Reuters: China’s annual rate of export growth slowed in November versus October, vice commerce minister Chong Quan told reporters on Wednesday, confirming market expectations that deteriorating external conditions are dragging on the world’s No. 2 economy. “Export growth in November was even slower than October,” Chong told reporters on the sidelines of a news conference .....

By Cassandra Mascarenhas The Sri Lanka Institute of Directors (SLID), as part of its ‘Power Evening’ series of events, presented an eclectic combination of chairmen from leading organisations in the country last week and at the occasion delved into the subject ‘Performing While Conforming – What the Textbooks Don’t Teach You’ by sharing experiences from ...

Following are excerpts from the address delivered by Aloy Jayawardene, PHF, JP, President of the Sri Lanka Chamber of Small and Medium Industries at the 48th anniversary celebrations and ‘Industrial Excellence Awards 2011’ held at Waters Edge last week. Chief Guest at the ceremony was Australian High Commissioner Kathy Klugman I feel privileged and sad ...

The Central Bank released its latest educational publication titled ‘Analysis of Basic Economics Principles,’ authored by P. Samarasiri, Assistant Governor supervising the financial system stability cluster of the Central Bank. This book has been compiled based on key topics used to understand and analyse the working of an economy. Therefore, the book covers topics covering ...

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU Ravinatha Aryasinha has said, latest statistics from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka reveal that Sri Lanka’s exports to the EU grew by 25.5% in the first nine months of 2011 (2635 million $), compared to the corresponding period of 2010 (2100 million $). Meanwhile, with ...

Research issue Sri Lanka’s growth cannot be examined in isolation. This is because its economy is intricately interwoven to its neighbours and other countries through commercial, political and cultural links. The sustainability of any growth strategy adopted by the country will depend on the stability of different partnerships and the ability of the country to ...

DUBAI (Reuters): Emirates airline placed a blockbuster order for 50 Boeing 777 jetliners at the Dubai Air Show on Sunday, underscoring the confidence brimming among fast-growing Gulf airlines despite growing fears of stalling global growth. The Dubai government-owned carrier, expanding its role as the world’s largest operator of Boeing’s most profitable plane, said the deal ...

Rajapaksa Family already planning more land grabbing Kleptocrat: A ruler who uses power to steal the country’s resources. Oxford Dictionary By Tisaranee Gunasekara Mindless-extravagance; land-grabbing; media-muzzling: the three Rajapaksa preoccupations are intimately interconnected. The Ruling Siblings need money to strengthen their power and to sustain their voracious appetite for exhibitionism, ...

After some years of lower sugar production, after this former state company was privatised and came under our ownership, output has improved and we are hopefully on the road to create a sustainable sugar and dairy industry in Sri Lanka that will benefit the generations to come. Yet we have still a long way to ...

 Eurozone crisis makes industry outlook uncertain COSCO negotiates lower charter rates Many shipping companies hit hard by industry downturn BOAO, China, (Reuters): Global shipping is in a downturn even worse than during the 2008 financial crisis, China’s transportation minister

Environmental trends threaten global progress for poor, warns 2011 Human Development ReportDevelopment progress in the world’s poorest countries could be halted or even reversed by mid-century unless bold steps are taken now to slow climate change, prevent further environmental damage, and reduce deep inequalities within and among nations, according to projections in the 2011 Human ...

Following is the address delivered by Senior Minister for International Monetary Cooperation Dr. Sarath Amunugama at the fourth South Asia Economic Summit (SAES IV) Plenary Session: In the aftermath of the global economic crisis, there has been a noticeable shift in economic clout, moving from the USA and the debt-plagued countries of the Eurozone, to ...

Occupy Wall Street, occupy the London Stock ExchangeThe frustrations caused to the unemployed, the poor and the marginalised by the international and national economic crisis has spilled out onto the streets in the capital cities of the world’s leading and emerging economies. It has spread at the last count to over 900 cities in over ...

Reuters: Rajat Gupta, who sat on the boards of some of America’s most prestigious companies, was arrested and charged on Wednesday with being the “illegal eyes and ears” for his friend Raj Rajaratnam, the central figure in a broad U.S. crackdown on insider trading at hedge funds. Gupta, 62, a former director of Goldman Sachs ...

