Business
HNB reopens Student Savings Unit at St. Joseph’s College
Reaffirming its commitment to fostering financial literacy among students, Sri Lanka’s leading private sector bank HNB PLC, announced the reopening of its Student Savings unit at St. Joseph’s College, Colombo.
The reopening comes as part of the bank’s continued efforts to instil the habit of saving among young minds. The event was graced by the esteemed presence of St. Joseph’s College Rector, Rev. Fr. Ranjith Andradi, and the Managing Director/CEO of HNB, Jonathan Alles, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer Dilshan Rodrigo who are distinguished past pupils of the College, along with Deputy General Manager- Retail and SME Banking Sanjay Wijemanne, Assistant General Manager, Network Management and Business Development Supun Dias and Head Office Branch Chief Manager, Dilanka De Silva.
During the ceremony HNB Managing Director/CEO, Jonathan Alles expressed his delight, stating, “We are extremely pleased to be a part of this momentous occasion, celebrating the reopening of the Student Savings Unit at St. Joseph’s College. Through this Unit, we aim to empower students with a deeper understanding of saving and the value of living within their means. By developing this essential life skill, students will be well prepared to fund their higher education and make other important investments in the future.”
The Unit will mainly offer student access to the wide range of savings products and investment plans available for minors. Moreover, the bank aims to create a digital payment ecosystem for the school also offering members of the staff and the Old Boys Association with exceptional services and benefits.
St. Joseph’s College Rector Rev. Fr. Ranjith Andradi, expressing his pride in the partnership, stated: “We are proud to be associated with HNB in reopening the Student Savings Unit. This initiative not only imparts valuable lessons in investing and saving but also instils a strong sense of financial management in our students. We believe this partnership will contribute to their progress and success.”
The Student Savings Unit, introduced by HNB in 1994, has played a pivotal role in promoting financial literacy among students. With 162 units established across Sri Lanka, HNB actively engages students in managing mini-banks within their schools, fostering leadership and financial responsibility. Each year, HNB provides comprehensive training to over 1,000 students, empowering them to become financially savvy individuals.
HNB is rated A (lka) by Fitch Ratings and was awarded the esteemed title of ‘Sri Lanka’s Best Corporate Citizen’ for 2022 by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. Other major accolades include being ranked among the Top 1,000 Banks in the World for six consecutive years by the acclaimed UK based “The Banker Magazine”, being adjudged the ‘Best Retail Bank in Sri Lanka’ for the 13th occasion by the Asian Banker, as well as securing a Top 5 position on Business Today’s Top 40 rankings for 2022.
Business
M/s Premier Energies Ltd gets contract to install rooftop solar power generation at religious places
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Power and Energy to award the procurement for the implementation of Rooftop Solar Power Generation Project at religious places to M/s Premier Energies Ltd for a contract price of US$ 17 million.
On 08.01.2024, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the implementation of the Rooftop Solar Power Generation Project subject to a limit of 17 million US dollars under the 1000 million US dollars loan facility provided by the State Bank of India.
Accordingly, bids were invited to select a suitable institution for the implementation of the project and six bids were received. Considering the recommendations made by the Procurement Appellate Board regarding the recommendation made by the Technical Appraisal Committee and the Standing Procurement Committee appointed by the Cabinet, M/s Premier Energies Ltd was selected.
Business
Sri Lanka could benefit from global trend towards EV use – IPS study
By Ifham Nizam
The latest publication of the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS), `Trade Wars in Electric Vehicle Supply Chains: A Win for Sri Lanka’s Graphite Industry?” indicates that Sri Lanka is poised to benefit from the global trend towards electric vehicles (EVs). Sri Lanka stands to gain by leveraging its top-quality vein graphite, crucial for EV battery manufacturing, the publication says.
Sri Lanka, renowned for its high-quality vein graphite, is poised to benefit from the increasing demand for “non-China origin” graphite, driven by the global push towards electro mobility and the US Green Industrial Policy.
The IPS publication brought out by IPS researchers, Dr Asanka Wijesinghe, Malisha Weerasinghe and Chaya Dissanayake, explores the potential for Sri Lanka to join the supply chain for Electric Vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing.
Speaking at a seminar recently at the IPS, Colombo 7, IPS Research Fellow, Dr. Asanka Wijesinghe said that Sri Lanka’s commitment to sustainability and quality standards places it strategically in the non-China graphite export market, boosted by US industrial policies favouring domestic assembly and non-China sources.
