Glossary

 

A     B     C     D     E     F     G     H     I     J     K     L     M     N     O     P     Q     R     S     T     U     V     W     X     Y     Z

 

A

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Term

Abbreviation

Description

Accepted Level of Risk ALR Accepted level of risk is the level of potential losses that an institution considers acceptable in a given content.
Access to Credit (in BOS)   Indicates the accessibility of bank credit during the current quarter
Accommodative monetary policy stance    
Active Liability Management Act ALMA  
Ad valorem duty   Duty levied as a percentage of value of the goods being imported.
Advance payment   Paying or part-paying a supplier before goods or services are delivered.
Agriculture Value Chain AVC Different segments and their connectivity in agriculture sector.
All Share Price Index ASPI  
AMD 01   Letter to be sent to the EPF Department to rectify the discrepancy between the name of a member who has already been sent through RR 06 form & the name in accordance with the National Identity Card.
AMD 02   Letter to be sent if there is a discrepancy between the National Identity Card number of a member who has already been sent through RR 06 form & the number according to the National Identity Card.
Annual average basis Inflation   The percentage change of the average CPI of last 12 months and the averge CPI of previous 12 months.
Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism AML/CFT Anti-money laundering refers to the laws, regulations and procedures intended to prevent criminals from disguising illegally obtained funds as legitimate income. Combating the Financing of Terrorism is a set of government laws, regulations, and other practices that are intended to restrict access to funding and financial services for those whom the government designates as terrorists.
Application System 400 AS/400 Application System 400 (AS/400) is a server operating platform developed by IBM.
Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering APG The Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering is an inter-governmental organisation, consisting of 41 member jurisdictions, focused on ensuring that its members effectively implement the international standards against money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing related to weapons of mass destruction.
Asian Development Bank ADB  
ASL Balancing   EPF annual balancing of accounts & credit of annual interest to member accounts.
Asset-Backed Securities ABS Asset-Backed Security is a security whose payments are backed by a specified pool of assets such as loans, receivables, and mortgages.
Assistant Commissioner of Labor ACL  
Authentication   The identification process that verifies a user as the person he/she claims to be
Authorized Dealer AD A bank licensed under the Banking Act, No. 30 of 1988 authorized under section 4 of the Foreign Exchange Act, No.12 of 2017 as authorized dealer to deal in foreign exchange
Authorised Money Brokers AMBs Authorised Money Broker (AMB) is a financial intermediary engaged in the business of money broking, foreign exchange broking, inter - bank money broking, in respect of transactions of financial products with clients in the money, securities and foreign exchange markets in Sri Lanka and other recognised international markets issued with the Certificate of Authorisation under the Money Broking Regulations No. 01 of 2013.
Automated Teller Machine ATM An automated electromechanical device operated by the cardholder, commonly using a payment card and PIN verfication, for online transactions such as withdrawing cash and/or for other services  such as balance inquiry and fund transfer.
Average Time to Maturity ATM Weighted average time to maturity of all the debt securities/loans in the debt portfolio.
Average Time to Refixing ATR  
Average Weighted Call Money Rate AWCMR Weighted average of interest rates of overnight call money market transactions (uncollateralised) between Licensed Commercial Banks (LCBs) on a given day, which is computed and published by the CBSL on each working day. AWCMR is also CBSL’s operating target under the existing monetary policy framework.
Average Weighted Deposit Rate AWDR AWDR reflects the movements in interest rates pertaining to all outstanding interest bearing rupee deposits held with LCBs.
Average Weighted Fixed Deposit Rate AWFDR AWFDR is based on interest rates pertaining to all outstanding interest bearing rupee time deposits held with LCBs.
Average Weighted Lending Rate AWLR AWLR is based on interest rates of all outstanding rupee loans and advances extended by LCBs.
Average Weighted New Deposit Rate AWNDR AWNDR is based on interest rates pertaining to all new interest bearing rupee deposits mobilised by LCBs during a particular month
Average Weighted New Fixed Deposit Rate AWNFDR AWNFDR is based on interest rates pertaining to all new interest bearing rupee time deposits mobilised by LCBs during a particular month
Average Weighted New Lending Rate AWNLR AWNLR captures interest rates of all new rupee loans and advances extended by LCBs during a particular month
Average Weighted New SME loan Rate AWNSR AWNSR captures interest rates of all new rupee loans and advances extended by licensed banks during a particular month to MSMEs, excluding refinance schemes of the Government and the Central Bank
Average Weighted Prime Lending Rate AWPR AWPR is based on interest rates applicable to short term rupee loans and advances granted by LCBs to their prime customers during a particular week
Average Weighted SME loan Rate AWSR AWSR is based on interest rates of all outstanding rupee loans and advances extended by licensed banks to MSMEs, excluding refinance schemes of the Government and the Central Bank
Average Weighted Repo Rate AWRR Weighted average of interest rates of overnight repo transactions (collateralized by government securities) between Participating Institutions (PIs) on a given day, which is computed and published by the CBSL on each working day.

