Wednesday, September 1, 2010
John Rankin new British high commissioner to Sri Lanka
Click Here-Sri Lanka Guardian: John Rankin new British high commissioner to Sri Lanka
Wednesday, September 1, 2010John Rankin new British high commissioner to Sri Lanka
(September 01, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) John Rankin has been appointed British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives in succession to Dr. Peter Hayes.
Mr. Rankin will take up his appointment during February 2011, said the British High Commission in a statement.
On his new appointment, Mr. Rankin has said, "I am delighted and honoured to be appointed as High Commissioner to Sri Lanka."
"The United Kingdom and Sri Lanka have close and long-standing links, and I look forward to furthering the partnership between our countries."
Mr. Rankin has been Director, Americas in the Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Office since 2008.
He joined the FCO in 1988 as an Assistant Legal Adviser and served as legal adviser to the UK Mission to the UN and to the UK Mission to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.
He has also served as Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Dublin, working on the Northern Ireland peace process, and was the Consul General in Boston between 2003 and 2007.
He has a degree in Scots Law from the University of Glasgow and a Masters Degree in International Law from McGill University, Montreal.
Prior to joining the FCO he qualified and practised as a solicitor in Scotland and was a lecturer in public law at the University of Aberdeen.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010John Rankin new British high commissioner to Sri Lanka
(September 01, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) John Rankin has been appointed British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives in succession to Dr. Peter Hayes.
Mr. Rankin will take up his appointment during February 2011, said the British High Commission in a statement.
On his new appointment, Mr. Rankin has said, "I am delighted and honoured to be appointed as High Commissioner to Sri Lanka."
"The United Kingdom and Sri Lanka have close and long-standing links, and I look forward to furthering the partnership between our countries."
Mr. Rankin has been Director, Americas in the Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Office since 2008.
He joined the FCO in 1988 as an Assistant Legal Adviser and served as legal adviser to the UK Mission to the UN and to the UK Mission to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.
He has also served as Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Dublin, working on the Northern Ireland peace process, and was the Consul General in Boston between 2003 and 2007.
He has a degree in Scots Law from the University of Glasgow and a Masters Degree in International Law from McGill University, Montreal.
Prior to joining the FCO he qualified and practised as a solicitor in Scotland and was a lecturer in public law at the University of Aberdeen.
Chinese loans for lucrative road building contracts in the North.
Click Here-The Island: "Northern Road development with Chinese aid
September 1, 2010, 9:01 pm
A major road rehabilitation and development project in the Northern Province is to be undertaken by the Government with Chinese financial assistance.
Accordingly, 332km of roads, including the Kandy-Jaffna A9 highway, will be developed and modernised on a proposal by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
This road development project, covering most of the Northern Province is expected to revive the economic activities of the northern communities who have suffered economically for a long period due to terrorism. It is also estimated that the economic benefits of these projects to the country as a whole will be far in excess of the financial cost.
Accordingly, 155 km length of Kandy-Jaffna A9 highway from
Galkulama to Jaffna would be rehabilitated and modernised as part of the main gateway to the Northern Province, the Government Information Department said yesterday.
The other roadways that will be developed under this project are the Jaffna-Point Pedro road, Puttur-Meesalai road and the Jaffna-Palali road.
Rehabilitation and improvement of 95km length of roads will also take place covering the areas of Mulativu-Kokilai-Pulmudai, Oddusudan-Nedunkerney and Mullativu-Puliyankulam, as separate projects.
The total cost of the project will be US 355 million of which 85 per cent will be financed by the Government of China while the local component of 15 percent will be borne by the government of Sri Lanka."
September 1, 2010, 9:01 pm
A major road rehabilitation and development project in the Northern Province is to be undertaken by the Government with Chinese financial assistance.
Accordingly, 332km of roads, including the Kandy-Jaffna A9 highway, will be developed and modernised on a proposal by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
This road development project, covering most of the Northern Province is expected to revive the economic activities of the northern communities who have suffered economically for a long period due to terrorism. It is also estimated that the economic benefits of these projects to the country as a whole will be far in excess of the financial cost.
Accordingly, 155 km length of Kandy-Jaffna A9 highway from
Galkulama to Jaffna would be rehabilitated and modernised as part of the main gateway to the Northern Province, the Government Information Department said yesterday.
The other roadways that will be developed under this project are the Jaffna-Point Pedro road, Puttur-Meesalai road and the Jaffna-Palali road.