Wijesinghe said that their new study highlights Sri Lanka’s opportunity to become part of the EV battery supply chain.
The study suggests that Sri Lanka could focus on upstream activities, including exporting battery-grade graphite and anodes, and strengthen Research & Development to enhance its strategic position in the non-China graphite export sector, thus attracting investment and ensuring sustainability.
Responding to The Island Financial Review on the possibility of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US, Wijesinghe believes that a comprehensive FTA may be challenging but a limited one, in the style of the Japan-US Mineral Free Trade Agreement, will be beneficial to Sri Lanka.
“Sri Lanka will have to navigate the complex geopolitical landscape in finalizing such an agreement. On the upside, such an agreement helps value addition to Sri Lanka’s graphite within the country and via export to the US under the subsidy program proposed by the US, he added.
Dr. Wijesinghe also said that US’s strategic move to adopt a proactive green industrial policy, driven by the imperative to achieve net-zero emissions and national security concerns, presents fresh opportunities for graphite producers outside China. The recently enforced Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) plays a pivotal role in reshaping the global EV battery supply value chain by excluding China and promoting domestic assembly and manufacturing of EV components.
Key findings from the IPS study reveal that as a result of these developments, the demand for graphite, a critical component of Lithium Ion Batteries (LIBs), is set to surge. “Non-China” graphite exporters, including Madagascar, Mozambique and particularly Sri Lanka, are positioned to benefit from the re-alignment of the supply chain.
The study also focuses that the Partial Equilibrium modeling results indicate that Sri Lanka holds a strategic advantage in the emerging market. Sri Lanka’s vein graphite, known for its purity, flawless crystal structure, and strong electrical conductivity, stands out as an ideal choice for the growing global demand.
Wijesinghe also stressed that despite facing challenges in terms of cost competitiveness, Sri Lanka’s focus on sustainable practices, minimal environmental impact, and compliance with acceptable labour standards positions it as a key player in the evolving landscape of “non-China” graphite exports.
“Additionally, Sri Lanka possesses a comparative advantage in graphite production and benefits from an established mining sector with an existing consumer base. Increased demand will party help Sri Lanka by increasing the world market price of graphite in the future. However, the productivity of the mining sector needs to be increased to lower the unit cost, to benefit from the emerging global opportunities,” he added.
Business
Minimum room rate policy ‘killing hotel industry’
By Hiran H.Senewiratne
Policy inconsistency for Sri Lanka’s tourism sector pulls the industry into jeopardy and the new laws that impose a minimum room rate on Colombo City hotels, could make Sri Lanka lose the competitive edge among other countries in the region, a top travel and tourism expert Chandana Amaradasa said.
‘The imposing of a minimum room rate on Colombo City hotels is actually killing the industry, resulting in the industry losing the competitive edge among hotels in the region. Room rates, accordingly, could henceforth rise to between 80 percent and 100 percent even in low standard city hotels in Colombo as well, Amaradasa said.
‘The minimum room rate in Colombo city hotels is currently a bit high with the new law on a minimum charge rate for Colombo City hotels coming into effect and it would affect the industry because all the city hotel standards are not the same. On top of that, to attract high- end tourists into the country Sri Lanka does not have world call events, Amaradasa told The Island Financial Review.
Amaradasa added: ‘All hotels in Colombo have a massive supply chain and with the loss of business/occupancy rates the entire economy will be affected and so far two major MICE tourism events that were scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka have shifted to Thailand.
‘The tourism industry is just picking- up and this type of move is detrimental to the entire sector because these room rates are normally determined by demand and supply and not by gazette notifications.
‘At present, Colombo five star hotels are mainly patronized by Indian tourists, corporate clients and MICE tourists. This will not only impact hotel revenue but the outside supply chain as well. Nowhere in the world is the tourism industry regulated in this manner and this would enable our competitors, such as Vietnam and Thailand, to attract tourists.
‘As a long term consequence, some of the airlines could also pull out of Sri Lanka and hotels will halt recruiting new staff and training them with the limiting of their revenue sources.
‘At present many experienced/quality hotel sector employees have left the country. Once this law comes into play most city hotels will suffer. Therefore, existing hotel sector employees in every category will go for greener pastures.’
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