Sri Lanka has cut deficit spending, lowered inflation: monetary minister

Sept 25, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has reigned in deficit spending, allowing inflation and interest rates to ease, giving space for people to engage in growth generating activities after the end of a long running war, a senior minister has said. “Relatively high fiscal deficits and double digit inflation were the main macro-economic issues […]

UNITED NATIONS, September 24, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s president on Friday condemned “tainted” international allegations of a military massacre of civilians during an assault to end a Tamil rebellion. Tamil community members earlier this year filed a lawsuit against Rajapakse when he paid a private visit to the United States. The Sri Lankan government […]

Sri Lanka must seek balance between East and West: economist

Sept 23, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka must improve trade ties with emerging Asian growth centres but not write-off the United States and Europe just because they are in a weak phase, an economist said. “We need to find ways for Sri Lanka to productively piggy-back on India’s growth and seek closer economic integration with […]

Fed backs more stimulus, sidesteps pressure

WASHINGTON, September 21, 2011 (AFP) – The Federal Reserve redoubled its efforts to juice the US economy on Wednesday, unveiling a $400 billion stimulus plan and shunning political calls for the bank to take a back seat. The Fed’s top policy panel unleashed the latest in a battery of tools aimed at rekindling the troubled […]

IMF warns global economy in danger zone

WASHINGTON, September 20, 2011 (AFP) – The global economy has entered “a dangerous new phase,” with a recovery that is much weaker than was predicted just months ago, the International Monetary Fund warned Tuesday. Emerging market economies that have been the recovery’s driving force, such as China and India, will not escape unscathed from the […]

Sri Lanka Tamil protesters ask for probe into war crimes allegations

GENEVA, September 19, 2011 (AFP) – Tamils from across Europe demonstrated at the UN’s European headquarters on Monday, calling for a probe into alleged war crimes committed by Sri Lanka at the end of the country’s 2009 civil war. According to local police, around 1,000 protesters gathered in Geneva’s iconic Place des Nations, to urge […]

Sri Lanka will not take all advice that is given: CB Governor

Sept 19, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will not take all economic advice that is given but chart its own course based on a longer term path, Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal said amid concern over continued defence of the island’s dollar peg. “We’ve got to be very clear to the public, to the economic […]

Sri Lanka policy rates steady, credit expected to slow: Central Bank

Sept 16, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has kept policy rates steady at 7. 00 percent to deposit excess reserves and 8. 50 percent to inject cash as rupee liquidity in monetary markets declined, expecting credit growth and forex interventions to ease in the future. The Central Bank said broad money grew 20. 7 percent […]

Swazi king wants bailout from IMF, World Bank

MANZINI, September 14, 2011 (AFP) – Swazi King Mswati III said Wednesday that the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank should come to his country’s rescue, as they have for troubled nations like Greece and Portugal. “When they come to visit us, they do not come in the same spirit and that is a […]

Sri Lanka, Vietnam mull tractor plant, garment ventures

Sept 15, 2011 (LBO) – Vietnam is considering setting up a tractor plant in Sri Lanka and also joint ventures in garment manufacture, the island’s ministry of industry and commerce said in a statement. “Vietnam is keen to import more coconuts from Sri Lanka, collaborate in garment manufacturing and also to set up a manufacturing […]

‘s GDP expands 8.2-pct in June quarter: statistics office

Sept 15, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s economy expanded by an estimated 8. 2 percent in the second quarter of 2011 from a year earlier, led by industry and services, the state statistics office said. In the second quarter of 2010, gross domestic product grew by 8.5 percent. The statistics office said industry, which has […]

Sri Lanka investments being mulled by Korea

Sept 14, 2011 (LBO) – South Korean firms like Hyundai and LG are interested in exploring investements in shipbuilding and electronics in Sri Lanka, the island’s ministry of industry and commerce said. The interest of Korean companies was revealed by South Korean ambassador Jongmoon Choi during a courtesy call on the industry and commerce minister […]

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