 

B

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Term

Abbreviation

Description

Back Office BO Back office is responsible for the payment & settlement activities relating to the transaction carried out by Front Office.
Balance of Payments BOP  
Balance of trade   The difference between a country’s total exports and imports for a specific time period.
Bank Identifier Code BIC Bank Identifier Code (BIC) is a 8 to 11 character code used to identify a specific bank used in a SWIFT transaction.
Bank Rate   Bank Rate is an administratively determined rate that could be used in periods of emergency for the Central Bank to grant extraordinary loans or advances to LCBs
Bank Supervision Department BSD  
Banking Soundness Index BSI An indicator that has been developed to assess the soundness of the banking sector, which is a key component of the financial system with respect to financial stability.
Basis Points BPS  
Basket of currencies    
Before Tax BT  
Benchmark   A benchmark is a standard measure with which the comparison of risk and performance of investments can be made.
Benchmark Bond   A bond that provides a standard against which the performance of other bonds can be measured. Government bonds are often used as benchmark bonds. This is also referred to as “benchmark issue”.
Bilateral Currency Swap Agreement BCSA An agreement under which two central banks agree to acquire each other's currency/another currency (other than the own currency of the other central bank) in exchange for its own, either up to a pre-agreed limit or in unlimited amount.
Bilateral trade agreement   A formal agreement involving trade between two countries.
Blockchain Technology   Blockchain technology is a distributed, ledger system that promotes decentralization, transparency, and data integrity
Board of Investment BOI  
Board Risk Oversight Committee BROC  
Bond Borrowing Scheme BBS A special scheme used by the CBSL to absorb excess liquidity in the domestic money market using securities borrowed from a third party at times when the stock of Treasury bills and Treasury bonds held by the CBSL is not adequate to conduct repurchase transactions under open market operations (OMOs). Currently, the CBSL is only permitted to borrow securities from the Employees’ Provident Fund under BBS.
Book Value BV Value of government securities at the market prices
Brilliant Uncirculated Coins   Coins typically produced the same way as circulated coins but with quality enhancements to create brilliant finish
Broad money (M2b)   Includes narrow money supply, time and savings deposits held by the public with commercial banks and also includes a part of foreign currency deposits of commercial banks
Budget deficit    
Bunching of Debt Stock   An excessive amount of debt maturing on a given date or within a given period of time.
Business Condition (in BOS)   Indicates the general business condition during the current quarter and the expectation for the next quarter
Business Continuity   The process performed to ensure that critical functionalities of systems are available to users without disruption even through disasters
Business Continuity Plan BCP  
Business Foreign Currency Account BFCA Foreign Currency Account for persons resident in Sri Lanka who earn foreign exchange from a resident outside Sri Lanka.
Business friendly tax regime    
Business Outlook Survey BOS BOS is a quarterly survey which captures the sentiments of the corporate sector covering all three major sectors of the economy with respect to current and expected developments of key areas of business activities, which serve to monitor the ongoing status of the economy.

 