Rehabilitation and improvement of 95km length of roads will also take place covering the areas of Mulativu-Kokilai-Pulmudai, Oddusudan-Nedunkerney and Mullativu-Puliyankulam, as separate projects.
The total cost of the project will be US 355 million of which 85 per cent will be financed by the Government of China while the local component of 15 percent will be borne by the government of Sri Lanka."
Rao faces some hard questions in Jaffna - Hindustan Times
Click Here-Rao faces some hard questions in Jaffna - Hindustan Times
Sri Lanka June trade deficit widens 49 pct
Rao faces some hard questions in Jaffna
Sutirtho Patranobis, Hindustan Times
India on Wednesday rejected reports that it was bringing its own nationals to Sri Lanka to carry out reconstruction work in the war-ravaged northern districts. Foreign secretary Nirupama Rao, on a three-day visit to the Island nation, categorically denied that there was any move to bring in Indian labour for reconstruction work here. Construction of houses and other reconstruction work that India was helping Sri Lanka with was being done with local help, Rao reiterated.
A report in the local Sunday Times newspaper had claimed that India was transporting 20,000 workers to Sri Lanka to carry out reconstruction activities.
On Wednesday, Rao visited the eastern coastal town of Trincomalee and Mullaitivu, the final theatre of battle.
"We will not only build houses but also repair them. We want to participate in their recovery and progress," Rao said during her visit to the Mullaitivu administrative district.
On Tuesday, Rao visited Jaffna, the senior-most Indian bureaucrat to do so in decades, Kilinochchi and the camps for the internally displaced in Vavuniya.
In Jaffna, Rao had an interactive meet with members of the civil society where Tamil academics and intellectuals shared their complaints, apprehensions and expectations about India's role in Sri Lanka with her.
According to reports, Rao was told that the people of Jaffna expect India to play an active role in extracting a political settlement on the ethnic issue from Colombo. But at the same time, doubts were expressed whether India, which sided with the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime in its fight against the Tamil Tigers, would indeed help the Lankan Tamils to get that. Mere resettlement of war-displaced Tamils in small pockets of the northern districts will not achieve anything, she was told.
Rao, meanwhile, met President Rajapaksa on Wednesday evening. Rajapaksa told her that Indian investor interest in Sri Lanka was rapidly growing, and that several leading Indian entrepreneurs in industry and other sectors have expressed interest in setting up business in Sri Lanka.
A statement from Rajapaksa's office said during the 45-minute discussion, Rao expressed satisfaction at the progress in IDP resettlement. Rajapaksa said that IDPs should be involved in these projects, especially the housing projects, so that they would have a sense of ownership in them.
Sri Lanka June trade deficit widens 49 pct
Rao faces some hard questions in Jaffna
Sutirtho Patranobis, Hindustan Times
India on Wednesday rejected reports that it was bringing its own nationals to Sri Lanka to carry out reconstruction work in the war-ravaged northern districts. Foreign secretary Nirupama Rao, on a three-day visit to the Island nation, categorically denied that there was any move to bring in Indian labour for reconstruction work here. Construction of houses and other reconstruction work that India was helping Sri Lanka with was being done with local help, Rao reiterated.
A report in the local Sunday Times newspaper had claimed that India was transporting 20,000 workers to Sri Lanka to carry out reconstruction activities.
On Wednesday, Rao visited the eastern coastal town of Trincomalee and Mullaitivu, the final theatre of battle.
"We will not only build houses but also repair them. We want to participate in their recovery and progress," Rao said during her visit to the Mullaitivu administrative district.
On Tuesday, Rao visited Jaffna, the senior-most Indian bureaucrat to do so in decades, Kilinochchi and the camps for the internally displaced in Vavuniya.
In Jaffna, Rao had an interactive meet with members of the civil society where Tamil academics and intellectuals shared their complaints, apprehensions and expectations about India's role in Sri Lanka with her.
According to reports, Rao was told that the people of Jaffna expect India to play an active role in extracting a political settlement on the ethnic issue from Colombo. But at the same time, doubts were expressed whether India, which sided with the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime in its fight against the Tamil Tigers, would indeed help the Lankan Tamils to get that. Mere resettlement of war-displaced Tamils in small pockets of the northern districts will not achieve anything, she was told.
Rao, meanwhile, met President Rajapaksa on Wednesday evening. Rajapaksa told her that Indian investor interest in Sri Lanka was rapidly growing, and that several leading Indian entrepreneurs in industry and other sectors have expressed interest in setting up business in Sri Lanka.
