Category: Economy and Markets
Tread Carefully
The International Monetary Fund says Sri Lanka should be ready to raise interest rates if the ongoing political crisis deepens, as the absence of a strong government makes it difficult to keep a tight grip on the public purse.The Washington based Fund commended the country for emerging from 20-years of ethnic conflict, but said economy […]
Comfort Zone
The Central Bank left its key short-term rates unchanged on Thursday, a sign that it was business as usual despite a snap poll and a hike in the domestic borrowing programme.The overnight repurchase rate (repo rate) was kept at 7.00 percent and the reverse repurchase rate (reverse repo) at 8.50 percent, the bank said in […]
What Next?
With less than three weeks to go to D-day on April 2, the political options of the average Sri Lankan are increasing by the day with more political newbies voicing ever more radical changes to the system.The Parliamentary general election of 2004 will accommodate 24 recognised political parties and 192 independent groups.rn rnAll told 3,361 […]
No. No? No!
The Freedom Alliance says it will ldblquote stop the privatization of national resources and public institutions and make them to play an important role in the regeneration of the national economy. dblquote The Alliance revealed its economic policies on Thursday in its party manifesto, with high hopes to form a fresh government after the April […]
Q & A
UNF officials claim the Alliances campaign is dominated by the JVP agenda even allowing them to dominate the partys economic policies.rn rnThis, the UNF says jeopardizes economic stability and could push the country to the same plight as North Korea. rn rnComposed by Deputy Finance Minister Bandula Gunawardena, the 10 questions, UNF officials say, are […]
Business Plan
The Freedom Alliance says it will simplify the current tax system to generate the required revenue when it comes to power in the April polls.ldblquote Government revenue in relation to GDP has declined to 14 per cent in 2003, due to corrupt tax amnesties, numerous exemptions, generous concessions and a rundown tax administration, dblquote the […]
Flat Outlook
Treasury rates remained flat at this weeks auction ahead of Central Banks monthly monetary policy announcement on Friday.Market players are not expecting the bank to tinker with the short-term rates, though the Finance Minister recently announced that the government-borrowing programme would shoot up by Rs.22 bn this year.rn rnAfter nearly two-years of tough fiscal management, […]
Under Scrutiny
Sri Lanka will join the elite band of 25 countries that have signed a Memorandum Of Understanding with world watchdog for securities markets, IOSCO. The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) is the global standard setting body, regulating more than 90 percent of world securities markets.rn rnFollowing an annual conference in 2002, IOSCO drew up […]
Political Talk
The UNF claims the JVP faction in the Freedom Alliance has rejected international aid agency assistance and is quoted saying it would also control imports. rnrn rnThe claims came on Friday, as the UNF builds up more ammunition against its key competition in the upcoming April polls – the Freedom Alliance. rn rnUNFs Dr. Karunasena […]
Nordic Support
Scandinavian truce monitors held talks with Sri Lankas Tamil Tigers as a rift within the rebel leadership threatened to undermine an already fragile ceasefire, officials said. The head of the Norwegian-led Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Trond Furuhovde had a hastily arranged meet with the political wing leader of Tamil Tigers, S.P. Thamilselvan in the […]
Trade-In
Singer Sri Lanka plans to retire some its short-term borrowings with a Rs. 400 mn four-year debenture issue coming out in March.Singer is keen to reduce its interest cost further after cutting down its 2003 average interest rates to 11.6 percent from 14.2 percent previously. rn rnThe issue, structured by First Capital Ltd, will be […]
Go Slow
Development projects are on track but are slowing down because of jittery foreign investors says the UNF.rnrnldblquote Whatever projects that were initiated by the UNF government are still going on but progress of these projects have slowed down because foreign investors are moving very slowly, dblquote said Minister of Lands, Rajitha Senaratne at the UNF […]