Category:
Sri Lanka urges foreign states to extend visas of visiting Sri Lankans
Mar 18, 2020 (LBO) – Sri Lanka requests foreign governments to facilitate the appropriate extension of visas for Sri Lankans currently visiting their countries and facing difficulty to return to Sri Lanka on account of the travel bans that have and will become applicable as part of the control measures on COVID- 19. Full statement […]
Imported masks & disinfectants exempted from taxes
Mar 18, 2020 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s government has decided to exempt imported face masks and disinfectants from taxes with effect from midnight today. Accordingly, these items have now been subjected to the Special Commodity Levy Act. The Finance Minister has taken this decision in view of the high demand for the products due to […]
Colombo Chamber appeals to curb spread of COVID-19 in banking network
Mar 18, 2020 (LBO) – Colombo Chamber of Commerce appeals to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the banking network. The chamber suggests the following steps to be implemented particularly in the Banking Sector which has a greater economic impact and high possibility of exposure to this deadly virus spread. This is an attempt by […]
Measures adopted by CB during public holiday period
Mar 18, 2020 (LBO) – The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) wishes to inform that the following measures have been adopted by CBSL during the public holiday period announced by the Government. REAL TIME GROSS SETTLEMENT OPERATIONS The Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) operations will be continued as usual. BANKING SECTOR OPERATIONS Banks have […]
President orders banks to suspend loan recoveries from businesses for 6 months
Mar 17, 2020 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa orders banks and financial institutions to suspend the recovery of loans to businesses for a period of six months. In a televised speech to the nation, the President said that he would request banks to provide working capital loans to businesses at 4 percent interest. […]
Sri Lanka to stop all passenger arrivals from midnight tomorrow
Mar 17, 2020 (LBO) – The government has taken a decision to stop all passengers arriving in the country from midnight tomorrow (18) for a period of two weeks, said the Head of the National Operation Center for Prevention of COVID- 19 Army Commander Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva. He said this during a media briefing […]
Clarification from SriLankan Airlines: Social media posts on London-Colombo flight
Mar 17, 2020 (LBO) – SriLankan Airlines categorically refutes the contents of certain social media posts that are currently being circulated with regard to a flight operated from London to Colombo. The Airline emphasizes that the posts that state the Airline had facilitated a VIP flight to bring down stranded siblings of VIPs, is completely […]
Army Commander heads National Operation Center for Prevention of COVID-19
Mar 17, 2020 (LBO) – The Army Commander Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva has been tasked to spearhead the National Operation Center for Prevention of COVID- 19 Outbreak, which has been set up at No. 1090, Sri Jayewardenepura, Rajagiriya. This Centre will coordinate preventive and management measures to ensure that healthcare and other services are well […]
CBSL requests financial institutions to refrain from engaging in speculative activity
Mar 17, 2020 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Central Bank requests financial institutions to refrain from engaging in speculative activity which could lead to panic in the financial market. Delivering a statement, the Governor of Central Bank, W. D. Lakshman requested all financial institutions led by licensed commercial banks to pass to the market the full […]
VIDEO by CB Governor: preventing disruptions to economy amidst COVID-19 pandemic
Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka
‘s revised 2020 forecast highlight no growth in Japan and Singapore, slow-down in China
Mar 17, 2020 (LBO) – Moody’s Investors Service has revised its forecasts for most APAC economies on coronavirus implications, incorporating ongoing travel restrictions and heightened containment measures, as well as the recent oil price shocks. “Our baseline scenario assumes declining consumption levels and continuing disruptions to production and supply chains in the first half of […]
All recent returnees from Europe, Iran and Korea need to register with the Police
Mar 16, 2020 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Defence Ministry said yesterday it has requested all who arrived from Europe including UK, Iran and South Korea between 1 and 15 March to register with the Police or 119 Centre immediately. Ministry said judicial action will be taken against those who fail to comply this order under […]