A statement from Rajapaksa's office said during the 45-minute discussion, Rao expressed satisfaction at the progress in IDP resettlement. Rajapaksa said that IDPs should be involved in these projects, especially the housing projects, so that they would have a sense of ownership in them.
Sri Lanka trade deficit surges amid economic recovery - LANKA BUSINESS ONLINE
Click Here-Sri Lanka trade deficit surges amid economic recovery - LANKA BUSINESS ONLINE
Trade Trends
01 Sep, 2010 11:14:01
Sri Lanka trade deficit surges amid economic recovery
Sept 01, 2010 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's exports grew 13.7 percent to 3.6 billion US dollars in the first half of 2010, and imports expanded 42.1 percent amid an economic recovery, expanding the trade deficit by 108 percent to 2.8 billion US dollars, official data show.
In the month of June exports grew 23.4 percent to 697.4 million US dollars, with tea exports up 15.4 percent to 120 million US dollars amid better prices. The average export price of tea was 4.3 US dollar a kilogram, up 11 percent from a year earlier the Central Bank said.
Industrial exports were up 24.7 percent to 523.4 million US dollars. Garment and apparel exports grew 23.8 percent to 304 million US dollars.
The Central Bank said garment exports to the United States were up 34 percent and to the European Union by 8.0 percent. Revenues from rubber product exports were up 110 percent to 52 million US dollars, led by rubber tyres and gloves.
June imports were up 31.8 percent to 6.4 billion US dollars.
Consumer goods imports were up 37 percent to 211 million US dollars, led my motor cars and electronic goods following a duty reduction.
Intermediate goods, including oil and textiles were up 30 percent to 665 million US dollars.
Textile and clothing imports, which is the key input for export apparels were up 33 percent to 139 million US dollars. Investment goods imports were up 29.5 percent to 227 million US dollars.
The trade gap for June expanded 48.7 percent to 1.36 billion US dollars.
For the six months to June exports rose 13.7 percent to 3.6 billion US dollars. Tea exports were up 23 percent to 625 million US dollars and industrial exports were up 9.6 percent. But garment exports were down 2.4 percent for the first half to 1.49 billion US dollars.
Imports were up 42.1 percent to 6.6 billion US dollars. Consumer goods were up 43.4 percent to 1.33 billion US dollars, petroleum was up 97 percent to 1.7 billion US dollars and investment goods were up 13 percent to 1.3 billion US dollars.
The trade deficit expanded 108 percent to 2.84 billion US dollars.
The trade account covers a narrow part of the balance of payments.
In addition to exports, the money to buy imports come from remittances sent by expatriate workers, net foreign borrowings by the state and money printed by the central bank and given to the government.
Sri Lanka has a pegged exchange rate and as a result, net capital inflows and remittances can expand the trade deficit without hurting the exchange rate.
The central bank said remittances grew 13.5 percent to 1,820 million US dollars in the first half of the year.
Sri Lanka's external trade slumped last year as growth fell to 3.5 percent. This year the economy is expected to grow 7.0 percent.
Sri Lanka June trade deficit widens 49 pct
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Fri, Aug 27 2010COLOMBO, Sept 1 | Wed Sep 1, 2010 1:19am EDT
COLOMBO, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's trade deficit widened 48.7 percent to $416.1 million in June from $279.9 million in the same period last year, the central bank said on Wednesday.
June exports rose 23.4 percent to $697.5 million, compared with $565.2 million a year ago. Imports jumped 31.8 percent to $1.1 billion, compared with $845.1 million a year earlier. (Reporting by Shihar Aneez; Editing by Kim Coghill)
Trade Trends
01 Sep, 2010 11:14:01
Sri Lanka trade deficit surges amid economic recovery
Sept 01, 2010 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's exports grew 13.7 percent to 3.6 billion US dollars in the first half of 2010, and imports expanded 42.1 percent amid an economic recovery, expanding the trade deficit by 108 percent to 2.8 billion US dollars, official data show.
In the month of June exports grew 23.4 percent to 697.4 million US dollars, with tea exports up 15.4 percent to 120 million US dollars amid better prices. The average export price of tea was 4.3 US dollar a kilogram, up 11 percent from a year earlier the Central Bank said.
Industrial exports were up 24.7 percent to 523.4 million US dollars. Garment and apparel exports grew 23.8 percent to 304 million US dollars.
The Central Bank said garment exports to the United States were up 34 percent and to the European Union by 8.0 percent. Revenues from rubber product exports were up 110 percent to 52 million US dollars, led by rubber tyres and gloves.
June imports were up 31.8 percent to 6.4 billion US dollars.