C

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Term

Abbreviation

Description

Capacity Utilisation (in BOS)   Indicates the capacity utilised (labour, facilities etc.) during the current quarter and the expectation for the next quarter as compared to corresponding quarter of the last year
Capital Adequacy Ratio CAR  
Capital Transaction   A transaction which is not a current transaction within the meaning of the Foreign Exchange Act, No.12 of 2017
Capital Transactions Rupee Account CTRA Account which has been introduced to facilitate  emigrants, non-nationals resident in or outside Sri Lanka and resident persons who intend to  migrate/depart from Sri Lanka, to repatriate their eligible migration allowance and other eligible proceeds outside Sri Lanka.
Cardholder   Any person authorized to use a payment card issued by an card Issuer
Card Issuer   An entity which issues a payment card and thereby enters into a contractual relationship with the cardholder
Card Verification Value CVV Card Verification Value refers to a number, which is commonly depicted with three digits on the back of a payment card. The CVV  is generally used when the cardholder is not physically present when making a payment (Eg; online card transactions).
Cash Deposit Machine CDM A self service device/terminal that allows customers to deposit cash and make payment transactions using cash
Cash Recycling Machine CRM A device/terminal that allows customers to deposit and withdraw cash, similar to an ATM
CBSL holdings of government securities    
CCPI Core CCPI Core Excluding Volatile Food, Energy and Transport from the CCPI basket
Central Bank Digital Currency CBDC Fiat currency issued by a central bank in digital form as an electronic record or digital token
Central Bank Intervention in Foreign Exchange Market   Central bank buys and sells foreign exchange in the foreign exchange market with objectives to prevent excessive volatility in the exchange rate and/or to maintain an adequate level of external reserves.
Central Bank of Sri Lanka CBSL  
Central Counterparty CCP A central counterparty interposes itself between counterparties to contracts traded in one or more financial markets, becoming the buyer to every seller and the seller to every buyer and thereby ensuring the performance of open contracts. A CCP becomes counterparty to trades with market participants through novation, an open-offer system, or through an analogous legally binding arrangement. CCPs have the potential to reduce significant risks to participants through the  multilateral netting of trades and by imposing more-effective risk controls on all participants and, as a result, they can reduce systemic risk in the markets they serve.
Central Depository System CDS The system which electronically records the ownership of government of Sri Lanka debt securities and Central Bank of Sri Lanka Securities issued in scripless form. This is system is owned and operated by Central Bank of Sri Lanka
Central Integrated Market Monitor CIMM A reporting platform provided by CBSL to PIs, which is used to record all money market transactions on near real time basis and the details of liquidity position of PIs
Central Securities Depository CSD A system which electronically records the ownership of Securities issued in scripless form.
Centre for Banking Studies CBS  
Certificate of Authorisation COA An Authorisation certificate issued by the Monetary Board of the CBSL to only a limited liability company registered under the Companies Act No. 07 of 2007 to engage in the business of money broking.
Ceylon Electricity Board CEB  
Ceylon Petroleum Corporation CPC  
Charge Card   A payment card which involves a line of credit granted by the issuer to the cardholder where the credit utilized by the cardholder must be settled fully on or before a date specified by the issuer, without any extended credit
Cheque Imaging and Truncation System CITS An interbank system operated by LankaClear (Pvt) Ltd (LCPL) that enables the clearing of cheques by presenting the cheque image instead of the physical cheque.
Chief Compliance Officer CCO  
Chief Risk Officer CRO  
Circulation Standard Commemorative Coins   Commemorative coins that are issued into circulation for transaction in which the monetary value equals the face value of the coin
Claims Adjuster (Loss Adjuster)   Investigates insurance claims to determine the extent of insuring a company's liability.
Claims Ratio   The percentage of claims costs incurred in relation to the premiums earned.
Clean Note Policy   Ensure the availability of good quality notes in circulation
Clearing Cycle   Time period predefined by the payment system operator for netting of transactions for settlement
Clearing house   A corporation, association, partnership, agency or organization or other entity or person that provides clearing or settlement services for payment instructions and/or security transactions
Clearing system   Mechanism for the exchanging and processing of obligations to make payment or the transfer of securities among banks and other financial institutions for the purpose of settling them
Coinage   A collection of denominations of coins issued into circulation
Collateral   Collateral is a security of asset accepted by lenders from borrowers to protect in an event of defaults. If a borrower failed to honor the obligations, the lender can use the pledged collaterals to claim against the loss incurred due to defaults. 
Colombo Consumer Price Index CCPI CCPI demonstrates the price movment of selcted goods and services consumed by urban households of the Colombo district.
Colombo Port City Investment Accounts (Investor/Investee) CPCIA CPCIAs was introduced under the Directions No. 06 of 2022 and 07 of 2022. There are two types of accounts available under this account category
