Category: Economy
Realistic budget but concern on growth & implementation: Ceylon Chamber
Mar 07, 2019 (LBO) – The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce says that the GDP growth estimates provided in the budget speech, for the period from 2019-2024 are of concern as it only expects growth to gradually rise from 3 percent in 2018 to 4.8 percent by 2024. “The growth estimates for this period is not […]
Sri Lanka Budget 2019: Overview of key taxation proposals
Mar 06, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s budget 2019 estimates total revenue and grants of 2,464 billion rupees against a total estimated expenditure of 3,149 billion rupees. The resulting budget deficit of 685 billion rupees is expected to be financed by foreign financing of 55 billion rupees and domestic financing of 630 billion rupees. All […]
Budget 2019 will empower people and nurture poor: Fin Min
Mar 05, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Budget – 2019 will focuses on Enterprise Sri Lanka empowering the people and nurturing the poor, the Finance Ministry said. Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera will present the Government’s delayed Budget for 2019, today. The Finance Ministry has outlining its targets said it plans to increase public revenue to 17 […]
Addressing the White Elephant in Lankan economic development in tourism
In the past, Sri Lanka has focused on increasing the number of tourists coming into the country and showcase the increase in tourism without much concentration on the growth of our economy in retrospect. Lonely Planet listed Sri Lanka as the number one tourist destination for 2019 whilst Sri Lanka simultaneously boasted of 2.2 million […]
IMF reaches understanding at staff level to extend EFF for an additional year
Mar 01, 2019 (LBO) – A staff team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reached an understanding at the staff level with the Sri Lankan authorities on the fifth review and the request to extend the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement for an additional year. Accordingly, the remaining disbursements will be evenly spread over this […]
Prima Ceylon eyes more investments as it completes 40 years in Sri Lanka
Feb 28, 2019 (LBO) – Prima Ceylon, the flagship company of the Prima Group Sri Lanka, celebrated four decades of successful partnerships and growing together with the nation, at an event recently in Trincomalee, where its state-of-the-art flour milling complex and one of the largest flour mills in the world under one roof, is located. Speaking […]
Increased exports in Sri Lanka can improve jobs, raise wages: report
Feb 26, 2019 (LBO) – Increasing exports can lead to better jobs and higher wages in Sri Lanka, including more formal jobs for women, a new report launched today in Colombo, showed. The report also highlighted that the labor market policies can help different groups of workers to acquire the right skills and to ensure that the […]
‘s vehicle registrations rebounds in Jan 2019
Feb 26, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s vehicle registrations in the month of January 2019 on most categories have rebounded after witnessing a steep decline in December, data from a new report showed. Motor car registrations recorded 3,147 units in January up from 2,669 units in December but significantly down from 5,318 units 12 months […]
Financial Action Task Force endorses initial progress made by Sri Lanka
Feb 25, 2019 (LBO) – Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global policy setter on Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT), has made the initial determination that Sri Lanka has completed its action plan. However, that warrants an on-site assessment to verify that the implementation of Sri Lanka’s AML/CFT reforms has begun […]
Inflation likely to remain in 4 – 6 percent range in 2019: Central Bank projections
Feb 22, 2019 (LBO) – Projections of the Central Bank indicates that inflation is likely to remain in the desired 4 – 6 percent range in 2019 and beyond. Headline inflation and core inflation increased in January 2019 mainly due to the increase in non-food inflation driven by higher expenditure on certain items such as […]
Central Bank decides to reduce SRR & keep policy rates unchanged
Feb 22, 2019 (LBO) – The Monetary Board of the Central Bank, at its meeting held on 21 February 2019, has decided to reduce the Statutory Reserve Ratio (SRR) applicable on all rupee deposit liabilities of commercial banks by 1.00 percentage point to 5.00 percent with effect from 01 March 2019. The Board also decided to […]
Rs.8bn inflows into securities since Jan; rupee appreciated 2.3-pct YTD: FM
Feb 21, 2019 (LBO) – Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera says that foreign capital is now flowing back into the economy with 8 billion rupees worth inflows into government securities since January this year. Addressing the AmCham Breakfast Buzz held today in Colombo, the Finance Minister reminded that the rupee has also appreciated 2.3 percent year […]