Sri Lanka economic forum to focus on export growth

June 05, 2013 (LBO) – An annual economic policy forum with the participation of businesses, academics and state officials this year will focus on strategies needed to boost the island’s flagging exports, its organizer, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce said.Sri Lanka’s exports fell 18.2 percent to 726.7 million US dollars in January 2013 from a year […]

Sri Lanka needs quick, cost-based energy tariffs: Treasury

June 3, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka needs quick cost-based energy pricing to avoid balance of payments pressure and stop bank credit being used for consumption, a finance ministry report has said.The overall national savings rate is further undermined by the deficit in the current account of the budget, where the state spends in current […]

Sri Lanka state bank dividends, levies boost revenues

June 03, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state banks and insurance funds have contributed 23 billion rupees or about 0.3 percent of gross domestic product to state revenues in 2012, official data showed. State enterprises such as Lak Sathosa also operate without paying value added tax. Corrected, revenues of 2013

Sri Lanka and Thailand ink deals on tourism, technology, business

May 31, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka and Thailand inked agreements on tourism, technology, business during a visit by Thai Prime Minister Yinluck Shinawatra to the island, who had bilateral talks with President Mahinda Rajapaksa.Thai deputy Prime Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul and Sri Lanka’s foreign minister G L Pieris, technology minister Patali Ranawaka inked the deals […]

Sri Lanka inflation accelerates to 7.3-pct on power tariff

May 31, 2013 (LBO) – Consumer prices in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo rose 7.3 percent in the 12 months to May 2013 accelerating from 6.4 percent in April mostly due a power tariff hike, data from the state statistics office showed. The Central Bank cut interest rates last month despite advice from the International Monetary […]

Korea business delegation visiting Sri Lanka in June

May 27, 2013 (LBO) – A business delegation from Korea will be visiting Sri Lanka in June to meet partners in Sri Lanka, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce said.The delegation is interested in meeting businesses in liquor, ship maintenance and conversion, steel, tourism, vehicle components, housing and construction, the chamber said. The delegation which will […]

Sri Lanka President promised more funding by China Exim Bank

May 28, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa had been promised more funding by head of the Export Import of Bank of China, Li Ruogu during talks in Beijing, his office in Colombo said. President Rajapaksa is on a four day visit to Beijing. The Exim Bank chief will extend support for road […]

Sri Lanka and China to negotiate free trade deal, expressway funding

May 28, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka and China will negotiate a free trade deal and Chinese support has been pledged for a planned expressway to the north of the island following a state visit by President Rajapaksa to Beijing.During bilateral meetings, agreement had been reached to set up two committees that will work towards […]

Way Cleared

May 28, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation has re-started its 50,000 barrels per day refinery after a crude carrier started discharging cargo through a repaired pipeline, the island’s petroleum ministry said.. The off-shore single point buoy mooring system and pipeline through which crude is unloaded and brought to the refinery was […]

Sri Lanka not revealing fiscal data according to law: legislator

May 27, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka current administration is breaking the law in withholding information that should be filed in parliament under a fiscal responsibility law, which should be corrected from this year, a legislator has said.In the first three months of the year state and SOE borrowings from the banking system rose to […]

Sri Lanka post-war growth shift smaller

May 27, 2013 (LBO) – A post-war growth spurt is temporary and there was no ‘structural shift’ to eight percent a year from six, needing policy changes, an economist said, echoing a call by the International Monetary Fund to improve policy. Harsha De Silva, who is also a legislator for the opposition said while there […]

Sri Lanka state, SOE, bank borrowings top Rs100bn in March

May 26, 2013 (LBO) – Bank credit to Sri Lanka’s state enterprises and central government surged to 100.6 billion rupees in March 2013 from 36.7 billion a month earlier, official data shows, perhaps the highest ever in a single month.But the broader public sector deficit with loss making energy enterprises was 8.6 percent of GDP […]

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