In the midst of the turmoil in international financial markets and national economies, Sovereign Wealth Funds are coming into closer focus. For the first time since the breakout of the financial crisis, the financial mandarins of China intervened to shore up confidence in the country’

Professionals are shy to raise critical issues in public!It is believed that the single focus advocacy proposal of the Joint Chambers of Commerce and Industry for the Budget 2012 to address is the continuing high priority of enhancing the ‘ease of doing business in Sri Lanka’. A president of a chamber holds a publicly articulated ...

 (Reuters) : For an October revolution, dress warm. That's the word going out – politely – on the Web to rally street protests on Saturday around the globe from New Zealand to Alaska via London, Frankfurt, Washington and, of course, New York, where the past month's Occupy Wall Street movement has inspired a worldwide yell ...

With a focus on uplifting the business environment of the country through strengthened internal systems and procedures, the Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka (MBSL Bank) is taking advantage of the improved economic climate to provide a wide array of corporate finance activities. Among these are Project Financing for startup companies, business expansions and business acquisitions ...

Arguably the world’s most powerful leader, Barak Obama, underscored that the Eurozone crisis is “scaring the world”. It comes as no surprise then that his Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner heads the international clamour for more action to solve the burgeoning sovereign debt problem that has dominated financial markets in recent times. George Osborne, Britain’s current ...

Growth assets are a good investment in the current climate Felix Stephen is the Manager Investment Strategy and Research at Advance Asset Management Ltd., Sydney, aapart of Westpac, which is one of the big four banks in Australia. He spoke to the Daily FT about the global economy and investment, the climate in Europe, the ...

Reuters: More than 100 million rural Chinese people will settle in towns and cities in the next decade, testing provision of welfare and services as a new generation of migrants turn their backs on farming, according to a new government report. The National Population and Family Planning Commission report forecast that by 2020, China’s urban ...

A COLLEGE drop out and global genius is dead. Steve Jobs was a very private person, eccentric and brash. He was fired from the company he founded Apple and was brought back to resurrect it and make it one of the most valuable and admired companies on earth, its stock earlier this year the most ...

HSBC Chief Economist in region forecasts 6.8% growth in 2012, lower from 8.1% estimate for 2011; lists global recession hitting exports, inflows and upward pressure on inflation as key risksDescribing that the world was at present running in two speeds with risks, a top regional economist last week declared that Sri Lanka remained resilient though ...

Their chief target is Wall Street, but many of the demonstrators in New York and across the U.S. also are thoroughly disgusted with Washington, blaming politicians of both major parties for policies they say protect corporate America at the expense of the middle class."At this point I don't see any difference between George Bush and Obama. The middle class is a lot worse than when Obama was electe...

GENEVA (Reuters): The world’s wealthiest families have embarked on damage limitation rather than seeking to boost their fortunes as financial turmoil erodes their riches, with some so worried they are putting their money in ‘catastrophe’ portfolios. “We have to explain to our clients, it’s not about making money these days, it’s about keeping wealth,” said...

SEOUL (Reuters): South Korea’s manufacturing sector activity shrank the most in 11 months in September as new export orders fell sharply, reinforcing fears of a slide back into global recession that are battering financial markets in one of Asia’s most vulnerable economies. Economists said findings from the survey of South Korean purchasing managers at manufacturing ...

By Cheranka Mendis People’s Leasing, the undisputed market leader in the industry for nine years, is going for a record profit this year having achieved a profit of Rs. 2.2 billion within the first five months of the year. CEO of People’s Leasing D.P. Kumarage told the Daily FT that the company, with a net ...

By Simon Montlake Forbes.com: On my first trip back to Sri Lanka since February 2010, I noticed plenty of positive changes. New construction, cleaner streets and a lighter security presence (a bloody civil war ended in May 2009). The IMF predicts Sri Lanka’s economy will expand this year by 7.5%, keeping pace with next-door giant ...

Introduction Growth has stalled in the global economy. Stock markets have plummeted. Risk appetite has declined and there has been a flow of resources to safe havens. The IMF has stated that the world economy has entered its most dangerous phase since the financial crisis of 2008. The ammunition

Financial stability risks have risen sharply in recent months, as slower economic growth, market turbulence in Europe, and the credit downgrade of the United States have weighed on the global financial system, according to new analysis by the IMF. Financial markets have begun to question the ability of policymakers to command broad political support for ...