Colombo Stock Exchange CSE  
Combined Ratio   A measure of profitability used by an insurance company to gauge how well it is performing in its daily operations. The combined ratio is calculated by taking the sum of incurred losses and expenses and then dividing them by the earned premium.
Commemorative Notes and Coins   A currency note or coin issued to commemorate the significance of the contribution of a person or a special event to the wellbeing of the Sri Lankan society
Commercial banks' deposits with the Central Bank    
Commercial Papers   Commonly used type of short-term debt instrument issued by corporations, typically used for the financing  short-term liabilities.
Commercial Scale Dairy Development Loan Scheme CSDDLS  
Commodity Exports Subsidy Scheme CESS  
Common Electronic Fund Transfer Switch CEFTS An electronic fund transfer switch , which facilitates domestic interbank real-time fund transfers between customers of financial institutions connected to the system through payment channels such as Internet Banking, Mobile Banking, Kiosks, Over the Counter (OTC) and Automated Teller Machines (ATMs)
Common POS Switch CPS An electronic system operated by LankaClear (Pvt) Ltd (LCPL) that links Point of Sales (POS) of its members to facilitate switching and clearing of not-on-us POS transactions
Communications Department CMD  
Compliance Monitoring Officer CMO  
Complaint Reference Number CRN  
Complaint Submission Form CSF  
CON TOT Checking   Checking the balance not credited into the member accounts & remained at employer account prior to the annual account balance.
Condominium Market Survey CMS CMS is carried out by the Statistics Department of the CBSL targeting the condominium developers on a quarterly basis with the objective of obtaining market information including sales transaction data, required to be used in informed decision making process and in property price index compilation process. A summary report compiled based on the information obtained through the survey is published on the CBSL website on a quarterly basis.
Confidence Intervals CI  
Consolidated Operating Instructions COI A circular, which outlines operating instructions relating to OMOs of the CBSL
Consumer price inflation    
Contactless payments   Refers payments by using technologies such as  radio frequency identification (RFID) and near-field communication (NFC) enabled in payment cards or other devices
Contagion Risk   Transmission of financial difficulties in one or many financial institutions to a large number of other financial institutions or to the entire financial system. Financial Interconnectedness acts as a conduit for contagion.
Conversion of export proceeds    
Contribution detail file for paying through electronic media EVEMC  
Core Inflation   Measures excluding Volatile Food, Energy and Transport from the headline index
Corporate Debt Instruments CDI  
Corporate Debt Market    
Corporative Wholesale Establishment CWE  
Corridor of interest rates    
Cost, Insurance and Freight CIF An inco term, which means cost, insurance, freight included in the price.
Counterfeit/ Forged Notes   Currency issued into circulation by any person or establishment other than the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, in a deliberate attempt to imitate the currency to deceive its recipient
Counterparty   An individual or an entity on the other side of a financial contract or a transaction.
Counterparty Credit Risk Management Guideline CCRMG  
Coupon   The interest payment made to bond holders during the lifetime of the bond. Coupon payments are usually paid semi-annually. The annual amount of interest is equal to the principal value times the coupon rate.
Credit Card   A payment card which involves a line of credit granted by the issuer to the card holder, where the credit utilized can be settled in full or in part on or before a specified date. The issuer may charge interest or other charges on any amount not settled on the specified date
Credit Guarantee/Credit Guarantees CG/CGs One of the tools for credit risk mitigation and credit enhancement. The guarantee is issued by the CBSL as the agent of the GOSL or acts on behalf of the GOSL and it covers the risk of default by borrowers. If the borrower fails to repay what he borrowed by financial institutions, the financial institutions could resort to Credit Guarantee Scheme to recover the losses incurred by him due to the default by the borrower.
Credit Risk   Credit risk is the possibility of a loss due to failure of a borrower to repay full or part of their financial obligation when due.
Credit Supply survey CSS CSS is a  survey to capture the recent developments and forward-looking information on the credit  activities of all licensed commercial banks and licensed specialised banks in the country  on a quarterly basis.
Criminal Investigation Division CID  
Cross Currency   A currency pair that does not involve the US dollar as the base or the quoted currency. A cross currency transaction, for example, doesn't use the U.S. dollar as a contract settlement currency.
Currency   All currency notes and coins issued or circulating in the country in accordance with the Monetary Law Act No. 58 of 1949
Currency Department CRD  
Currency in Circulation CIC The physical amount of currency notes and coins held by the public (Including Licensed Commercial Banks and other Financial Institutions) at a given time
Currency Note Processing System CNPS  
Current Transaction   Any international transaction necessitating a transfer of foreign exchange into or from Sri Lanka, and referred to in paragraph (d) of Article XXX of the Articles of the International Monetary Fund
Custodians in terms of Financial Transactions  

