Category: Economy
Sri Lanka eco summit to discuss SOE reform implementation weaknesses
Aug 26, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) has been the topic of debate for many years now. Discussions around it have covered improving profitability, service and governance while examining the root causes for the continued losses incurred by SOEs. Some of the solutions for reforms are well known, but its implementation has […]
Sri Lanka vehicle registrations rebound in July 2019
Aug 26, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s vehicle registrations saw a rebound across the board in July from the lows of June since, limping back to normalcy post Easter Sunday bombings. Total motor cars recorded 2,584 units in July significantly up from 1,580 units in June but significantly down from 7,162 units 12 months ago. […]
Sri Lanka headline inflation marginally increased in July
Aug 22, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s headline inflation as measured by the year-on-year change in the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) increased marginally to 2.2 percent in July from 2.1 percent in June. According to Central Bank data, this was due to the monthly price increases of items in both Food and Non-food categories. […]
Samurai Bond to support reserves to maintain around USD8Bn throughout 2019: FC
Aug 20, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s First Capital Research believes that the raising of 500 million dollars via Samurai Bonds is likely to support to maintain reserves around the 8 billion dollar mark throughout the rest of this year. As per the Governor of Central Bank, the government will soon issue Request for Proposals […]
First Capital assigns higher probability for neutral monetary policy stance
Aug 20, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s First Capital Research believes that the Central Bank may delay the monetary easing while allowing the impact of the previous rate cut to materialise. With manufacturing and credit signaling signs of recovery in economy and vulnerabilities affecting the external outlook, they assign a higher probability of 70 percent […]
Sri Lanka to present Vote on Account for 1Q 2020 instead of fully-fledged budget
Aug 14, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s cabinet yesterday approved a proposal to present a Vote on Account (VoA) to allocate state expenditure for the first quarter of 2020 as it will be nonsensical to present a fully-fledged budget in the wake of a presidential election. Since the Presidential Election is due at the end […]
Sri Lanka official reserves at USD 8.3bn by end July; YTD rupee appreciation 3.1-pct
Aug 09, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s gross official reserves were 8,343.9 million US dollars by the end of July, down from 8,864.98 million US dollars in June, latest Central Bank data showed. By the end of July, foreign currency reserves were 7,366.8 million dollars while the reserve position in the IMF was 65.8 million […]
Cabinet approves amendments to Nation Building Tax & Value Added Tax
Aug 06, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Cabinet of Ministers has approved the tax amendments proposed by the Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera in his Budget 2019. Accordingly, the Cabinet has approved the Amendment Draft Bills on Nation Building Tax and Value Added Tax (VAT). The Finance Ministry said all the amendments, once drafted by the […]
Ceylon Chamber announces Sri Lanka investment and business conclave 2019
The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce in association with the Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Board of Investment of Sri Lanka, the Department of Commerce and the Sri Lanka Export Development Board will be organizing Sri Lanka Investment and Business Conclave 2019 […]
No change in 15-pct interest to Senior Citizens’ Savings Accounts: Finance Ministry
Aug 05, 2019 (LBO) – Although the Central Bank has reduced the rates for deposits maintained in commercial banks, the special interest rate of 15 percent offered by the Government for senior citizens have not been changed. “There is no truth in the media reports published by different media saying that the 15% special bank […]
Market Research Society of Sri Lanka to introduce new socio-economic measure
Aug 05, 2019 (LBO) – The Market Research Society of Sri Lanka will be introducing its new SEC (socio-economic) measure, which takes into account a 3rd dimension, which is a lifestyle indicator. The new SEC classification will be launched at the event organised on 13th of August 2019 at JAIC Hilton, Colombo targeting the business […]
Sri Lanka’s 1st dollar sovereign bond fund poised for global investors
Jul 26, 2019 (LBO) – Strong demand on the recent issuance of Sri Lankan International Sovereign Bonds (ISB) signals potential for a strong economic recovery according to Ceylon Asset Management (CAM)) Director and Economic Advisor, Rainer Michael Preiss. “The decline in Sovereign Bond Yields indicate that the worst is over for Sri Lanka. The coupon […]