Business
Interactive seminar in rok on augmentation of SL’s power and energy
The embassy of Sri Lanka in Seoul in close coordination with the embassy of the Republic of Korea (RoK) in Colombo, UNIDO-ITPO (Investment & Technology Promotion Office) in Seoul, Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) and Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority conducted a two-hour webinar followed by a comprehensive and fruitful Business-to-Business (B2B) session last week.
The highly focused and structured digital webinar was sponsored by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, INGINE and the Training Hub of Asia, among others and was moderated by Tharindu Amarasekera, The primary objectives of the interactive seminar were to profile and project opportunities and vistas in the power and energy sector of Sri Lanka to Korean corporate leaders and companies, expound the benefits and utility of engaging in the realm of power and energy in Sri Lanka and to arrange and connect the corporates of Sri Lanka and the RoK in the sphere of power and energy to commit investments and forge business partnerships, thus mutually benefitting both the countries.
The moderator, Amarasekera, introduced the panelists and experts in the field of power and energy and Ambassador of the RoK, Santhush Jeong Woonjin, addressed the digital seminar on the aforementioned theme. In the address of ambassador Woonjin, he stated that Sri Lanka has a very stable government and economy, which are two of the vital factors for any potential investor to consider and to engage in commercial and business arrangements be it investments, transfer of digital technology or renewable energy in any given nation. In this context, ambassador Woonjin impressed and urged the Korean corporates to seize the opportunities and vistas created in the sphere of energy and power in Sri Lanka. He also accentuated that Sri Lanka is well poised and positioned to be a developed economy in the foreseeable future and this would be the most propitious time to enter Sri Lanka.
Similar sentiments were articulated by ambassador of Sri Lanka, Dr. A. Saj U. Mendis, who added that the global COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded a number of new vistas with regard to investments, development of mega infrastructural projects, public private partnerships and generation of power and energy, among others. He also added that energy or power sector is often described as one of the key strategic lubricants of economic evolution of any given nation and Sri Lanka is most eager to engage with the corporates in the RoK. Dr. Mendis concluded his brief remarks by stating to the Korean investors and corporates that Sri Lanka, similar to entering an equity/stock market when the market is about to rise and become a “bull market”, the economy and particularly power and energy sector of Sri Lanka, at this juncture, can be compared to an equity market which is about to rise and is the most befitting time to enter Sri Lanka. He earnestly urged and entreated the potential investors to look at Sri Lanka favorably and positively, after assessing and weighing the seminal and critical attributes of Sri Lanka, as a future “fulcrum of investments on power and energy”.
A comprehensive address was delivered by ambassador Hyundong Cho, Head of UNIDO-ITPO of Korea and former Deputy Minister of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and former ambassador for Public Diplomacy of the RoK delineated and outlined the significant functionaries of the UNIDO-ITPO and the manner in which the UNIDO-ITPO could assist and facilitate Sri Lanka in the sphere of power and energy. Amb. Cho elaborated and expanded in detail the criticality of technology, innovation and investments in navigating the future development of any given country, thus attaining the status of a developed nation. In this context, amb. Cho underlined and enunciated how the RoK had become a developed nation within a space of few decades.
Keethi Gunawardena, Senior Vice President of FCCISL, in his address, stated the role of FCCISL and how the FCCISL could promote, project and profile power and energy sector of Sri Lanka to the potential investors and corporates in the RoK. Both Gunawardena and Dr. Asanka Rodrigo, Director General of Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority, emphasized the seminal nature of power and energy for the economic and commercial expansion of Sri Lanka since Sri Lanka is now a middle-income nation. This sphere would play an instrumental role in elevating Sri Lanka from a middle-income nation to a rapidly developing higher-income nation in the foreseeable future. Dr. Rodrigo made an expansive presentation along the theme of creation of opportunities for sustainability and digital technology including renewable energy. Myung Sub Roh of Kosen Co. Ltd. of Korea and Dr. Farida Bondarenko, a consultant on Trade and Renewable Energy projects, also made dedicated and informative presentations, thus enabling the large select audience to comprehend the factual as well as optimistic situation of power and energy in Sri Lanka for the corporates of the RoK to commit investments and to engage. After the formal session, a number of companies and investors both from Sri Lanka and the RoK conducted B2B sessions, thus enabling them to connect and match with each other enabling to translate the B2B discussions to tangible power and energy projects in Sri Lanka, in the near future.
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SLT-Mobitel, the nation’s ICT and Telecommunications Service Provider recently partnered with Spotify, to mark their launch in Sri Lanka. Spotify is a paid premium music streaming app which allows subscribers to listen to music to their hearts content. Both, SLT-Mobitel Post-Paid and Pre-Paid customers will now be able to enjoy Spotify by activating a monthly recurring subscription or one-time subscription plan and access unlimited music streaming and downloading facilities.
The subscription charges will get added to the user’s customary billing, where payment will be deducted in real time. Starting from the payment date, the user will be able to access Spotify and download their favourite songs, for the next 30 days. Users who sign up for their first monthly subscription will receive an additional one month, courtesy of Spotify. The one-month subscription plan is not applicable with one-time subscription plans. SLT-Mobitel data rates, depending on the user’s respective broadband charges, will apply.
Spotify also has some exciting features that will provide SLT-Mobitel customers with the opportunity to listen to ad-free music, access millions of uninterrupted music under one platform, play any song they like, anywhere they go, and also be able to enjoy their music offline.