Clearing members who settle trades on behalf of their clients that are executed through other trading members.

Customer Account based Mobile Payment System  

A mobile phone based payment system operated by a Licensed Commercial Bank, a Licensed Specialized Bank or a Finance Company that provides a means of access to customer accounts maintained with such financial institutions

Customer Due Diligence CDD

Customer due diligence is the process of

(a) Identifying the customer and verifying that customer’s identity using reliable, independent source documents, data or information.
(b) Identifying the beneficial owner and taking reasonable measures to verify the identity of the beneficial owner.
(c) Understanding and, as appropriate, obtaining information on the purpose and intended nature of the business relationship.
(d) Conducting ongoing due diligence on the business relationship and scrutiny of transactions undertaken throughout the course of that relationship to ensure that the transactions being conducted are consistent with the institution’s knowledge of the customer, their business and risk profile, including, where necessary, the source of funds.

 

D

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Term

Abbreviation

Description

Damaged/ Mutilated Notes   Currency note which has been reduced in its original size due to wear and tear, burnt, decomposed, shredded, torn, and where security features, date on note, serial number and signature are tampered with, by accident or by various natural disasters
Data Library   Data Library consists of time series data on a variety of areas spanning across Real, Monetary, Fiscal, External and Financial sectors collected from several internal Departments of the Central Bank and several external institutions.
Data Warehouse   A data storage architecture that enables business intelligence activities to be performed on stored data
Deal in foreign exchange   Accepting, buying, selling, borrowing, and lending of foreign exchange and exchange to any other foreign currency for the purposes under the Foreign Exchange Act, No. 12 of 2017
Dealer Direct Participant DDP A Direct Participant appointed as a Dealer Direct Participant by CBSL in terms of the Registered Stock and Securities Ordinance and the Local Treasury Bills Ordinance. Dealer Direct Participant shall have the access to maintain securities accounts in the CDS and effect transfers of Scripless Securities on its own behalf or on behalf of its Customers.
Dealing Unit DU  
Debentures    
Debit Card   A payment card that may be used to withdraw cash and/or execute payments for purchase of goods and services, by directly debiting from the credit balance of the cardholder’s account
Debt moratoria    
Debt service obligations    
Debt Sustainability   The level of debt which allows a debtor country to meet its current and future debt service obligations in full, without recourse to further debt relief or rescheduling, avoiding accumulation of arrears, while allowing an acceptable level of economic growth.
Declaration   Declaration to the Department of Customs where foreign exchange exceeds USD 15,000 or its equivalent in other foreign currencies or an appropriate declaration to an Authorized Dealer where such foreign exchange is less than or equals USD 15,000 or its equivalent in other foreign currencies
Delivery Versus Payment DVP Transfer (delivery) of ownership of securities and the underlying transfer of funds are realized simultaneously on real time.
Delivery Versus Payment I DVPI Transfer of ownership of securities are realized and the underlying transfer of funds are realized on gross basis in real-time bilaterally between PIs as final settlements.
Delivery Versus Payment II DVPII Transfer of ownership of securities are realized on gross (trade-by-trade) basis in real-time but the underlying transfer of funds realize on differed net basis between PIs as final settlements.
Delivery Versus Payment III DVPIII Transfer of ownership of securities and the underlying transfer of funds are realized on differed net settlement basis. i.e. at predetermined times of a day (based on the frequency of net settlements) open positions of securities and open positions of funds are netted multilaterally and settled between all PIs simultaneously ensuring settlement finality of transactions (irrevocable and unconditional).
Demand (in BOS)   Indicates the volume of demand during the current quarter and the expectation for the next quarter as compared to corresponding quarter of the last year
Demand driven inflationary pressures    
Demand for Bank Credit (in BOS)   Indicates the demand to obtain bank credit during the current quarter and the expectation for the next quarter as compared to corresponding quarter of the last year
Demonetization   Withdrawal of a coin or currency note from use as legal tender by the Central Bank with an advance notice
Department of Cencus and Statistics DCS  
Department of Foreign Exchange DFE  
Department of Supervision of Non-Bank Financial Institutions DSNBFI  
Departmental Risk Officer DRO  
Deposit liabilities    
Depreciation and amortisation    
Deputy Commissioner of Labour DCL  
Deputy Secretary to the Treasury Account DST The Account which is used for handling all transactions and documents between the CBSL and the General Treasury.
Designated Foreign Currency   United States Dollars (USD); Euro; Sterling Pound; Australian Dollars; Singapore Dollars; Swedish Kroner; Swiss Franc; Canadian Dollars; Hong Kong Dollars; Japanese Yen; Danish Kroner; Norwegian Kroner; Chinese Renminbi; New Zealand Dollars and Thai Baht.
Designated Non-Finance Businesses and Professions DNFBPs Institutions engaged in Designated Non-Finance Businesses and Professions as defined in the Financial Transactions Reporting Act, No. 6 of 2006
Deterioration of fiscal balances    
Determination Letter DL  
Digital Signature   A cryptographically generated group of data, containing an electronic message that verifies a signatory
Diplomatic Foreign Currency Account DFCA Foreign Currency Account for Diplomatic Missions/ Personal in Sri Lanka
Diplomatic Mission   An embassy, high commission, consulate, permanent mission of United Nations Organization, European Union delegation of the European Commission, International Monetary Fund, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Asian Development Bank or any other similar organization which has been recognized as a diplomatic mission by the Protocol Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) from time to time
Diplomatic personnel   Citizens of a foreign country represented by the diplomatic mission
Diplomatic Rupee Account DRA Sri Lanka Rupee Account for Diplomatic Missions/ Personal in Sri Lanka
Direct Financial Interconnectedness   Direct Financial Interconnectedness originates from direct linkages between financial institutions through financial transactions, other obligations and relationships.
Direct Investment Enterprises DIEs  
Direct Issuance Window DIW The arrangement in place for direct issuances of Treasury Bonds in the Primary Market at the WAYR determined at the Primary auction and   allowed for bidding during the period between primary auction and its settlement.
Direct Participant DP A Licensed Commercial Bank, a Primary Dealer or any other person appointed as a Direct Participant by CBSL in terms of the Registered Stock and Securities Ordinance and the Local Treasury Bills Ordinance. A Direct Participant shall have the access to maintain a securities account in the CSD and effect transfers of Scripless Securities on its own behalf.
Director Risk Management DRM  
Disaster Recovery   A subset of Business continuity, that refers to the procedures involved in recovering data, technology and systems through any disaster situation
Disaster Recovery Site DRS  
Disbursed Outstanding External Debt DOD  
Disinflation path    
Dissavings of the government    
District Office Code D/O Code  
Dividend payments    
Doing business environment    
Domain   A network of computers and devices controlled by an authority according to its regulations and  guidelines
Domestic Agriculture Development DAD  
Domestic Agriculture Development - Pilot Project DAD-PP  
Domestic Banking Unit DBU  
Domestic Debt Management Committee DDMC  
Domestic Inter-Bank Foreign Exchange Market   The market where foreign currency is traded between all authorized dealers in foreign exchange, which comprises from all licensed commercial banks and National Savings Bank. This market helps to manage foreign exchange liquidity within the banking system through currency conversion.
Domestic foreign exchange market    
Domestic Operations Bond Borrowing Account DOBB The account which, Treasury bonds borrowed under the BBS from a third party are transferred temporarily enabling CBSL to use the Treasury bonds for OMOs.
Domestic Operations Department DOD  
Domestic money market    
Drawal of a Swap Transaction   Exchanging of swap currencies between the requesting party and the providing party, under the terms and conditions stipulated in a swap agreement.
Duration (Public Debt)   The weighted average maturity of the cash flows of a debt security/portfolio.
Duration (Risk Management)   Duration is a market risk parameter used to measure the price sensitivity of a financial instruments or a portfolio to interest rate changes.
DVPIII   Simultaneous Net Settlement of Securities and Funds Transfers. These systems settle transfer instructions for both securities and funds on a net basis, with final transfer of both occurring at the end of the processing cycle. Settlement may occur once a day or several times a day.

 

