ATTN: CHANDIMA UDABAGE – MD-ART TV

BIZ ROUND UP – NOVEMBER 25TH, 2007

BUDGET CARD 19TH MON RIYAD

MONETARY VTR 20TH TUE CHAMI

ADB VTR 21ST WED CHAMI

FTA VTR 23RD FRI RIYAD

BOND VTR 22ND THU RIYAD

BREAK

WRAP – NEWS IN BRIEF

UNDP VTR 19TH MON LASHINI

ICTA VTR 21ST WED LASHINI

MAIN NEWS

CORPORATE NEWS

1. SLT VTR 19TH MON RIYAD

2. BANKS VTR 20TH TUE NISHANI

3. INTEL VTR 22ND THU NILANTHA

4. TELEPHONE VTR 19TH MON LASHINI

5. PIZZA VTR 23RD FRI LASHINI

BREAK 2

SHORT BRIDGE
STOCKS

ANCHOR: ANOUK
PRODUCER: ANOUK

HEADLINES
1. COLOMBO URGED TO GET ON ROUTE TO BECOME NEXT LOGISTICS
HUB, AND

2. SRI LANKA URGED TO FULLY EXPLOIT INDO-LANKA FTA OR RISK

LOSING OUT TO COMPETITORS
1. BUDGET 2008 VOTE -CARD/VTR

THE GOVERNMENT WAS ABLE TO PASS THE 2008 BUDGET WITH A

MAJORITY OF 16 VOTES IN PARLIAMENT LAST MONDAY.

THERE WERE 118 VOTES FOR AND 102 AGAINST AT THE END OF THE
VOTE.

MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, REPRESENTING THE UPFA

EPDP, SLMC, CWC, UPF, JHU AND THE UNP DEMOCRATIC GROUP,
VOTED FOR THE BUDGET.

THE MAIN OPPOSITION, JOINED BY THE TNA AND SLFP MAHAJANA

WING AND THE JANATHA VIMULTHI PERAMUNA VOTED AGAINST.

2 MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT ABSTAINED FROM VOTING, WHILE

A FURTHER 2 MP’S WERE NOT PRESENT AT THE TIME OF VOTING.

READ ON

2. MONETARY – VTR

THE CENTRAL BANK SAYS IN A BID TO CURB DEMAND DRIVEN

INFLATION THEY HAVE SIPHONED OFF EXCESS LIQUIDITY IN THE
MARKET THROUGH OPEN MARKET OPERATIONS.

IN ITS NOVEMBER MONETARY POLICY REVIEW THE BANK ANNOUNCED

THAT REQUIRED STEPS WILL BE TAKEN AS AND WHEN NECESSARY TO
MAINTAIN THE LIQUIDITY AT A DESIRED LEVEL.

POLICY RATES FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER WAS KEPT UNCHANGED,

A TREND THAT CONTINUED OVER THE YEAR.

ROLL VTR

3. ADB - VTR

THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK URGES SRI LANKA TO TAKE ACTION SOON, IF THE
COUNTRY IS TO CONVERT COLOMBO INTO A LOGISTICS HUB, BEFORE IT’S TOO
LATE.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE ADB’S DEPUTY COUNTRY DIRECTOR LAURANCE POCHARD
IN COLOMBO LAST WEEK DURING A SEMINAR HELD UNDER THE TITLE “THE
LOGISTICS HUB OF COLOMBO”
THE DONOR AGENCY POINTS OUT THAT SRI LANKA HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DEVELOP
AS BOTH A MARITIME AND AVIATION HUB.

ROLL VTR

4. INDIAN FTA

EXPERTS WARN THAT UNLESS SRI LANKA STEPS UP AND FULLY

EXPLOITS THE INDO-SRI LANKA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT, SRI LANKA
WILL BE PUSHED ASIDE BY OTHER COUNTRIES COMPETING TO GRAB A
SLICE ON INDIA’S TRADE POTENTIAL.

ALTHOUGH OVER 4150 ITEMS ARE OFFERED TO SRI LANKA BY INDIA

ON A DUTY FREE BASIS UNDER THE FTA THAT WAS SIGNED IN 1998,
SRI LANKAN EXPORTS HAVE ONLY UTILIZED A MERE FRACTION OF
THE PREFERENTIAL TRADE FACILITY OFFERED TO THEM.

