Category: Economy
Sri Lanka female labor force participation could boost productivity: Kvintradze
Dec 11, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka needs labor market reforms including boosting of female labor force participation rate, a senior International Monetary Fund official said.“If you look at labour force participation across the globe and especially in Sri Lanka you see there is a huge opportunity to boost labour force participation,” Eteri Kvintradze Resident […]
IMF concludes fourth post-program monitoring
Dec 10, 2015 (LBO) – The International Monetary Fund concluded its fourth Post-Program Monitoring with Sri Lanka, noting a more challenging external environment, macro-financial imbalances and less room available for monetary easing.“Recent economic developments reflect a more challenging external environment as well as a sharpening of macro-financial imbalances that began to emerge late in 2014,” a […]
Sri Lanka has borrowings of USD1.5 bln in pipeline for next year
Dec 09, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka may go to international markets to raise up to 1.5 billion dollars next year for budgetary financing, in line with the amount raised this year, a central bank official said. Sri Lanka raised 1.5 billion dollars in a 10-year sovereign bond issue in October with a coupon of […]
‘s Kvintradze
Dec 09, 2015 (LBO) – With the end of a war and recently built infrastructure, Sri Lanka businesses are well placed to benefit from new opportunities, Eteri Kvintradze, the resident representative of the IMF, said. Despite external vulnerabilities and concerns about fiscal consolidation, Sri Lanka can be competitive in the South Asia region, Kvintradze said. […]
Sri Lanka exports fall 6 pct in September, imports down 5-pct
Dec 08, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka external trade continued to contract in September with exports falling 5.9 percent to 850 million US dollars and imports falling 5.1 percent to 1,583 million US dollars, compared to the same month last year, official data showed. The Central Bank said industrial exports fell 4.7 percent to 636 […]
Op-Ed on Sri Lanka Budget – Is Sri Lanka’s Fiscal House in Order?
(Todd Schneider is the head of IMF’s staff missions to Sri Lanka) By Todd Schneider Constructing a good budget is like building a good house. The foundation needs to be solid, high-quality materials make a big difference to durability, and careful craftsmanship will bring both stability and confidence to weather future storms. Similarly, budgets needed […]
IMF looking at Sri Lanka options, fiscal consolidation key: IMF
Nov 04, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s government has expressed interest in a IMF-supported program as one option to address balance of payments pressures, the resident representative of the IMF told Lanka Business Online.“IMF staff is considering options for Sri Lanka, which would depend on our assessment of macroeconomic vulnerabilities, the nature and size of […]
Sri Lanka PM calls on middle class to invest in stock market
Dec 03, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe said that the island’s mid income earners should be confident and not afraid to invest in the Colombo Stock Exchange.“The middle class must have a bigger stake in the shareholding in this country,” he said. “Over the last five years, there has been a […]
We are in ‘Nonagathaya,’ New Year is on the way: Prime Minister
Dec 03, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is still in the period of making strategies to move forward and the country might have to generate additional revenue next year to pay contingent liabilities, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said.“The budget is very much like a Sinhalese new year. Before the New Year comes you give a […]
Sri Lanka state sector asked to generate revenue for national economy: PM
Dec 03, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state-owned enterprises have to perform better towards contributing to the national economy, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said.“Our first focus is on the state enterprise and we will ensure that there is better performance in the state enterprises in the coming few years,” he said. “We are keeping the […]
Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister shows green light for port city after long haul back
Dec 02, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today said the country plans to have a ‘unique financial and business district’ in Colombo when the sea reclamation project by a Chinese firm is resumed.“Hopefully if the Port City projects get underway, I think there will be some sort of landfill there that […]
Sri Lanka to consider IMF option next year: PM
Dec 02, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will consider a stand-by facility from the IMF next year, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told parliament. “Next year will present a difficult economic environment. Sri Lanka could face an impact of the ISIS in the Middle East, in case the region is destabilized,” Wickremesinghe said “I think it […]