centralbank Archives - Ceylon Independent

Inflation in Colombo rises to 6.2 percent for the month of February

29Feb

By Team IndependentNo Comments

Business News

Inflation in Colombo rises to 6.2 percent for the month of February

Sri Lanka’s inflation, as measured by the change in the Colombo Consumers’ Price Index (CCPI) increased to 6.2 percent in February 2020 from 5.7 percent in January 2020, the Central Bank Statistics Department reported Friday. The CCPI for all items remained unchanged at 134.6 in February 2020 from the previous month. The increase in inflation was solely due to the statistical effect of the low base prevailed in February 2019, the Central Bank said in a statement. Food inflation (Y-o-Y) stood at 14.7 percent in February 2020, while Non-food inflation (Y-o-Y) recorded at 2.8 percent. The core inflation, which reflects the underlying inflation in the economy, increased to 3.2 percent in February 2020 from 3.0 percent in January 2020 on year-on-year basis. However, annual averag...

3Nov

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

Editorial

Leading by example – We Are All On

Many are the claims that abound on our island nation. Our Prime Minister was to recently claim to be saddened by the unwarranted ‘attacks’ which in his opinion was being carried out by the media for – according to his gospel – unwarranted reasons. This is rich coming from a man who has manoeuvred his continued position as leader of the United National Party (UNP) for well-nigh 23 years. He has from time to time readjusted the rules and most times nominated members loyal to him to the Working Committee of the UNP. So much of manoeuvring that some of his detractors say the only way for change would be in effect after the demise of the incumbent leader. For progress and evolution that is pretty bad news indeed. This theory impinges on the fact that ‘we are all one’. That is to say that con...

Bond Gate: Thirteen key points revealed in the “Bond Scam” Investigation

1Nov

By AdminNo Comments

Business, Top Story

Bond Gate: Thirteen key points revealed in the “Bond Scam” Investigation

The Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Bond Issuance is set to have a special sitting tomorrow, November 2. RECAP February 27, 2015 – The first reported controversial treasury bond auction took place March 10, 2015 – Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe appointed a three-member committee to probe the bond issue. Two COPE investigations; First could not produce a report because Parliament was adjourned. Second report was released, but footnotes led to controversy. February 2017 – Continuous public outcry over the scam made President appoint the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to probe into the bond issue. Several key points that came up in the 120+ days of the Commission. 01. Witnesses from the Central Bank testified that Former Governor Arjuna Mahendran visited ...

30Oct

By AdminNo Comments

Editorial

THE FULL EXTENT OF TREACHERY

It was expected that yesterday (Friday the thirteenth, no less) would be the final day for the commission probing the issuance of bonds by the Central Bank. We understand that there may well be a further two sittings before the end but certainly the CoI has neared the end of the road. All that is now left is for the report to be compiled – no easy task – given the some nine months’ worth of work the CoI has put in. Under the collective watch of both Presidents Kumaratunga and Rajapaksa it may have been unthinkable that two nay three senior cabinet ministers would be summoned to a legal proceedings and answer questions. Even if this CoI is a fact finding mission. There was a fear psychosis under both these Presidents. We must also acknowledge that the efforts of the CoI and their lega...

TRICKS AND TREACHERY ARE THE PRACTICE OF FOOLS, THAT DON’T HAVE BRAINS ENOUGH TO BE HONEST

30Oct

By AdminNo Comments

Editorial

TRICKS AND TREACHERY ARE THE PRACTICE OF FOOLS, THAT DON’T HAVE BRAINS ENOUGH TO BE HONEST

We in Sri Lanka have no great wall to keep our fellow citizens apart, we don’t have barriers that sets any of us apart from each other and we certainly do not have official sanction that permits anyone in this country to be inequitably treated. Yet, we the people of Sri Lanka, continue to be the victims of tricks and treachery practiced by fools who obviously have no brains to be honest. Consider for a moment the conundrum with the 20th Amendment to the constitution. The government proposed that they wished to have all the elections on one single day. It certainly has merit. The highest court in the land held that the matter required a two thirds in parliament and a referendum of the people. We were instead treated to a matter that the Minister in charge of the provincial councils an...