Category: Money
Sri Lanka FIU to obtain direct access to INTERPOL information system
Oct 18, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) entered into an agreement with INTERPOL National Central Bureau for Sri Lanka (NCB Colombo) recently to obtain direct access to the INTERPOL Information System. Money laundering and terrorist financing are internationally connected financial crimes that could threaten the stability of domestic as well as […]
Sri Lanka to set up Public Debt Management Bureau under Finance Ministry
Oct 17, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s cabinet nod has been received to establish a Public Debt Management Bureau under the Finance Ministry with the aim of entrusting the public debt management to a single entity. Accordingly, a five-member Public Debt Management Committee chaired by the Secretary to the Treasury will be appointed to draft […]
Opinion: Cigarette smuggling in Sri Lanka, Hype vs. Reality
By Harini Weerasekera In the run up to elections, Sri Lanka is once again witnessing various news activities highlighting how the government is losing revenue due to increased consumption of illicit cigarettes and beedi. However, the wider government policy on tobacco control is aimed to reduce smoking rates and the related direct and indirect costs […]
Sri Lanka official reserves at USD7.6bn by Sept; YTD rupee appreciation 1.3-pct
Oct 11, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s gross official reserves were 7.6 billion US dollars by end September, down from 8.5 billion US dollars in August, latest Central Bank data showed. Gross official reserves in September provide an import cover of 4.5 months. Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan rupee remains appreciated against the US dollar by […]
Sri Lanka CB maintains policy rates unchanged
Oct 11, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Monetary Board 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 7.00 percent and 8.00 percent, respectively. The Board arrived at this decision following a careful analysis of current and expected […]
Softlogic Capital to raise Rs1.5Bn
Oct 08, 2019 (LBO) – Softlogic Capital PLC has decided to raise Rs 1,500 million through a debenture issue, a statement said. Soflogic Capital said in a Colombo Stock Exchange filing that it will issue 15,000,000 listed, rated, senior, unsecured, redeemable debentures, at a price of 100 rupees each, subject to necessary regulatory approvals.
Sri Lankan bank lending rate cap may not support loan growth : Fitch
Oct 07, 2019 (LBO) – The lending rate cap recently imposed by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) on rupee-denominated loans extended by Sri Lankan banks may not improve loan growth in the short term, Fitch Ratings says. To the extent banks cannot price for risk in order to make hurdle rates of return, […]
First Capital anticipates Sri Lanka ASPI to reach 6,000 by Dec 2019 & 6,500 by Jun 2020
Oct 04, 2019 (LBO) – First Capital Research expects the equity market to adopt an upward trajectory over the next 12 months as they expect the ASPI to reach the next stage of the market cycle “Hope” stage and the Optimism stage. With the expected uptrend, the research firm targets ASPI to reach 6,000 by […]
‘s Extended Fund Facility
Sep 25, 2019 (LBO) – International Monetary Fund (IMF) says that the Sri Lankan authorities are taking steps to complete all the pending actions and structural benchmarks for the sixth review of Sri Lanka’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) over the next few weeks. A staff team from the IMF led by Manuela Goretti visited Colombo […]
Global financial assets fall, SL economy slows: Report
Sep 20, 2019 (LBO) – Allianz’s Global Wealth Report, which puts the asset and debt situation of households in more than 50 countries/regions under the microscope says financial assets in 2018 across industrial and emerging countries/regions declined simultaneously for the first time. Savers worldwide have found themselves in a bind, due to the escalating trade […]
Sri Lanka GDP growth 1.6-pct in Q2
Sep 19, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate for the second quarter of 2019 has been estimated as 1.6 percent, a new report said. The GDP for the second quarter of 2019 at current price and constant (2010) price have reached up to 3,620,736 million rupees and 2,315,995 million rupees […]
Sri Lanka calls for proposals to appoint arrangers for JPY 60bn Samurai bond
Sep 09, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Central Bank on behalf of the government has invited proposals from banks and investment houses for consideration to be appointed as Joint Lead Arrangers for the proposed Samurai bond issuance. The government intends to issue a bond up to about 60 billion Japanese yen in a benchmark size […]