SECTORSRiyad to take United Tractors to next level as new CEO
United Tractors and Equipment Ltd has announced the appointment of Riyad Ismail as CEO of the UTE group of companies.
Ismail was workings as the General Manager of United Tractors and takes over from Priath Fernando who stepped down from the post but continues on as Chairman of the company.
40% of Asia Pacific employees will be mobile workers by 2015 – IDC
According to IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Worker Population Forecast 2011-2015, 838.7 million employees in Asia/Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) will be mobile workers by 2015 and majority of these mobile workers will be office-based.
Bharti Airtel in money laundering probe
Reuters: Authorities are investigating top mobile phone carrier Bharti Airtel under provisions of the money laundering and foreign exchange rules, a minister said, sending its shares down as much as 5.1 per cent.
The Directorate of Enforcement is investigating cases against Bharti, Minister of State for Finance S.S. Palanimanickam told parliament on Tuesday, but declined to give further details.
HP moves HP Cloud Services to public beta
HP last week made its first public cloud services available as a public beta.
Advancing the company’s Converged Cloud portfolio, HP Cloud Services deliver an open-source-based public cloud infrastructure with business-oriented features that enable developers, independent software vendors (ISVs) and enterprises of all sizes to build the next generation of web applications.
Intel inspired Ultrabook coming soon to Sri Lanka
Intel Sri Lanka yesterday ushered in a new category of portable computers, with the announcement of the Ultrabook in the local market.
Based on the second generation Intel Core processors, Ultrabooks are set to bridge the gap between processing power and portability, promising to be a game changer in the ever-evolving technology market.
E-Waste Day by Singer on 19 May
For the first time ever, Singer Sri Lanka is organising a countrywide E-Waste Day on 19 May in furtherance of its commitment to fighting the growing electronic waste problem.
Singer Sri Lanka has always displayed a commitment to the community at large. In 2010, the company was among the first organisations to sign up for the CEA’s Electronic Waste Management Project. Singer has processed over 142 tonnes of e-waste since then.
Keells Super receives first-ever ‘Supermarket Management System’ SLS certificate
By Cheranka Mendis
Keells Super yesterday became the first retail chain to obtain a Certificate of Conformity from the Sri Lanka Standards (SLS) Institute for the ‘Supermarket Management System.’ This also marks the introduction of the Management System to Sri Lanka.
Awarded to Keells Super Crescat, Union Place and Rajagiriya, the certificate covers areas of environmental hygiene, hygienic production of food in production bakeries and kitchens, transport, handling and storage of foods, cleaning maintenance and personal hygiene, temperature control, pest control systems, procedures for monitoring at control points and critical limits, maintaining records pertinent to traceability of products and preventive/control measures for hazards and procedures for verification.
Maximising the benefits from Chinese funding
Lessons from Latin America
Sri Lanka has recently mobilised very substantial loans from China to fund large infrastructure projects (e.g. the Norochcholai power station and the Hambantota Port). It would, therefore, be useful to understand better the manner in which the Chinese authorities administer their foreign loan programs.
Mahaveli waters: Power and irrigation conflict
The Mahaveli Development Project was planned in the late 1960s as a multi-purpose project to provide water for irrigation and for enhancing 
hydropower generation. At that time the politicians boasted of exporting electrical power to India.
Implementation of the project on a 30-year programme commenced in the early 1970s under the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Government, as the ‘Diversion of Mahaveli Waters to North’. She was able to complete Polgolla Diversion, Ukuwela Power House, Bowatenna Tunnel and Power House, improvement of Kalawewa and associated works.
Is capitalism or the free market economy an immoral system?
Following is a response to Dr. Gunadasa Amerasekera’s criticism of the free market economy
By R.M.B Senanayake
Dr. Gunadasa Amerasekera has argued against capitalism or the free market economy. He also opposes globalisation. I will deal with the so-called moral case against capitalism.
During the reign of our Sinhalese kings, what did we find? Society was based on the caste system and many occupations were considered inferior with only farming being considered a superior occupation. Activities that were merely useful and used the hands and manual labour were considered inferior. The learned men and the clergy were the superior folk in society. All other occupations were considered to be inferior, servile and of low social standing. It was the same in Europe.
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