The Maldivian administration’s key economic strategy is to engage the private sector and enable the diversification of the economy for sustainable development, said Mahmood Razee, Minister of Economic Development in the Republic of Maldives who was in the country to attend the fourth Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka-Maldives Bilateral Business Council recently.   ...

By Cheranka Mendis Sri Lanka’s general education system needs to up their game before long if the country is to achieve the status of knowledge hub in the economic development plans to be laid out by the Government by 2015. The system, which runs on low investment and infrastructure, questionable quality teaching and varied issues ...

Reuters: Sri Lanka’s stock market narrowly edged up on Monday from a seven-week low, ending four straight falls as investors snapped up battered shares though a liquidity shortage and global worries cooled sentiments, dealers said. The island nation’s main share index closed 0.02 per cent or 1.42 points up at 6,736.02, from the lowest since ...

Reuters: Sri Lanka’s stock market fell for a third session to a more-than six-week low on Thursday, following Asian peers on a gloomy global economic outlook, a local liquidity shortage and forced selling to meet margin debt reductions. The island nation’s main share index closed 0.45 per cent or 30.50 points weaker at 6,762.38, its ...

Retail selling push stocks near two-week lows Foreign investors net sellers of Rs. 339.9 m Rupee flat despite heavy importer dollar demand Reuters: Sri Lanka’s stock market fell near a two-week low on Tuesday on high turnover and volume as retail investors sold amid a credit shortage while institutional investors stayed cautious in line with ...

Last week, media were abuzz with two reports on how undesired exchange rate movements could worry governments. One was a currency under pressure for appreciation in the market and the other was a currency moving in the opposite. Swiss Franc: One way Journey to Appreciation The first was the case of the Swiss Franc which ...

The Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) yesterday lifted the ban on the import of Lucky brand of cement following the Pakistan-based manufacturer’s factory getting a certification on quality from a London laboratory. The decision to lift the suspension imposed in June, was made at a meeting of the SLSI Council which includes representatives from the ...

Stock Broking firm Capital Alliance suggests that the 2.6 million tourist arrivals target isn’t a pipedream but achievable though it will be only by 2020, which is 4 years later than the Government and industry set timeline of 2016. “The Government projects 2.5m arrivals in 2016, but the industry will lack the rooms and trained ...

CEMENT, a product slapped with maximum retail price, is in crisis. During the past few weeks cement has been the centre of much public spotlight and debate. Macho-type talk by  Co-operatives and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando and his lack of consultation with cement trade hasn’t helped the situation either. Let’s take stock of the ...