Tag: Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan refugee camps emptying: UNHCR
GENEVA, April 27, 2010 (AFP) – More than 200,000 of some 280,000 mainly Tamil people displaced after the civil war in northern Sri Lanka have left their camps since last August, the UN refugee agency said Tuesday. A spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said the government allowed returns to resume last week […]
Sri Lanka business loans surge in February: data
Apr 27, 2010 (LBO) – Loans from Sri Lanka’s commercial banks to the private business rose 16. 5 billion rupees in February in the biggest monthly gain seen since a credit contraction ended in September, official data shows. Credit to the private sector grew to 1,212. 3 billion rupees in February from 1,195.8 billion rupees […]
Sri Lankan detained in Malaysia after standoff: police
KUALA LUMPUR, April 26, 2010 (AFP) – Malaysian police Monday said they have detained 75 Sri Lankan migrants who refused to get off a fishing trawler, after three days of talks to persuade them to leave the vessel broke down. The trawler was intercepted off northern Perak state on Friday but the group, including six […]
” education crisis worsens: report
Apr 26, 2010 (LBO) – A crisis in Sri Lanka’s state-run ‘free’ education system funded by people’s taxes has worsened with 47 percent of students failing a key junior high school test leaving them stranded with no prospects, a report said. At Sri Lanka’s general certificate of education – ordinary level, equal to a junior […]
Sri Lanka public investments increasing: Treasury chief
Apr 26, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s public investments are on the rise as government builds new infrastructure for a post-war revival, laying the foundation for more private investment, Treasury secretary P B Jayasundera said. “Now we have around 25 percent of total investment. ” In 2009 the government invested the equivalent of 6.7 percent […]
Sri Lanka considers ending emergency laws
April 25, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lanka may scrap the state of emergency laws that gave sweeping powers to police and troops during the island’s long ethnic conflict with Tamil rebels, a newly appointed minister said Sunday. Peiris, who was appointed on Friday after recent parliamentary elections, said he wanted to address concerns from the […]
Sri Lanka to expand first post-war cabinet
April 24, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s president will expand his new cabinet by five ministers but the government will still have far fewer members than the previous one, an official source said Saturday. President Mahinda Rajapakse, whose ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance took victory in this month’s parliamentary election, will bring in five more […]
Sri Lanka in attempt to better manage smaller state firms
Apr 24, 2010 (LBO) – A new ministry has been created with about 20 mostly loss making state enterprises, in a bid to make them more profitable and less of a burden on the people, officials said. Published data on state enterprises are not easily available. According to data in a report issued by the […]
Sri Lanka president retains finance, cuts size of new cabinet
Apr 23, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa retained the finance and defence portfolios in a new cabinet appointed after parliamentary polls and added the ministries of ports, aviation and highways seen as critical in a post-war revival. A government statement said the cabinet consists of 37 ministers and 39 deputies, much smaller […]
World Bank opens data goldmine to all
Apr 22, 2010 (LBO) – The World Bank has opened its statistics spanning 50-years to and called upon the global community to use the data to help poor people in the developing world. “I believe it’s important to make the data and knowledge of the World Bank available to everyone,” a World Bank statement quoted […]
Developing nations call for finance reform
WASHINGTON, April 22, 2010 (AFP) – Delaying financial reform could put the global economic recovery at risk, a group of 24 developing nations warned on Thursday as they called for “vigorous” implementation of reforms. Visiting Wall Street — the epicenter of the global meltdown — Obama called on company bosses to help pass sweeping financial […]
Sri Lanka to present interim budget
Apr 23, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s government is to present a ‘vote on account’ instead of a formal budget for the three-month May to July period and a ‘mini-budget’ thereafter to cover spending till year’s end, a spokesman said. This was because of presidential and parliamentary polls called ahead of schedule, both of which […]