Reuters: Asian shares and the euro traded in tight ranges on Thursday ahead of a Spanish bond sale seen as a key test of investors’ risk appetite amid renewed concerns over the euro zone’s debt crisis. European shares were also expecting a mixed start, with financial spreadbetters predicting that major European markets would open between ...

Reuter: The International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday it had raised $320 billion so far in a bid to boost its firepower to deal with the euro zone debt crisis, with Poland and Switzerland joining the effort. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said she had received commitments of $34

REUTERS: Global growth is slowly improving as the US recovery gains traction and dangers from Europe recede, but risks remain high and the situation is very fragile, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday. Another flare-up of the eurozone sovereign debt crisis or sharp escalation in oil

Reuters: The World Bank on Monday chose Korean-born American health expert Jim Yong Kim as its new president, maintaining Washington’s grip on the job and leaving developing countries frustrated with the selection process. Kim, a physician and anthropologist who makes for a somewhat unorthodox choice to head the global anti-poverty lender, won the job over ...

Monetary Fund (IMF) to target a budget deficit of 6.2 ...

WASHINGTON: The World Bank’s directors meet on Monday to decide who will be the powerful institution’s next chief, with all expectations that the US will maintain its unbroken lock on the position. While the US nominee has faced a challenge for the first time in 66 years, from two solid developing country candidates, there was ...

Sri Lanka will continue Iran crude, but will have to reduce Sri Lanka indirectly penalised by US sanction – Basil Reuters: Sri Lanka could trim Iran crude imports up to 20 per cent in the face of US sanctions, the island nation’s economic development minister said on Tuesday as it had taken strong measures to ...

TOKYO: Japan and China will seek to co-ordinate on supporting the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) effort to contain Europe’s sovereign debt crisis, Japanese Finance Minister Jun Azumi said. “Rather than make decisions independently, we’ve agreed to consult

DUBAI (Reuters): The United Arab Emirates’ central bank expanded its large exposure limit rules for commercial banks, introducing new caps for loans made to local governments and their entities in the first such change in nearly two decades. The oil-reliant UAE economy is recovering from the 2009-2010 debt crisis in Dubai, marked by a $25 ...

ISLAMABAD (Reuters): Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves rose to $16.51 billion in the week ended 30 March, from $16.44 billion in the previous week, the Central Bank said on Thursday. Reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) rose to $ 11.84 billion from $ 11.77 billion a week earlier, while those held by commercial ...

COLOMBO (Reuters): Sri Lanka’s central bank will have room to raise interest rates by at least another 50 basis points if April trade and inflation data show signs of stabilizing, the treasury secretary said on Wednesday. “Since we have already raised policy rates by half a percent (in February), maybe another 50 basis points upward ...

The rupee gained 1.7 per cent on Tuesday as exporters sold dollars after the International Monetary Fund approved thedisbursement of a long-delayed loan tranche of $ 426.8 million to the Government. The rupee strengthened to 126.00/126.30 a dollar from Monday’s close of 128.25/128.30. Dealers

$ 427 m released to boost reserves bringing total to $ 2.13 b under $ 2.6 b SBA; balance likely in mid-July Emphasises Govt. has taken several positive measures to stem current account deficit, reserve loss and bolster fiscal performance Says recent tax hike on vehicles “unexpected” but shows Govt.’s seriousness in dealing with Balance ...

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa yesterday had said the rupee would stabilise once the IMF money came into the country’s $ 59 billion economy. “Some people are holding dollar conversions and I think they will bring them when they see the stability. The stability level will be a price suitable for importers, exporters and Government,” ...

Sri Lanka is to get a $ 400 million lifeline following what is anticipated as a favourable decision on the part of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF Board was scheduled to meet Monday evening Washington Time, and its Resident Representative Koshy Mathai is scheduled to hold a briefing

Reuters: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will consider making a $ 400 million loan disbursement to Sri Lanka at a 2 April meeting and the final $ 400 million tranche of a $ 2.6 billion loan a few months later, the global lender said on Friday. The IMF has withheld the loan tranche

Reuters: The BRICS group of emerging market nations will look at ways of pressuring the West to redress global economic imbalances amid growing frustration at the pace of change in institutions such as the IMF at a meeting in Delhi on Thursday. Brazil’s Trade and Industry Minister Fernando Pimentel told Reuters on the eve of ...

