Tag: Finance

Jan 21, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank says it will persevere with its quantity targeting regime this year but also use other instruments if needed. It is also negotiating currency swaps with other central banks to have greater access to foreign currency. A weakening economic outlook at home and global economic troubles has […]

Jan 20, 2009 (LBO) – The meltdown of the global economic system is not a collapse of capitalism and markets but rather a failure of government, World Bank’s Sri Lanka country director Naoko Ishii said.Ishii said the collapse of banks and falling prices of financial markets have been interpreted by some as a failure of […]

Jan 20, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is among 25 percent of countries that are poorly equipped to deal with the global financial crisis, and needs fiscal as well as external adjustment to stabilize itself, a World Bank economist said. Claus Astrup, World Bank’s senior country economist in Sri Lanka said about 40 percent of […]

Jan 19, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank said it would not apply for an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout or devalue the currency but would seek other means to shore up the island’s dwindling foreign reserves. A typical IMF package involves a clean float of the currency to stop further sterilized intervention and […]

Jan 17, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa has appointed public administration and home affairs minister Sarath Amunugama as deputy minister of finance and planning, the president’s office said in a statement. Amunugama had been finance minister under previous administration and has also been a public servant before he took to politics. Amunugama […]

Jan 16, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s tsunami affected tourism sector is to get repayment extensions running up to three years for loans taken up under the ‘Susahana’ and Small Business Revival Program (SBRP) lending schemes, the Central Bank said. Under the relief program, those who took SBRP and Sushana tsunami loans would receive a […]

TOKYO, January 5, 2009 (AFP) – Japan, Sri Lanka’s top donor, was cautious Monday after the Tamil Tiger rebels’ capital fell, with an official saying that only a political solution could resolve the island’s ethnic war. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, part of the Sinhalese majority, vowed in a New Year’s address to crush the […]

Jan 02, 2009 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan government is considering increasing customs duties on milk powder imports to take advantage of plunging global prices without raising domestic prices and raise revenue. World prices have plummeted by over 50 percent from a November 2007 high of 4,550 dollars a metric ton of milk powder. “The […]

Jan 03, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank has promised single digit inflation amid deflationary external conditions and the possibility of a looser stance and lower interest rates in 2009, in its annual road map for monetary policy. In the last few months inflation has been falling with the effects of external deflationary conditions […]

Jan 02, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s inflation rate expected to fall to 8.0 – 9.0 percent by mid-2009, central bank governor Nivard Cabraal said.Cabraal said inflation has been coming down since July 2008 and that inflationary expectations also show signs of moderating. “Also, interest rates are expected to follow the decline in inflation,” Cabraal […]

Jan 01, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is hoping to hike import taxes as international prices fall to cover part of the cost of a 16 billion rupee ‘stimulus’ announced by the government to boost economic growth in 2009, a top official said. The government announced a series of measures this week, including cheaper diesel […]

Dec 31, 2008 (LBO ) – Consumer price inflation in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo fell to 14.4 percent in the 12-months to December from 16.3 percent in November, the government’s statistics office said. In the first half of 2008 inflation was high partly due to effects of loose policy in 2007 and also high inflation […]