All Blogs
Sri Lanka rupee has greater space for market determination: CB Governor
April 06, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan Central Bank governor Nivard Cabraal said there was greater space for markets to determine the exchange rate, as the country heads for an International Monetary Fund bailout. The Central Bank lost more than two thirds of its reserve trying to defend a peg with the US dollar from […]
Sri Lanka small investors nibble at strong stocks
Apr 06, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares edged up Monday supported by blue chip price increases in low volume trade, as small investors took tentative steps to invest in fundamentally strong stocks, brokers said.Mobile giant Dialog Telekom gained 10 cents to close at 4.90, while fixed line operator Sri Lankan Telecom gained 75 cents […]
Merchant Rating
April 06, 2009 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings Lanka said it has confirmed the ‘BBB’ rating of Merchant Credit of Sri Lanka Ltd.(MCSL) with a stable outlook. The rating reflects the implied support assumed to be available from its ultimate parent, state-owned Bank of Ceylon (BOC, ‘AA(lka)’), Sri Lanka’s largest bank, the rating agency said in […]
Regulatory Forbearance
April 06, 2009 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan government is considering relaxing criteria for bad loan provisioning to help the corporate sector cope with the effects an economic downturn, a senior finance ministry official said. Some private sector representatives from the construction sector, which has been badly affected by the slowdown, also asked at the […]
Over tea, US admiral cultivates Pakistani army chief
WASHINGTON, April 6, 2009 (AFP) – For the United States, much may be riding on an unlikely relationship between America’s highest ranking military officer and Pakistan’s powerful army chief.Over cups of tea and the occasional cigar, the avuncular American admiral and the reserved general talk about terrorist threats and sensitive military operations in a region […]
Brain drain or brain gain?
Apr 06, 2009 (LBO) – Many have expressed their concern about the rising incidence of educated youth leaving the country for employment in developed countries. The protest against the practice, commonly known as ‘brain drain’, is based on both economic and non-economic reasons. Economic Reasons The economic reasons adduced against the brain drain take the […]
Sri Lanka economic growth to slow to 2.5% in 2009
April 06, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s economic growth is forecast to slow sharply to 2.5 percent this year, from six percent last year and then recover to five percent in 2010, the central bank said.“Hence, in order to maintain inflation at a single digit level in the medium-term, it is imperative to continue with […]
Sri Lanka offers tax break for forex income
Apr 06, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has given an amnesty for individuals and businesses that deposit foreign exchange in banks in the next two year years, as the country grapples with a severe balance of payments crisis. Advertisements placed in weekend newspapers by the island’s central bank and finance ministry said the tax waiver […]
Sri Lanka says over 420 Tigers killed in latest battles
April 5, 2009 (AFP) – At least 420 Tamil Tiger rebels were killed in three days of clashes in northeast Sri Lanka, the military said on Sunday, as troops moved to wipe out the guerrillas after decades of conflict. Tens of thousands of civilians would soon be rescued from the no-fire zone, army chief Lieutenant […]
Sri Lanka says 111 Tigers killed in fresh fighting
April 4, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lankan troops advancing on the last remaining pockets of rebel resistance killed at least 111 Tamil Tigers in separate ground and sea clashes on Saturday, the military said. His visit to Sri Lanka came as UN chief Ban Ki-moon again urged Tamil rebel leaders to allow trapped civilians to […]