Reuters: The Head of the Central Bank said on Thursday it may stop supplying dollars to pay for oil import bills from May, its latest move to allow more rupee flexibility after it refrained from intervening in foreign exchange markets last month. The Central Bank shifted its foreign exchange policy to allow the market to ...

Following is an Economic Update compiled by Talaal Maruzook and Sanjeewa Fernando of CT SMITH Stockbrokers (Pvt) Ltd. titled ‘Rupee Volatility – In Search of Equilibrium’ On 10 February 2012, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) stated that it would limit its intervention in the Sri Lankan Rupee (SLR), resulting in a sharp, and ...

Reuters: Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and former Colombian Finance Minister Jose Antonio Ocampo are set to make the first concerted challenge to the U.S. grip on the top job at the World Bank, according to sources.  The two globally respected economists and diplomats will be nominated for the World Bank presidency by South Africa ...

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) spokesman and parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayaka in an interview with the Daily FT critiques the on-going sessions of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the state of bad governance, deteriorating law and order and the economic crisis in the country.  Following are excerpts from the interview.   Q;  What are your ...

Rupee recovers on State bank dollar supplies; stocks down Reuters: TWO State banks sold dollars to boost the rupee on Tuesday after it hit a record low of 131.60 a day earlier, despite strong importer demand for greenbacks due to the forthcoming April festive season. The rupee, however, retreated to close at 129.90/130.00 a dollar, ...

Reuters: Asian shares edged higher and the dollar was firm against the yen on Monday with investors buoyed after the US market hit an almost four-year high last week and with higher European stocks reflecting signs of growing stability in the euro zone. The MSCI Asia Pacific ex-Japan index inched up 0.3 percent, after last ...

TOKYO: Japan and 12 other Asian countries will likely agree to double the amount of funds available under a regional currency swap pact amid uncertainty over the European debt crisis, a report said Sunday.  Japan, China, South Korea and the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are to agree to double ...

ATHENS (Reuters): Greece’s cabinet unanimously approved the terms of its international bailout on Wednesday, hours after euro zone countries formally approved the 130 billion euro financial package that Athens needs to stay afloat. The deal to keep Greece funded until 2014 will now be sent for approval to the Greek parliament, which is expected to ...

The Central Bank yesterday downgraded Sri Lanka’s 2012 growth forecast to 7.2% from 8%, but in a move that was unexpected by the market, kept its policy rates unchanged. The new projections come at the time when the rupee has hit record lows and the Central Bank is struggling to maintain high reserves. The statement ...

Reuters: Sri Lanka’s economic growth forecast will be lowered to a range of seven per cent to 7.5 percent due to tighter monetary policy and a rupee depreciation aimed at cutting the trade and current account deficits, the Central Bank said on Monday. Central Bank Chief Economist Swarna Gunaratne also told Reuters the 2011 balance-of-payments ...

SRI LANKA’S fabled post-war window of opportunity seems to be closing, with the Central Bank following the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in reducing growth rates for 2012. But does that mean only gloom awaits Sri Lanka or can we ride out the tide and reach the golden shores? The Central

Reuters: The Central Bank will soon lower its 2012 growth forecast of eight per cent to a figure no lower than seven per cent, owing to tighter monetary policy measures and the depreciation of the rupee, the Bank’s overnor told Reuters on Friday. The bank had originally forecast this year’s growth at eight per cent, ...

Reuters: Greece claimed a major success for its bond swap offer to private creditors on Friday after it won heavy acceptance for a deal that averts the immediate risk of an uncontrolled default on its massive public debt.  The finance ministry said 85.8 percent of its 177 billion euros in bonds regulated under Greek law ...