Economy & Markets

Sri Lankans abroad buying ‘homeland’ bonds to get land tax break

Nov 07, 2007 (LBO) – Foreign resident Sri Lankans who will buy a special bond would be allowed to buy land in the country without a penal 100 percent …

Sri Lanka budgets 7-pct deficit for 2008

Nov 07, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka says the budget deficit for 2008 would be 7.0 percent of the economy and the country was hoping to balance its revenues …

Sri Lanka to limit tax holidays – Update II

Nov 07, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka would cap tax holidays to a maximum of three years from 2008, and extend tax incentives only to low income housing and …

Sri Lanka awash in dollar liquidity, country wide inflation at 22.1-pct

Nov 06, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka's country-wide inflation shot up to 22.1 percent in September, the latest data shows, while the monetary authority is …

Sri Lanka counts cost of war with new budget

Nov 6, 2007 (AFP) - Sri Lanka is expected to unveil its biggest ever war budget this week, as a government military campaign to crush the Tamil Tiger rebels …

Sri Lanka says rupee will appreciate and interest rates will fall

Nov 06, 2007 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan rupee would appreciate to 110 to the US dollar and interest rates and inflation would fall further, Treasury …

Sri Lanka to print less money for deficit after bond issue: Central Bank

Nov 02, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka's central bank says it would not have to print money as the government had borrowed abroad helping lower inflation in the …

Sri Lanka women keeping economy afloat – UN

Nov 01, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is depending on women to earn foreign revenues more than any other country in the world with the bulk of worker …

Sri Lanka should lower inflation to protect poor people: World Bank

Nov 01, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka should lower inflation to protect the poor and take steps to clear economic imbalances that were building up, a top …

Sri Lanka’s weak rule of law alarming for economy: World Bank

Nov 1, 2007 (AFP) - A top World Bank official on Thursday urged Sri Lanka to cut a political deal with Tamil rebels to help spur economic growth which has been …

Sri Lanka inflation jumps in October to 19.6 %

Oct 31, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka's inflation rocketed 3.8 percent in October driving consumer prices in the capital Colombo during the past 12-months to …

Sri Lanka treasury yields plummet, rupee gains

Oct 31, 2007 (LBO) - Sri Lanka treasury yields plummeted at Wednesday's auction with the benchmark 3-month bill falling 143 basis points to 15. online pharmacy …

Man’s closest relatives in Sri Lanka face extinction

Oct 27, 2007 (LBO) – Two Sri Lankan primates, man's closest relatives in the wild, have been named as being among 25 species that are most severely …

Sri Lanka’s rich and poor ministries

Oct 27, 2007 (LBO) - Eighty percent of Sri Lanka's budget next year would be spent by 20 percent of the ministries with more than half the ministries getting …

Sri Lanka balance of payments surplus to double after bond: CB

Oct 26, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka's central bank said the balance of payments surplus in 2007 would more than double to 450 million dollars with the help of …

Sri Lanka Treasury bill yields crash after debt issue

Oct 24, 2007 (LBO) - Sri Lankan government Treasury bill yields have fallen sharply after the government's 500 million US dollar bond sale, dealers said. The …

The bizarre battle between IMF, well-meaning charities like Oxfam and poverty

WASHINGTON, Oct 24, 2007 (LBO) – At this year's annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the largest lender to poor countries, the World …

Sri Lanka rating agency warns of real estate market downturn

Oct 23, 2007 (LBO) – Lanka Rating Agency has warned of a possible slump in the property market which has been growing rapidly in recent years and shows …

Sri Lanka Tigers damage two helicopter gunships in assault

Oct 22, 2007 (LBO) - Sri Lankan Tamil Tiger rebels launched an air and ground assault under cover of darkness on an air force base in the north central …

Sri Lanka lacks evidence based economic debate: WB economist

WASHINGTON, Oct 22, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka needs debate on economic policy centered on real evidence or research instead of extreme posturing based on …