DHAKA -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has mobilized 261 million U.S. dollars of private sector capital for a new expressway that will ease traffic congestion and provide better connectivity between the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka and other major cities, the Manila-based lender said Thursday.
The 13.5-km four-lane expressway is being funded through a 193-million-U.S. dollar loan from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Bank of China, DBS Bank and Infrastructure Development Company, a non-banking financial institution based in Bangladesh, said the ADB which serves as a transaction advisor for the government of Bangladesh's Rampura Amulia Demra Expressway public-private partnership project. (Bangladesh-AIIB-Expressway)
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TIRANA -- Albania's central bank has decided to keep its policy rate at 3 percent, it announced on Wednesday.
Governor of the Bank of Albania Gent Sejko said at a press conference that the Albanian economy is expected to continue growing during the next quarters. This prediction comes despite a slight slowdown as a result of the economic slowdown in the Eurozone, and tighter financing conditions both nationally and globally. (Albania-Bank-Rate)
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BANGKOK -- Thailand's central bank raised its key policy rate to a nigh-year high on Wednesday to control inflation and maintain policy flexibility amidst a highly uncertain economic outlook.
The Bank of Thailand monetary policy committee voted unanimously to raise the policy rate from 2.00 percent to 2.25 percent, bringing the key policy rate to its highest level since early 2014. (Thailand-Central bank-Rate)
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LONDON -- British stocks slumped on Wednesday, reflecting worried global markets, after credit ratings agency Fitch downgraded the U.S. government's credit rating.
The FTSE 100 index, the leading benchmark for blue chip companies listed in the United Kingdom, ended the session down 1.36 percent, or 104.64 points, at 7,561.63. (Britain-FTSE 100).
