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The domino effect upon the Ceylinco Group following the Golden Key crash is becoming more and more apparent by the day. Various arrangements are now falling into place with the Central Bank, which is the chief regulatory authority for the financial services sector, taking steps which, hopefully, will prevent a further slide. Wisdom after the event is as easy as popping cashew nuts into one s mouth as the Sinhala saying has it, and there is a surfeit of nodding heads and ``I told you so punditry on display today. But that is cold comfort to those investors who were lured to make risky deposits by the high interest rates that were on offer. For some of them such interest was retirement income for others they provided what they believed was a fat return, safe haven for black money. Whatever the reason, people made risky and not-so-risky investments in different finance companies and other deposit takers and the failure of one has had a ripple effect on the entire sector. The good and the bad are all suffering to varying degrees.
On Friday, Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka PLC (MBSL), a listed subsidiary of the Bank of Ceylon on which the responsibility for running Seylan Bank PLC has been reposed, announced that it had with Central Bank clearance accepted an assignment to provide consultancy services to The Finance and Guarantee Company Ltd., another troubled member of the Ceylinco Group, ``to restore public confidence and to resolve current liquidity problems. MBSL also said it was in preliminary discussions with the Central Bank to undertake the management of the affairs of Ceylinco Savings Bank and to rehabilitate that bank with a view to a long-term relationship. Those whose memories are not too short may remember that not so many years ago, MBSL itself was in trouble having badly over-extended itself. Thanks largely to prudent management that was set in place after the departure, with handsome compensation, of a CEO on whom much of the blame for what happened was laid, was able to successfully complete a long haul to viability and even become, as it is now, the physician treating other troubled companies! MBSL, of course, had the massive advantage that its parent was the country s biggest commercial bank with the ability to bankroll the rehabilitation.
Other developments include Seylan Merchant Bank PLC, a listed entity, beginning talks of divesting the controlling shares of its subsidiary, Seylan Merchant Leasing PLC, also a quoted company, to People s Leasing Company Ltd., a major player in the leasing industry which is a subsidiary of the People s Bank. The price it can fetch will no doubt be influenced by the current downturn in leasing resulting from depressed vehicle sales market.. No deal has been finalized yet, but analysts note that the Ceylinco/Seylan Group is looking at raising cash to meet obligations arising from the Golden Key collapse and downsizing by divestment is part of the strategy. The Central Bank has announced that suitable managing agents are being sought for two unlisted members of the Ceylinco Group, Ceylinco Investment and Realty Ltd. and Asian Finance Ltd., while certain key executives at The Finance Company PLC, the first finance company to be established in the country by Senator Justin Kotelawela, Mr. Lalith Kotelawela s father, have been identified to undertake overall management responsibility. All this implies that the regulator lacks confidence in the ability of some of these companies to properly manage their affairs in the face of the daunting challenges the group faces and would prefer to entrust that responsibility to external entities. Also there is recognition, as demonstrated in the instance of The Finance as well as the Seylan Bank, that there is senior management capability within the various group companies that can be harnessed to prudently mind the shops until stability is restored.
The Central Bank has also appointed an eminent four-member expert group comprising respected professional and business personalities to advise and assist the implementation of the government s eight point stimulus package. We are glad about the initial composition of this group and hope that it will not be made unwieldy with too many additions as time goes on. It is evident that Ceylinco s problems were largely the result of over-extension with the group comprising of as many as 400 companies. We do not think that Mr. Lalith Kotelawela set out to deliberately swindle depositors. Rather, a group of companies that had done very well out of real estate at a point of time got into the habit of shifting money from one company to another depending on where the need lay, without a real consciousness that this was depositors money rather than their own that was being moved with little or no focus on how repayments would be made. The group got badly hurt when the property bubble burst and Golden Key, especially, seemed to have for too long borrowed from Peter to pay Paul.
Regulatory failures too have occurred. It is now known that the Central Bank had ``examined Golden Key long before its problems surfaced but has obviously done nothing further on the basis that it was not a registered deposit taker. The volume of the deposits held against the credit card spends they secured plus the magnitude of interest outgoings (as well as the high rates of interest) on these deposits should have been obvious tell-tale signs that should have been acted upon long before the crash. But all that is water under the bridge. The failure caused runs on the Seylan Bank, thankfully arrested now, and other related group companies. Those that are registered can now regain liquidity by selling their land stocks at 67% of their market value under the government s package. These will be distress sales and once holding costs are factored, are very likely to result in losses. But those are hard facts of life that the companies and their owners must live with.
