Tag: economy

Daejeon, KOREA July 12, 2010 (LBO) – The finance minister of South Korea, which is hosting an International Monetary Fund conference on Asia, pressed for reforms of the multi-lateral institution and its support to prevent destabilizing capital flows. “Up until now, it seems the IMF has not fully assumed its role of ensuring macro-economic stability […]

Daejeon, KOREA July 12, 2010 (LBO) – Asian economies must prepare to face huge and highly volatile capital flows and possibly more economic shocks given recent problems in Europe, the International Monetary Fund has warned. The sharp rebound in capital inflows, and related risks of overheating and credit and asset bubbles, remain key challenges for […]

July 09, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has relaxed monetary policy cutting rates by 25 basis points and raising its target from reserve money, the narrowest money supply through which final transaction in the economy are cleared. The central bank cut its reverse repo rate to 9.50 percent and the repo rate to 7. 25 […]

July 07, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is drawing up a concept plan to develop Colombo city, clear under-utilized area, reclaim land from the sea and open them for development by the private sector, officials said. Treasury secretary P B Jayasundera said plans for a ‘new city’ reclaimed out of the sea would be announced […]

July 07, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will maintain public investment at around 6 percent of gross domestic product and will attempt to kindle private investment five times that by creating an environment for people to invest, an official said. “Government will invest in areas not very attractive to the private sector,” Treasury secretary P […]

July 06, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s official foreign reserves edged up to 5,515 million US dollars in April 2010 from 5,192 million US dollars while imports also grew steeply on the back of a recovery in economic activities. The trade account is only a part of the balance of payments dealing with goods. The […]

July 05, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s foreign trade volumes and a trade gap widened in April 2010 amid as an economic recovery with exports growing 24. 2 percent and imports growing 55. 8 percent, official data showed. Exports grew to 543.5 million US dollars with tea growing 61 percent to 93. 7 million US […]

July 04, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s main opposition poked fun at a budget for 2010 which had less ‘grasping government’ elements in it and was more affordable to the poor, by throwing the ruling coalition’s own slogans of yesteryear, back at it. In 2006, Sri Lanka’s Mahinda Chinthana platform justified a spending spree saying […]

July 03, 2010 (LBO) – Standard & Poor’s may upgrade Sri Lanka’s credit when it next reviews the island’s sovereign rating with the resumption of an International Monetary Fund loan and strong foreign reserves, a media report said. “The new budget and continued IMF program are positives,” Benard said. “Still, to have effect on the […]

July 01, 2010 (LBO) – Lower interest rates and inflation, ending of a war, reduced war risk premiums, strong foreign reserves and better access to foreign capital markets will help exporters cope with the loss of European trade preferences, the Central Bank said. Sri Lanka is due to lose the Generalized System of Preference Plus […]

July 01, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Treasury yields were flat at Wednesday’s auction with the government selling 2. 0 billion more bills to raise fresh cash from the market, the government’s debt office said. The 3-month yield was 8.07 percent, the 6-month yield 8. 93 percent and thee 12-month yield 9.29 percent. The debt […]

June 30, 2010 (LBO) – The International Monetary Fund has lifted a ceiling on foreign commercial borrowing placed on Sri Lanka in 2009, in a new deal agreed with the government this month. Earlier this month, a part of a maturing 2-year dollar bond tranche was extended to 3-years. Meanwhile the budget presented to parliament […]