Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka showcase the diversity of China’s engagement strategies in a very multidimensional region but also make clear that influencers across South Asia are learning from each other’s experiences with Chinese money and power.
FEATURE-Price of marriage pushes land out of reach in Sri Lanka Reuters 12/21/2020
By Shihar Aneez
SAINTHAMARUTHU, Sri Lanka, Dec 21 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - I t was another day of agony for Rizeena, as she waited with her family at their home in eastern Sri Lanka to meet yet another potential husband for her sister - the 46th time they have tried to find someone to marry her in the past decade.
Most of these meetings last only a few minutes before Rizeena s parents have to explain that they cannot afford to give her 35-year-old sister Fathima a house in their hometown of Sainthamaruthu, 350km (217 miles) from the capital Colombo.
Looking to increase non-sovereign loans by 20%-25%
Fresh funding options open to both public and private sectors
SL has sought Euro 200 m as COVID-19 emergency funds in March but yet to be approved
By Shihar Aneez
The Agency of France Development (AFD) is ready to raise the portfolio of non-sovereign debt to as much as Euro 400 million available in the next three years to Sri Lanka’s public and private sectors given the island nation’s tight fiscal situation, the AFD’s Sri Lanka Country Director Reda Souirgi said on Friday.
The AFD, since it started to finance funding to Sri Lanka in 2005, has disbursed Euro 700 million to the Government and Euro 270 million to the private sector. Some of the projects are still continuing and more financing options are under discussion.