Category: Featured
Sri Lanka Central Bank keeps rates steady ahead of budget
Oct 31, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank on Monday decided to keep its key interest rates steady, a few days ahead of the national budget. Accordingly, the Standing Deposit Facility Rate and the Standing Lending Facility Rate of the Central Bank will be maintained at 7.00 percent and 8.50 percent, respectively. Monetary Policy […]
Sri Lanka’s CCPI inflation up 0.3 pct points in Oct 2016
Oct 31, 2016 (LBO) – Consumer prices in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo accelerated 4.2 percent in October 2016 from a year earlier, up from 3.9 percent in September, the state statistics office data showed. Inflation of the food group increased from 5.5 percent in September to 6.0 percent in October while that of non-food group […]
Korea Eximbank checks feasibility to create ICT hub in Sri Lanka
Oct 31, 2016 (LBO) – South Korea’s export and import bank is planning to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study to establish an ICT Hub for secondary education in Sri Lanka through a joint consulting firm. Sri Lanka has identified that the availability of highly skilled labor force is vital to the economic growth as well […]
Sri Lanka to have 500 public Wi-Fi spots before end 2016
Oct 31, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Digital Infrastructure Ministry is expected to complete opening of 500 free public Wi-fi spots in the island before the end of this year. The Ministry of Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure recently reactivated 405 hotspots that underwent an upgrade. The ministry is to open 95 new public Wi-fi facilities […]
Sri Lanka seeks to boost capital markets, draw FDI : OBG
Oct 31, 2016 (LBO) – Government commitments to step up privatisation, repair its balance sheet and encourage more listings should help broaden the base of Sri Lanka’s capital markets and draw stronger flows of foreign direct investment (FDI) into the economy, the Oxford Business Group said. In April the Sri Lankan government brokered a $1.5bn […]
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Oct 31, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Value Added Tax (VAT) hike 15 percent from 11 percent will make the island credit positive as it will facilitate fiscal consolidation by strengthening low revenue-to GDP ratio, Moody’s Investors Service said. “The government originally implemented the VAT hike in May, but retracted it in July after a […]
Excerpts of Sri Lanka COPE recommendations on bond issue
Oct 31, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Committee on Public Enterprises has made several recommendations to Parliament on last year’s controversial bond issue. Excerpts of the recommendations, as published by the Sunday Times, are the following: Evidence has been placed before the COPE, which gives rise to reasonable suspicion that former CB Governor Arjuna Mahendran […]
EU team to visit Sri Lanka next week on GSP+ application
Oct 28, 2016 (LBO) – A four member delegation from the European Parliament will visit Sri Lanka next week to look at the groundwork laid for a successful GSP+ application, a statement said. “The team will also discuss the progress on national reconciliation and ways to empower women politically and economically,” said the delegation of […]
India’s sub-sea power cable can be a solution for Sri Lanka: PUCSL
Oct 28, 2016 (LBO) – The planned laying of a sub-sea electricity cable to transmit power from India to Sri Lanka can be one solution to the island’s looming power crisis, a senior official said. “We see this as a solution, the Indo-sea cable has been in discussion for some time with a pre-feasibility also […]
Sri Lanka must balance reconciliation with accountability: Jayasuriya
Oct 28, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka faces the challenge of balancing reconciliation with accountability in addressing the ethnic conflict, Karu Jayasuriya, speaker of the Parliament, said at the 135th assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union held in Geneva this week. “We are mindful of the necessity to rebuild trust and harmony through reconciliation which is […]
Sri Lanka’s increased VAT to be applied from Nov 01
Oct 28, 2016 (LBO) – Inland Revenue Department said the changes to VAT and NBT will be implemented with effect from November 01. Releasing a statement, its Commissioner General said further details will be updated in due course. As per the amendments passed, VAT will be increased from 11 percent to 15 percent while NBT […]
Low tax regime & capital allowances from 2017 budget: Sri Lankan PM
Oct 27, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s 2017 budget proposals will include proposals to introduce a low tax regime in the island coupled with a program of capital allowances, the premier said. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe making a special statement in Parliament today said these new proposals aimed at increasing investment and job creation. “Finance […]