Tag: Finance

March 05, 2009 (LBO) – Overseas Realty (Ceylon) Ltd. (ORCL) said it is finding it difficult to sell apartments in a new high-rise condominium complex being built in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo due to the economic crisis. But ORCL chairman S P Tao, head of Singapore’s Shing Kwan group, said he is confident of […]

Mar 04, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is among low income countries (LICs) at “medium” risk from global economic turmoil, and some nations were at “high” risk needing foreign aid as commercial markets dry up, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said. Direct financial transmission of the crisis was spreading to countries like Ghana and […]

March 04, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has asked for a 1,900 million US dollar balance of payments support facility from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the first tranche was expected later this month, the central bank said. Sri Lanka also got support from the IMF after the Indian Ocean tsunami hit the country […]

Mar 03, 2009 (LBO) – The International Monetary Fund has sent a mission to Sri Lanka to look at the country’s “near-term outlook”, the global monetary watchdog said, as the island is grappling with the worst balance of payments crisis in a decade. The binges brought minor currency crises in 2004, 2006 and 2007 as […]

March 01, 2009 (LBO) – A new World Bank report says Sri Lanka must improve HIV/AIDS prevention programmes to prevent the disease causing economic damage.Conditions contributing to high vulnerability include the war, high mobility of soldiers and refugees, and separation of spouses due to overseas employment, said the report on how HIV and AIDS in […]

Feb 28, 2009 (LBO) – The cut in the outlook of Sri Lanka’s ‘B+’ sovereign rating to ‘negative’ by Fitch Ratings is ‘unwarranted’ and ‘pessimistic’ the island’s Central Bank said. The Central Bank said the rating agency had a “pessimistic view” of various measures being taken by Sri Lanka to increase the country’s flagging foreign […]

Feb 27, 2009 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings has lowered Sri Lanka’s long-term foreign currency sovereign credit outlook to negative from stable while confirming its rating at ‘B+’ and short-term rating at ‘B’. In 2009, Fitch forecasts the trade deficit will fall to 3.5 billion dollars and the current account will decline to 2.1 billion dollars, […]

Feb 27, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s inflation in the 12 months to February 2009 measured by the revised Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI) fell to 7.6 percent from 10.7 percent in January, the government statistics office said. However Sri Lanka is now in the middle of a severe balance of payments crisis, and the […]

Feb 25, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan tax payers are being asked by the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) to continue to pay their dues, as the island’s tax office is operating as usual after last week’s Tamil Tiger air attack on its headquarters building. A government minister said the IRD’s tax data base had not […]

Feb 24, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has cut the statutory reserve ratio (SRR) or percentage of deposits commercial banks must keep with the central bank, by 75 basis points to 7.0 percent releasing 9 billion rupees of cash to the system.From September to December, Sri Lanka’s official reserves have halved from 3.4 to 1.7 […]

Feb 20, 2009 (LBO) – While developed countries are facing economic contraction, developing nations are facing increases of absolute poverty, with some countries like Sri Lanka having little fiscal room to maneuver, economists have said. A global economic crunch from a collapsing housing, financial and commodity bubble was slowing ‘economic growth’ worldwide, with world growth […]

Feb 20, 2009 (LBO) – Falling inflation is giving Sri Lanka more room to loosen monetary policy, Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal said Friday, though the island is grappling with a balance of payments problem. Sri Lanka’s 12-month inflation would fall to around 8.0 percent in February from 10.7 percent in January and year-end inflation […]