‘Lanka to pass US$ 4,000 per capita mark in two years’
Shirajiv SIRIMANE
Sri Lanka per capita income would reach the US $ 4,000 mark in two
years, said Governor, Central Bank Ajith Nivard Cabraal.
Speaking at the ‘Moving Towards the US $ 4K Era and Beyond’ conducted
by the Finance House Association (FHA), he said that it was targeted to
reach this mark in 2016. “However, due to prudent economic management,
healthy political and other positive factors, the county would be able
pass the US $ 4,000 per capita mark in two years.”
He said that currently there were 106 countries that enjoy the US $
4,000 per capita income and when Sri Lanka reaches this mark, the
economy should be diversified with new themes and new ‘hub’ concepts to
take the country beyond that mark.
He said that when the topic of $ 1,000 value economy for Sri Lanka
was first discussed, several people said it was only a dream. “However,
one cannot blame them since the country was at war, the financial system
had cracks and there were also several other negative factors.” The
Governor however said that they took up this challenge and by 2016, this
target too could be achieved.
He said that the ‘Doing Business Index’ also had placed Sri Lanka in
a commendable position from the 102nd slot and our aim was to bring this
up to the 30th position within five years.
He however said that Sri Lanka needed more capital and to meet these
objective, regulations were relaxed to allow foreign borrowing which
would result in expanding of the capital base.
Chairman, FHA, Kithsiri Wanigasekera, said that at a time when the
country was gearing up to a US $ 4K per capita income era and US $ 100
billion economy and beyond, Sri Lanka should not get caught in the
middle income trap.
“According to statistics, non bank financial institutions contribute
less than 10 % to the volume of the finance industry, but the actual
contribution was not reflected in this figure.
They serve vast numbers of small time clients whose accommodation
sizes wererelatively small when compared to banks.
These customers were not ready to go to a bank or were not accepted
by a bank. We hold hands of these customers, help them to grow and make
them bankable customers,” he added.
“General perception of a finance Co was that it helps in lease and
hire purchase of vehicles.
This accounts to 72% of the business.”
Held under the ambitious theme of “Moving towards the US$ 4k Era and
Beyond”, this year’s convention focused on the importance of growth
momentum in propelling Sri Lanka to the upper middle income country
category achieving per capita income of US$ 4,000 by 2016, and the
significance of the opportunities and challenges that await the non-bank
finance industry in its role towards realising this objective which was
the forus of the “Road Map for 2013” presented by the Governor of the
Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
The event was attended by over 300 guests, Chairman, Directors and
CEOs of financial institutions in the country as well as a large
gathering of senior management personnel in the industry. |