Sri Lanka

With strong asset growth, reliable profitability and solid capital adequacy, the Sri Lankan banking sector stands in sound health these days as it looks forward to a period of continued economic stability. Like other sectors, the industry is moving in the direction of greater capital and technological requirements, and continues to undergo a period of consolidation – particularly among its...

With robust growth figures, improving infrastructure, an increasingly service-dominated economy and a new reform-minded government, Sri Lanka is an economic champion that has too often been overlooked. The island nation has seen continuous growth since a recession in 2001, even during the last years of the civil war, which ended in 2008. The rising tide has lifted all boats, and pockets of...

As the country’s economy has liberalised and grown in recent decades, its trade volumes to developed markets and emerging ones have risen strongly. The country has established a name for itself as a leading exporter both of manufactured goods and traditional products such as tea and spices. A free trade agreement with India signed in 2000 has proved a major boon and is now being followed by a...

Sri Lanka has emerged from its long internal conflict, but with the post-war euphoria behind it, a number of structural challenges remain that will determine the country’s trajectory as it pushes forward. The state’s involvement in large parts of the economy could present stumbling blocks to a number of liberalising economic reforms that Sri Lanka is likely to need if it is to increase its...

Sri Lanka is well situated for trade and an attractive target for international investment. Lying on major shipping and air routes, it is close to the markets of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Moreover, the country has a literate workforce, good infrastructure, a healthy population and relatively low wages. Since the 2009 cessation of a long-running civil war, Sri Lanka has become one of...