Consumer goods imports were up 37 percent to 211 million US dollars, led my motor cars and electronic goods following a duty reduction.
Intermediate goods, including oil and textiles were up 30 percent to 665 million US dollars.
Textile and clothing imports, which is the key input for export apparels were up 33 percent to 139 million US dollars. Investment goods imports were up 29.5 percent to 227 million US dollars.
The trade gap for June expanded 48.7 percent to 1.36 billion US dollars.
For the six months to June exports rose 13.7 percent to 3.6 billion US dollars. Tea exports were up 23 percent to 625 million US dollars and industrial exports were up 9.6 percent. But garment exports were down 2.4 percent for the first half to 1.49 billion US dollars.
Imports were up 42.1 percent to 6.6 billion US dollars. Consumer goods were up 43.4 percent to 1.33 billion US dollars, petroleum was up 97 percent to 1.7 billion US dollars and investment goods were up 13 percent to 1.3 billion US dollars.
The trade deficit expanded 108 percent to 2.84 billion US dollars.
The trade account covers a narrow part of the balance of payments.
In addition to exports, the money to buy imports come from remittances sent by expatriate workers, net foreign borrowings by the state and money printed by the central bank and given to the government.
Sri Lanka has a pegged exchange rate and as a result, net capital inflows and remittances can expand the trade deficit without hurting the exchange rate.
The central bank said remittances grew 13.5 percent to 1,820 million US dollars in the first half of the year.
Sri Lanka's external trade slumped last year as growth fell to 3.5 percent. This year the economy is expected to grow 7.0 percent.
Sri Lanka June trade deficit widens 49 pct
Tweet ThisShare on LinkedIn Share on FacebookRelated NewsSri Lanka bourse up 1 pct after month-end settlement
Tue, Aug 31 2010
China Merchants Holdings in $450 mln Sri Lanka port deal
Tue, Aug 31 2010
Sri Lanka bourse down 0.6 pct on month-end selling
Mon, Aug 30 2010
Sri Lankan leader has votes to change constitution
Fri, Aug 27 2010
Sri Lanka bourse up on hotels, banks earning hopes
Fri, Aug 27 2010COLOMBO, Sept 1 | Wed Sep 1, 2010 1:19am EDT
COLOMBO, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's trade deficit widened 48.7 percent to $416.1 million in June from $279.9 million in the same period last year, the central bank said on Wednesday.
June exports rose 23.4 percent to $697.5 million, compared with $565.2 million a year ago. Imports jumped 31.8 percent to $1.1 billion, compared with $845.1 million a year earlier. (Reporting by Shihar Aneez; Editing by Kim Coghill)
LSSP decides not to support the constitutional amendments
Click Here-WHAT'S HOT IN SRI LANKA
LSSP decides not to support the constitutional amendments
2010-09-01
The politburo of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) had decided on the 30th not to support the constitutional amendments presented by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. LSSP politburo members Lal Wijenayake said the two LSSP members in parliament would abstain from voting for the constitutional amendments.
Wijenayake said the LSSP had from the inception objected the formation of an Executive Presidency and has fought for the abolishing of such a post.
The LSSP was to hold discussions on the matter with two other Left parties.
The Central Committee of the Sri Lanka Communist Party was scheduled to meet on the 31st to decide on the party’s stance on the constitutional amendments.
The constitutional amendments have been presented to a five member Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Shirani Bandaranayake, K. Sripavan, P.A. Ratnayake, S.I. Imam and R.K. Suresh to determine whether the amendments are consistent with the Constitution.
The Supreme Court decision is to be handed over to the Speaker during the next parliamentary sessions.
LSSP decides not to support the constitutional amendments
2010-09-01
The politburo of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) had decided on the 30th not to support the constitutional amendments presented by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. LSSP politburo members Lal Wijenayake said the two LSSP members in parliament would abstain from voting for the constitutional amendments.
Wijenayake said the LSSP had from the inception objected the formation of an Executive Presidency and has fought for the abolishing of such a post.
The LSSP was to hold discussions on the matter with two other Left parties.
The Central Committee of the Sri Lanka Communist Party was scheduled to meet on the 31st to decide on the party’s stance on the constitutional amendments.
The constitutional amendments have been presented to a five member Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Shirani Bandaranayake, K. Sripavan, P.A. Ratnayake, S.I. Imam and R.K. Suresh to determine whether the amendments are consistent with the Constitution.
The Supreme Court decision is to be handed over to the Speaker during the next parliamentary sessions.
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