SLT-Mobitel customers can select their preferred premium package under four categories; Individual, Duo, Family, Student. Each category has recurring and non-recurring plans. After one month of free streaming, the package will activate once the offer period terminates. While both, the Individual and Student premiums are limited to one account user, the Duo package offers two accounts and the Family premium is accessible through six accounts. To view Spotify plans, users can log on to https://spoti.fi/3aLWvce
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by Sanath Nanayakkare
Anyone conversant with the elements of a political economy would know that Sri Lanka is using its ‘sovereign power’ to manage the different dynamics of the economy in a sustainable manner, Professor W. D Lakshman Governor of the Central Bank said on Wednesday.
“Some critics are saying that we adopt a so-called modern monetary theory. That’s not the case. In fact, Sri Lanka is using its sovereign power in a number of economic aspects to honour its external debt repayment commitments as well as to reduce its debt burden in the medium term as well as achieve resilient growth in the medium to long term, he said.
“We make policy decisions to boost our gross foreign reserves, meet our external debt servicing, to facilitate monetary expansion, to boost our GDP growth, to strengthen our current account balance and manage our domestic and external economic variables in a sustainable manner. This is not a modern monetary theory. This is an age-old tool used by central banks around the world when the circumstances demand it, he said.
“Certain trade-offs will be necessary when dealing with an economy which has a big fiscal gap to bridge. There are efforts to push Sri Lanka towards the IMF again which would in turn have influence on our policymaking. We have taken policy measures to stabilize the economy and we have adequate reserve levels to meet our debt repayments. Meanwhile, we are in negotiations with overseas central banks and multilateral agencies to further boost our reserve level and it would materialise within a matter of weeks,” he noted.
“One of the tools the Central Bank has introduced is in respect of repatriation of export proceeds into Sri Lanka and conversion of such proceeds into Sri Lankan rupees in order to strengthen the foreign exchange situation of the country,” he said.
The Governor made these remarks while delivering the keynote speech at a webinar organised by the Veemansa Initiative led by its Managing Director Luxman Siriwardene – the former Executive Director of Pathfinder Foundation.
The webinar revolved round the topic ‘External debt situation in Sri Lanka: Are we heading for a resolution or crisis?’
Professor Sirimal Abeyratne, Prof. Sumanasiri Liyanage, Dr. Nishan de Mel and Dr. Ravi Liyanage were the other speakers on the panel.
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By Hiran H.Senewiratne
CSE produced signs of a rebound yesterday with both indices closing positive, though turnover remained low. Central Bank Governor W.D Lakshman’s recent statement on managing foreign reserves gave some boost to the market yesterday, stock market analysts said.
The index experienced a zigzag movement within the early hours of trading; thereafter, it recorded a slight up-trend as it reached its intraday high of 7,439. Later, the market witnessed a down-trend at mid-day, followed by a sideways movement and closed at 7,372, gaining 43 points during the month of February, market sources said.
It is said the banking sector dominated turnover with a contribution of considerable parcel trades in Sampath Bank, Commercial Bank and HNB.
Further, the Commercial Bank’s impressive quarterly results during the recent turbulent period also built investor confidence. Commercial Bank was able to register a18 percent net interest income when other banks were reporting a decline. Its share price increased by Rs. 3 or 3.5 percent. On the previous day, its shares started trading at Rs. 85 and at the end of the day they moved up to Rs. 88. Due to the positive growth results, the bank announced a Rs. 4.40 dividend per share, plus a Rs. 2 script divergent for every share.
Further, Sampath Bank shares also appreciated in both crossing and retail. In crossings its shares appreciated by Rs. 1.At the end of the day they moved up to Rs. 154.50. In the retail market, its shares moved up by Rs. 2 or 1.3 percent. Previously, its shares fetched Rs. 154 and at the end of yesterday they moved up to Rs. 156.
Amid those developments, both indices moved upwards. The All Share Price Index went up by 104.48 points and S and P SL20 rose by 67.78 points. Turnover stood at Rs. 3 billion with four crossings. Those crossings were reported in Sampath Bank, where 3.9 million shares crossed for Rs. 602.2 million, its share price being Rs. 154.50, HNB 375,000 shares crossed for Rs. 39.4 million, its shares traded at Rs. 105, Pan Asia Power 9.5 million shares crossed for Rs. 33.2 million, its shares traded at Rs. 3.50 and Access Engineering 1.2 million shares crossed for Rs. 28.2 million; its shares traded at Rs. 24.
In the retail market top five companies that mainly contributed to the turnover were, Expolanka Rs. 450 million (10 million shares traded), JKH Rs. 205 million (1.3 million shares traded), Browns Investments Rs. 199 million (34.9 million shares traded), Sampath Bank Rs. 191 million (1.2 million shares traded) and Dipped Products Rs. 137.7 million (2.8 million shares traded). During the day 101 million share volumes changed hands in 18046 transactions.
During the day, Expolanka, the biggest contributor to the turnover, saw its share price appreciating by Rs. 6.20 or 15 percent. Its share price quoted on the previous day was Rs. 41 and at the end of trading yesterday it moved up to Rs. 47.
Sri Lanka’s rupee quoted wider at 193.50/195.50 levels to the US dollar in the spot next market on Thursday while bond yields remained unchanged, dealers said. The rupee last closed in the spot market at 194.50/195.00 to the dollar on Wednesday.
