Sri Lanka's biggest gem and jewellery show, Facets 2003, was held last week at the
Colombo Hilton. It is considered one of the most successful trade shows in Sri Lanka. Last year it recorded sales worth US$ one million. Pix by M.A. Pushpakumara shows a visitor examining a $33,000 black pearl necklace while another foreign guest looks at some stones.

Contents

• Fast-track to development, jobs
• Local factory figures at Cancun meeting
• Stock market hits new high
• Unilever in drive to build corporate image
• Godrej seeks 10 % market share
• JEDB/SPC revamp stirs controversy
• James Finlay to increase green tea exports
• Hemas aims to be among top five Lankan firms
• Private sector borrowing picks up gradually
• FTAs will destroy local industry
• Central Bank implements real time settlement system
• Sri Lanka: A market reborn
• Dashing coconuts, invoking the Gods
• Plantation firms struggle with low prices, high costs
• Trade gap narrows - Central Bank
• Codes of conduct and brothels (Comment)
• Pause-in-conflict economy (Feature)
• Auditors: Watchdogs or lapdogs? (Feature)
• Do women make better managers? (Feature)
• Bankrupt for ideas? (Business@Home)
• Sri Lanka 2020: The bold and the beautiful (Random thoughts)