‘s top lenders in 2010; China, capital markets

Nov 24, 2010 (LBO) – China has become Sri Lanka’s top bilateral lender up to September 2010, displacing Japan both in commitments and disbursements, but international capital markets dwarfed traditional lenders via billion dollar bond a month later. The government was now sitting on an aid pipeline of 6,968 million US dollars which included 1,156. […]

Sri Lanka beachfront investment next week: Treasury Secy

Nov 24, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is expecting up to 500 million US dollars of investments on a key beachfront re-development in Colombo with the first project to take off as early as next week, finance ministry secretary P B Jayasundera said. Development of the Galle Face area, Colombo’s most prominent beachfront, is part […]

Sri Lanka wages to rise as unemployment falls: official

Nov 24, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan business should be ready to pay higher wages as unemployment had come down, and youth becoming more educated and eager to find jobs abroad, a top Treasury official said. And better educated youth were seeking jobs abroad. “Also, our labour market is no longer only here,” Jayasundera said. […]

Sri Lanka gets most FDI for telecoms in first half 2010

Nov 23, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has received 208 million US dollars as foreign direct investments in the first half of 2010, with telecoms leading with 85 million US dollars, followed by manufacturing at 56 million US dollars, the Central Bank said. “Of the manufacturing sector, food, beverages and tobacco products; textile, wearing apparel […]

Sri Lankans allowed to buy foreign equity, foreigners to buy private bonds

Nov 23, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan individuals and unlisted firms will be allowed to buy foreign listed stocks for up to 100,000 US dollars a year and listed companies could buy up to 500,000 dollars worth a year, Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal said. A central bank that prints money has to allow the […]

Sri Lanka to run budget deficit of 6.8-pct of GDP in 2011

Nov 22, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is planning to run a budget deficit of 433. 7 billion rupees or 6.8 percent of gross domestic product, down from a revised 446. 7 billion rupees or 8.0 percent gap in 2010, a budget presented to parliament said. In 2011 the government is planning to increase tax […]

Sri Lanka ends tax discrimination

Nov 22, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s government will raise an employee income tax threshold and end discrimination that exempted state workers from paying tax, President Mahinda Rajapaksa told parliament. The PAYE (pay as your earn) tax threshold is to be raised to 600,000 rupees a year or 50,000 rupees a month, Rajapaksa said in […]

Sri Lanka business costs up due to new forced saving scheme

Nov 22, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s business operating costs are to rise with wages expenses rising by 4.0 percent following another state managed forced savings plans being set up, though income taxes have been cut to 28 percent from 35 percent. The budget speech said the state will force employers to transfer the entire […]

Sri Lanka awaits budget for 2011

Nov 22, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is awaiting a budget for 2011 which will increase total taxes extracted from the people to fund state spending, while there are hopes that excessively taxed sections will get some reductions and the deficit will narrow. The current account deficit has been the key reason for low total […]

Sri Lanka growth for 2010 7.6-pct: Central Bank

Nov 22, 2020 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s economy is projected to grow 7. 6 percent in 2010 up from 3.5 percent in 2009, helped by the end of a 30-year war, which would be followed by an 8. 0 percent expansion in 2011, the Central Bank said. “All major sectors in the economy are expected […]

Sri Lanka cuts bank taxes, hikes tax on stock trading

Nov 22, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has cut a series of taxes on banks in a bid to increase banking activities, but raised a tax on stock trading, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said presenting the budget for 2011 in parliament. A debit tax on withdrawals from banks would be lifted and a so-called financial value […]

Sri Lanka appoints 90 ministers and deputies

Nov 22, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa has appointed 59 ministers in addition to the prime minister and 31 deputy ministers Tuesday ahead of a budget for 2011 to run the administration during his second term in office. Among the large group of ministers was also a minister for productivity development. Rajapaksa’s […]

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