Tag: business

KATARAGAMA, February 4, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse promised Friday to promote economic development at all costs to make up for opportunities lost during the country’s separatist war. In an address on the country’s 63rd anniversary of independence from Britain, Rajapakse said he would press ahead with infrastructure projects and double per […]

Feb 03, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has got 216. 6 million US dollars from the International Monetary Fund despite missing one key target and lack of data for another, with the lender banking on better budgeting and inflation control. The dollar reserves are more than enough to convert the entire rupee monetary base which […]

Feb 03, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka missed a foreign reserve target set in a deal with the International Monetary Fund due to an early repayment of a loan to Iran, IMF resident representative Koshy Mathai said. The government itself has no capacity to generate foreign exchange, except by borrowing and indebting future generations. Exports […]

Feb 02, 2011 (LBO) – The United States said it was “deeply concerned” about the most recent attack on the media in Sri Lanka and said such violence silences voices, undermines freedom of expression and further undermines democracy. A total of 17 journalists and media employees have been killed in Sri Lanka in the past […]

Feb 02, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka needs to boost its export sector at least to regain where it was in the share of exports to Gross Domestic Product about 10 years ago, a visiting economist said. “Probably Sri Lanka has the need to boost the export sector at least to regain where it was […]

Jan 31, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank has spent about 11 billion rupees last year to sterilize excess liquidity generated mainly from external sources, and existing excess liquidity is not a threat at the moment, officials said. A large stock of foreign reserves, significantly higher than the local monetary base, can make seigniorage […]

Jan 31, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s inflation in January 2011 rose 6. 8 percent from a year ago after rising 6.9 percent in December 2010, the central bank said. Prices rose 1.3 percent during January 2011 with the index rising 231. 2 in the month, it said in a statement. The seasonally adjusted, moving […]

Jan 27, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s US embassy said it had set up an ‘American Corner’ in the northern Jaffna city, which will help people tap educational opportunities, knowledge and information technology. “An American Corner is much more than a small library where people can read books, magazines, or current newspapers,” Ambassador Patricia Butenis […]

JOHANNESBURG, 2011 (AFP) – The global economic recovery is gaining traction but is “still at risk” because of eurozone debt worries and a lack of financial reform, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday. “Banks face significant funding needs now and over the next two years. In many advanced economies, we need to deal with […]

January 26, 2011 (AFP) – The Sri Lankan government said Wednesday it was relocating the defence ministry and main army headquarters in Colombo to make way for a billion-dollar hotel project. An information department statement said the cabinet had decided to shift the military facilities from their prime, seafront location in the capital to the […]

Jan 24, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is to raise up to 500 million US dollars from land sales in 2011, a top official has said as November data indicated that the 2010 budget has been contained within targets. Treasury secretary P B Jayasundera was quoted as saying in Bloomberg, a newswire that Sri Lanka […]

Jan 22, 2011 (LBO) – Organizers of Sri Lanka’s Galle Literary Festival has defended its tradition of openness after two star writers pulled out of the event in the wake of protest from rights groups, while India denied that its visa rules hindered writers. “We are looking forward to welcoming writers and festival goers, to […]