Tag: Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka exports up 7.0 percent, trade expands
Oct 28, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka exports grew 7.0 percent to 760.3 million US dollars in August 2010, with industrial exports up 7. 8 percent to 574 million dollars though apparels continued to weaken, official data showed. Imports were up 36.9 percent to 8,669 million US dollars with consumer goods up 45.1 percent to […]
Sri Lanka LOLC buys into construction firm
Oct 28, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s listed LOLC group and Browns Investments, a private firm, have bought into the island’s Sierra group which has interests in construction, cable manufacturing and fertilizer in a 1.6 billion rupee deal. LOLC, a financial firm had earlier also bought a hotel group. The two firms had bought a […]
Sri Lanka has too much foreign reserves: CB Governor
Oct 28, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has higher than ‘optimum’ foreign reserves, Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal said as a wide interest rate differential with the island’s anchor currency, official borrowings and International Monetary Fund injections boosted reserves. As long as sterilization continues (rupee injections), economic participants get unlimited ammunition to hit the exchange […]
Sri Lanka seen slightly less corrupt
Oct 27, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has marginally improved its score in a global corruption index but governance is still so bad that it ranks among other countries seen to be very corrupt, a statement said. “The score indicates that these countries continue to have a serious corruption problem in their public sector.” In […]
Sri Lanka stockbroker stirs up storm by calling for end to dissent: report
Oct 27, 2010 (LBO) – A call by a stockbroking firm to immediately identify and eliminate “traitors” who may question a “noble” government goal of making the “motherland” a financial hub of South Asia, has stirred up a storm, a media report said. Sri Lanka’s Daily FT business daily said the call was contained in […]
Sri Lanka mulls IT use in tax reforms
Oct 27, 2010 (LBO) – A report on reforms to Sri Lanka’s complex national and regional taxes has recommended using information technology to make it easier to charge and pay taxes, a statement from the president’s office said. The report by the presidential commission on taxation was handed over to President Mahinda Rajapaksa Tuesday after […]
Sri Lanka lifts price controls on rice
Oct 26, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has lifted price controls on rice originally imposed to prevent a sharp price spike caused by low harvests and state controls that prevented imports from coming in to stabilize prices. The government’s information office said the consumer affairs authority has lifted a 70 rupee per kilogram price cap […]
Canada unveils law to curb illegal immigration
OTTAWA, October 21, 2010 (AFP) – The Canadian government on Thursday unveiled legislation aimed at curbing illegal immigration and human smuggling by imposing stiff penalties and even detaining asylum seekers. The arrival of two ships carrying illegal migrants over the past year “clearly demonstrates that human smuggling networks are targeting Canada as a destination and […]
US disruption of China currency will be disastrous: Steve Hanke
Oct 21, 2010 (LBO) – A sudden appreciation of the Chinese currency, which is sought by the US, could disrupt China’s economy and the world, rather than increasing the demand for American exports, a top monetary economist has warned. “Using the authority granted by the Thomas Amendment of 1933 and the Silver Purchase Act of […]
” to fiscal prudence hailed
Oct 21, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has made a ‘re-commitment’ to fiscal prudence and a promotion of public private partnerships is a pragmatic recognition of private sector strengths that will help improve finances, a top economist and retired public servant had said. Former central bank governor A S Jayewardene said a recent speech by […]
Sri Lanka reveals haul of civilian gold from war zone
October 21, 2010 (AFP) – The Sri Lankan government has said its troops collected more than four million dollars worth of gold jewellery during the defeat of the Tamil Tiger rebels. Chief government whip Dinesh Gunawardena told parliament on Wednesday that security forces picked up the precious items during the final months of the decades-long […]
Gas Prospects
Oct 21, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan liquid petroleum gas supplier Laugfs Gas is raising 2.5 billion rupees to settle debt, expand facilities and also enter property development as the country recovers from a war, its promoters said. Market Growth Laugfs has a 28 percent share of the total LPG market which it aims to […]
