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Ambassador Prasad Kariyawasam has handed over the Commission of Appointment to David Bruce Sherman as Sri Lanka’s Honorary Consul in the state of Pennsylvania. He is the first Honorary Consul of Sri Lanka in that state.

The Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) chaired by former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has conducted an extensive survey with the District Secretaries of eight districts in Northern and Eastern provinces resulting in the design of an Enterprise Based Village Development Project (EBVDP).

• Reverses 3-month gain to hit $ 809.7 m as garments and tea decline 6.6% y-o-y, jewellery by 47.1%
• Trade balance expands by 47.2% to $ 922.4 m but year change 7.5% 
• EU seafood exports grow 171.2% y-o-y
• Crude oil imports increase by 5.8%, coal by 166.3%
• 3.8% rupee depreciation in 2016, further slip of 1% by 8 March 2017
• Long-term Govt. loans rose to $ 1.1 b in first 11 months compared to $ 210.3 m in 2015

Food Studio Chairman Lim Tai Toon gestures at the proposed Colombo City Centre with Ceylon Entertainments Ltd. Managing Director Imithiaz J. Cader (left) and Abans Group Director Rusi Pestonjee at the food court signing ceremony - Pic by Shehan Gunasekara

• Abans and Silver Needle Hospitality to open retail lifestyle store in December with top brands including Apple, Hugo Boss, Mac and The Face Shop 
• Signs agreement with Food Studio for unique international food court concept 
• 200-room Next Hotel and apartments to be opened in October 2018

As the workload increases it is natural to feel disconnected from the rest. To many this is a lonely feeling where it is just a routine work and home schedule that becomes rather boring. An engaged atmosphere promotes innovative ideas and enables higher levels of productivity. Promoting an engaged culture creates a pleasant environment for the employees. It will not be just the salary at the end of the month motivating them to come to work, but the culture that makes them feel welcomed. A simple email campaign can help you start with the change.

We have all experienced those slow months, where there’s not much to do but stare far into the computer screen. Those are usually the time where you find yourself wondering how your job could get interesting or how things could change if you had a career change especially when you see someone from another department handling some exciting stuff. You just might have some areas in mind or many want to just dip their toe in the career pool to see what you might like or perhaps fit into. Before you jump head first into the very deep whirlpool of career options, here are a few questions that might help the decision easier.

To change or not to change?

Now if you are on the fence about the change, and not sure if you would handle it well. Take a break from looking and list down a few pros and cons of the current job you work. It could just be that you are searching for a different company, and not a complete career change. Take a good look at your current position and make note of the changes that you would like to see.

• CCC releases Economic Outlook 2017 
• Predicts growth challenges from drought, external conditions and reforms 
• Buoyant about some exports, advises stronger engagement of new opportunities from H’tota and Megapolis  
• Advocates vigilance on oil prices, fiscal consolidation and regulatory changes  

By Uditha Jayasinghe 

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC), releasing its economic outlook for 2017 yesterday, warned that the private sector could face growth challenges in a sluggish economic landscape peppered with drought, tricky external conditions and key internal structural reforms but was optimistic of an uptick in some exports.  

The Chamber in its new report titled ‘Economic Review and Outlook 2017: Triumph through Turbulence’, which contains information on trends, risks and prospects of both Sri Lankan and the global economy, noted that tighter fiscal and monetary conditions as well as the impact of drought would be a test for the business community.   

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake and Vice President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Andrew McDowell sign a ¤ 50 million Financing Agreement for the Greater Colombo Wastewater Management Project at the European Investment Bank Office in Brussels, Belgium

The European Investment Bank will provide € 50 million to support improvement and expansion of sewage networks across Colombo. 

The new loan will help the Colombo Municipal Council achieve its goal of providing full sanitation coverage to benefit people living and working in the greater Colombo area. The new EIB loan is the European Investment Bank’s first support for water investment in Sri Lanka and the first loan for public sector investment agreed with the new post-civil war government.

Reuters - The rupee ended lower on Friday on dollar demand from importers, but the Central Bank’s moral suasion continued to prevent further decline, even days after the monetary authority signalled a change in its intervention policy.

Rupee forwards were active, with one-month forwards ended at 151.15/30 per dollar, compared with Thursday’s close of 151.00/20.

“Today one-month and two-week forwards traded actively, but we don’t see one-week forwards after yesterday’s moral suasion forced reversal of deals below 150.40,” said a currency dealer who declined to be named.

Officials from the Central Bank were not available for comment.

Text and Pix by P. Kumarasiri Prasad, our airport

correspondent

The Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd yesterday began work on the revamp of the runway at the Bandaranaike International Airport with an investment of $41 million.

Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva was the Chief Guest at the ceremonial launch of the work which will span three months. To accommodate work on the revamp, the BIA is partially closed from 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. daily until 4 April. As a result, around 1,000 flights will not be operated with airlines making alternate arrangements.