Purchasing Managers’ Indices indicate expansions in both Manufacturing and Services activities in March 2026. Sri Lanka Purchasing Managers’ Index for Manufacturing (PMI – Manufacturing) increased to 66.7 in March 2026, supported by heightened activity related to seasonal demand. However, many respondents reported a tight production environment, mainly attributed to raw material and fuel shortages, rising costs,…
The region can best cope by protecting vulnerable people, letting prices adjust, anchoring inflation expectations, and accelerating structural reforms By Andrea Pescatori, Krishna Srinivasan Asia entered 2026 on a strong footing. Despite the region bearing the brunt of US tariffs last April and persistent trade policy uncertainty, growth was resilient in 2025 and trade remained robust. Now,…
Markets have been broadly orderly so far—but financial stability risks are elevated Global financial markets entered 2026 from a position of strength. Asset prices rose across major markets, volatility was subdued, and financial conditions were easy by historical standards. That benign backdrop has now been tested by the war in the Middle East. So far,…
Sri Lanka’s economic growth is expected to moderate to 4.0% in 2026 and climb to 4.2% in 2027, following two consecutive years of strong 5.0% growth. This forecast is based on an early stabilization scenario for the Middle East conflict, according to the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) April 2026, Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) flagship economic publication….
Economic growth in developing Asia and the Pacific is expected to slow to 5.1% in both 2026 and 2027, from 5.4% last year, weighed down by the conflict in the Middle East and continuing trade uncertainty, according to the latest forecasts by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Regional inflation is projected to rise to 3.6%…
By Prof. Samitha Hettige In the early 1980s watching Sadam of Iraq attacking Iran was fun for some westerners as they backed him during Gulf War I. Iranians reversing the ‘White’ revolution which privatized the nationalized petroleum of Iran may have been the reason. Later when Sadam invaded Kuwait, his western friends killed him even…
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) discussed the IMF staff policy paper on Understanding Global Imbalances on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. Against the backdrop of persistent and recently widening global imbalances, the paper presents a structured framework for understanding how domestic policies can influence current account positions by altering domestic saving and…
Energy prices, supply chains, and financial markets are the main transmission channels, but the regional effects will vary significantly Tobias Adrian, Jihad Azour, Nigel Chalk, Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, Alfred Kammer, Abebe Aemro Selassie, Krishna Srinivasan, Rodrigo Valdés The world faces yet another shock. The war in the Middle East is upending lives and livelihoods in the region and beyond. It is also dimming…
Business Sentiment – Geopolitics Clouds BIZ Confidence March brought a wave of challenges that spilled over from extreme tensions in the Middle East into Sri Lankan waters, raising concerns about the island’s economic outlook and hinting at potential difficulties in the months ahead. The ripple effect of escalating tensions between the US-Israel combine and Iran –…
By Prof. Samitha Hettige Finance Minister J.R. Jayawardena (JRJ) (1906 – 1996) was 45 years old when he proposed to pardon Japan at the 1951 San Francisco Peace Conference. Even he wouldn’t have imagined that Japan would reciprocate the honour with the Sri Jayawardenepura General Hospital (SJGH) with 1001 beds 27 years later. At the…
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