Category: Economy and Markets

Apr.03 (AFP) – Norway’s new peace envoy to Sri Lanka began work Monday, discussing how to shore up a fragile ceasefire ahead of meetings with Tamil rebels and the government. -Amal Jayasinghe: win98win@ Jon Hanssen-Bauer, on his first visit to the island, went straight into meetings with experts from think-tanks and development organisations after his […]

April 2 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s ruling party may call snap elections after its success in local polls gave it a chance to break away from hardline allies opposed to a peace process with Tamil rebels, analysts say. President Mahinda Rajapakse could call parliamentary polls four years ahead of schedule if his two key nationalist […]

ISLAMABAD, Apr.0l (AFP) – Pakistan and Sri Lanka agreed Saturday to intensify cooperation in defence, science and technology and trade after talks between their leaders, officials said. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, who arrived here Friday on a three-day visit, held talks with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on a wide […]

April 01 (AFP) – The crushing electoral defeat of Sri Lanka’s nationalist Buddhist monks and Marxists, who both oppose Norwegian-backed peace moves, could boost efforts to end ethnic bloodshed, media said Saturday.Official results of the Thursday poll showed that President Mahinda Rajapakse’s People’s Alliance won 225 of the 266 local councils. By contrast, the Marxist […]

Mar. 31 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s ruling party Friday was headed for a comfortable sweep of local council elections after the first test of public opinion since President Mahinda Rajapakse came to power.Official results declared by the Sri Lankan election department showed that Rajapakse’s people’s Alliance had won 39 out of the 49 councils declared […]

Mar. 31 (AFP) – Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse was due in Islamabad Friday for a three-day visit during which he is expected to discuss military cooperation with Pakistan, official sources said Friday.Rajapakse, who is also the defence minister, will hold talks with President Pervez Musharraf on bilateral trade, tourism, cultural exchanges and defence matters […]

Mar. 31 – Sri Lanka’s economy expanded by 5.9 percent in 2005, over 5.4 percent a year earlier, in the backdrop of high international oil prices and stiff competition for key exports like garments, the Central Bank said Friday. Economic growth during the fourth quarter of 2005 was 6.3 percent on higher inputs from agriculture, […]

Mar. 31 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s annualised inflation eased to 9.6 percent in the twelve months to March from 10.3 percent in February, despite price hikes in the sales of firewood, sugar, meat and milk tea, the Census & Statistics Dept said Friday. The twelve month moving average is usually taken as the official inflation […]

Mar. 31 – Sri Lanka’s economy expanded by 5.9 percent in 2005, over 5.4 percent a year earlier, in the backdrop of high international oil prices and stiff competition for key exports like garments, the Central Bank said Friday. Economic growth during the fourth quarter of 2005 was 6.3 percent on higher inputs from agriculture, […]

Mar. 31 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s annualised inflation eased to 9.6 percent in the twelve months to March from 10.3 percent in February, despite price hikes in the sales of firewood, sugar, meat and milk tea, the Census & Statistics Dept said Friday. The twelve month moving average is usually taken as the official inflation […]

LONDON, Mar. 29 (AFP) – The main mediator in the long-standing conflict in Sri Lanka, Erik Solheim of Norway, on Wednesday called for the government and Tamil rebels to keep their commitment to a ceasefire even after the recent deadly attack on a naval vessel.Suspected rebels blew up a trawler together with six of their […]