Sri Lanka to appoint joint mangers for sovereign bond

July 26, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka would choose more than one lead manager to the upcoming sovereign bond issue, with evaluations of bids to begin soon after a beauty parade ends this Friday, Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal said. “We want to increase Sri Lanka’s reach to a broader spread of investors,” Cabraal told […]

Investment banks in detailed bids for Sri Lanka sovereign bond

July 25, 2007 (LBO) – Investment banks vying to lead-manage a sovereign bond issue have started to make detailed presentations to the Sri Lanka government as official data showed that the country’s foreign reserves were coming under pressure. The beauty parade is expected to be completed this week with banks making proposals for 400 and […]

Sri Lanka seeks to attract Chinese investments

July 24, 2007 (LBO) – A Chinese trade and investment delegation is visiting Sri Lanka and is especially keen on doing business in the construction sector, Board of Investment officials said Tuesday. The team, from the China Council for the Promotion of Investment (CCPIT) in Shanghai, held talks with Investment Promotion Minister Sarath Amunugama and […]

Sri Lanka central bank warns of higher inflation in July

July 23, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank has warned of higher inflation in July as authorities started to apply brakes on rising interest rates by expanding domestic assets of the banking system. Analysts say the reserve outflow, which is believed to be fiscally induced, picked up pace further in early July. Sri Lanka’s […]

‘s expensive social safety net at crossroads

July 20, 2007 (LBO) – Tiny homesteads, tea gardens on hillocks nestled above rain fed paddyfields lining the roads, are typical of the rural village of Omantha, where its poor inhabitants depend on agriculture for a living. . The village, in the Kalutara district, is just 50 kilometers of Sri Lanka’s commercial capital Colombo and […]

Sri Lanka, India reach deal on mutual professional recognition

July 20 (LBO) – Sri Lanka and India has recognized each other’s professional standards, organizations senior official negotiating a wide-ranging trade and services agreement with India said. “We have almost finalized the text of the comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA),” Manel de Silva, Director-General of Commerce of the Commerce Department, told LBO in an interview. […]

Sri Lanka given Japanese aid to clear mines

July 20, 2007 (AFP) – Japan said Friday it was giving 3.2 million dollars to clear land mines in Sri Lanka even as government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels stepped up attacks against each other. The money will go to five international mine clearing charities and help civilians to go back to their homes in […]

Sri Lanka promises eastern economic revival

July 19, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse Thursday promised to wage an economic war to revive eastern areas of the country recently re-taken from the Tamil Tigers. “Economic freedom is as important as freeing territory,” the President said as the government held a televised ceremony to mark the fall of the last […]

Sri Lanka seeks foreign aid for captured province

July 16, 2007 (AFP) – The Sri Lankan government said Monday it would seek foreign aid to rebuild a key province recently wrested from the Tamil Tiger rebels after months of fighting.The rebels have admitted losing control of Thoppigala, formerly a key stronghold, but said they would revert to guerrilla tactics there. Donors would be […]

‘s lagging growth blamed on leftists, beggar mentality, big government: poll

July 15, 2007 (LBO) – Thirty years after Sri Lanka started to open its economy, a poll by an influential weekly has shown overwhelming approval for liberalization, with some saying reforms were not deep enough in areas like education. Respondents to the Sunday Times poll said while private sector workers had to work long hours […]

Sri Lanka, ILO to probe use of child labour in agriculture

July 14, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Labour Ministry has sought the help of the International Labour Organization to do a survey to find out if the country’s agriculture sector uses child labour. They are today the most vulnerable of the farming and fishing communities and their rights to a decent and dignified childhood free […]

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