISTICS

WEEKEND DIALOG CAPPATIPOLA VS ANOUK BREAK 2 STOCKS DHARSHI AT BARTLEETS

VTR

ANCHOR: ANOUK PRODUCER: RAVI

THE HEADLINES 1. CEB UNION SAYS GOVERNMENT SHOULD EVALUATE POWER PROJECTS ON CASE BY CASE BASIS, AND 2. EXPERTS SAY LOGISTICS INDUSTRY IN ASIA GROWING AT GREATER PACE THAN THE WEST

1. ALTERNATIVE POWER GENERATION CONCEPTS SUCH AS WIND, SOLAR AND MINI POWER ARE VIABLE OPTIONS DUE TO THE ALL TIME PRICE HIGHS IN THE GLOBAL FOSSIL FUELS MARKET. BUT EXPERTS AT THE CEB SAY THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD EVALUATE POWER GENERATION PROJECTS ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS, AS SOME SO CALLED LOW COST ALTERNATIVES MAY BURN A HOLE IN CONSUMERS POCKETS YET AGAIN IN THE FUTURE. THIS WAS STATED AT A MEDIA CONFERENCE ORGANIZED BY THE CEB ENGINEERS UNION LAST WEEK. ROLL VTR EXTRO MEANWHILE THE SECRETARY TO THE MINISTRY OF POWER AND ENERGY WHEN CONTACTED BY ART TV, STATED THAT THE CABINET HAD APPROVED THE DEAL AS IT WAS A GOVERNMENT POLICY DECISION

2. MILK - VTR SELLING COWS FOR BEEF HAS BECOME MORE PROFITABLE FOR SMALL SCALE DIARY PRODUCERS THAN USING THEM FOR MILK PRODUCTION, SAYS A DAIRY INDUSTRY EXPERT. THIS FACT WAS REVEALED DURING A RECENT DISCUSSION THAT US AID HELD WITH LOCAL DIARY INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES. THE MEETING FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING SRI LANKA’S DIARY INDUSTRY WHICH WILL HELP REDUCE MILK POWDER IMPORTS INCURRING A HEAVY IMPORT BILL. ROLL VTR

3.

THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK ANNOUNCED ITS DECISION

THIS WEEK TO EXTEND 80 MILLION DOLLARS TO THE SRI LANKAN GOVERNMENT TO IMPROVE THE NATION’S SECONDARY AND TERTIARY EDUCATION SECTOR. THIS 80 MILLION DOLLARS IS EXPECTED TO BE INVESTED IN IMPROVING THE SKILLS NECESSARY TO MEET THE EXPANDING AND EVOLVING NEEDS OF THE LABOR MARKET. ROLL VTR

4. IFS AB, A GLOBAL LEADER IN COMPONENT BASED BUSINESS SOFTWARE PLANS TO INVEST OVER 1 BILLION RUPEES NEXT YEAR FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN SRI LANKA. THIS WAS REVEALED AT A PRESS BRIEFING HELD RECENTLY TO MARK THE GROUP’S 10TH ANNIVERSARY SINCE LAUNCHING OPERATIONS IN THE ISLAND. ROLL VTR LET’ TAKE A LOOK AT THE STORIES WHICH MADE HEADLINES IN THE CORPORATE SECTOR OVER THE LAST WEEK.

1. THE FIRST EVER LEATHER AND FOOTWEAR EXHIBITION WAS HELD LAST WEAK AT THE BMICH, DRAWING LARGE CROWDS. AT THE EXHIBITION HELD AT THE BMICH, 150 STALLS SHOWCASED THEIR LEATHER GOODS AND FOOTWEAR FACILITATING A MEETING OF TRADERS AND INVESTORS. READ ON -------------------------

2. FITCH RATINGS LANKA TODAY ASSIGNED A ‘B+’ LANKA' NATIONAL LONG-TERM RATING TO VALLIBEL FINANCE LIMITED WITH A STABLE OUTLOOK. CARD 1 VALLIBEL SAW AN INCREASE IN ITS LOAN GROWTH DURING THE PERIOD OF APRIL TO SEPTEMBER 2007 WHICH ENABLED THE COMPANY BOOST ITS ASSET BASE TO 514.3 MILLION RUPEES. THE COMPANY’S PORTFOLIO SAW A SHIFT IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2008 FROM HIGH PURCHASE AGREEMENTS TO LEASES AND TERM LOANS WHICH ACCOUNT FOR 73.4% AND 25.4% RESPECTIVELY. 75% OF VEHICLES FINANCED CONSIST OF COMMERCIAL VEHICLES WHILE 20% ARE MOTOR CARS. MEANWHILE, FITCH RATINGS LANKA HAS ALSO ASSIGNED A BB MINUS LANKA NATIONAL LONG-TERM RATING TO SANASA DEVELOPMENT BANK LIMITED. THE OUTLOOK IS STABLE. CARD 2 FITCH SAYS THE RATING REFLECTS THE BANK'S RELATIVELY GOOD PROFITABILITY AND ASSET QUALITY, ALTHOUGH CONSTRAINED BY ITS LOW CAPITALIZATION, THE CHALLENGES IN MEETING THE MINIMUM CAPITAL REQUIREMENT SET BY THE CENTRAL BANK OF SRI LANKA, AND INHERENT RISK EMBEDDED IN THE MICRO-FINANCE SEGMENT. READ ON ---------------

3.

