Edgar declares innings

Sampath Bank Chairman Edgar Gunatunge who retires from the bank today (30) claims that it was the end of an innings spanning 55 years. Enough is enough, he said.

However, he will remain on the other boards that he is sitting on currently.

He will remain as Chairman of Ceylon Tea Marketing Ltd, Tokyo Cement (Lanka) Pvt Ltd. Tokyo Cement Colombo Terminal Ltd, Tokyo Super Cement Co. Lanka Ltd, Fuji Cement Ltd, Kahawatta Plantations Ltd, Star Packaging Ltd, J-Cey Exports ( Pvt) Ltd and Jay - Cey Tea ( Pvt) Ltd. He will also continue as Director of Ceylon Commercial Marketing (Pvt) Ltd and Samudra Cement Lanka ( Pvt) Ltd

Currency mix up!!

Banking in Sri Lanka has developed over the years with Automated Teller Machines and subsequently customers have the ability to insert the ATM of one bank to the Teller machine of another!

However, the latest development is that when a customer inserts an HSBC ATM card into a Commercial Bank machine and requests for a balance inquiry, the balance comes in United States Dollars even on Rupee Accounts! Telephone calls to alert the IT departments of both banks have been of no avail. Probably HSBC is truly living up to its lofty payoff line: “The World’s Local Bank.”!

Different BOI definition

The manner in which the Board of Investment had granted concessions to John Keells Holdings on the Lanka Marine Services was on the basis of a new investment where the LMS premises at 69, Walls Street, Colombo 13 was as old as the hills! This has prompted shipping analysts to dub the Board of Investment as the Bunch of Idiots!

Construction Chamber AGM

The fifth Annual General Meeting of the incorporated Chamber of Construction Industry Sri Lanka will be held today at the Ballroom of Hotel Galadari, Colombo.

Board of Investment of Sri Lanka, a corporate member of the Chamber will make a presentation on “Investment Opportunities in Sri Lanka”.