Category: Economy and Markets
Sri Lanka logs 8.0% growth Jan-Sept: Treasury Secretary
October 3, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s economy has beaten most forecasts to lodge a ‘near’ 8.0 percent growth for the first nine months, the secretary of the island’s finance ministry said, with robust performance driven by strong services, manufacturing, construction and agriculture numbers. Central Bank’s statistics director Anila Dias Bandaranaike last week warned that: […]
Sri Lanka halves foreign investment targets
October 3, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka may miss its ambitious target of attracting a billion dollars in foreign investments and instead end the year with about 500 million dollars, according to official data. The tiny Indian Ocean Island attracts on average 250 million dollars worth of investments each year, despite an ethnic conflict that […]
‘s inflation hits 15.4% in September
September 29, 2006 (LBO) – Consumer prices in Sri Lanka rose to 15.4 percent in Sept from 15.3 percent in August, the Census & Statistics Dept said Friday, due to price gains in electricity, fuel and vegetables. On 12 month moving average inflation for September rose to 11.2 percent from 10.8 percent in August. The […]
Sri Lanka starts work on compiling single set of national accounts
September 29, 2006 (LBO) – Two key agencies that prepare Sri Lanka’s national accounts, are working towards compiling a single set of numbers, to ensure credibility in growth figures, officials said Friday. The Census & Statistics Dept and the Central Bank now issue two sets of growth numbers for Sri Lanka, and they differ by […]
Fitch rates The Finance Company’s Rs500 mn debentures BBB-(lka)
Sept 29, 2006 (LBO) – The Finance Company Ltd (TFC) gets ‘BBB- (lka)’ national long-term rating from Fitch for its upcoming 500 million rupee 5-year unsecured subordinated redeemable debentures.The Finance’s senior debt currently carries a BBB (lka) from Fitch. As at June, 76 percent of TFC’s funding portfolio had maturities less than a year and […]
Fitch affirms NDBs AA(lka) rating post merger with NDB Housing
Sept 29, 2006 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings Lanka Friday affirmed its AA (lka) rating for NDB Bank following its merger with NDB Housing Bank. NDB tookover the assets and liabilities of NDB Housing Bank on Sept 1 after securing the blessings of Sri Lanka’s Central Bank. The merger helps NDB Housing to overcome Central Bank’s […]
Sri Lanka economy grew 7.2% 2Q06: Statistics Dept
September 28, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s economy expanded 7.2 percent for the second quarter of this year, on the back of good rainfall and higher export volumes, the Census and Statistics Dept said Thursday. Economic growth during the same period last year was 6.0 percent, the statement said. Good rainfall helped agriculture sector to […]
‘s Central Bank hikes short term interest rates by half a percent
September 28, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Central Bank Thursday hiked short term rates by 50 basis points, two days after shutting the bank’s standby cash facility to market players. Gilt prices crashed in thin trading with some dealers quoting 14.0 percent for discounting treasury bills for small value customers of around 100,000 rupees, but […]
‘s central bank restores cash facility to calm markets; emergency 50bp rate hike
September 28, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank Thursday regained control of the country’s runaway short-term rates by restoring a standing liquidity facility after a two-day cash squeeze experiment spread panic in money markets and sent bonds plunging.The government has been heavily borrowing commercial dollars this year and selling to the central bank, which […]
Sri Lanka not doing enough to communicate reforms to masses: World Bank
September 27, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is not doing enough to communicate reforms to the masses, making it difficult for investors to do business here, the World Bank said Wednesday. “Our studies have shown that countries that embrace reforms, reduces taxes, brings businesses and workers into the formal sector. People benefit from jobs, pension […]
‘s cash markets hit treasuries; dealers refuse to discount gilts
September 27, 2006 (LBO) – Aftershocks of Tuesday’s withdrawal of the central bank’s standing cash facility has hit short-term treasuries, with Sri Lanka’s public debt office rejecting bids at Wednesday’s auction and dealers refusing to discount gilts as prices crashed. Meanwhile the Sri Lanka rupee closed sharply down against the dollar at 103.70 against the […]
‘s Central Bank takes the lid off short term rates; cash markets in shock
September 26, 2006 (LBO) — In a major policy shift, Sri Lanka’s central bank Tuesday allowed the rate at which it injects overnight cash, to move above its policy rate, sending shockwaves through the country’s money markets.However since April the government has raised fuel prices which helps strengthen the fiscal side and in turn reduce […]