Category: Economy and Markets
Sri Lanka rejects bids at Treasuries auction
Feb 11, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has rejected all bids at the Treasuries auction Wednesday which offered to roll over 10. 5 billion rupees of maturing, bills the government’s debt office said. The central bank also mopped up 3. 6 billion rupees through a central bank securities auction where 10 billion was originally released. […]
Sri Lanka rupee strengthens against greenback
Mar 11, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka rupee strengthened to 114.0 to the greenback with the spot dollar quoted at 113. 95/114.05 with banks unwilling to hold dollars with high short term rupee interest rates, and the central bank staying in the sidelines, dealers said. On Wednesday the central bank rejected bids for an entire […]
Sri Lanka shares end up 0.82-pct
Mar 11, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan stocks closed firmer Thursday with interest in banking stocks mainly by institutional or high-net-worth individual investors, brokers said. Hotel Services (Ceylon) closed at 21 rupees, up one rupee, with over four million shares traded, including two blocks of 500,000 at 20 rupees a share. Janashakthi Insurance Company closed […]
Sri Lanka gets US$67.4mn more from India for railways
Mar 11, 2010 (LBO) – The Export Import Bank of India is giving Sri Lanka 67. 4 million US dollars in top funding in a project which will slash travel times along a coastal railway track, the finance ministry said. Rolling stock maintenance facilities will be built in Alutgama, Galle and Colombo. In 2008 India […]
Sri Lanka gets US$250mn in loans from Japan for power, roads
Mar 11, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will get 22. 5 billion yen in loans (250 million US dollars) from Japan for hydro power, water supply and provincial road development in former war torn areas in the east, a government minister said. JICA will also loan 9,156 million yen (101 million US dollars) for 0rovincial […]
Sri Lankan stocks close 0.20-pct down
Mar 10, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan stocks closed down Wednesday as retail investors took profits from midcaps and low value shares, while the Milanka index made small gains from a rise in the price of Environmental Resources Investments shares, brokers said. Touchwood Investments which dragged the market down on Tuesday made a sharp comeback, […]
Sri Lanka signs up US$290mn in railway, airport loans from China
Mar 10, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has signed up 290 million US dollars in financing from China’s Exim Bank to build an airport in the south of the island and expand railways, the foreign ministry said. The ‘A9’ is the main highway that links the northern Jaffna peninsular with the South. The highway is […]
Sri Lankans, other minorities growing in Canada
OTTAWA, March 9, 2010 (AFP) – Canada’s ethnic makeup will greatly change in the next 20 years as the number of non-Europeans or “visible minorities” rises to nearly one-third of the population, a government agency said Tuesday. The number of Chinese Canadians is projected to grow also, to around 3. 0 million. But as Chinese […]
Sri Lanka tax system, state consumption hurting private investment: analysts
Mar 10, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s high income taxes is making local firms weaker against others in developing countries, while a government living beyond its means is eating up long terms funds available for private investment, analysts said. “I’m a firm believer until this country drops the tax rate to 15 percent or 20 […]
Sri Lanka forestry firm share price hit by court action
Mar 09, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan stocks closed 0.68 percent lower Tuesday with forestry firm Touchwood Investments falling sharply after an accounting watchdog said its tree valuation method is being challenged in the Supreme Court, brokers said. The All Share Price Index closed at 3,809.01, down 26.05 points, while the Milanka index of more […]
Sri Lanka CB brought inflation down, but concerns rising: opposition
Mar 09, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka central bank has brought inflation down in 2009 with tight monetary policy but excessive government spending is threatening stability, Sri Lanka’s main opposition United National Party has said. “The central bank raised interest rates, withdrew liquidity and kept tight monetary policy,” Harsha de Silva, an economist who has […]
Sri Lanka can build more infrastructure with project specific bonds: rating expert
Feb 09, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka should follow Malaysia’s example in selling project specific bonds for infrastructure, which will give confidence that money is not mis-directed and make it easier to tap money for capital investment, a senior financial expert said. The island has under-invested in infrastructure for decades, leaving the country with weak […]