Category: Economy and Markets
Vote on Account presented to Parliament
Oct 23, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera today presented the Vote of Account for the first four months of 2020 in the Parliament. Accordingly, over 1,470 billion rupees will be allocated for the capital and recurrent expenditure headings while 5 billion rupees will be allocated for the advance accounts. For the […]
Fitch affirms Melstacorp &”; outlook stable
Oct 23, 2019 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings has affirmed the National Long-Term Ratings of Sri Lanka-based conglomerate Melstacorp and its subsidiary Distilleries Company at ‘AAA(lka)’ with a stable outlook. Fitch said it rates Distilleries based on the consolidated profile of Melstacorp due to strong legal and operational linkages between the two entities, as defined in […]
Sri Lanka inflation at 5-pct in Sept 2019
Oct 22, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) increased to 5 percent from 3.4 percent recorded in August on a year-on-year basis, the Department of Census and Statistics said. The NCPI for all items for the month of September 2019 was 130.6. An increase of 0.9 index points or 0.7 percentage […]
Financial Action Task Force delists Sri Lanka from Grey List
Oct 21, 2019 (LBO) – The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global policy setter on Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT), has delisted Sri Lanka from FATF’s Compliance Document which is more commonly identified as “the Grey List”. The decision was taken at the FATF Plenary held during 13-18 October 2019 […]
Will Jaffna International Airport help the Northern economy take-off at last?
By Jekhan Aruliah The opening, strictly speaking the re-opening, of Jaffna International Airport (IATA airport code JAF) in October 2019 was one of the more startling events in the North since the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009. In the North we held our breaths as the promise, unfulfilled for years, approached […]
Farm Smart: Developing Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector in the 4IR
Manoj Thibbotuwawa and Nimesha Dissanayaka Rapid population growth has put tremendous pressure on the world’s agricultural systems to provide safe and nutritious food to all. Unfortunately, productivity growth has been hampered by land and water resources degradation and climate change. The economic and social costs of such disruptive drivers imply that the food systems need […]
Real-time online payment facility for BOI customers
Oct 21, 2019 (LBO) – The Board of Investment of Sri Lanka has taken another significant step forward where customers have the convenience of making their payments online directly to BOI, a statement said. This initiative is facilitated via LankaPay Online Payment Platform, a real-time and online payment platform of LankaClear. Such an initiative on […]
ICRA Lanka revises outlook on issuer rating of BoC to negative
Oct 21, 2019 (LBO) – ICRA Lanka Limited, subsidiary of ICRA limited, a group company of Moody’s Investors Service, has reaffirmed the issuer rating of Bank of Ceylon at [SL]AAA. The outlook on the rating is revised to negative from stable. Rationale The revision in outlook factors in BOC’s moderate capitalisation levels with steady decline […]
Sri Lanka FIU to obtain direct access to INTERPOL information system
Oct 18, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) entered into an agreement with INTERPOL National Central Bureau for Sri Lanka (NCB Colombo) recently to obtain direct access to the INTERPOL Information System. Money laundering and terrorist financing are internationally connected financial crimes that could threaten the stability of domestic as well as […]
BOI enters into supplementary agreement with concrete poles manufacturer
Oct 18, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Board of Investment signed a supplementary agreement with Senaka Zenn (Private) Limited to set up a project to manufacture pre-stressed spun concrete electrical poles, piles and railway sleepers for both local and export markets. The initial investment made by the Company was 10.3 million US dollars. The Supplementary […]
Sri Lanka to set up Public Debt Management Bureau under Finance Ministry
Oct 17, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s cabinet nod has been received to establish a Public Debt Management Bureau under the Finance Ministry with the aim of entrusting the public debt management to a single entity. Accordingly, a five-member Public Debt Management Committee chaired by the Secretary to the Treasury will be appointed to draft […]
Opinion: Cigarette smuggling in Sri Lanka, Hype vs. Reality
By Harini Weerasekera In the run up to elections, Sri Lanka is once again witnessing various news activities highlighting how the government is losing revenue due to increased consumption of illicit cigarettes and beedi. However, the wider government policy on tobacco control is aimed to reduce smoking rates and the related direct and indirect costs […]