E

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Term

Abbreviation

Description

Economic and Social Statistics of Sri Lanka ESS Statistics Department of the CBSL has been publishing ESS on an annual basis, with the objective of providing a single source of information that contains economic and social statistics related to Sri Lanka and neighbouring countries. The booklet is available in both printed and electronic formats and in all three official languages.
Economic History Museum EHM  
Economic Research Department ERD  
Electronic Fund Transfer Card EFTC A card or a device that enables the user to transfer value in credit, debit or any other form and includes credit cards, debit cards and stored value cards where transaction details could be identified by the ADs for the purposes of being compliant with the provisions of the FEA
Electronic Return e-Return  
Electronic Trading E-Trading It is an electronic mechanism which enables traders to connect, place orders and conduct trading activities of eligible instruments such as securities, derivatives and commodities.
Electronic Trading Platform ETP The electronic platform which facilitates Electronic Trading.
Emigrant   An individual Sri Lankan who has obtained Permanent Residency status or Citizenship in another country, a dual citizen of Sri Lanka whose mother or father was born in Sri Lanka, a non-Sri Lankan citizen whose mother or father was born in Sri Lanka and whose birth has been registered in Sri Lanka, including minors of the said persons.
Emigrants’ Remittable Income Account ERIA An account introduced for the purpose of repatriation of current income derived in Sri Lanka by an emigrants, only if there is a regulatory requirement in the country where the emigrant is residing permanently, to identify the current income globally derived by such emigrant.
Employed Population   Persons who worked at least one hour during the reference period, as paid employees, employers, own account workers or contributing family workers are said to be employed. This also includes persons with a job but not at work during the reference period.
Employee Share Ownership Plan/ Employee Share Option Scheme   A plan or a scheme under which a company incorporated outside Sri Lanka offers an opportunity to acquire its shares or shares of the group of companies, to employees of its branch or subsidiary in Sri Lanka
Employees' Provident Fund EPF A mandatory defined contribution retirement scheme for the private and semi-government sector employees who do not enjoy pension benefits. It is the largest superannuation fund in Sri Lanka.
Employees' Provident Fund Department EPF  
Employees' Trust Fund ETF All public sector employees who are not entitled to the Govt. Pension Scheme and all private sector employees are members of this Fund while their employers are required to remit 3% of the gross earnings of their employees to the Fund, monthly. Hence, unlike the EPF, only the employer makes a contribution on behalf of the employee/member and hence, it is a non-contributory benefit to the member.
Employment (in PMI)   Number of employees working for the organisation
EMVCo   EMV stands for Europay, MasterCard and Visa, a global standard that provides specifications for payment chips and other payment technologies
Enterprise-wide Risk Management ERM Enterprise-Wide Risk Management is the overall management of risk that an organization takes and holds to achieve its strategic objectives.
Environmental Social and Governance ESG ESG is a framework designed to be embedded into an organization’s strategy that considers the needs and ways in which to generate value for all of organizational stakeholders
EPF Investment Committee EIC  
EPF Investment Oversight Committee EIOC  
Europian Investment Bank EIB  
Exchange Rate Movements    
Expected Loss EL Expected loss is a credit risk measure which calculates as the sum of the possible losses multiplied by the probability of occurring that loss.
Expert Panel Discussions EPD Discussion centered around a timely topic contributed by Speakers and Panelists representing different aspects of a particular subject with economic interest.
Export Development Board EDB  
Export Unit Value Index   The ratio between export value index and export volume index.
Export Value Index   The ratio of the export values between the current period and the base period.
Export Volume Index   The ratio of the export quantities between the current period and the base period
Extended Fund Facility EFF  
External Commercial Borrowing Account ECBA Account maintained by the resident borrower (other than Licensed Commercial Banks, Licensed Specialized Bank, the Government of Sri Lanka and State owned  enterprises) to credit proceeds of the foreign borrowings obtained by  persons resident outside Sri Lanka, under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Act, No. 12 of 2017
External current account deficit    
External Manager   An entity who is retained by the Monetary Board or an Investment Vehicle to manage a portfolio of securities or other assets for various objectives including return enhancement, diversification and/or for technical knowhow.

 

F

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Term

Abbreviation

Description

Face Value FV Value of government securities at maturity.
Facilities Management Department FMD  
Fan chart   A chart representing realised data and forecasts of a given variable, together with confidence bands for forecasts, highlighting the uncertainty over the same
Federal Fund Target Rate FFTR The Federal fund rate that sets by the Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC). This rate is used to guide overnight lending among U.S. banks and is set as a range between an upper and lower limit.
File Transfer Protocol FTP A set of rules  followed by computers when transferring files over the internet from one system to another
Finance Department FD  
Financial Action Task Force FATF

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog. The inter-governmental body sets international standards that aim to prevent these illegal activities and the harm they cause to society. As a policy-making body, the FATF works to generate the necessary political will to bring about national legislative and regulatory reforms in these areas.

The FATF has developed the FATF Recommendations, or FATF Standards, which ensure a co-ordinated global response to prevent money laundering, terrorist financing, funding for weapons of mass destruction  and organised crimes and corruptions.

The FATF monitors countries to ensure they implement the FATF Standards fully and effectively and holds countries to account that do not comply.

Financial Acquirer  

Any person who makes arrangements with third parties to accept payment cards of cardholders as a means of payment and reimburses those third parties with the value of the goods or services purchased by the cardholder, and/or who reimburses such third parties for cash advances obtained by the cardholders

