ECONOMYNEXT –Sri Lanka cannot relax an import ban on vehicles, State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said, after the rupee fell steeply from around 191 to 220 level due to the operation of an inconsistent peg with one sided buying. The flexible exchange rate, concocted by Western mercantilists and peddled to countries without a doctrinal […]

A Chinese citizen was apprehended at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) on 5 June under suspicious circumstances. Feng Changwen, who arrived in Nepal just two days prior, was taken into custody by airport security personnel when he attempted to board a flight to Kuala Lumpur. During a routine inspection, law enforcement officers discovered various currencies of […]

Way back in 2017, a Nigerian delegate attending a UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) conference on Africa had said, “Africa is bleeding” and warned that his continent’s system has been rigged against Africans and exploited by multinationals. The situation after the lapse of six years is no different. Irene Ovonji-Odida, Chairperson of the International […]

By Saman Indrajith SJB Parliamentarian Eran Wickremaratne has called on the government in parliament to extend debt moratoria offered to small and medium Enterprises (SMEs). Wickremaratne said on Wednesday that following the pandemic, the prolonged economic crisis had heaped further burden on SMEs; he warned the failure to provide relief could result in more job losses. “This […]

The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Foreign Employment and Labour has recently directed the Central Bank to submit a report detailing the institutions in which funds belonging to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) have been invested. In addition, the committee has decided to summon experts to propose a systematic approach for utilizing EPF funds. Under the […]

Representing Sri Lanka at the 14th International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum (14th IIICF) Friday (02), Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation – Nimal Siripala de Silva said that under the leadership of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the government was dedicated to driving the digitalization initiative forward under name ‘DIGIECON 2030’, signifying a pivotal step towards [&#...

The Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka decided to reduce the Standing Deposit Facility Rate (SDFR) and the Standing Lending Facility Rate (SLFR) of the Central Bank by 250 basis points to 13.00 per cent and 14.00 per cent, respectively, CBSL said in a statement on Thursday. The decision was taken at […]

By Shyam Nuwan Ganewatta Sri Lanka’s economy would recover at a rapid pace in the second half of 2023, Central Bank Governor, Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe said yesterday addressing a press conference in Colombo.Dr. Weerasinghe also said that the inflation would drop to a single digit by the end of July 2023. Strict fiscal and monetary […]

President Ranil Wickremesinghe making a special statement to the nation reiterated his commitment to prevent any regression of the country to its previous state and  his determination to transform Sri Lanka into a fully developed nation by 2048. The President explained at length the measures taken by the government in the past nine months to […]

People’s Bank announced the results for its quarter ended March 31, 2023 reporting total consolidated operating income and pre-tax profit amounting to LKR 24.0 billion and LKR 7.2 billion, respectively (Q1-2022: LKR 42.6 billion and LKR 11.0 billion). Similar to 2022, the quarter continued to be characterized by higher interest costs; due to the high […]

UBS is suspending work on its application for a wholly owned mutual fund company in China as it focuses on completing its acquisition of Credit Suisse and resolving regulatory issues raised by the new combination, according to people familiar with the matter. The rushed takeover of Credit Suisse in March complicated an effort by UBS […]

Even though China is South Korea’s top trading partner, Seoul’s tightening ties with the U.S. and other wealthy democratic countries reveal its interest in countering Beijing’s economic coercion, experts say. After a monthlong diplomacy effort that included summits with the U.S. and G-7 leaders, “reducing our reliance on China” and “diversifying our trading part...

ECONOMYNEXT –Sri Lanka’s personal income tax hikes have hit economic activity in the first quarter though despite currency stability helped businesses cut prices, Hemas Holdings, a top consumer goods group has said.As the currency stabilized, as central bank ended contradictory money and exchange policy conflicts, businesses had cut prices. Mainstream economists generally claim that price […...