Tag: Finance

SINGAPORE, August 21, 2013 (AFP) – Growth-hungry Asian economies which bypass industrialisation and leapfrog from agriculture to the services sector may fall into a “middle income trap”, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) cautioned Wednesday.ADB chief economist Changyong Rhee said the region’s low-income economies should focus on developing their manufacturing sectors, which would in turn generate […]

Aug 18, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s northern Jaffna peninsula, which has emerged from a 30-year civil war, has untapped potential for greater investment and trade officials said. “The area has a high cash flow where at least one member of the family or relations is living in overseas,” Aasim Mukthar , general manager of […]

Aug 17, 2013 (LBO) – A low inflation level maintained by Sri Lanka’s central bank is likely to support its credit rating in the future, a senior sovereign credit analyst at Standard & Poor’s said. Sri Lanka’s inflation eased to 6.1 percent in the 12 months to July from after spiking to 9.8 percent in […]

Aug 16, 2013 (LBO)- Sri Lanka has kept policy rates steady in August with inflation moderate but the external sector will be watched closely amid currency turmoil in trading partners, the Central Bank said. “Such inflows display that the foreign investor confidence on Sri Lanka has remained unchanged despite the volatility caused by global markets […]

Aug 16, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will target mid-single digit inflation from next year from the current single digit, Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal said. Inflation spiked to near 10 percent earlier in 2013 following high credit growth and balance of payments trouble which sent the rupee reeling to 130 to the US dollar […]

Aug 16, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka hopes to have a current account surplus in the balance of payments after 2016 Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal said. A capital account deficit country, or a country that builds up foreign reserves could have a current account surplus. “Sri Lanka will have inflows to the country,” Cabraal […]

WELLINGTON, August 12, 2013 (AFP) – New Zealand on Monday rejected allegations from Sri Lanka that its dairy products were contaminated with a farm chemical, accusing industry rivals of exploiting fears stirred by a recent botulism scare.While no infants fell ill after consuming tainted product, the scandal hurt Fonterra’s brand in the massive China baby […]

Aug 09, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Fonterra unit said it was recalling some product from the market on a health ministry directive but the chemical alleged to be in milk powder was not toxic and its use had been stopped last year. Fonterra Lanka chief Leon Clement said two batches of Anchor and Anchor […]

Aug 09, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka probably has ‘mamma’ bear forex reserves an International Monetary Fund official said responding to the official position that the country had ‘goldilocks’ reserves that were just right. The Central Bank also has to repay the IMF about another 250 million US dollars in the second half of 2013, […]

Aug 07, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has halted the sale of imported baby formula following a contamination scare over New Zealand made dairy products and media organizations will be asked to stop advertising milk products, a senior health official said.Heath services director general Palitha Mahipala said a food advisory committee that met yesterday had […]

Aug 07, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s credit rating can be upgraded if fiscal and monetary policy improves leading to greater stability and steady growth and more foreign direct investment and less debt comes for investment, a senior Fitch Ratings official said.Sri Lanka has a ‘BB-‘ speculative rating, three levels below investment grade with a […]

Aug 06, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s budget deficit will narrow and debt will slow with falling domestic interest rates and public private partnerships in infrastructure, Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal said. “We will see a huge reduction in interest costs,” Cabraal told a sovereign and banking forum organized by Fitch. In 2014 the budget […]