Category: Economy and Markets
CCC proposes public-private shared vision for economic recovery post-COVID
Apr 17, 2020 (LBO) – The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, in a communication to the President has proposed a Shared Vision, Economic Recovery Strategy and Stimulus Plan targeting an accelerated Post-COVID-19 recovery of the Sri Lankan Economy. The following sets out the key elements of the proposal addressed to the President by the Ceylon Chamber […]
”s B2 ratings on review for downgrade
Apr 17, 2020 (LBO) – Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”) has today placed the Government of Sri Lanka’s long-term foreign-currency issuer and senior unsecured B2 ratings under review for downgrade. Full statement Rating Action: Moody’s places Sri Lanka’s B2 ratings on review for downgrade Singapore, April 17, 2020 — Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”) has today placed […]
‘s request for Rapid Credit Facility this week
Apr 17, 2020 (LBO) – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is starting to review Sri Lanka’s request for Rapid Credit Facility this week, the international organization said. During a press briefing held yesterday, IMF’s Director of Asia and Pacific Department, Changyong Rhee confirmed that they received a letter from Sri Lanka’s government about the Rapid […]
” rating
Apr 16, 2020 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings has revised the Outlook on Sri Lankan consumer-durable retailer Abans PLC’s National Long-Term Rating to Negative from Stable. Fitch has simultaneously affirmed the National Long-Term Rating at ‘BBB+(lka)’, the ‘BBB+(lka)’ rating on Abans’ outstanding senior unsecured debentures and the ‘F2(lka)’ National Short-Term Rating on its commercial paper. The […]
President discusses rebuilding economy amidst COVID-19 challenges
Apr 16, 2020 (LBO) – President Gotabaya Rajapaksa discussed rebuilding the economy in the face of the current challenges during a meeting with the secretaries to ministries yesterday (15) at the Presidential Secretariat. A focal point of the discussion was on returning to normalcy without compromising safety. To do so, the President emphasized the need […]
‘s Central Bank reduces bank rate
Apr 16, 2020 (LBO) – The Monetary Board of the Central Bank at its meeting held yesterday, having observed the cumulative reduction of the key policy interest rates of SDFR and SLFR by 200 basis points each since 31 May 2019, has decided to allow the bank rate to automatically adjust in line with the […]
ADB triples COVID-19 response package to USD20Bn
Apr 14, 2020 (LBO) – The Asia Development Bank (ADB) has tripled the size of its response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic to US20 billion dollars and approved measures to streamline its operations for quicker and more flexible delivery of assistance. The package expands ADB’s $6.5 billion initial response announced on 18 March, adding $13.5 […]
South Asia must ramp up COVID-19 action to protect people, revive economies
Apr 14, 2020 (LBO) – Amid the mounting human toll and global economic fallout triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, South Asian governments must ramp up action to curb the health emergency, protect their people, especially the poorest and most vulnerable, and set the stage now for fast economic recovery, says the World Bank in its […]
Sri Lanka introduces special deposit account to manage COVID-19 challenges
Apr 12, 2020 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Government in consultation with the Monetary Board of the Central Bank has introduced a Special Deposit Account (SDA) with the view to seek assistance for the national effort to overcome the effects of COVID-19 outbreak in the country. All Sri Lankans and well-wishers living in Sri Lanka and […]
Sri Lanka official reserves down to USD7.5bn by end-March
Apr 09, 2020 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s gross official reserves were 7.5 billion US dollars (USD7,525.7mn) by the end of March, down from 7.9 billion US dollars in February, the latest Central Bank data showed. By the end of March, the foreign currency reserves were 7,119.1 million dollars while the reserve position in the IMF […]
PwC expects real GDP growth in Sri Lanka to be less than 2-pct this year
Apr 09, 2020 (LBO) – PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) expects real GDP growth in the Island to be less than 2 percent this year even if the pandemic is contained by mid-2020. Prior to the Coronavirus outbreak, the Central Bank expected the economy to grow at 4.5-5 percent with a modest recovery from the Easter Sunday attacks […]
‘ risks to persist despite regulatory measures: Fitch Ratings
Apr 08, 2020 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings believes that the extraordinary regulatory measures announced by the central bank – focusing on the relaxation of capital expectations and classification of loans for banks – should relieve immediate pressure on the banks’ financial profiles, but will not prevent medium-term deterioration. Statement from Fitch Ratings Fitch recently revised […]