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 07 CORP - SAMANTHA

CORPORATE WRAP

1. FASHION WEEK VTR THUR 10 CORP - ANOUK

2. CIMA VTR WEND 09 CORP - SAMANTHA

3. AIRPORT VTR MON 07 CORP - RAVI

BREAK 2

WEEKLY FOCUS

TRANSPORT VTR TUES 08 ECO.OV SAMANTHA

SHORT BRIDGE

WEEKEND DIALOG
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….....