High Rating

Aug 22, 2011 (LBO ) – Sri Lanka’s Commercial Bank of Ceylon has been rated ‘AA+’ by Ram Rating Lanka with a stable outlook, which the rating agency said was systemically important as the country’s largest private lender. “The ratings also reflect its strong franchise, healthy financial performance, funding, liquidity and capitalisation levels, as well […]

Debt Rating

Aug 22, 2011 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings Lanka has assigned Hatton National Bank’s (HNB) proposed subordinated debentures of up to 2.0 billion rupees a national long-term rating of ‘A+(lka)’. The issue is rated one notch below HNB’s national long-term rating reflecting its debt-like features, a statement said. The proposed debentures, to be listed on the […]

Sri Lanka stocks down 0.3-pct

Aug 22, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lankan share prices closed lower Monday, following Friday’s losses, with trading largely in speculative stocks on which some profit-taking was seen, brokers said. The main All Share Price Index closed at 6,928.03, down 0.34 percent (23.61 points) while the more liquid Milanka index fell 0.66 percent (42.06 points) to […]

Sri Lanka land sales should be transparent: lawmaker

Aug 20, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state land sales to private developers must be transparent and all available land must be listed online to boost investor confidence, instead being sold through unsolicited deals, a lawmaker has said. Sri Lanka main opposition United National Party member Harsha de Silva says such deals will harm overall […]

Australia win Sri Lanka one-day series

August 20, 2011 (AFP) – Xavier Doherty and Brett Lee took four wickets apiece as Australia defeated Sri Lanka by five wickets in the fourth one-dayer on Saturday to gain an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the five-match series. Marsh, playing his first match of the series, hit one six and 11 fours in his impressive […]

Sri Lanka state carrier may acquire six Boeing-777s

Aug 20, 2011 (LBO) – State-run Sri Lankan Airlines will boost its fleet to 28 aircraft over the next four years, which may also include up to six Boeing 777 long haul jets, officials said, as tourist arrivals soar after the end of a civil war. SriLankan Airline aircrew is now trained for Airbus aircraft. […]

”’ PM damaged by arrest of activist

NEW DELHI, August 20, 2011 (AFP) – There is no small irony in the fact that India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, known for his probity and integrity, now finds himself fighting for political survival with an anti-corruption activist. When the Congress party won elections in 2004, its decision to name Singh as premier was partly […]

Foreign Killing

August 19, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s High Court Friday handed five Chinese nationals the death penalty for murdering a compatriot at a restaurant near the capital over eight years ago, a court official said. A Chinese woman and two Chinese men were in court Friday to hear the sentence while judges issued a warrant […]

Arrest

August 20, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police on Saturday arrested a top Buddhist monk on a charge of having sex with a 12-year-old girl in violation of strict child protection laws, police said. The 60-year-old monk was accused of abusing the child over a period of one year at his temple in the north-central […]

Sri Lanka targets deficit of 6.2-pct in 2012

Aug 19, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will budget for a deficit of 6. 2 percent of gross domestic product in 2011 down from a planned gap of 6.8 percent in 2010, information minister Keheliya Rambukwelle said. The government will keep state investments at 6. 0 percent of GDP. The state is planning to bring […]

Sri Lanka first half foreign direct investment US$413mn: Central Bank

Aug 19, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s foreign direct investment for the first half of 2011 reached 413 million US dollars putting the country on track for a full year goal of a billion dollars, the Central Bank said. Foreign reserves had reached an all time high of 8,158 million US dollars by August 16. […]

Sri Lanka credit expands faster than expected, policy rates steady

Aug 19, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s policy interests rates are held steady at 7. 00 percent to deposit excess money and 8.50 percent to inject fresh money, though credit growth was higher than expected at 34. 4 percent in July, the central bank said. Credit disbursed to the private sector increased by 34.4 per […]

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