Category: Economy and Markets
Sri Lanka aims at forex reserves of 4.5 months of imports: CB Governor
Apr 10, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka would aim to maintain foreign reserves equal to 4. 5 months of imports with balance of payments surplus of 1.2 billion US dollars projected for 2012, Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal said. “A level of 4.5 months (of imports) is comfortable,” Cabraal told reporters. “If it goes down […]
Sri Lanka unemployed down to 4.2-pct: data
Apr 10, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s unemployment fell to 4.2 percent in 2011 from 4.9 percent a year earlier with more people being employed in agriculture and industry, official data showed. The Central Bank quoting a survey by the statistics office said total unemployed fell to 342,000 from 401,000 a year earlier. People working […]
Sri Lanka shares becalmed
April 10, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares closed almost stagnant Tuesday with trading still at low levels ahead of traditional new year holidays later in the week, brokers said. Swarnamahal Financial Services was the most actively traded stock, closing at 8. 80 rupees, up 30 cents while Piramal Glass was also actively traded, ending […]
Sri Lanka revenue crunch continues in 2012
Apr 09, 2012 (LBO) – High state spending is continuing to put pressure on the economy with billions of rupees being printed in April to meet expenses on top of earlier bank borrowings, official data shows. In countries with more stable currency pegs, such as Hong Kong or Singapore, seasonal cash demands are met, not […]
Sri Lanka to spend Rs89bn on war zones, rapid normalcy: President
Apr 09, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is planning to spend 89 billion rupees to re-build former war zones in the north and the east in 2012 to bring the areas to normalcy, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said. He said de-mining has been accomplished fast and ahead of predictions, and most displaced families were already resettled. […]
Sri Lanka shares end down 0.2-pct
April 09, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares closed slightly weaker Monday and trading slumped to a low of 132 million rupees, the lowest since May 2009, ahead of traditional new year holidays. Citrus Leisure, which revealed the ownership of a prime beach front property it bought on the east coast for 169 million rupees […]
Sri Lanka Treasuries yields up after rate hike
Apr 09, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Treasury bill yields rose more than 50 basis points across maturities following a rate hike at Monday’s auction held two days earlier due to traditional holidays later in the week, data from the debt office showed. Higher Treasury bill yields are needed to correct an imbalance in the […]
Sri Lanka had 38-months of low inflation: CB Governor
Apr 07, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has had single digit inflation for the past 38-months and no crisis in the banking system, despite a short-term weakening of the currency, Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal said. “During the past 38 months inflation had been in the single digit level,” Cabraal told the LBR-LBO Ceo forum, […]
Sri Lanka has maintained confidence of bond buyers: CB Governor
Apr 06, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has retained the confidence of foreign holders of government debt by taking firm corrective steps to fix a balance of payments crisis, Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal said. The rupee has now strengthened to around 125 to the US dollar from a low of 131 rupees, though there […]
Sri Lanka stocks close up 0.4-pct
Apr 05, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka stocks close up 0.41 percent Thursday ahead of the Easter weekend with both indices up and net foreign buying, brokers said. Actively traded counters include Swarnamahal Financial Services closing at 8. 50 rupees, down 20 cents, HVA Foods closing at 12. 90 rupees, down 40 cents, and Environmental […]
Sri Lanka grows 8.3-pct in 2011
Apr 05, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s economy grew 8. 3 percent in the 2011 after growing at 8. 0 percent in 2010, with fourth quarter growth also clocked at 8.3 percent, the statistics office said. Per capita gross domestic product was estimated at 2,836 US dollars (313,511 rupees implying an exchange rate of 110.54) […]
Sri Lanka hikes policy rate by 75bp to curb credit
Apr 05, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka raised its key policy rate by 75 basis points to 9. 75 percent to curb credit which was still growing at an “undesired rate”, and state borrowings were also high, the Central Bank said. Sri Lanka rupee came under pressure from high credit growth from the middle of […]