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Sri Lanka former child soldiers meet UN envoy
December 7, 2009 (AFP) – A top United Nations envoy for children held talks with senior Sri Lankan officials on Monday after meeting former child soldiers, an official said.Major General Daya Ratnayake, Sri Lanka’s commissioner general of rehabilitation, said around 11,000 former rebel fighters, including children, were undergoing vocational training at state-run centres.Retired Major General […]
Sri Lanka central bank in 5-year investment horizon for gold
Dec 07, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is looking at a 5-year horizon for its reserve investments in gold, Central Bank governor Nivard Cabraal said as gold hit historic highs against the dollar amid unprecedented US money printing.Gold hit 1,200 against the Federal Reserve unit amid unprecedented loose monetary policy pursued by the Fed. There […]
Dubai faces gradual exodus of migrant workers
DUBAI, December 6, 2009 (AFP) – Construction worker Bilal is in a happy mood as he takes his lunch break sitting next to an artificial lake near Dubai’s showpiece Mall of the Emirates.But he admits anxiety about the end of his contract in one year’s time, when the 24-year-old may have to return to Bangladesh. […]
Sri Lanka power utility sells assets to military
Dec 06, 2009 (LBO) – A housing facility built by contractors for a hydro electric dam project will be sold by the state-run Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to the military, the government has said.The cabinet of ministers had given the nod for the housing complex built for Swedish expatriates who worked at the Kukule river […]
Sri Lanka, India captains clash on umpire reviews
MUMBAI, December 6, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara on Sunday called for the umpires’ review system to be made mandatory after India defeated his side 2-0 in the Test series.But his Indian counterpart Mahendra Singh Dhoni was not in favour of the umpires’ review system, saying it was not “100 percent fool-proof.” […]
India on top of the world after mauling Sri Lanka
MUMBAI, December 6, 2009 (AFP) – India became the number one Test team on Sunday after routing Sri Lanka by an innings and 24 runs in the third and final cricket Test in Mumbai to clinch the series 2-0.Pace spearhead Zaheer Khan took 5-72 as Sri Lanka, trailing by 333 runs on the first innings, […]
Sri Lanka back on investment radar
December 6, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka is back on the global investment radar after government forces in May ended a nearly four-decade separatist war with Tamil guerrillas, fund managers and analysts say. Sri Lanka’s small stock exchange has become one of the world’s top performing bourses, climbing over 96 percent this year as it […]
Policy Perspective
Dec 05, 2009 (LBO) – A good policy should carry with it six qualifications. The policy should be simple, consistent, efficient, cost-effective, free from unintended consequences and sustainable.Hence, any policy thrust that is to be pursued should satisfy these qualifications. This applies to the policy on microfinance as well. Policies are implemented by numerous branches […]
Broad Spur
Dec 05, 2009 (LBO) – Faster, cheaper broadband access, the scaling up of pilot e-projects and skills development should be top priorities for Sri Lanka’s ICT sector, says a new World Bank study. The World Bank launched its Information and Communications for Development 2009: Extending Reach and Increasing Impact report in Colombo on Friday. Improving […]
Maldives stops money printing; budgets still need fixing: IMF
Dec 05, 2009 (LBO) – The Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA), the archipelago’s central bank has stopped printing money which was causing reserve losses, but the country still had to fix its budgets, the International Monetary Fund has said.The IMF has given 92.5 million US dollars to shore up foreign reserves of the tourist paradise under […]
Sri Lanka Insurance Corp declares bonus to policyholders
Dec 05, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC) has declared a three billion rupee interim bonus to life policy holders, with another bonus likely to come before the end of the 2009 financial year, a senior official said. Insurance companies pay bonuses to life insurance policy holders if the life insurance fund makes […]
‘s century frustrates India in final Test
MUMBAI, December 5, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s captain Kumar Sangakkara scored an unbeaten century to delay India’s victory bid in the third and final Test here on Saturday. The tourists, trailing by 333 on the first innings, survived a middle-order collapse in the post-lunch session to move to 274-6 in their second knock by […]