Gaping Hole
rnrnInrnthe 2004 pre-election budget report, the Treasury says handouts for drought costrnRs. 900 mn, transport sector Rs. 1.8 bn, backward wages for the …
Economy & Markets
Buffer Stock
Sri Lankas gross official foreign exchange reserves stood a provisional US$ 2.33 bn, up 37.0 percent from US$ 1.70 bn in December 2002, the Central Bank said …
Adding Up
Industrial and agro exports claimed higher prices in 2003 compared to the prices for imports, shifting the terms of trade in Sri Lankas favour. The trend …
Wide Choice
The Colombo Stock Exchanges debt trading system officially goes live next Wed. giving investors an opportunity to electronically trade in government treasuries …
Big Squeeze
LB Finance is tapping the capital markets to raise Rs. 200 mn by securitising its Rs. 1.1 bn leasing portfolio.The 33-year old company secures nearly 70 …
Poor Show
Sri Lanka may fall short of achieving a projected six percent growth this year, as politicking keeps investors at bay, Finance Minister K N Choksy said.Despite …
Do & Tell
Central Bank says market participants should go for maximum disclosure based on good accounting standards when getting into derivative trading.ldblquote It is …
Sisyphus Speaking
A top business leader called on the business community to exert pressure on governments to deliver and be held accountable.Joint business forum Chairman …
Are They Clueless?
Lack of long-term planning since independence and intense party politics have kept Sri Lanka from developing faster, a top private sector personality said on …
Chivalry Not Dead
A state bank rode into the foreign exchange markets once again on Thursday to champion the currency and prevent it from touching the 100.00 rupee mark against …
Righteous Vote
The monks will be pitted against minority Tamils, who are mainly Hindus and also want to hold the balance of power after the April 2 election called by …
Confused Signals
Top trade chambers say Tuesdays meeting with the PA-JVP alliance has failed to shed any light on how they plan to manage the economy.The newly formed JVP-PA …
Get Going
The four co-chairs of peace have expressed disappointment over the current political situation and repeated their call on the Sri Lankan government to resume …
No Brakes
The rupee slipped up against the US dollar to end at 99.15, despite a state bank selling some dollars to shore up the currency.The rupee opened at 99.25, …
Saffron Power
Nationalist party, Sihala Urumaya said Tuesday that it was exclusively fielding Buddhist monks to contest the 225 seats up for grabs at snap parliamentary …
Alliance Calling
Wooing support for its ticket to govern the country, the newly formed SLFP-JVP alliance flirted with the Colombo based business and international community on …
Grand Slam
Sri Lankas Prime Minister has accused the countrys president of jeopardising a ceasefire with Tamil rebels and scuttling economic recovery in his first public …
Money Matters
Three-month treasury yields continued to surge upwards as the market becomes uneasy over the upcoming April polls.The Central Bank offered and accepted Rs. …
Flat Out
Treasury bond yields for two-year papers remained flat, despite Mondays auction being oversubscribed, the Central Bank said.The bank offered Rs. 1 bn, but …
Dusting Cobwebs
The Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka (MBSL) is exploring ways to wipe off its accumulated losses through a balance sheet clean up process.The bank is contemplating …