The lessons for investors too are many. Way above market interest rates are too good to be true. The mere fact that interest cheques come regularly does not mean the capital is safe as the Peter and Paul game may be very much in play. Aggressive deposit seeking by any company, inducement to staff for bringing in business and the past record of a business group and its owners are all matters that must be factored before hard earned money is lent on trust to anybody. A company called Energen to produce solar power in Rajasthan was found to be either/or a huge white elephant/massive fiddle. That company was an offshoot of Blue Diamonds of the Ceylinco Group and there was a lot of finger pointing at the time that bubble burst. Many things have been done and more measures will follow to tidy up the mess. Whether the Rs. 26 to 30 billion needed according to reports to settle Golden Key depositors can be raised remains to be seen. Meanwhile those who had money in that company or other troubled deposit takers will have to exercise what the Central Bank has called ``a certain degree of patience. It may well be longer than they think.
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Spetsnaz1
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 4203
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 8 Mar 2009 05:43:31 GMT Report for Abuse
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Kotalawalas directors have certainly mismanaged the money at Golden Key.. you can say that from their behavior and life style patterns.. sad thing is many people are suffering due to their mismanagement.. I only hope those depositors will be paid soon..
Meanwhile those who had money in that company or other troubled deposit takers will have to exercise what the Central Bank has called ''a certain degree of patience. It may well be longer than they think.
yes they will have patience but for how long? there were many peoples lives that depended on that money they have deposited on GK.. I m sure sooner or later there will be a lot of problems for Lalith K and his companies if this continues like this.. I strongly believe the depositors should paid off soon.. or his entire network will fall out... |
mari08
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 42
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 8 Mar 2009 15:19:39 GMT Report for Abuse
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You people should start taking an interest in the world around you again, instead of focussing on the war all day long.
Have got no idea if savings with banks in SL are quaranteed, but all over the world a lot of banks are technically bankrupt and a lot will follow. They have to be bailed out by the governement or nationalized.
Even when your money is quaranteed up to a certain amount, it might take years before you get it back and by that time it probably has inflated by 50%.
So, maybe it is a good idea to buy yourself a safe and get your money out of the bank before it is too late.
Don't think your CB can bail out any bank without starting the presses and go full speed. |
Livera53
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 135
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 8 Mar 2009 16:37:15 GMT Report for Abuse
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There is another article in the Lakbima News today. They speak of Kotalawela's image with in the Group & his actions based on 'whims' which has caused all these damage. Nobody questions however high in the Group.
Many knew that Ceylinco Group was on 'borrowed time'. It had to crash someday & it did.
Ceylinco Group is a miniature reflection of the affairs of the nation, as we seem to glorify the state of the nations affairs today!
Time will tell. |
kiora
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 419
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 8 Mar 2009 18:18:38 GMT Report for Abuse
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| Bit confusing theory how will the money get inflate.It will more likely to depreciate with the inflation? |
mari08
Joined: Oct 2008
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8 Mar 2009 19:05:13 GMT Report for Abuse
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Two different things with the same result, you can bye less for the same amount of money.
Inflation = consumergoods get more expensive so your rupee is worth less.
Depreciation= devaluating your currency, mainly done to boost export, but also a way of protectionism and a killer for the world economy. |
Arowana
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 33
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 9 Mar 2009 10:31:45 GMT Report for Abuse
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| Whatever based on Interest earning bound to perish. This is what happened in New York and is happening in Sri Lanka too. As they say 'Gini Poli' is the route cause of all these outcome, its time we people take notice of this and avoid the 'interest' based transaction. |
raigamakolla
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 9 Mar 2009 11:22:58 GMT Report for Abuse
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Ceylinco Group is a miniature reflection of the affairs of the nation, as we seem to glorify the state of the nations affairs today * 100=fools paradise. |
Gaja
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Joined: Apr 2005
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 9 Mar 2009 20:56:43 GMT Report for Abuse
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sad thing is many people are suffering due to their mismanagement..
You did not think so when the Australian system let this consumer down. Double standards???
You lack financial wisdom.
Ultimately, we must manage our own systems. Reconciling the official system with our own personal values is the sure way to feel success in financial investments. One must not cheat and must not feel cheated. |
mari08
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 42
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9 Mar 2009 22:06:50 GMT Report for Abuse
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Greed makes people forget what is real. Especially in a very corrupt country like SL, everything 'seems' possible.
Told a friend of mine, real businessmen, just over a year ago to get his money out, all based on sensible thinking and knowing what was going on in the USA and Europe. Maybe because I am european and not used to stick my nose in other people's financial state, I wasn't clear enough to him, because yesterday I saw his name in the paper.
Now I feel lousy because I think I should have put some more pressure on him, while he probably just didn't believe me then, or even worse, didn't want to believe me. |
Joy09
Joined: Jan 2009
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12 Mar 2009 01:57:23 GMT Report for Abuse
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The lessons for investors too are many. Way above market interest rates are too good to be true.
Seylan is now offering an annual effective rate of almost 22% for its millennium 30 deposits. This is about 7% more than the average rate in the market. Does that indicate all is not well with Seylan? Something for the investors to ponder upon before parting with their hard earned money. |
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