Financial Consumer Protection FCP  
Financial Consumer Relations Department FCRD  
Financial Inclusion Survey FIS  
Financial Information Network FInNet Financial Information Network (FInNet) is a system which facilitate to collect regulatory reporting data from Licensed Commercial Banks (LCBs), Primary Dealers (PDs) and Leasing Companies daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis
Financial Institutions FIs Institutions engaged in finance business as defined in the Financial Transactions Reporting Act, No. 6 of 2006
Financial Intelligence Unit FIU The Financial Intelligence Unit of Sri Lanka was established in March 2006 in terms of the provisions of the Financial Transactions Reporting Act No. 06 of 2006 (FTRA) under the Ministry of Finance. The FIU functions as an independent institution within the administrative structure of the CBSL in terms of the order made by H.E the President under the FTRA to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and other related crimes in Sri Lanka in line with international recommendations and standards.
Financial Interconnectedness   Financial interconnectedness is the network of financial linkages resulting from credit exposures, trading links, other relationships and dependencies between financial Institutions. Financial Interconnectedness is an important dimension of systemic Risk. Financial interconnectedness is of two folds viz. direct financial interconnectedness and indirect financial interconnectedness.
Financial Intermediary FI The process of channeling funds between parties who has surplus funds and fund deficits.
Financial Risk   Financial risk is a risk of loosing the value of investments due to certain expected and unexpected factors and can broadly be categorized as market, credit, liquidity and operational risk.
Financial Service Provider FSP  
Fintech   The technology and innovation that aims to support or enable banking and financial services
Firewall   A guarding barrier in between networks that blocks unauthorized communication coming from outside networks including the internet
Fiscal Consolidation    
Fiscal Management (Responsibility) Act FMRA  
Fiscal stimulus measures    
Fitch Ratings Fitch  
Fixed Deposit FD  
Fixed Income Quote FIQ  
Fixed Income Securities FIS Fixed income securities are instruments which give fixed and regular stream of cash flow to the investor.
Flexible Inflation Targeting FIT Monetary policy conducted under a flexible inflation targeting (FIT) framework is aimed at stabilising inflation around the inflation target while minimising disturbance to the real economy
Floating Rate Bond   A bond that has a variable coupon equal to a money market reference rate, like LIBOR plus a spread. The spread is a value that remains constant.
Forecasting and Policy Analysis System FPAS A system of tools and related processes designed to support forward-looking monetary policy formulation based on economic data and analyses
Foreign airline   Any ‘foreign air operator’ within the meaning of the Civil Aviation Act, No. 14 of 2010 (as amended) which is a resident outside Sri Lanka
Foreign Currency   Any currency other than Sri Lankan currency.
Foreign Currency SWAP    
Foreign Currency Term Financing Facility FCTFF  
Foreign Direct Investment FDI  
Foreign Exchange Act, No. 12 of 2017 FEA  
Foreign Exchange Cash Transaction CASH Outright purchase of one currency amount against another currency, at the agreed foreign exchange rate, settled on the transaction execution date (t0).
Foreign Exchange Forward Transaction Forward Outright purchase of one currency amount against another currency, at the agreed foreign exchange rate, settled by delivery on an agreed future date exceeding two business days after the transaction execution date.
Foreign Exchange Tom Transaction TOM Outright purchase of one currency amount against another currency, at the agreed foreign exchange rate, settled on the next business day after the transaction execution date (t0+1).
Foreign inward remittances    
Foreign Shipping line   Any shipping line within the meaning of the Licensing of Shipping Agency Act, No. 10 of 1972 (as amended) which is a resident outside Sri Lanka
Form ‘83’   The summary of EPF contribution payments & individual accounts performed by a relevant employer for one account year, who sent C 03 form but does not send contributions electronically even with more than 150 employees.
Form ‘C 01’   The form which should be sent by the employers with more than 50 employees, who have not yet registered to submit EPF contributions electronically along with monthly EPF contributions.
Form ‘C 03’   The form which should be sent by the employers who has paid the EPF contributions on a monthly basis through C 01 form, to send the details of the contributions to be made to the members' accounts.
Form ‘C’   The form which contains the details of contributions to be made to the members accounts & forwarded along with contributions to the Department of Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF Department) by the employers with less than 50 employees on monthly basis.
Form ‘CL 01’   The form should be forwarded through Labour Department along with the ‘C’ form & the first installment to be credited under proportionate method when paying arrears EPF contributions or contributions paying after legal actions on installment basis.
Form ‘CL 02’   The form which contains the details of contributions to be sent when forwarding the relevant other installments of the EPF Contributions to the FPF Department under proportionate method when submitted the CL 01 form to the respective case.
Form ‘CL 03’   The form to be sent by the Labour Department with ‘C’ form to credit to the several installments of the EPF contributions in to individual member accounts proportionately, which are remained at the Commissioner of Labor account of the EPF Department.
Form ‘CR’   The form issued to confirm the receipt of monthly EPF contribution paid by the employers to the EPF.
Form ‘D’   An application that should be completed & submitted to the Labour Department to register their employment in the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) after a business entity has started & recruited employees.
Form ‘EM1’   This is the form that need to be submitted by an employer in for registering for submitting the EPF contributions through electronic media.
Form ‘K’   Application to be submitted to claim the refund of EPF.
Form ‘N’   The form which should be forwarded when transferring a Private Fund to the EPF Department with the approval of the Commissioner of Labor (EPF) stating the audited details of the accounts to be accounted under the EPF accounts.
Form ‘Q’   The form to be forwarded to the EPF Department with the approval of the Commissioner of Labor (EPF) to refund the erroneously paid or excess EPF contributions to the EPF within one year after payment of contributions.
Form ‘RR 02’   The form to be completed by an employer to rectify the discrepancy between the name of the National Identity Card of an employee who has already paid EPF contributions & the name of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka & re-register the member details with the EPF Department as per the information in the National Identity Card.
Form ‘RR 06’   The form to be completed & sent by the employer stating the members who are paying EPF contributions under their employer & registering them with the EPF Department as per the information contained in their National Identity Card.
Form ‘WR1’   The Application Form required to be completed & submitted to Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) Department of Central Bank to register for the Online/ Short Message Service (SMS) balance inquiry facility. When a member obtains the EPF Online balance inquiry facility he would be able to view his current balance, contribution history, status of the refund application, status of the housing loan application.
Form ‘WR2’   The Application Form required to be completed & submitted to EPF Department of Central Bank to add new EPF member accounts to the EPF Online balance inquiry facility when he has already registered for the online balance inquiry facility.
Form 1   Sales of foreign exchange
Form 2   Purchases of foreign exchange
Free on board FOB An incoterm meaning the price, excluding insurance and freight.
Free trade agreement FTA An arrangement that establishes unimpeded exchange and flow of goods and services between trading partners, regardless of national borders of member countries.
Front office FO Front office is the unit which involves in trading and investment activities with counterparties.
Frosted Proof Coins   Uncirculated commemorative coin with a mirror like background with frosted design elements. Typically these coins are minted manually to bring out the details in design
Fund Management Departments FMDs  
Fund Transfer FT  

