Sri Lanka growth expected to recover to 7.5-pct in 2013: Central Bank

Nov 08, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s economy will expand 7. 5 percent in 2013 after slowing to 6. 8 percent in 2012 helped by a global recovery, monetary easing and better weather for agriculture, the Central Bank said. The budget deficit which was targeted at 6.2 percent of gross domestic product for 2012 had […]

Sri Lanka to keep budget deficit at 5.8-pct in 2013: President

Nov 08, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will keep the budget deficit at 5. 8 percent of gross domestic product in 2013, and a 2012 target of 6. 2 percent will be maintained despite falling import tax revenues, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said. President Rajapaksa who is also finance minister said national debt will be maintained […]

Sri Lanka raises state worker salaries, pensions

Nov 08, 2013 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan government plans to raise salaries of workers in the overstaffed state sector with the increases being staggered to limit inflationary pressures, according to the budget for 2013. President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is also finance minister, told parliament he plans to increase allowances given to public servants by […]

Sri Lanka bank profits for farmer insurance

Nov 08, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lankan banks will be asked to pay one percent of their profits to a national insurance fund to help farmers from next year, the island’s president Mahinda Rajapaksa said. Rajapaksa, who is also finance minister, said farmers who get a fertiliser subsidy will also be asked to contribute to […]

Net Economy

Nov 08, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will halve taxes on high-speed broadband services to 10 percent to make the service cheaper in an effort to develop the island’s budding information communications technology industry, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said. Income tax on the ICT sector will be kept at a maximum 16 percent, Rajapaksa, who is […]

Retail Tax

Nov 08, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has extended value added tax to the retail trade starting with supermarkets with a turnover above 500 million rupees a quarter, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said presenting a budget for 2012. Supplies made by the Central Bank, some services of public corporations have also been exempted from tax. A […]

Sports Break

Nov 08, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will cut taxes on racing cars and give valued added and turnover based tax relief to sports related economic activities according to a budget for 2013 presented to parliament. President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is also finance minister said in a prepared budget speech that the foreign income from […]

Sri Lanka should cut high food taxes to reduce malnutrition: science minister

Nov 08, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka should cut high food taxes which will make proteins more accessible to the poor and reduce malnutrition among small children, science and technology minister Tissa Vitharana has said. “I looked into this question of nutrition, and there is evidence that there is some increase of acute mal-nutrition, really […]

Sri Lanka raises crop planting subsidies

Nov 08, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s government will increase subsidies to encourage small farmers expand tea, rubber and coconut cultivation, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said. Small farmers account for the bulk of the production of the three main agricultural export commodities, Rajapaksa, who is also finance minister, told parliament while presenting the budget for 2013. […]

Sri Lanka top court rules parts of budget bill unconstitutional

Nov 07, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court has ruled that sections of an appropriation bill for 2013 which lays the basic outline for a budget for next year is unconstitutional. The ruling was read out as the administration launched an impeachment process against Sri Lanka’s chief justice. The Supreme Court also ruled against […]

Sri Lanka honours war-time investors

Nov 07, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is to recognize foreign companies which invested in the island during the height of two rebellions by leftwing youth and Tamil Tiger separatists that almost wrecked the economy. The ‘Global Commerce Excellence Awards 2012’ will recognize 150 international companies for their contribution to the national economy during the […]

Impeachment

Nov 07, 2012 (LBO) – Charges made public against Sri Lanka’s chief justice in an impeachment motion signed by more than a 100 ruling coalition parliamentarians include non declaration of assets and the purchase of a house. Sri Lanka’s ruling administration has been has been unhappy at several rulings of the supreme court in recent […]

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