Sri Lanka Tamil Tiger leader in charity work

COLOMBO, Oct 17, 2012 (AFP) – The last leader of Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers, who is wanted by India over the assassination of former premier Rajiv Gandhi, has been freed from military custody, the defence ministry said Wednesday. Selvarasa Pathmanathan, who was arrested in August 2009, was no longer in detention and was free to […]

” debate meaningless: IMF Rep

Oct 16, 2012 (LBO) – Debating whether Sri Lanka’s rupee is ‘overvalued’ is a wasteful exercise as models used to determine some intrinsic value of an exchange rate are not worth the paper they are written on, an International Monetary Fund official said. “Economists – we – have these models,” IMF’s resident representative Koshy Mathai […]

Sri Lanka hikes prices of cement, poultry

Oct 14, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s consumer affairs authority, which has imposed price controls on chicken and cement, has raised the prices of the items media reports said. Poultry which is under price control also has import protection. Sri Lanka’s cost of production of poultry is artificially high duty to import protection given to […]

Sri Lanka budget: nobody said deficit is too large: Treasury Secretary

Oct 13, 2012 (LBO) – Not a single representative of the public or business community that had met Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is also finance minister, ahead of next month’s budget said the deficit was too large, an official said. Critics say the ruling political elite of all hues, has successfully maintained a […]

Sri Lanka to discuss new program later: IMF Rep

Oct 12, 2012 (LBO) – A separate mission would arrive in Sri Lanka to have discussion on an ongoing program with Sri Lanka with the end of a successful 2. 5 billion US dollar standby arrangement, an International Monetary Fund official said. IMF’s resident representative in Colombo Koshy Mathai said a mission that had just […]

Sri Lanka mine clearing boosted by Japan

Oct 11, 2012 (LBO) – Japan has give 96 million rupees (737,575) US dollars to clear mines in Sri Lanka’s former war zones where a civil war raged for 30-years until 2009, to help war refugees return to their former homes. The Japanese embassy in Colombo said the money will be used by Delvon Assistance […]

” ranking

Oct 11, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka expects to move up on an ease of doing business ranking compiled by World Bank group for 2013, a multilateral lender, the island’s central bank which has been involved in moves to improve the ranking said. A state or territory can move down on the rankings even without […]

Sri Lanka borrowings not limited to China: Treasury Secretary

Oct 11, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s external financing has got diversified out of a traditional Western led donor group but the country was not just depending on China, despite such a perception building up, Treasury secretary P B Jayasundera said. “Although there is a perception that we have only Chinese assistance for development, the […]

Sri Lanka water supply project to get more ADB finance

Oct 11, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will negotiate with the Asian Development Bank to get 40 million US dollars of additional financing for a water supply project in Sri Lanka’s dry zone, minister Keheliya Rambukwelle said. This project on completion will provide safe drinking water to more than 453,000 people living. The project involves […]

Sri Lanka raises alcohol taxes

Oct 09, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has raised taxes on alcohol ahead of a budget to be presented in parliament next month, a day after excise taxes on tobacco was raised, the island’s finance ministry has said. Taxes on wine has been raised to 898 rupees a proof litre from 838 rupees, molasses, palmyra, […]

Sri Lanka judges, magistrates, lawyers on strike over assault

Oct 08, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s district judges and magistrates are striking Monday, while several lawyers associations had decided to keep away from court work, over the assault of a the secretary of the island’s independent judicial services commission. Sri Lanka abolished a civil service commission, which was in charge of appointing, transferring and […]

Sri Lanka scholar explodes China arms trade myths

Oct 07, 2012 (LBO) – Contrary to popular belief that Chinese arms sales to Africa fuel wars and human rights abuses, it is the United States that sells more weapons to autocracies there, a Sri Lankan scholar says. Much of the ‘China-bashing’ in the Western media is driven by domestic protectionist pressures and is reminiscent […]

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