THIS WAS STATED AT A SEMINAR ORGANIZED BY THE NATIONAL

CHAMBER OF EXPORTERS ON THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE INDIAN
FTA, LAST FRIDAY.

ROLL VTR

5. BOND MARKET

SRI LANKA UNLIKE OTHER ECONOMIES IN THE REGION DOES NOT

POSSESS AN ACTIVE BOND CORPORATE MARKET.

DUE TO THIS SITUATION MOST CORPORATE ENTITIES SOURCE THEIR

FUNDS PRIMARILY THROUGH THE BANKING SYSTEM WHICH IS A
COSTLIER AFFAIR FOR BUSINESSES.

A 2 DAY WORKSHOP ON CAPACITY BUILDING FOR DEVELOPMENT OF

SRI LANKA’S BOND MARKET WAS JOINTLY ORGANIZED BY THE
CENTRAL BANK AND THE UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC LAST WEEK.

ROLL VTR

BREAK
1. UNDP – VTR

A REPORT RELEASED JOINTLY BY THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE ADB

OUTLINES THAT SRI LANKA HAS SHOWN OUTSTANDING PROGRESS
TOWARDS ACHIEVING THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS BY 2015.

THE REPORT, WHICH HAS FOCUSED ON THE ASIAN AND THE PACIFIC
REGION OUTLINES THAT SRI LANKA HAS DONE WELL IN THE AREAS
OF PRIMARY EDUCATION, LITERACY AND GENDER EQUALITY.

THE OUTCOMES OF THE REPORT TITLED “THE MILLENNIUM

DEVELOPMENT GOALS: PROGRESS IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC 2007”
WERE REVEALED TO THE MEDIA LAST WEEK IN COLOMBO MARKING THE
HALFWAY POINT OF THE PERIOD SET TO ACHIEVE THE MDG’S.

READ ON

2. ICTA – VTR

WORLD BANK COUNTRY DIRECTOR NAOKO ISHII SAYS THAT

DEVELOPING THE I.T. AND BPO SECTOR SHOULD BE A HIGH
PRIORITY IN SRI LANKA.

SHE SAYS THE COUNTRY’S PRIVATE SECTOR HAS MUCH TO GAIN FROM
INVESTING IN THE GLOBAL I.T. BPO OFF-SHORING MARKET WHICH
IS CURRENTLY ESTIMATED AT 100 BILLION U.S. DOLLARS AND
GAINING AT 30% PER YEAR.

SHE MADE THESE STATEMENTS AT THE 10TH PRIVATE SECTOR FORUM

ORGANIZED BY THE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
AGENCY OF SRI LANKA IN COLOMBO LAST WEEK.

THE WORLD BANK COUNTRY DIRECTOR POINTED OUT THAT IN THE

NEAR FUTURE, 60 MILLION JOBS WILL BE CREATED IN DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES VIA OFF-SHORING.

SHE SAID SRI LANKA WITH ITS CHEAPEST LABOUR AND LOWER
OFFICE RENTAL COSTS COMPARED TO OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE
REGION, IS WELL PLACED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS
OPPORTUNITY.

READ ON
1. S&P-FITCH ON SLT- DRY / FLASH

SRI LANKA’S LARGEST FIXED LINE TELEPHONE OPERATOR SRI LANKA

TELECOM’S LONG TERM FOREIGN CURRENCY ISSUER DEFAULT RATING
WAS AFFIRMED AT BB MINUS WITH A NEGATIVE OUTLOOK BY FITCH
RATINGS.

AT THE SAME TIME THE AGENCY AFFIRMED SLT’S LONG-TERM LOCAL

CURRENCY IDR OF BB MINUS AS WELL AS ITS NATIONAL LONG-TERM
RATING AT ‘AAA LANKA’ WITH STABLE OUTLOOKS ALONG WITH THE
BB MINUS RATING ON ITS SENIOR UNSECURED NOTES MATURING IN
2009.

MEANWHILE, INTERNATIONAL RATING AGENCY STANDARD & POOR’S

ALSO MADE AN UPWARD REVISION TO SLT’S LONG TERM FOREIGN
CURRENCY RATING FROM B PLUS TO A DOUBLE B MINUS.

IT ALSO RAISED THE RATING ON THE 100 MILLION DOLLAR SENIOR

UNSECURED NOTES DUE IN 2009 TO BB MINUS FROM B+.

