Category: Economy
Sri Lanka seeks USD 150Mn loan from ADB for Responsive Vaccines for Recovery project
The Government of Sri Lanka is planning to borrow two loans amounting to USD 150 million from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to implement the “Responsive COVID-19 Vaccines for Recovery (RECOVER) Project”. The proposed total financial assistance from ADB is comprised of USD 84 million under Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility (APVAX) and USD 66 […]
CBSL expects 5-pct GDP growth in 2021; inflationary pressures to be addressed with policy intervention
The Monetary Board of the Central Bank has decided to maintain the Standing Deposit Facility Rate (SDFR) and the Standing Lending Facility Rate (SLFR) of the Central Bank at their current levels of 4.50 percent and 5.50 percent, respectively. According to the Central Bank, the economy is likely to have recorded a higher than expected […]
Sri Lanka restricts outward remittances for 6 months to preserve foreign exchange position
With a view to assist and maintain the financial system stability by minimizing the pressure on the exchange rate and preserving the foreign currency reserve position of Sri Lanka, the Finance Minister with the recommendation of the Monetary Board of the Central Bank and the approval of the Cabinet has issued an Order under Section […]
Colombo Stock Exchange Signs MoU with CHEC Port City Colombo
The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and CHEC Port City Colombo signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance the capital markets in Sri Lanka by taking advantage of the Port City Colombo’s special emphasis of the Colombo International Financial Center, in order to establish a regionally recognized financial exchange within the country’s borders. The MoU […]
PM Mahinda meets with Omani investors
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa met with an Omani investors delegation from Shumookh Investment and Services SAOC which is the investment arm of Madayn – The Public Establishment for Industrial Estates of the Sultanate of Oman, at Temple Trees on 21 June, 2021 in Colombo. The Omani delegation comprised of Ambassador of Oman to Sri Lanka Al-Sheikh Jumah Hamdan Al-Shehhi, […]
Central Bank expects at least USD 1.4bn inflows to Sri Lanka by August
While there may be short-term fluctuations in foreign reserves in the period ahead due to debt servicing of the Government, adequate financing strategies have been lined up to maintain reserves at sufficient levels, through inflows to the country, Governor of the Central Bank, Professor W D Lakshman said. Releasing a statement, he said that inflows […]
Sri Lanka records USD 884Mn exports in May 2021
Sri Lanka’s export sector performance has been able to manage its growth momentum in May 2021 with the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. As per the statistics released by Sri Lanka Customs, Sri Lanka’s merchandise exports in May 2021 were US$ 884.2 Million, an increase of 50.71% over US$ 586.7 Million in May 2020. Sri […]
‘ Association appeals for cost-sharing from Business Partners
The Sri Lanka Retailers’ Association (SLRA), the apex body for organised retail in Sri Lanka, issued a communique requesting landlords, lessors, and business partners reduce leases and rentals for the Association’s membership. • Lease and Rental Reductions • Support towards loan repayments restructure • Utility and trade levy reduction/postponement SLRA President Murali Prakash appealed to […]
Sri Lanka seeks collaboration on Graphene applications with Russian Company
The State Ministry of Regional Cooperation, recognizing the potential of Sri Lanka’s natural resources to contribute to the country’s economy, has been facilitating to explore means by which the country could sustainably harness minerals for Sri Lanka’s economic growth. Cognizant of the significance of this initiative, the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Russia, Prof. M.D. […]
GSP+ Impact to Sri Lanka: Mountain or molehill
Whilst the GSP plus helps significantly boost the country’s export performance, the loosing of it would not create a major vacuum on a broader level besides the loss of a strong potential trade surplus with the EU, Softlogic Equity Research said. “On a micro level, individual businesses engaged in the export of Apparel, Agriculture, Fisheries […]
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Fitch Ratings has affirmed Sri Lanka’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at ‘CCC’. KEY RATING DRIVERS: Sri Lanka’s ‘CCC’ rating reflects a challenging foreign-currency sovereign external debt repayment burden over the medium term, low foreign-exchange reserves and high and rising government debt that gives rise to sustainability risks. External liquidity pressures have eased somewhat […]
Sri Lanka’s official reserves down to USD 4bn by end May; YTD rupee depreciation 6.7-pct
Sri Lanka’s official reserves were 4 billion US dollars (USD 4,018.1mn) by the end of May, down from 4.5 billion US dollars in April, the latest Central Bank data showed. By the end of May, the foreign currency reserves were 3,530.7 million dollars while the reserve position in the IMF was 69.1 million dollars. Special […]