MMBL-Money Transfer achieves record US $ 350.8mn in worker remittances in 2024

MMBL-Money Transfer was responsible for bringing in a record US $ 350.8 million in foreign exchange into Sri Lanka in 2024. This represents 5 percent of the total worker remittances that came into the country last year. This also accounts for 77 percent of the overall Western Union remittances to the country. MMBL-Money Transfer is […]

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Top 10 Facts You Need to Know About Nepal’s 1,200 MW Budhigandaki Hydropower Project

The Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project is a flagship National Pride Project of Nepal. It remains in limbo despite decades of planning and significant financial investment. With a planned capacity of 1,200 MW, the reservoir-type project is strategically located on the border of Gorkha and Dhading districts. While the government had spent over Rs 45 billion […]

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Sri Lanka records highest deflation in 65 years

Sri Lanka’s consumer prices fell by 4% in January, the highest deflation rate since July 1960, official data showed Friday, as the South Asian nation emerges from its worst economic meltdown. January was the fifth consecutive month of deflation, according to the Colombo Consumer Price Index. Inflation hit a record 69.8% in September 2022 at […]

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86% of economic units facing capital crisis, 34% denied loans: BBS census

Around 86% of the country’s economic units (establishments engaged in economic activities) are facing capital challenges, with 34% not getting easy loans, according to the latest Economic Census 2024, conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). Planning and Education Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud termed the situation unfortunate, stating, “Thousands of crores of taka have been […]

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Thailand’s economy may underperform with consumption weak, warns central bank chief

Thailand’s economic growth may falter at under 2.9% this year after a weaker-than-expected fourth quarter despite a vaunted government cash handout aimed at firing up sluggish growth, the central bank chief said on Thursday. The Bank of Thailand previously anticipated that the economy could expand by 2.9% this year, lower than the finance ministry’s projection […]

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Bigger meals budget to add 2 pct points to Indonesia’s growth, president’s adviser says

Indonesia’s additional budget of 100 trillion rupiah ($6.14 billion) for its programme to give free meals to school children this year will add nearly 2 percentage points to the country’s growth, an aide to President Prabowo Subianto said on Friday. Prabowo’s signature free meal programme began earlier this month and had initially targeted reaching about […]

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Dutch privacy watchdog to launch investigation into China’s DeepSeek AI

The Netherlands’ privacy watchdog AP on Friday said it will launch an investigation into Chinese artificial intelligence firm DeepSeek’s data collection practices and urged Dutch users to exercise caution with the company’s software. “The AP is (issuing this) warning because of the serious concerns that there are over DeepSeek’s privacy policies … and the way […]

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Japan PM to meet OpenAI and SoftBank CEOs on Monday, Japanese govt says

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will hold talks with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SoftBank Group (9984.T), opens new tab CEO Masayoshi Son on Monday, the Japanese government said on Friday. U.S. President Donald Trump announced last week that OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle (ORCL.N), opens new tab will form a joint venture and invest up […]

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India’s Modi may tackle economic slowdown, impending trade turmoil in annual budget

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi may seek to shore up faltering economic growth, placate a middle class squeezed by high prices and low wage growth, and prepare for an uncertain year of global trade in the nation’s budget this week. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the budget for the next fiscal year on Feb. […]

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