Category: Forex

July 11, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lankan bank customers holding foreign currency accounts would be able to transfer money among each others’ account with greater freedom in the future the Central Bank said. Holders of non-resident foreign currency (NRFC) accounts would be allowed to transfer money to other NRFC account holders and to resident foreign […]

June 26, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s spot foreign exchange markets were inactive Tuesday with no two way quotes following earlier regulatory pressure, though the market for transactions with settlement three days ahead, became active, dealers said. So-called ‘spot’ market deals are settled two days later. ‘Spot next’ or deals settled three days later, were […]

June 25, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s interbank forex markets were paralyzed Monday with no active trading by late morning following heavy moral suasion by monetary authorities over deals made in the previous week, dealers said. The rupee was tentatively quoted around 133.15/40 but there were no firm bids, dealers said after regulators questioned some […]

June 12, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s overnight interest rates rose to a high of 10. 50 percent Tuesday, the highest since a balance of payments crisis began in the middle of 2011, as the rupee sank to a new low against the US dollar. Excess liquidity (the aggregate clearing balance of the banking system) […]

May 30, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank has warned public against engaging in illegal foreign exchange transactions, which promises to give higher returns. The bank said foreign exchange transactions or remitting cash outside Sri Lanka, needs the prior approval of the Exchange Control department. Those violating exchange control laws run the risk of […]

May 6, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s foreign reserves fell to 5,552 million US dollars at the end of February 2012, down 32 percent from a peak of 8,098 million US dollars in July 2011, official data shows. Sri Lanka’s reserves fell steeply during the second half of 2011 credit taken by state enterprises to […]

Apr 27, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s rupee was tentatively quoted around 130.80/131.50 against the US dollar as markets opened Friday but with little firm quotes due to moral suasion from the monetary authority, dealers said. On Thursday the rupee closed around 131.50 to the US dollar with almost no trading earlier in the day. […]

Apr 26, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s forex markets were subdued with isolated quotes after the conclusion of a meeting of bank treasurers with Central Bank officials, market participants said. Dealers said there were tentative offers and 129. 50 levels to the US dollar but no active trading in late afternoon trade dealers said. The […]

Apr 25, 2012 (LBO) – The central bank will take action against dealers who are engaging speculative deals in forex markets without underlying transactions, Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal said. “We are now investigating into some speculative deals,” Cabraal said. He said banks are not expected to buy dollars without underlying transactions to back them. […]

Mar 31, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank said there had been a “considerable improvement” in foreign exchange inflows in March 2012, amid a caution that it is domestic monetary policy and not inflows that determines an exchange rate. More than 500 million US dollars in foreign investment is expected in the next few […]

Mar 27, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s forex reserves fell 28 percent to 5,806 million dollars in January 2012, from a peak of 8,098 million US dollars reached in July 2011, around the time a balance of payments crisis started, official data showed. The currency board had helped keep inflation low and allowed Sri Lanka […]

Mar 02, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has trimmed the level of foreign exchange banks can keep overnight for trading to around a third of an earlier level, a day after curbs was placed in the forward market, dealers said. The rupee gained to 119.00/120.00 against the greenback in the spot dollar market from around […]