Author: Gayan Chandrasekara
Sri Lanka among 23 countries vulnerable to Chinese debt distress: Study
May 16, 2018 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has been classified as a highly vulnerable country to debt distress of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in a recent study published by the Center for Global Development.The policy paper has identified 68 countries that fall under the scope of BRI based on reports from Chinese quasi-official […]
35-pct of 2017 budget promises near completion, 24-pct broken: Research
Apr 25, 2018 (LBO) – Progress for the 2017 budget proposals tracked by Verité Research shows that almost a quarter of the budget promises have been broken with only 22 percent of the promises have made substantial progress. Eight percent of 2017 budget promises have been fulfilled; about a third of the promises were completed […]
Sri Lanka blocks Facebook, Instagram to prevent spread of hate speech
Mar 07, 2018 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has temporarily blocked social media web sites like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp to avoid the spread of hate speech in the country.The Cabinet Spokesman Minister Rajitha Senaratne on Wednesday said the government has decided to block access to certain social media. Telecom Regulatory Commission (TRC) has started to […]
Transshipments at Colombo Port up by 20.4-pct in January
Feb 19, 2018 (LBO) – Transshipment operations at the Port of Colombo have shown a significant increase in January this year against last year amid an increase in productivity, Sri Lanka Ports Authority said. Accordingly against 362,451 transshipment TEU operations in January 2017, together with the JCT, SAGT and CICT, the Colombo Port has recorded 436,303 […]
SriLankan explores opportunities for new direct flights to Australia
Feb 13, 2018 (LBO) – SriLankan Airlines CEO, Suren Ratwatte says the national carrier will explore more opportunities in Australia with new direct flights to destinations like Sydney. Ratwatte said daily nonstop flights between Colombo and Melbourne are witnessing high traffic with customers reporting satisfaction at being able to undertake the flight without long layovers. […]
Proposed digital economy to uplift GDP by 1 to 3-pct in 2019: McKinsey
Jan 08, 2018 (LBO) – McKinsey & Company, a worldwide management consulting firm has confirmed that the proposed digital economy for Sri Lanka could uplift country’s GDP by 1 to 3 percent in 2019. Issuing a press release, Policy Development Office said McKinsey & Company has confirmed this while presenting their inception report for developing […]
CB restricts deposit withdrawals of ETI Finance, Swarnamahal Financial Services
Jan 02, 2018 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Central Bank has restricted the withdrawal of maturing deposits and renewal of such deposits of ETI Finance and Swarnamahal Financial Services for six months. Central Bank said in a statement that the Monetary Board at its meeting held yesterday decided to appoint a panel to manage the affairs […]
‘s Foreign Minister
July 19, 2017 (LBO) – The proposed Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement will serve as Sri Lanka’s gateway to Southeast Asia, while Sri Lanka will be Singapore’s gateway in the Indian Ocean, Singapore’s Foreign Minister said in Colombo, Tuesday. Vivian Balakrishnan said it is incumbent on both governments to create a conducive climate for businesses […]
Sri Lanka press council law hinders RTI implementation: report
July 05, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Press Council Law, which is not consistent with the Right to Information (RTI) Act, can hinder the media from publishing information obtained through RTI, a research report said. The report, a collaboration between Verité Research and Democracy Reporting International, highlights for instance that obtaining information pertaining to cabinet […]
Sri Lanka’s Watawala Plantations to separate tea business
June 30, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Watawala Plantations is planning to set up a separate company relating to the tea business segment of the company by segregating its operational assets and liabilities. The firm said in a stock exchange filing that the said assets and liabilities will be vested in the new limited company […]
‘s Central Bank eyes full inflation targeting: Governor
June 20, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is planning to adopt a full inflation targeting framework probably by next year, Central Bank Governor Indrajit Coomaraswamy said. Delivering the keynote address at the launch of the Oxford Business Group’s 2017 report on Sri Lanka Monday, Coomaraswamy said this step will enhance greater transparency and predictability for […]
Samsung Galaxy S8 & S8+ launched in Sri Lanka
Apr 22, 2017 (LBO) – Samsung officially launched its flagship Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ in Sri Lanka during a unique concert held in Colombo yesterday. The handsets will now be up for pre-orders with its shipping to be start on May 5. The Galaxy S8 comes with a price tag of 129,600 rupees while […]