Category: Banking and Finance

ADDIS ABABA, October 16, 2008 (AFP) – Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said Thursday that the economy would not be devastated following the global financial crisis, despite a possible cut in aid and investment flows. “In general, we don’t expect drastic effects on our economy, our financial structure is not as liberalised as those of […]

Oct 15, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Sampath Bank has started a new current account facility for longstanding customers in a bid to discourage cheque returns and boost the currency of the bank’s cheques, officials said. “We want people to recognize that these cheques are as good as cash,” Sampath Bank chief executive designate Harris […]

Oct 13, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank has cut the reserve requirement of commercial banks from 10 percent to 9.25 percent, and further relaxed access to the discount window. “This step has been taken in order to inject more liquidity to the domestic financial market so as to enable the market to effectively […]

Oct 10, 2008 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings Lanka Friday affirmed Sri Lanka’s DFCC Vardhana Bank’s (DVB) National Long-term rating at ‘AA-(lka)’ with a stable outlook.Its gross NPL ratio slipped to 10.7 percent at H108 from 5.9 percent at FYE06 on account of weakened macro conditions, and partially owing to the regulatory change in classification of […]

Oct 10, 2008 (LBO) – Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) said it has strengthened the capital base of its UK subsidiary, HSBC Bank, through an equity injection of 750million pounds. The bank said in a statement the capital injection, representing one per cent of the total shareholders’ equity of the HSBC Group as at […]

Oct 09, 2008 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings Lanka has affirmed the National Long-term rating of DFCC Bank (DFCC) at ‘AA(lka)’ with a stable outlook.The rating agency has also affirmed DFCC’s senior debentures at ‘AA(lka)’ and subordinated debentures at ‘AA-(lka)’ (AA minus (lka)). Fitch said the ratings reflect DFCC’s strong capital base and sustained high profitability. […]

Oct 09, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s DFCC Vardhana Bank has struck a deal with Sri Lanka Post to use its post offices to reach more banking customers which also helps the government postal agency to cut huge losses. DFCC Vardhana Bank opened five new banking units in Sri Lanka Post offices branches in the […]

Oct 07, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has called proposals for a 300 million US dollar syndicated loan, with another 150 million US dollars now being negotiated, the government’s debt office said. The proposed syndicated loan would be about 32 billion Sri Lankan rupees. “As envisaged in the Budget and approved by Parliament, the funds […]

Oct 07, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s troubled merchant bank Vanik Incorporation said it had been ordered to wind up by the district court of Colombo in a case filed by a foreign and a local bank. The case will be called on November 21, 2008 for further steps, Vanik said in a stock exchange […]

Oct 07, 2008 (LBO) – The World Bank is increasing support for Sri Lankan small businesses, through its private sector funding arm, International Finance Corporation (IFC) which is considering giving rupee loans.“Such financing would allow IFC to reach out to companies and sectors which generate local currency revenues (such as the infrastructure sector and second-tier […]

Oct 06, 2008 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings Lanka has confirmed Sri Lanka’s People’s Bank (PB) national long-term ‘A-(lka)’ rating with a ‘positive’ outlook and the bank’s other ratings at Support ‘4’ and Individual ‘E’. To receive instant alerts from LBO on your Dialog mobile type ‘lbo’ and send to 678 The Long-term and Support ratings […]

LONDON, October 6, 2008 (AFP) – World markets suffered massive losses Monday, striking four-year lows, as panic-stricken investors doubted whether a Wall Street bailout package would stem the global financial crisis. London, Frankfurt and Paris all tumbled more than six percent approaching the half-way mark while a 15-percent dive in Moscow forced a halt to […]