Tag: Sri Lanka
US envoy to visit Sri Lanka
WASHINGTON, December 4, 2009 (AFP) – A senior US envoy will head to Sri Lanka next week to encourage post-war reconciliation, days after the island nation allowed Tamil civilians to leave detention camps, officials said Friday.Robert Blake, the assistant secretary of state for South Asia, will visit Sri Lanka on Monday and Tuesday in the […]
UN View
GENEVA, December 4, 2009 (AFP) – The UN refugee agency said on Friday that it was encouraged by “increased freedom of movement” for war-displaced civilians in Sri Lanka who have been in internment camps in the north of the island. “We are encouraged by the Sri Lankan government’s long-awaited decision this week to allow increased […]
‘s high deficit spending hurt investment capital: analysts
Dec 04, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s deficit spending, heavy state consumption, opaque monetary and fiscal policies and resulting high inflation has stifled investment credit markets and skewed savers towards the short term, analysts have said.“Vacillating primary account deficits meant volatile interest rates, further hampering any viable termed out structure of savings, of whatever savings […]
Sri Lanka to rebuild northern town
Dec 04, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka plans to spend 15 billion rupees on rebuilding a northern town that was affected by fighting between security forces and Tamil Tiger separatists, the Ministry of Urban Development said.It said in a statement that an entirely new city will be built in the town of Vavuniya under the […]
Bernanke to face stormy confirmation hearing
WASHINGTON, December 3, 2009 (AFP) – Lawmakers are likely to vent frustration over the economy and bailout of the financial system Thursday at a Senate confirmation hearing for Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke. The powerful central bank chief is nonetheless expected to win approval for a second four-year term from the Banking Committee and the […]
Sri Lanka central bank lashes out at exporters engaging in policy debate
Dec 03, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank has lashed out at exporters who engaged in a policy debate on the island’s exchange rate saying they were “partisan” and were “driven by personal interests”, unlike its own stance which was “professional”. The Central Bank has been under fire for creating high inflation from 2004, […]
Gold price storms to record above 1,200 dollars
LONDON, December 1, 2009 (AFP) – The price of gold reached above 1,200 dollars an ounce for the first time on Tuesday as a weak US currency pushed up demand for the precious metal viewed as a safe-haven investment, analysts said. Gold struck a record high 1,201.63 dollars an ounce on the London Bullion Market […]
Sri Lanka private sector credit turns corner in Sept
Dec 02, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s private sector credit started expanding in September 2009 ending eight months of contraction and the Central Bank says it would like to see more credit growth before tightening monetary policy.Growing private sector credit demand could also push risk free yields up as the risk appetite of banks increase. […]
Sri Lanka must help released war refugees: Amnesty
December 2, 2009 (AFP) – Amnesty International on Wednesday pushed Sri Lanka to grant full freedom to 130,000 Tamil civilians who have been allowed out of camps where they were detained following the island’s ethnic conflict.The government said the camp inmates, who were displaced in the war against the Tamil Tiger rebels, were now free […]
‘s camp inmates free to leave Tuesday: official
November 30, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka will Tuesday allow thousands of civilians to leave state-run camps where they have been detained since the military’s victory over Tamil Tiger separatist rebels, a senior official said.About 128,000 men, women and children who were displaced during the final stages of the conflict remain in heavily guarded military […]
‘s camp inmates set free
VAVUNIYA, December 1, 2009 (AFP) – Tens of thousands of Sri Lankan civilians held in state-run camps following the island’s ethnic conflict were allowed to walk free Tuesday, ending their internationally-condemned detention.Men, women and children were given their first opportunity to leave the northern Manik Farm complex since their incarceration over seven months ago. But […]
Sri Lanka inflation accelerates to 2.8-pct in November
Nov 30, 2009 (LBO) – Consumer prices in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo rose 2.8 percent in November 2009 from a year earlier, against 1.4 percent in October, indicating inflation is picking up, the government’s statistics office and analysts said. The statistics office said that in November 2009, the 12-month moving average, a seasonally adjusted inflation […]