Business
New CEO for People’s Leasing & Finance

Sri Lanka’s leading non-bank finance company, People’s Leasing & Finance PLC, has appointed Mr. Shamindra Marcelline as its new CEO/GM with effect from November 20, 2020.
Being an experienced banker with local and foreign bank exposure in addition to working overseas for the HSBC Group, Marcelline brings with him unique industry insights so as to contribute towards the strategic direction and core values of People’s Leasing Company, a news release on the appointment said.
“Having strong credentials in the banking and finance sector in Sri Lanka he has contributed towards showcasing Sri Lanka’s investment potential globally,” it said.
“Before joining PLC Marcelline was the Senior Vice President/Head of Corporate Banking at the DFCC Bank where he spearheaded its strategic initiatives across the country and in overseas markets,” it added.
In October last year, he played a key role in securing the mandate for Sole Adviser and Structuring Bank for a Dual Tranche Bi-lateral Loan Facility for a leading Maldivian company, recognized as the largest ever loan facility given by DFCC Bank.
As a member of the Bank’s Executive Committee, Asset and Liability Committee and Operational Risk Management Committee, Marcelline played a strategic role in harnessing the Bank’s corporate initiatives.
He also headed the Financial Institutions Group and Public Sector for HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives before joining the DFCC Bank.
Mr. Marcelline graduated from the Colombo International School in 1993. He holds a Degree in Economics and Accountancy (BSc.) from City University (1996), London (UK) and also in Financial Advisors’ International Qualification (FAIQ), Chartered Insurance Institute, UK (2008).
People’s Leasing started business operations in 1996 as a wholly owned subsidiary of one of the largest State Banks in Sri Lanka, the People’s Bank. It is currently the highest rated non-bank financial institution in the country, with a “A+ (Ika)” rating from Fitch and also rated as the Number One non-bank financial services brand by Brand Finance Lanka.
The Company was also recognized as one of the Ten Best Corporate Citizens in the country by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. People’s Leasing is also ranked No. 03 for the company’s Transparency in Integrated Corporate Reporting (TRAC) by the Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL).
Business
Share investors worried over Wealth and Heritage tax

By Hiran H Senewiratne
CSE trading kicked off on a positive note yesterday but the momentum could not be sustained for long owing to investor worries that the government is planning domestic debt restructuring involving the imposition of a wealth and heritage tax on citizens, market sources said.
Amid those developments both indices moved downwards. The All -Share Price Index went down by 131 points and S and P SL-20 declined by 46.8 points. Turnover stood at Rs 3.4 billion with four crossings. Those crossings were reported in Agalawattte Plantations, which crossed 45.3 million shares to the tune of Rs 1.5 billion, its shares traded at Rs 35, CTC 420,000 shares crossed for Rs 269 million and its shares traded at Rs 640, Cargills 100,000 shares crossed to the tune of Rs 24.5 million; its shares traded at Rs 245 and Hayleys 300,000 shares crossed for Rs 24 million; its shares traded at Rs 80.
In the retail market top seven companies that mainly contributed to the turnover were, SLT Rs 234 million (two million shares traded), Hayleys RS 121 million (1.5 million shares traded), Lanka IOC Rs 106 million (115,000 shares traded), Softlogic Capital Rs 69 million (5.6 million shares traded), CTC Rs 65.3 million (101,000 shares traded), Sampath Bank RS 54.7 million (one million shares traded) and Commercial Bank RS 52.5 million (801,000 shares traded).During the day 164 million share volumes changed hands in 20000 transactions.
Business
Brandix ‘RightToRead’ initiative gains momentum enriching Sri Lanka students and transforming learning

Inspired by the challenge to provide Sri Lankan children with better access to learning materials and the transformative power to read and comprehend English, Brandix launched the ‘RightToRead’ project in 2018 in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.
Accordingly, Brandix introduced the ‘ReadToMe’ English learning tool, created by English Helper – India, to improve reading and comprehension skills of Sri Lankan students. Last Monday, Julie Chung, the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, visited Susamayawardhana Vidyalaya in Borella, to observe progress of the project and experience how children and educators in Sri Lanka engage with educational technology.
Brandix Lanka Limited, Director, Ajit Johnpillai, said: “Education is the most powerful tool to enrich communities and futures, and Brandix is committed to build a strong foundation for transformational learning for students across Sri Lanka. The progress we have made with RiteToRead over the past two years is promising, and the potential for change in the education sector harnessing such digital technologies is immeasurable. Brandix will continue its commitment to deliver Inspired Solutions for the people of Sri Lanka.”
Business
Dialog TV Boosts Resilience and Capacity with Norsat Satellite Earth Station

Hytera, a leading global provider of professional communications technologies and solutions, is proud to announce the successful deployment of a new backup satellite station for Dialog TV, Sri Lanka’s No.1 satellite Pay TV service provider. The project was fulfilled in 2022 by Hytera and its subsidiary specialized in Satellite Communications (SatCom), Norsat International Inc. The new station enhances the resilience and capacity of Dialog TV’s existing system and ensures continuity of service in the event of damage due to natural disasters.
Dialog TV provides coverage over the entirety of Sri Lanka through the Intelsat 38 Ku-band satellite. As the business expanded, it opted for a backup solution to support its existing satellite station and to strengthen the network’s disaster tolerance.
Hytera and Norsat provided an end-to-end satellite earth station solution that includes the installation, integration, and setup of satellite antennas, a transmission and receiving system, a new network management system (NMS), and a carrier monitoring system (CMS). The NMS makes routine work easier and simpler for on-duty staff, as equipment status, parameter monitoring and configuration, and remote control of the devices can be viewed and accomplished via a single interface. The CMS monitors the carrier spectrum status of satellite signals in real-time and ensures stable signal transmission and receiving.
“We are excited to have been able to work with Dialog TV on this important project,” said Kevin Sun, Sales Director for Hytera South Asia, “Our ability to seamlessly integrate our new equipment and software with Dialog TV’s existing systems has helped to ensure a stable and reliable service for their millions of customers across Sri Lanka.”
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