Category: Economy and Markets
Sri Lanka economy to grow 3.5-pct in 2009: CB Governor
Jan 04, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s economy is expected to grow by 3.5 percent in 2009 after it slowed down owing to global recession, with revenue picking up and exports seen recovering, Central Bank governor Nivard Cabraal said. Cabraal said the full integration of the north and east which had been affected by war […]
Sri Lanka targets 5 to 6-pct inflation in 2010
Jan 04, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is targeting 5 to 6 percent average inflation by end-2010 allowing the country’s base money to grow by 14.5 percent, building on low single digit inflation achieved in 2009, Central Bank governor Nivard Cabraal said. Sri Lanka ended 2009 with seasonally adjusted annual average inflation of 3.4 percent, […]
Sri Lanka stocks up 2.84-pct
Jan 04, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan stock closed the first day of trading for the year up 2.84 percent Monday with retail investors chasing diversified, manufacturing and banking sector stocks, brokers said. Ceylon Tobacco Company closed at 200. 00 rupees, up 15.00, Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka closed at 109. 00 rupees, up 3.75 […]
Sri Lanka to relax foreign exchange controls: CB Governor
Jan 04, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankans would be allowed to open bank accounts abroad and buy shares and debt of foreign companies as part of a relaxation of foreign exchange controls, Central Bank governor Nivard Cabraal said. Foreign exchange ‘shortages’ crop up when a central bank ‘prints money’ (generates local money by purchasing domestic […]
Sri Lanka govt deceiving people on taxes: TI
Jan 01, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s government should ensure greater public awareness of taxes it imposes on the people and not deceive them through lack of transparency, the local arm of an international watchdog has said. Provisions which create the deception that a government can raise money to spend without taxing the people should […]
Sri Lanka central bank defends controversial note
Dec 31, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank has defended a controversial 1,000 rupee note bearing the image of president Mahinda Rajapaksa, ahead of presidential polls, which had come under fire from the opposition and other critics. Critics had slammed the note as an ‘election handbill’, and that a group of soldiers at the […]
Sri Lanka Jaffna peninsular revival driven by road link
Dec 30, 2009 (LBO) – At a remote fishing village in Sri Lanka’s northern Jaffna peninsular a fisherman tells a group of officials from a state-run commercial bank and the country’s central bank the difficulties faced in a getting loan.“We would like to thank the bank for introducing a new loan scheme, but the requirement […]
Sri Lanka inflation accelerates in December
Dec 30, 2009 (LBO) – Consumer prices in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo rose 4.8 percent in December from a year ago, against 2.8 percent in November, indicating inflation is picking up, the government’s statistics office and analysts said.In the month of December the revised Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI) rose 1.2 percent, higher than the […]
Sri Lankan shares close up 0.86-pct
Dec 30, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares ended an eventful 2009 at a record high of 3,385.55 points, up 0.86 percent (28.96 points) Wednesday, and up 128 percent for the year, outperforming all other exchanges except Russia, brokers said.Hatton National Bank closed at 170.25 rupees, up 2.25, Sampath Bank closed at 204.25 rupees, up […]
Sri Lankan shares close up 0.57-pct
Dec 29, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares closed up Tuesday as investors bought further into high net worth counters before year end, while brokers said the current positive sentiment would generate further buying interest in 2010. The Colombo all share price index (ASPI) ended at 3,363.81, up 0.57 percent (18.92 points) while the more […]
Sri Lanka Treasuries yields move up
Dec 29, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Treasuries yields edged up marginally across maturities at Tuesday’s auction, while the rollover was oversubscribed two times, the government’s debt office said.The short term paper received bids worth 17,285 million rupees at the auction, it said. The 3-month yield rose 06 basis points to 7.73 percent, the 6-month […]
Sri Lanka gets World Bank funds for rural village
Dec 28, 2009 (LBO) – The World Bank (WB) has approved 75 million dollars to fund the second stage of community development and livelihood improvement targeting 875 of the poorest villages in the country, a government minister said. The community development project would be implemented under the Ministry of Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development, […]