In brief

The sooragoviyas with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene and the Chairman of CIC Agri Businesseses B. R. L. Fernando.

CIC’s sooragoviyas meet President

Priyantha Weeraratne who was chosen `best farmer’ at the annual sooragoviya contest conducted by CIC Agri Business met President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees recently.

Thirty-eight-year-old Priyantha hails from Angunakolapelassa and has 15 acres of land where he cultivates paddy, fruits and vegetables.

Runners up Nalin Chaminda from Hettipola and Ananda Weerasinghe from Hawa Eliya and last years winner Nihal Fernando also were privileged to meet the President.

CIC Agri Businesses organises the `Shooragoviya’ contest to encourage young farmers and also with a view of imparting latest methods and technologies to farmers.

Residential property prices dip 7% in Delhi

Even as residential property prices move skywards elsewhere, two of the country’s biggest metros, Delhi and Kolkata, are bucking the trend, reporting a decline of up to 15 per cent in the first quarter of this calendar year, said the housing regulator.

According to the Residex for the period January-March 2010, a residential property index put together by the National Housing Bank (NHB) for the 15 biggest metros, the residential property price in these two metros have come down sharply, signaling a correction in the market.

While in Delhi property prices have crashed by 7 per cent as compared to July-December 2009, in Kolkata the decline has been sharper at 15 per cent.

In case of Delhi, the prices have fallen by nearly 20 per cent from the peak levels during July-December 2008, a time when the economic slowdown was beginning to spread its tentacles.

The index assumes 2007 to be the base year.

In Delhi, the market has seen a huge correction in residential property prices, which was much required. As state land development agency Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA) plans to come up with DDA colonies around farm areas beyond Mehrauli fructify, there is no big pressure on demand.

Indian Express

MBSL seminar ‘Learnings from the global financial crisis for SL’

The Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka PLC (MBSL) is organising a seminar on a current topic ‘Learnings from the global financial crisis for SL’ on September 14, 4.00-6.30pm at Cinnamon Lakeside, Colombo.

The speaker will be, Partner Price Waterhouse Coopers and President,Institute of Chartered Accountants Sri Lanka, Sujeewa Mudalige.

The global financial crisis, brewing for a while started to show its effects from the middle of 2007 and into 2008.

Deputy General Manager Corporate Banking Sampath Bank Saman Herath cuts the ribbon at the opening of the Kekirawa Branch. Assistant General Manager Marketing & Deposits Tharaka Ranwala, RRM North Central Province Deepal De Silva, and Manager Kekirawa Branch Bimal Liyanage are also in the picture.

Sampath Bank in Kekirawa

Sampath Bank, opened its 149th branch at # 56, Main Street, Kekirawa recently. Electronically linked with the islandwide network, the new branch is geared to provide cutting edge banking and financial solutions to enhance the quality of life of people in the area.

Sampath Bank provides flexibility, speed, innovation and service to banking solutions.

Facilities such as Automated Teller Services and E-Banking Services are provided allowing customers the convenience of getting their banking transactions done at their own convenience, while Sampath team members are always at hand for more personalised services, if required.

Chevron partners with Aitken Spence Cargo

Managing Director/CEO, Chevron Lubricants Lanka PLC Kishu Gomes and Managing Director, Aitken Spence Cargo (Pvt) Ltd Rohantha Peiris at the signing of the agreement at Chevron’s Head Office in Colombo.

Chevron Lubricants Lanka PLC, marketer of Caltex branded lubricants in Sri Lanka, signed a partnership agreement with Aitken Spence Cargo (Pvt) Ltd for its entire cargo clearing and forwarding and related transport for imports and exports in Sri Lanka.

"We are pleased to be in partnership with Aitken Spence Cargo", said Managing Director/CEO of Chevron Lubricants Lanka PLC Kishu Gomes.

"We are confident that this tie-up will strengthen our operation through greater process efficiency thereby enabling us to serve our customers more effectively leading to better business results", he said.