Category: Economy

July 22, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is to curb the expansion of self-service supermarkets, a media report said shortly after new taxes were imposed on privately owned chains.Sri Lanka’s privately owned Hiru radio channel quoting President Mahinda Rajapaksa as saying that small traders and individual sellers were being displaced by supermarkets. “The vegetable lady […]

July 22, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s credit profile has stabilized but external debt and debt servicing costs are rising, Moody’s Investors Services, which has rated the country ‘B1’ said in a credit update.About 73 percent of total spending was current spending, though there were some improvements. Of the current spending 91 percent was for […]

COLOMBO, July 17, 2013 (AFP) – Multi-million-dollar casinos planned for Colombo have boosted Sri Lanka’s ambitious hopes of becoming Asia’s new gambling hotspot, but the projects still face political and religious opposition. “In the alcohol and tobacco industries, we have a good idea of how much is produced, what the sales are and more importantly […]

WASHINGTON, July 17, 2013 (AFP) – US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke reiterated Wednesday that the Fed stimulus could be wound up next year if economic growth remains steady as forecast.The surge in rates, economists worry, could itself slow the recovery by slowing demand in the recovering housing sector, which has become a key contributor […]

July 16, 2013 (LBO) – Two Sri Lankans were arrested by the immigration authorities for overstaying visas and working in Blackpool, England, the UK High Commission in Colombo said.The statement said the proposals are part of the UK’s action against unauthorized migrants to live and work in the UK and to take tough action against […]

July 15, 2013 (LBO) – A faster rise in expenditure than income and a reduction in consumption of rice and wheat was a concern that policymakers have to pay attention, a legislator and economist said. Opposition legislator Harsha de Silva said, according to the initial results of a 2012 household income and expenditure survey of […]

July 15, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s 6.0 percent growth level and lower inflation helped its ‘BB-‘ rating but a high budget deficit and maturing foreign debt were concerns, Fitch Ratings has said in a regional review. An improvement in public or external financing can help an improve the while a significant deterioration in public […]

July 15, 2013 (LBO) – Planned restrictions on land ownership in Sri Lanka by foreigners may hurt industrial expansion in the country, an association representing some of the largest industries in the country said. “A number of our member and other large manufacturing companies in Sri Lanka are foreign owned,” Pravir Samarasinghe, head of the […]

July 12, 2013(LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state run Bank of Ceylon will provide a 3.91 billion rupee loan to the Road Development Authority to rehabilitate and upgrade a 48 kilometer stretch of road. The state information office said in a statement that the project which has approval from the cabinet of ministers will be completed […]

July 10, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has to maintain economic stability free trade, draw more foreign investment and invest in education to boost productivity and sustain high levels of growth, officials said at the start of a policy forum.Ceylon Chamber of Commerce chief Suresh Shah said Sri Lanka had to export more to grow. […]

July 10, 2013 (LBO) – Gold purchases from dealers in Sri Lanka slowed after a 10 percent tax was imposed, despite prices falling further, industry players said.On Tuesday a gold sovereign (about 8.1 grams) the most popular benchmark price was quoted around 40,500 rupees for a 22 carats and 44,000 rupees for a 24 carats, […]