Sri Lanka southern businesses get IFC help

Dec 24, 2008 (LBO) – The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank group, said it is helping streamline business licensing in Sri Lankan’s southern Matara district. The Matara Municipal Council and the IFC are making it easier for small businessmen to get licenses to start businesses, an IFC statement said. It […]

Sri Lanka spends a billion dollars on interventions

Dec 23, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has spent 266 million US dollars intervening in foreign exchange markets in November, taking the total over the past three months to over a billion dollars, the latest official data has revealed.But the inter bank market now has domestically generated excess liquidity of around six billion rupees, down […]

Sri Lanka shares down, trading dries up

Dec 23, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares continued to weaken Tuesday with trading volumes staying near six-year lows and Ceylinco group firms showed mixed performance, with Ceylinco Insurance closing up, brokers said. To receive instant alerts from LBO on your Dialog mobile type ‘lbo’ and send to 678 The All Share Price Index eased […]

Sri Lanka rupee dips to 112.80/90 against greenback

Dec 23, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka rupee weakened towards 112.80/90 against the US dollar, with state banks on the buying side, dealers said Tuesday, as inter bank rupee markets remained liquid.Analysts say excess liquidity amid dollar tightness is usually a sign that the government is in a cash crunch. The latest official data shows […]

Sri Lanka shares down, Ceylinco group firms weaken but Seylan up

Dec 22, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares fell Monday with trading volumes sinking to near six-year lows and most Ceylinco companies weakening after a report about a credit card scam in an unlisted group firm, but Seylan Bank bucked the trend, brokers said. Seylan Bank ended up one rupee at 18 rupees with 16,100 […]

Sri Lanka looking for alternative foreign financing: Central Bank

De 19, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is looking for alternative sources of foreign funding, the central bank said, as global financial markets remained in turmoil and risk premiums high despite unprecedented rate cuts by reserve currency central banks.The Central Bank says a major part of speculative capital that came into the government securities market […]

Sri Lanka inflation falling faster than expected: Central Bank

Dec 19, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s inflation is falling faster than expected, the Central Bank said, as a global collapse in commodities washed into the country and the country’s money growth was also kept in check. Sri Lanka’s central bank targets the monetary base, which is expected to influence growth in other monetary aggregates, […]

Sri Lanka shares mixed, selling pressure on JKH

Dec 19, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares ended barely changed Friday with selling pressure continuing in John Keells Holdings which was the most actively traded stock, brokers said. To receive instant alerts from LBO on your Dialog mobile type ‘lbo’ and send to 678 The indices moved in opposite directions with the All Share […]

Sri Lanka shares becalmed, JKH weakens

Dec 18, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares barely moved Thursday, with John Keells Holdings falling 3.51 percent and transactions in Commercial Bank and Kelani Tyres accounting for the bulk of the day’s trading volumes, brokers said To receive instant alerts from LBO on your Dialog mobile type ‘lbo’ and send to 678 The All […]

Developed countries urged not to curb migrant workers

Dec 18, 2008 (LBO) – Developed countries should not shut out migrant workers at times of economic crisis as they still face labour shortages and workers need to send money home to fight poverty, International Organization for Migration (IOM) said. They should see migrants as part of the solution during economic crises, the IOM said […]

Fed cut rates to near zero; desperate efforts to bring inflation back

WASHINGTON, December 17, 2008 (AFP) – The Federal Reserve used up its ammunition on monetary policy Tuesday by slashing its base lending rate to virtually zero but pledged further efforts to stimulate credit and revive a moribund economy.The actions by Fed chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues put the central bank on track toward the […]

Sri Lanka growth expected to slow in last quarter

Dec 17, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s economic expansion is likely to slow in the last quarter as an external slowdown hits demand for its products, resulting in year-end growth of around 6.0 percent, officials said. In the third quarter the economy expanded by 6.3 percent, the government’s statistics office said, helped by high agricultural […]

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