Category: Policy
COPE to consider Auditor General’s report on bond issue Wednesday
June 28, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Parliament appointed Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) will meet Wednesday to consider the Auditor General’s report on the bond investigation. Parliamentarian and COPE member Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa told LBO, the committee will most probably arrive at a decision on the alleged bond scam based on the findings of the […]
Gap between male, female life expectancy narrows in Sri Lanka
June 27, 2016 (LBO) – The difference between female and male life expectancy at birth reduced in 2012 to 6.6 years compared with 8.4 years in 2001, latest data from the statistics office showed. For the years 2011 to 2013, life expectancy is 72.0 years for males and 78.6 for females, while the life expectancies […]
Sri Lanka Parliament passes Right to Information Bill
June 25, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Parliament has passed the Right to Information (RTI) bill with amendments on Friday. The main purpose of the Bill is to provide for the Right of Access to Information, to specify grounds on which access may be denied, to establish the Right to Information commission, to appoint Information […]
Sri Lanka’s Central Bank keeps policy rates steady
June 24, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Central Bank has decided to keep its key interest rates steady for a fourth straight month on Friday, despite rising inflation and high private sector credit growth. The full text of the statement is reproduced below. Monetary Policy Review – June 2016 According to provisional estimates of the […]
Sri Lanka promises to reform Airline, public sector, fuel pricing to IMF
June 15, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has committed to reforming government finances and the public sector, in its letter of intent to the International Monetary Fund. Structural benchmarks include a “resolution strategy” for SriLankan Airlines by September 2016, in which it will take the loss-making airline off its books. Other reforms include enhancing oversight […]
IMF approves 36-month EFF facility of USD1.5 Bln to Sri Lanka
June 04, 2016 (LBO) – The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a 36-month Extended Fund Facility (EFF) to Sri Lanka for 1.5 billion dollars, to support the country’s economic reform agenda, the IMF said. The arrangement aims to meet balance of payments needs arising from a deteriorating external environment and […]
Sri Lanka holds rates unchanged after policy meeting
May 20, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s monetary board held interest rates unchanged after a monthly policy meeting taking into account among other things the Extended Fund Facility expected from the IMF and the others, that would enhance the country’s resilience to external shocks and improve investor confidence in the economy. The full statement is below: The […]
Ravi K says Japan agrees USD2.5bn development loan to Sri Lanka
May 19, 2016 (LBO) – Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake told Parliament Thursday that Japan has agreed to provide about 2.5 billion US dollars worth development policy loan to Sri Lanka. This has been revealed yesterday when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Special Representative Hiroto Izumi called on Prime Minster Ranil Wickremesinghe, Finance Minister said.“Mr. Izumi also […]
Sri Lanka moving ahead with Panama Papers probe, says minister
May 17, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s government is following up on the Panama Papers leaks and has requested for an official list from authorities in Panama, State Minister for National Policies and Economic Affairs Niroshan Perera said. “Central Bank Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has contacted authorities in Panama to obtain an official list,” Perera […]
Equity crowdfunding soon for average investors in US
May 13, 2016 (LBO) – This month the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will begin implementing equity crowdfunding for the average investor. This will allow small companies to directly raise debt or equity capital from friends, family, and interested investors. It’s the final piece of landmark legislation called the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, popularly […]
Sri Lanka IMF agreement faces implementation risks: Fitch
May 03, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s 1.5 billion US dollar three-year IMF programme eases near-term balance-of-payments risks but will require sustained commitment from the authorities to address long-standing weaknesses in external and public finances, Fitch Ratings said. The ratings agency said the IMF support therefore has no immediate impact on Sri Lanka’s ‘B+’/Negative sovereign […]
Sri Lankans named in Panama Papers expected in May
Apr. 27, 2016 (LBO) – The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists said they will release on May 9th a searchable database with information on more than 200,000 offshore entities that are part of the Panama Papers investigation. The data comes from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, one of the top players in the offshore […]