Category: Economy
‘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 […]
PM awaits proposals from Central Bank and EPF on EPF, ETF merger
Dec 01, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe told Parliament Tuesday that they have decided to obtain proposals from Central Bank governor and superintendent of EPF with regard to the management of EPF. “During the discussions, unions said it is appropriate to maintain these two funds separately. They also said the EPF […]
Single party owns 95 pct of govt securities available to foreign investors
Dec 01, 2015 (LBO) – A single foreign party owns 95 percent of Sri Lanka’s government securities available to foreign investors, raising questions about risk-management practices of the Central Bank.Funds of Franklin Templeton held around 290 billion rupees in government securities, out of 304 billion rupees of securities available to foreign investors, according to published […]
Colombo inflation accelerates to 3.1-pct in November
Nov 30, 2015 (LBO) – Consumer prices in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo rose 3.1 percent in November 2015 from a year earlier, up from 1.7 percent in October with the inflation index rising 1.4 percent in the month, the state statistics office said. Year on year inflation of Food Group has increased from 2.7 percent […]