Category: Banking and Finance
New Circular on issuing mining, transportation & trade permits for metals, sand, soil, gravel & clay
A new Circular will be issued to give effect to the process of issuance of permits for mining, transportation and trade of metals, sand, soil, gravel and clay.The President appointed a Presidential Task Force to study the exploitation of Geological resources for development, priorities and self-employment and to meet micro level economic livelihood needs of […]
”; Removes Negative Watch
Fitch Ratings has downgraded Bimputh Finance PLC’s National Long-Term Rating to ‘CC(lka)’ from ‘B-(lka)’. The rating has been removed from Rating Watch Negative. The downgrade reflects Fitch’s view that Bimputh’s liquidity and refinancing risk has risen significantly, driven by a persistent decline in asset quality, while it faces further delays in restoring its regulatory capital […]
USAID’s Private Sector Development project signs MOU with HNB to expand financing to MSMEs
The U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Private Sector Development project signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hatton National Bank PLC (HNB) to expand financing to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Sri Lanka. “Partnerships like this can dramatically enhance economic and social impact more than any of us could achieve on our […]
Swarnamahal Financial Services to resume business for 6 months for limited purpose
The Monetary Board of the Central Bank has made an order permitting Swarnamahal Financial Services PLC (SFSP) to resume business for a limited period of six (06) months with effect from 13.10.2021, for the purpose of exploring the possibility of absorbing the Company to the “Master Plan for Consolidation of Non-Bank Financial Institutions Sector”. The […]
Sri Lanka 2022 budget appropriation bill initial observations: ICRA
Key takeaways § Decline in total expenditure is achieved at the expense of the capital spending § Capital heavy ministries take capex cuts while personnel heavy ministries get a boost for recurrent expenditure § Allocation of defense and security related SUs is strengthened § Overall health related allocation is increased by nearly LKR 7 Bn § Total expenditure allocation on […]
Video Interview: Women in leadership – Sonali Dharmawardene
Continuing with our women in leadership interview series, this month LBO is featuring Sonali Dharmawardene, a very sucessful fashion designer and entrepreuner in Sri Lanka who has pushed boundaries and found balance to rise to the top of her industry. Sonali has taken one of the oldest Sri Lankan Artisan Crafts and put her own […]
Legal validity of digital signatures highlighted
Digital Signatures have been in use in Sri Lanka since 2009, however, due to the outbreak of the pandemic and travel restrictions, signing documents physically has found to be challenging. Hence, the requirement for digital signatures among many segments of the community has soared in the recent past. In view of raising awareness about Digital […]
Interview: Futureproofing banking sector through digital-first mindset
There is a good reason why digitalisation is a top priority for banking. When done correctly, it enables paradigm shifting improvements in customer experience and accessibility. For the average customer, it means, they are able to utilize the full range of our products and services seamlessly, through the platform of their choice. While prior to […]
Sri Lanka gets USD 110Mn for health systems enhancement project from ADB
The Government of Sri Lanka decided to borrow a loan amounting to USD 110 million from ADB and a grant of USD 03 million, provided by ADB-managed Japanese Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR), to implement the “Additional Financing of Health Systems Enhancement Project”. In early 2020, with the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, USD 15 million […]
ADB to promote SME sector in Sri Lanka
Asian Development Bank (ADB) Director General for South Asia Department Kenichi Yokoyama has assured President Gotabaya Rajapaksa that the ADB will support the promotion of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs). The Asian Development Bank (ADB) provided a US 750 million concessional loan last year for projects in Sri Lanka. Yokoyama said that the ADB […]
Sri Lanka projected to grow by 3.3-pct : Shifting gears to services-led growth can help build back better
Sri Lanka’s economy is projected to grow by 3.3 percent in 2021, but the medium-term outlook is clouded by pre-existing macroeconomic weaknesses and the economic scarring from the COVID-19 pandemic. A gradual recovery will likely lead to corresponding improvements in labor market conditions. Most countries in South Asia are far from pre-pandemic trend levels, says […]
Technology critical to transform education sector – UNDP experts
With the onset of COVID-19, the world has seen disruptions to traditional forms of education. In Sri Lanka, since the first wave and the resulting lockdown in March 2020, schools have been largely dysfunctional with the levels of online learning varying between public and private institutions. To this end, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) […]