Srilanka

The SLT Group announced its financial results for the first half of the year 2019 with a remarkable growth of 42% YoY in Operating Profit to reach Rs. 4.5 billion(Bn).The growth momentum was driven by better management of costs and increase of revenue by 7.9% YoY to Rs. 42.6 Bn with significant contributions from its key business portfolios of fixed and mobile broadband services, Global business, Career domestic, Enterprise intelligent business solutions, PEO TV services, National Backbone Services and Digital Services. The Group comprises of nine subsidiaries including its mobile arm Mobitel (Pvt) Ltd. The Gross Profit was recorded at Rs. 18.8 Bn with a YoY growth of 13%.

Regional Plantation Companies (RPC) are not re investing as much as private tea smallholders, Minister of Plantation Industries Navin Dissanayake told the 125th AGM of the Colombo Tea Traders Association (CTTA).He said the RPCshould do more replanting and also look into introducing more scientific methods towards the tea industry. The Minister said that this had resulted in 73% of tea exports been done by tea smallholders. The government has supported them and during the last few years, we have invested over Rs 3 billion towards them.

Muslims across the world celebrate Eid & ul & Adha hajj festival whilst millions of people gather in the holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia to perform hajj. Eid & ul & Adha also known as the ‘festival of sacrifice&, the observance commemorates the Prophet Ibrahimreadiness to sacrifice his son in order to demonstrate his dedication to Almighty Allah. Eid & ul & Adha hajj festival takes places on the 10th day of the final month of the Islamic lunar calendar Dhul & Hajj, &which is the 12th and most sacred month of the Islamic year during which observant Muslims travel to holy city of Makkah for hajj. Hajj is the pilgrimage to holy city of Makkah and all able-bodied adults in Islamic faith are expected to complete hajj at least once in their lifetime.

The Rajapaksa regime was unable to develop the country during their 10 year term, said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, adding that changing the colour of their clothes will not change their habits.The Prime Minister said this while addressing a ceremony at the Kurunegala Town Hall yesterday for awarding of compensation to farmers who experienced crop damage.