Category: Featured
Sri Lanka cuts export earnings target to USD18bn by 2020
July 12, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is currently looking at a target for export earnings of 18 billion US dollars by 2020, State Minister of International Trade Sujeewa Senasinghe said. In 2015, Sri Lanka originally expected a 50 billion dollar export target by 2020 and later reduced it to 20 billion dollars amid sluggish […]
‘s new Inland Revenue Act will be investor friendly: Finance Minister
July 12, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister says the main objective of the new Inland Revenue Bill is to simplify the tax system in order to create an investor friendly environment to attract more foreign investments. “The new Inland Revenue Bill will broad-base the tax system and incorporate globally accepted new tax principles […]
Odel plans USD106mn mixed development project in Sri Lanka
July 12, 2017 (LBO) – Odel Properties One (Private) Limited, a fully owned subsidiary of Odel, has entered into an agreement with Sri Lanka’s Board of Investment to set up a mixed development project. Odel said in a stock exchange filing that as per the agreement signed on 30th June 2017, the envisaged investment will […]
Srilankan Airlines recruits 20 management trainees
July 11, 2017 (LBO) – State-run SriLankan Airlines has recruited 20 management trainees, following a one-year training programme, to absorb new blood into the organization, the company said in a statement. The company has taken six batches of management trainees in the past and the current intake was inducted in June 2016. The finance ministry […]
Sri Lanka’s foreign debt USD25.6bn by April: Mid Year Fiscal Report
July 10, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s total outstanding external debt was 25.61 billion US dollars (Rs3,886bn) by the end of April 2017, up from 23.1 billion dollars at the end of April last year, the Mid-year Fiscal Report revealed. Government’s total debt service payments for the first four months of this year amounted to […]
SriLankan Airlines, CEB, CPC record Rs30bn loss in first 4 months
July 10, 2017 (LBO) – State-owned carrier Sri Lankan Airline, main power supplier Ceylon Electricity Board and Ceylon Petroleum Corporation together have recorded a loss of 30 billion rupees in the first four months of this year, a treasury report showed. Sri Lankan Airlines The total loss of Sri Lankan Airlines increased by 55 percent […]
India will move on ETCA at a pace set by Lanka: envoy
By P.K. Balachandran Assuaging fears that India is set to “impose” an Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) on Sri Lanka, the Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, has said that India is ready to move on the ETCA at a pace Sri Lanka is comfortable with. “The proposed Economic and Technical […]
Sri Lanka foreign reserves up 3-pct in June
July 07, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s official foreign reserves climbed three percent (USD193.9mn) to 6.9 billion dollars in June, official Central Bank data showed. Foreign currency reserves were 5.99 billion dollars and reserves in gold were 0.89 billion dollars. Central Bank’s Treasury bill holdings were down from 214. 35 billion rupees in May to […]
Sri Lanka press council law hinders RTI implementation: report
July 05, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Press Council Law, which is not consistent with the Right to Information (RTI) Act, can hinder the media from publishing information obtained through RTI, a research report said. The report, a collaboration between Verité Research and Democracy Reporting International, highlights for instance that obtaining information pertaining to cabinet […]
‘s ad-hoc tax changes
July 04, 2017 (LBO) – A Japanese business delegation has requested that Sri Lanka’s finance minister gives them at least six months notice prior to the enforcement of tax amendments, as it might have an adverse impact on exports. The request came during a meeting held at the Finance Ministry on Monday attended by the […]
No reason for qualified hoteliers to look for jobs overseas: Amaratunga
July 04, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Minister of Tourism Development John Amaratunga says that there is no longer any reason for our qualified hoteliers to look for jobs overseas as their income will be greater if they stay here. “Today we have a serious issue with regard to manpower in the tourism and hospitality sectors. The […]
Sri Lanka launches FDI road map, reforms key: Prime Minister
July 04, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister said that the island needs to fast track reforms as part of ambitious efforts to be ranked at least 70th in the ease of doing business rankings by 2020. The Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe, speaking at the launch of the road map on Investment Climate Reforms in […]