Tag: Finance

April 20, 2009 (LBO) – The United States, which has called for a political package to end Sri Lanka’s internal conflict and expressed concern over civilians caught in fighting, is flexing its muscles over an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout for the island.Sri Lanka has applied for at least 1.9 billion US dollars from the […]

WASHINGTON, April 17, 2009 (AFP) – The International Monetary Fund approved a 47-billion-dollar credit line for Mexico Friday under a new scheme designed to throw a cash lifeline to countries hit by the global economic crisis. “The Mexican authorities have stated they intend to treat the arrangement as precautionary and do not intend to draw […]

April 18, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s inflation will dip below zero briefly by the middle of 2009, the island’s central bank governor Nivard Cabraal said as the world is gripped by a classic deflationary collapse. During the great depression, when the dollar strengthened and people pulled money out of banks to bury in their […]

WASHINGTON, April 16, 2009 (AFP) – The International Monetary Fund on Thursday forecast a prolonged, deep global recession in a crisis “nobody is escaping,” with recovery slow and difficult.Weak capital flows to emerging economies in the downturn will hammer Eastern Europe in particular, the IMF said in releasing two chapters from its twice-yearly World Economic […]

April 17, 2009 (LBO) – Most of the short term credits from Iran and private suppliers to Sri Lanka’s state-run petroleum retailer had been repaid, though the outflow worsened a balance of payments crisis in the island, a top central bank official said. The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) had borrowed up to a billion US […]

April 17, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s labour ministry says a request by the private sector to cut the working week to five days to deal with an economic slump, is timely and attempts would be made to reach a deal fast. Sri Lanka’s private sector has asked to end a half-day of work Saturday […]

Apr 16, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank, which has a monopoly on money issue in the island, has made a 5.04 billion rupee loss in 2008, badly hit by a 22.8 billion rupee forex loss, despite running a dollar peg which has to be backed by US assets. The process reversed thereafter, as […]

NUSA DUA, April 15, 2009 (AFP) – People traffickers are licking their lips as the world economic downturn pushes more people to migrate in search of work, Australia’s foreign minister told Asian ministers Wednesday.Stephen Smith told a gathering of ministers and high-level officials from more than 60 countries, mostly from the Asia-Pacific region, that the […]

Apr 14, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will become more attractive for investors once an International Monetary Fund stamp of approval comes with a bailout package, a top central bank official has said. “Once the IMF come in there would be more confidence, where you will find more development partners and foreign investors who would […]

ISLAMABAD, April 14, 2009 (AFP) – Pakistan’s president signed an accord to put part of the country under Islamic law as part of efforts to end a Taliban insurgency, despite fears Tuesday that it would encourage extremism. President Asif Ali Zardari’s move formalises a controversial deal between a pro-Taliban cleric, who led thousands of supporters […]

Apr 13, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s pampered state-enterprises, often overstaffed, and usually distinguished with poor customer service, are to get tax-write offs, a media report said, as the private sector is squeezed by yet new taxes. State-run Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation which has borrowed 150 million rupees from the Treasury will qualify for relief […]

Apr 12, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank is urging commercial banks to cut lending rates to stimulate growth while heavy government borrowing continues to crowd out the productive sectors. On April 08, Sri Lanka’s average commercial bank prime lending rate was 19.34 percent. Banks are taxed to the hilt, and have to cope […]