Category: Economy
CB Governor vows to stop wasting external reserves to defend rupee
Jan 03, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s unsustainable practice of defending the external value of the rupee through market intervention should be stopped, the Central Bank Governor said. Presenting the Road Map for Monetary and Financial Policy for 2017, Governor Indrajit Coomaraswamy said recent experience has clearly demonstrated that it is unsustainable to maintain an […]
‘s 2017 economic growth to be 5.5-6.0 pct: Central Bank chief
Jan 03, 2017 (Reuters) – Sri Lanka economy is expected to expand between 5.5 percent and 6.0 percent in 2017, higher than last year’s estimated pace of at least 4.5 percent, central bank governor Indrajith Coomaraswamy said on Tuesday. However, there could be some downside risks facing growth this year, Coomaraswamy told a gathering in […]
Sri Lanka Foreign Reserves increase to USD6 Bln in 2016: CB
Jan 03, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s foreign reserves were around six billion dollars at the end of 2016, up from 5. 64 billion dollars at the end of November, the Central Bank said on Tuesday. The increase was due to swap arrangements and 200 million dollars from Japan and the World Bank as budgetary […]
Sri Lanka’s prosperity improved in 2015 from previous year: Central Bank
Jan 03, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s prosperity has improved to 0.864 in 2015 from 0.804 in the previous year, the Central Bank statistics showed, as measured by the Sri Lanka Prosperity Index (SLPI). The SLPI is a composite indicator that measures and compares the level of prosperity of the country and across its provinces. […]
Economic development with thrust on education: Finance Minister
Jan 02, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake says there will be sustained economic development in the new year with a thrust on education spending. A new health insurance policy and more infrastructure spending are among the significant proposals being implemented in education, he said. Over 4.5 million children between the […]
‘s Central Bank holds interest rates unchanged
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Central Bank invites proposals for USD1bn 3-year foreign financing facility
Dec 28, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Central Bank today said the government intends to raise a Foreign Currency Term Financing Facility (FTFF) denominated in USD up to a limit of 1 billion dollars in 2017. The FTFF is expected to be raised at a fixed rate or a floating rate, linked to the USD […]
‘s USD75mn Social Safety Nets Project
Dec 29, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has signed a 75 million dollar World Bank credit to support the country’s welfare programs. The project includes an integrated system to better manage the selection, administration, and payments to beneficiaries. It will help improve the equity, efficiency and transparency of the social safety net system, a statement […]
Sri Lanka Central Bank most likely to keep rates steady: POLL
Dec 28, 2016 (Reuters) – Sri Lanka’s central bank is most likely to keep its key interest rates steady on Friday, even as some economists expect further tightening to ease pressure on the rupee following the Fed rate hike earlier in the month, a Reuters polls showed. The central bank has already tightened its monetary […]
Sri Lanka to improve public transportation in 2017: Fin Min
Dec 23, 2016 (LBO) – Several steps have been taken to improve public transportation with the building of new roads, upgrading railway, deploying priority bus lanes and building light rail, Sri Lanka’s finance ministry said on Friday. Plans are underway to construct two new roads, one between New Kelani Bridge and Athurugiriya and, the second […]
Strong safeguards must accompany Asia’s infrastructure drive: ADB
Dec 21, 2016 (LBO) – Asia’s spending on growth-boosting infrastructure is set to get a tailwind from development financing while the safeguard systems used by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and other development banks as conditions for their loans are under international scrutiny. More financing for infrastructure is becoming available from established and new lenders […]
India taking steps to promote digital, mobile transactions
Dec 21, 2016 (LBO) – India is taking steps to promote digital and mobile transactions in the country after its demonitisation program. After the cancellation of legal tender basis of old 500 rupee and 1,000 rupee notes there has been a surge in use of credit and debit cards, mobile phone applications and e-wallets in […]