Category: South Asia
Developing economies of G-24 call for global action to contain risks
Oct 11, 2018 (LBO) – Concern over rising risks to emerging market economies were center stage this week as global Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors gathered this week in Bali, Indonesia. Bali hosted both the biannual Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Twenty-Four (G-24) developing countries and the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund […]
IMF cuts global growth forecast to 3.7-pct for 2018, 2019
Oct 09, 2018 (LBO) – International Monetary Fund has reduced its outlook for global GDP growth by 0.2 percentage points to 3.7 percent for 2018 and 2019, according to the quarterly World Economic Outlook Report issued on Monday. Rising trade tensions and debt levels in economies has prompted the International Monetary Fund to cut its […]
‘s exports to South Asia Region: WB
Oct 08, 2018 (LBO) – If trade barriers are overcome, trade within South Asia can increase three-fold, from 23 billion US dollars to 67 billion US dollars, suggests a World Bank report. “Sri Lanka has the potential to more than double its exports to South Asia,” the new ‘A Glass Half Full: The Promise of […]
Vice President of OPIC visits Sri Lanka; aims to counter debt-trap investments
Oct 05, 2018 (LBO) – Executive Vice President of OPIC, David Bohigian and other US government officials visited Sri Lanka from October 3 to 5 with the aim to promote US investment in the region and strengthened cooperation with regional allies to drive economic growth and stability.Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) is the US government’s development finance institution.The […]
US BUILD act passes House; aims to counter China’s debt-trap diplomacy
Sept 27, 2018 (LBO) – United States House of Representatives have approved the inclusion of the Better Utilization of Investments Leading to Development (BUILD) Act in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018.The House yesterday passed the Act by a vote of 398-23 and the legislation now heads to the Senate for consideration. BUILD Act is […]
Feature: Building Sri Lanka’s resilience to climate change
By World Bank 38-year-old Sivasidambaram Vasugi is the General Manager of one of the first cooperative-owned seed paddy processing centers in Killinochchi, Si Lanka. The Integrated Farmers Thrift and Credit Cooperative Society (IFTCCS) provides local farmers with high-quality seeds, but these days, there are no buyers walking in the door. Her community is facing a […]
Maldives elects new President: Abdulla Yameen concedes defeat
Sept 24, 2018 (LBO) – The Maldives, has voted Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the opposition candidate, as the islands new President, foreign media reports said. Incumbent Abdulla Yameen, conceding defeat said, the citizens of the Maldives had their say and I accept that result. “I have congratulated him,” media reports quoted the out going President as saying. Solih […]
Sri Lanka tops South Asia in human development index 2017
Sept 18, 2018 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has been classified under the “High Human Development” category, with a Human Development Index value of 0.770 , and ranked 76 out of 189 countries in 2017, a statement said. Between 1990 and 2017, Sri Lanka’s HDI value increased from 0.625 to 0.770, an increase of 23.2 percent. […]
China plans high speed train to India via Bangladesh and Myanmar
Sept 13, 2018 (LBO) – Chinese Consul General in Kolkata Ma Zhanwu has revealed that his country was proposing a 2,800 km long high-speed rail link between China’s Kunming and India’s Kolkata via Myanmar and Bangladesh.According to Indian media reports, the rail route was aimed at boosting trade flow in the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) corridor. “With […]
BIMSTEC leaders decide to rationalize organization
Sept 03, 2018 (LBO) – The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) leaders, at the conclusion of the 2018 Summit laid the foundation for institutional mechanisms to accelerate the BIMSTEC process. The leaders agreed to establish a BIMSTEC Permanent Working Committee (BPWC), to draft a Charter for the organization, to […]
Sri Lanka to receive BIMSTEC Chairmanship; President to lead Sri Lanka delegation
Aug 28, 2018 (LBO) – President Maithripala Sirisena will lead the Sri Lanka Delegation to the 4th Summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), which will be held from 30-31 August 2018 in Kathmandu. Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at the conclusion of the Summit, the Chairmanship of BIMSTEC […]
Sri Lanka to expand Electronic Document Attestation System to DS level
Aug 20, 2018 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is to expand Electronic Document Attestation System (e-DAS) of the Foreign Ministry to Divisional Secretariat level of the country. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministries of Foreign and Home Affairs recently enabling the expansion of the system initially as a pilot project at 19 Divisional […]