TURNING A NEW PAGE IN THE LOCAL MOBILE PHONE SECTOR, SRI LANKA TELECOM MOBITEL RECENTLY LAUNCHED A SINHALA AND TAMIL SMS NEWS ALERT SERVICE TO THE LOCAL PUBLIC. THE NEW INITIATIVE CONDUCTED IN COLLABORATION WITH “LANKA PUWATH” THE NEWS PROVIDER IS SUPPORTED BY SCIENCE LAND CORPORATION. READ ON

4. COCA COLA, ONE OF THE LEADING BEVERAGE PROVIDERS IN THE COUNTRY, LAST WEEK LAUNCHED “MINUTE MAID” A WORLD-RENOWN JUICE DRINK BRAND IN SRI LANKA. SPEAKING AT THE LAUNCH, COUNTRY MANAGER OF COCA COLA, BASIL GADZIOS SAID THE NEW PRODUCT HAS BROUGHT AN INVESTMENT OF 5 MILLION US DOLLARS IN TO SRI LANKA. READ ON

5. THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE REQUESTS PUBLIC SUPPORT TO BUILD FIFTY THOUSAND HOUSES FOR THE ARMED SERVICE PERSONNEL IN THE TRI FORCES. THE PROJECT LAUNCHED WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE CENTRAL BANK IS TITLED “API WENUWEN API WEMU”. DETAILS OF THE PROJECT WHICH IS ALREADY EXPLAINED TO THE MEDIA RECENTLY IN COLOMBO.

UNDERWAY

WAS

READ ON

AND IN CORPORATE WRAP,

1. MANSIONS HYPERMALL, SRI LANKA’S FIRST EVER BUILDING MATERIAL SUPER MALL WAS OPENED IN NUGEGODA RECENTLY.

ADDRESSING THE MEDIA AT THE OPENING – S.C. WEERASEKERA, GROUP DIRECTOR OF THE CAPITAL MAHARAJA ORGANIZATION LIMITED SAID THAT THEY WILL EXPAND MANSIONS HYPERMALL OUTLETS TO REACH AREAS OUTSIDE COLOMBO AS WELL. ----------------

2. RICE IS SRI LANKA’S STAPLE DIET AND AROUND IT, SRI LANKA HAS BUILT A RICH CULTURE AND A POWERFUL HERITAGE OF RESPECT, DIGNITY AND GENEROSITY. ELEVATING THE STATUS OF RICE IN THE MODERN MARKET CARGILLS CEYLON LIMITED RECENTLY LAUNCHED CARGILLS RICE, WITH 8 DIFFERENT VARIANCES. READ ON --------------------

3. SANGIUN SERVICES PVT LTD THE SOLE AGENTS FOR L’OREAL IN SRI LANKA IN COLLABORATION WITH THE INTERNATIONAL LIONS CLUB IS PLANNING TO AWARD FREE TECHNICAL TRAINING IN HAIRDRESSING TO 100 YOUNG ADULT ORPHANS. ACCORDING TO THE LIONS CLUB THE CANDIDATES WILL BE CHOSEN FROM ORPHANAGES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND WILL BE AWARDED AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED CERTIFICATE IN HAIR DRESSING FOLLOWING A TRAINING CONDUCTED AT THE L’OREAL TECHNICAL CENTRE. SANGUIN SERVICES PVT LIMITED HAS COMMITTED 5 MILLION RUPEES TOWARDS THIS CAUSE. -----------------------ROLL VTR WEEKLY FOCUS WELCOME BACK TO BIZ ROUND UP. CONVERTING COLOMBO INTO A WORLD CLASS LOGISTICS HUB, WILL CARVE OUT A CLEARER PATH IN THE JOURNEY OF SRI LANKA’S APPAREL SECTOR TOWARDS ACHIEVING 5 BILLION DOLLARS IN EXPORT EARNINGS BY 2010, SAYS A TOP FIGURE IN THE APPAREL SECTOR.

HE MADE THIS COMMENT AT A SEMINAR TITLED THE ‘LOGISTICS HUB OF COLOMBO’ ROLL VTR EXPERTS SAY THAT THE HIGH COST OF OPERATIONS, LOW PRODUCTIVITY AND THE DEPRESSED MARKETING CONDITIONS IN THE COLOMBO PORT HAVE ALREADY FORCED CARRIERS TO MOVE INTO ALTERNATIVE PORTS. THEY SAY THE COUNTRY IS LOSING A FAIR AMOUNT OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE DUE TO THIS SITUATION. ROLL VTR STOX LET’S JOIN DHARSHI GANESHAN AT BARTLEETS STOCK BROKERS FOR A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS WEEK’S STOCK MARKET OPERATIONS. ROLL VTR AND THAT CONCLUDES BIZ ROUND UP FOR THIS WEEK….JOIN US AGAIN AT THE SAME TIME NEXT SUNDAY…..THANK U FOR WATCHING….