සයිබර් ලංකා :: Cyber Lanka - news & views from srilanka

Sri Lanka will now be recognized as a country with a "Middle Income Emerging Market" status with The International Monetary Fund (IMF) graduating Sri Lanka from the list of Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) eligible countries on 11 January 2010.

This upgrade would facilitate Sri Lanka to project itself strongly in international financial and capital markets, states the Central Bank.

A country graduates from PRGT only if it, (i) has enjoyed income per capita well above the International Development Association (IDA) threshold for a number of years, (ii) has the capacity for durable and substantial access to international financial markets, and (iii) does not face serious short-term vulnerabilities.

According to the Central Bank, the Executive Board of the IMF has taken into account the following specific factors in considering of Sri Lanka's graduation.

The strong economic performance in recent years that has substantially lifted Sri Lanka's per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to US dollars 2,014 by 2008, well above the prevailing IDA threshold, and its per capita Gross National Income (GNI) has not been on a declining trend for the last 5 years. The strong growth performance has signaled substantial resilience to shocks, including shocks to oil prices, and to the expiration of the Multi-Fibre Agreement.

Sri Lankan shares ended 2009 with a stellar 125 percent rally, the market's best performance in ore than a decade and far ahead of other strong performers such as Indonesia, India and China.

The recovery in stock markets after last year's crisis-driven plunges saw India and Indonesia post their biggest annual gains in a decade, driven in part by foreign money seeking Asia's relatively stronger balance-sheets, higher yields and growth potential.

The MSCI index of Asia Pacific stocks traded outside Japan. MIAPJ0000PUS has risen nearly 70 percent in 2009, its best performance since 1993 and far outpacing expected gains of just over 20 percent in U.S. and European equities.

For a graphic comparing the 2009 performance of major stock markets, click on: here

Following are Asian stock markets' moves over full year 2009. Data as of 0730 GMT, Thursday.

MARKET                                        Index level         % gain
2009
Sri Lanka (Colombo All-share)             .CSE 3385.55        125.3
Indonesia (JSX)                               .JKSE 2534.36         87
India (Sensex)                                .BSESN 17478.78     81.2
China (Shanghai Composite)              .SSEC 3277.14        80
Taiwan (Taiex)                                .TWII 8188.11       78.3
Singapore (FT Straits Times)             .FTSTI 2897.62       64.5
Thailand (SET) .SETI 734.54 63.3
Philippines (PHS Composite)              .PSI 3052.68           63.0
Pakistan (Karachi 100)                      .KSE 9475.24          61.7
Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh)                     .VNI 494.77            56.8
Hong Kong (Hang Seng)                  .HSI 21872.5           52.0
South Korea (KOSPI)                       .KS11 1682.77        49.7
Malaysia (KLSE Composite)                1269.89                 44.8
Australia (S&P/ASX 200)                   4870.64                 30.9
Tokyo (Nikkei average)                    .N225 10546.44      19.0
New Zealand (NZX 50)                    .NZ50 3230.15        18.9

(Compiled by Vidya Ranganathan, Asia Desk)

Source: http://in.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idINSGE5BU06Z20091231

How would you describe your role in Aladin?
I play the role of a very sweet and normal college girl called Jasmine in Aladin. She is not a princess like in the fable. Jasmine is not some one who has a distinct personality. Jasmine possesses the qualities of a princess in a fairy tale, though she is not a princess in Aladin. I did feel a little bit of pressure because people know who Jasmine is and I’d have to live up to the expectations. Luckily I had no comparisons. I had to set a standard for Jasmine. That way it was a challenge for me.

Do you think it has been very easy for you to bag your break?
To be honest, I have been extremely lucky. I think I have my own genie who has granted me my wishes. There are many talented young girls who find it very difficult to get a break in Bollywood. I am indeed because within just a month of my coming to Mumbai, I succeeded in getting my big break and now have my foot in the door

How did you bag Aladin?
I did go for an audition for Aladin. I should confess that it was my first and worst audition. In fact, I thought that it would be the last time that I had faced the camera. I messed up my lines and giggled. The casting director asked me to talk about a happy and sad event in my life. I guess I sounded true when I narrated my sad moment, because I tried to be true to the character. I was told that I was on board the film the same evening.