Category: Economy
Sri Lanka to review public sector cadre, redeploy excess
Feb 17, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will conduct a cadre review to determine the total cadre requirement of the public sector and provincial councils. The review is expected to forecast public sector staff needed for the year 2020 based on the optimum cadre identified for 2017. “In case excess employees are identified at any […]
Sri Lanka to forge ahead despite external pressures: Ravi
Feb 17, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s finances are improving despite global turmoil, Brexit and higher interest rates in the US, backed by a Fitch Ratings outlook upgrade, the finance minister said. “State revenues in 2016 rose to over 13 percent of gross domestic product from around 10 percent and the budget deficit had come […]
Australia and Sri Lanka sign new partnership agreement
Feb 16, 2017 (LBO) – Australia and Sri Lanka have signed a new development cooperation partnership during Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe’s visit to Australia. “The new partnership sets a new direction,” the Australian High Commission said releasing a statement. “As Sri Lanka’s economy grows, Australia will support the Government’s reform agenda including ensuring that economic growth […]
With foreign debt servicing of USD4 bil, cabinet approves sovereign bond
Feb 16, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister says the island’s total domestic and foreign debt service payments for 2017 is estimated to be around 1,480 billion rupees. In a cabinet memorandum Karunanayake said total foreign debt service payments including foreign currency denominated debt amounts to 609.4 billion rupees (4.04 billion dollars) in 2017. […]
Sri Lanka senior citizens’ deposits up to Rs1.5Mn to get higher interest
Feb 15, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Finance Ministry said that it will increase the upper limit up to 1.5 million rupees for 15 percent special interest paid on fixed deposits maintained by senior citizens. Director General of Department of Development Finance said the treasury will pay 18,000 million rupees to cover the difference during the […]
More public-private collaboration needed during humanitarian crises: WEF
Feb 15, 2017 (LBO) – Public-private collaboration in the humanitarian space is being discussed, as highlighted at the recently concluded World Economic Forum, with options mapped out for greater “digital humanitarianism. ” The humanitarian programme of the World Economic Forum, at the Annual Meeting 2017 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland last month, provided a platform to discuss […]
Sri Lanka foreign reserves drop by USD568mn in January
Feb 13, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s official reserves dropped 567. 5 million US dollars to 5.45 billion dollars in January, down from 6.01 billion dollars at the end of December, official Central Bank data showed. Foreign currency reserves were 4.52 billion US dollars and reserves in Gold were 0.86 billion US dollars. The Central […]
IMF worried about elections in Europe, populist candidates
Feb 13, 2017 (LBO) – International Monetary Fund’s chief Christine Lagarde says elections in several countries in Europe, in the context of support for populist parties, is a cause for concern. Germany, France and the Netherlands will hold elections in coming months which may raise questions about the future of the European Union. “I am […]
Fitch affirms Sri Lanka at B+; outlook revised to stable
Feb 09, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Fitch Ratings has affirmed Sri Lanka’s Long-Term Foreign- and Local Currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDR) at ‘B+’ and revised the Outlook to Stable from Negative. The Country Ceiling and issue ratings on Sri Lanka’s senior unsecured foreign- and local-currency bonds are also affirmed at ‘B+’. The Short-Term Foreign- and […]
Sri Lanka COPE reveals Rs110bn loss from 15 public institutions
Feb 08, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises today presented its third interim report to the Parliament. The interim report which covers the activities from 01 May 2016 to 31 August 2016 is based on the inquiries carried out in 15 state-owned institutions. COPE Chairman Sunil Handunnetti presenting the report before […]
‘s external situation manageable, but more FDI needed: Governor
Feb 08, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s external debt situation is manageable. However, the current challenge is to increase inflows from exports and FDI, Central Bank Governor Indrajit Coomaraswamy said on Wednesday. “The external debt situation, in our view, is manageable. Sri Lanka has never defaulted on a payment. But the challenge for the country […]
Government of Finland keen to invest in Sri Lanka
The Ambassador of Finland to Sri Lanka Rauli Suikkanen says that he would call leading entrepreneurs of his country to commence investment in Sri Lanka. Ambassador Suikkanen announced this when he met Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake at the Ministry for Finance yesterday (February 6). Finish Ambassador Rauli Suikkanen further said that there is a confidence […]