READ ON

2. CHILD PORN

OVER 16 CEO’S OF LOCAL AND FOREIGN BANKS OPERATING IN SRI

LANKA LED BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE CENTRAL BANK AJITH NIVARD
CABRAL CAME TOGETHER LAST WEEK TO LAUNCH THE BANKS’
CAMPAIGN TO CRUSH CHILD PORNOGRAPHY ON THE INTERNET.

IN RESPONSE TO THE ALARMING INCREASE IN THE NUMBERS OF

CHILDREN APPEARING IN WEB SITES THE BANKS’ CAMPAIGN TO
CRUSH CHILD PORNOGRAPHY ON THE INTERNET OR B3CPI WAS
LAUNCHED TO DETER THE FINANCIAL NETWORK WHICH SUPPORTS
THESE SITES.

THE B3CPI PROCESS THAT WILL BE LAUNCHED IN EACH OF THE

BANKS CARD CENTERS WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT WILL TRACK ANY
PAYMENTS MADE TO SUSPICIOUS WEBSITES AND IDENTIFY AND FLAG
THESE MERCHANTS.

THE BANKS’ COALITION ALSO URGES THE PUBLIC TO EXERCISE

THEIR CIVIC DUTY BY REPORTING ANY WEBSITE WHICH SUPPORTS
CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OF ANY FORM OR TRANSACTIONS RELATED TO
THE CRIME.

READ ON
3. INTEL – VTR

INTEL, THE WORLD LEADER IN SILICON INNOVATION LAUNCHED 16-

SERVER AND HIGH-END PC PROCESSORS USING AN ENTIRELY NEW
TRANSISTOR FORMULA WHICH ALLEVIATES WASTEFUL ELECTRICITY
LEAKS.

THESE INTEL CORE 2 EXTREME AND XEON PROCESSORS WERE

LAUNCHED IN SRI LANKA LAST WEEK.

THE NEW 45 NANOMETER PROCESSORS BOAST NEARLY TWICE THE

TRANSISTOR DENSITY OF PREVIOUS CHIPS BUILT ON THE COMPANY’S
65 NANOMETER TECHNOLOGY – THAT IS UP TO 820 MILLION
TRANSISTORS FOR QUAD-CORE PROCESSORS, EACH USING INTEL’S
NEW FORMULA.

READ ON

4. TELEPHONE - VTR

MELANIE BENNETTE OF CINNAMON GRAND EMERGED THE WINNER OF

THE TELEPHONE OPERATOR OF THE YEAR CONTEST ORGANIZED BY THE
LIONS CLUB OF COLOMBO ELVITIGALA.

THE WINNER WAS SELECTED FROM AMONG 58 CONTESTANTS FOLLOWING

A RIGOROUS SELECTION PROCESS WHICH INCLUDED INTERVIEWS,
WRITTEN TESTS AND PROJECT REPORTS.

THE CONTESTANTS WERE ASSESSED ON THEIR COMPETENCE IN AREAS

SUCH AS TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE, TERMINOLOGY, LISTENING
COMPREHENSION AND TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE.

THIS YEARS WINNER MELANIE BENNETTE TOOK HOME A CASH PRICE

OF 100,000 RUPEES WHILE THE FIRST RUNNER UP ZAMANI NAZEEM
FROM DIALOG TELECOM AND SECOND RUNNER UP J.F.K. MELANIE OF
LANKA BELL WON 50,000 AND 25,000 RUPEES RESPECTIVELY.

READ ON

5. PIZZA – VTR

PIZZA HUT AND DELI-FRANCE JOINED HANDS TO OPEN ITS FIRST

OUTLET HOUSING BOTH RESTAURANTS UNDER ONE ROOF in
BAMBALAPITIYA LAST WEEK.
THE COMBINED PIZZA HUT – DELIFRANCE OUTLET IS A RESULT OF
THE RELOCATION OF THE COLPETTY OUTLET OF PIZZA HUT AND THE
DUPLICATION ROAD OUTLET OF DELIFRANCE.

THE NEW OUTLET CAN ACCOMMODATE 70 CUSTOMERS AND IN EQUIPPED

WITH A PARTY ROOM FOR PIZZA HUT PATRONS.

READ ON

WE TAKE A BREAK, COMING UP IS A LOOK AT STOCK MARKET

OPERATIONS FOR THIS WEEK.

BIMANI JOINS US FOR A BRIEFING OF WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE CSE

THIS WEEK.