Tag: economy

Aug 23, 2010 (LBO) – An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission to Sri Lanka said the island’s programme with the fund is on track with the government being able to meet the budget deficit target of eight percent of Gross Domestic Product. “End-June performance criteria on domestic budget borrowing, reserve money, and net reserves have […]

Aug 20, 2010 (LBO) – Northern Sri Lanka, where education was highly valued before war retarded its growth, has potential to be transformed into a ‘knowledge economy’ from its traditional agrarian cum fisheries base, a statement said. An open forum on ‘Pathways to Knowledge-based Development’ in northern Jaffna is being organised by the Point Pedro […]

Aug 20, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Central Bank said it has cut its reverse repurchase rate by 50 basis points to nine percent with immediate effect, while keeping the repurchase rate steady at 7. 25 percent to support an economic recovery as inflation eased. “While inflationary pressures in the domestic economy have continued to […]

Aug 20, 2010 (LBO) – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Japan are providing financial aid to help Sri Lanka restore infrastructure and provide livelihood training for thousands of people displaced by war, a statement said. The Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction, administered by ADB, is extending a 2.5 million US dollar grant for a […]

Aug 18, 2010 (LBO) – India’s Mahindra and Mahindra group is planning to make investments in Sri Lanka initially in tourism and financial services and also increasing vehicles sales in the island, an official said. “Sri Lanka can provide a platform for large multinationals like us,” Anand Mahindra, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of the […]

Aug 18, 2010 (LBO) – Asian Development Bank (ADB) said its Vice President Xiaoyu Zhao will visit Sri Lanka from 19-21 August for talks with the government and to visit ADB funded projects especially in the former northern war zone. The bank said in a statement Zhao will review ADB support for the reconstruction and […]

Aug 13, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka should consider more private investment in education and health in prosperous areas, freeing public money for investment in upgrading in social services in lagging regions, an official said. Anura Ekanayake, chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, said there was a huge gap in the investments needed to […]

Aug 12, 2010 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan plans to develop prime land in Colombo occupied by squatters by leasing some lands and issuing debentures to raise funds for the work, a minister said. Government spokesman Anura Yapa, who is environment minister, said a survey revealed that 66,000 low-income families were living in Colombo and […]

Aug 10, 2010 (LBO) – The World Bank has advised Sri Lanka to change its development approach and improve access of people to prosperous parts of the country instead of shifting economic activity to lagging regions. These measures include investment subsidies, tax rebates, local regulations, local infrastructure development and targeted investment climate reforms, such as […]

Aug 09, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan Central Bank governor Nivard Cabraal warned possible economic shocks in future could take different forms and urged policymakers to stick to their policies despite pressure for change in the short term. Policy makers have to learn to balance different competing interests when administering the policies needed to restore […]

Aug 02, 2010 (LBO) – The United States aid agency has tied up with Sri Lankan businesses to set up clothing, construction and computing ventures that will create employment in the island’s north, a statement said. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) said US government support is expected to create 10,000 full-time jobs in […]

July 30, 2010 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan government intends to reduce taxes further and put pressure on commercial banks to lend more to the private sector, Sarath Amunugama, Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, said. With the island’s agriculture and services sectors expanding very fast, there is a need to pay much more attention […]