 

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Term

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Description

General Insurance   Insurance contracts that do not come under the ambit of life insurance are called general insurance. The different forms of general insurance are fire, marine, motor, accident and other miscellaneous non-life insurance.
General Sales Agent GSA A person authorized to carry on business as a general sales agent in Sri Lanka on behalf of a foreign airline (foreign principal) with a valid license or authorization letter issued by the Director General of Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka
Generalised System of Preferences Plus Scheme GSP+ A special component of the GSP scheme that provides additional trade incentives to developing countries already benefitting from GSP
Genuine Currency Notes   Currency notes issued by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka
Golden Paradise Foreign Currency Account GPFCA Special Foreign Currency Accounts in the name of foreign nationals who wish to stay in Sri Lanka on 10 years resident Visas under the “Golden Paradise Visa Programme” implemented by the Department of Immigration and Emigration
Government of Sri Lanka GOSL  
Grace Period   Period of time provided for in a loan agreement for commencement of repayment of the loan.
Grant Element   A measure of concessionally of a loan, calculated as the difference between the face value of the loan and the sum of discounted future debt service payments to be made by the borrower expressed as a percentage of the face value of the loan.
Green House Gases GHGs Gases that contribute to the natural greenhouse effect. The Kyoto Protocol covers a basket of six greenhouse gases (GHGs) produced by human activities that will increase the risk of global warming and climate change
Gross Domestic Product GDP GDP is the standard measure of estimating market value of the value added created through the production of goods and services in a country during a certain period.
Gross National Product GNP  
Gross Official Reserves GOR Gross Official Reserves mainly comprise of the holdings of foreign assets of the Central Bank (including gold holding), SDR holding, the country’s reserve position with the International Monetary Fund and the holdings of foreign assets of the Government.
Gross Written Premiums   Total revenue from a contract expected to be received by an insurer before deductions for reinsurance or ceding commissions.
Growth at Risk   Growth at Risk framework predicts the growth distribution of GDP conditional on an index of macrofinancial conditions. The framework quantifies macrofinancial risks in terms of growth and monitor the evolution of risks to economic activity over time.

 

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Description

Harmonized system HS A method of classifying goods in international trade developed by the World Customs Organization
Headline inflation   Headline inflation refers to the rate of change in the consumer price index and measures the total inflation within an economy.
High Level Seminars HLS Discussion centered around a timely topic with the participation of Speakers and Panelists with foreign exposure, representing different facets of a particular subject. The audience of HLS are high level professionals from the related areas
High risk premia    
Host   A host machine can be a server, client or any other type of a computer that is accessible over  a network
Household Income and Expenditure Survey HIES  
Housing Loan HL  
Human Resources Department HRD  
Hypertext Transfer Protocol HTTP A set of rules used by information systems that enables users to ineteract with World Wide Web data on the internet. When a URL is entered to the browser an HTTP instruction is sent to the web server demanding it to find and view the required web page

 

I

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Term

Abbreviation

Description

IEL   The ledger containing the balance at the end of the year in each member's accounts after balancing the annual accounts.
Immediate family members under Regulations No 1 and 4 of 2021   The parents, spouse, and children of the relevant person.
Immediate family members under Regulations No 2 of 2021   The parents, grandparents, spouse, and children of the relevant person.
Immediate family members under Regulations No 3 of 2021   The parents, grandparents, siblings and spouse of the relevant person.
Impact   The damage a risk event would cause in the event it materializes.
Import Unit Value Index   The ratio between import value index and import volume index
Import Value Index   The ratio of the import values between the current period and the base period
Import Volume Index   The ratio of the import quantities between the current period and the base period
Index Linked Bond   A bond, which pays a coupon that, varies according to some underlying index usually the Consumer Price Index.
Index of Industrial Production IIP  
Indirect Financial Interconnectedness   This refers to channels through which distress of a financial institute can affect another financial institution even in the absence of direct relationships. Exposure to common assets, shadow banking, fire sales, margin calls and haircuts and information spillovers are a few examples of indirect financial interconnectedness.
Industrial Development Board IDB  
Inflation   A constant rise in the general price level of goods and services in an economy over the year.  There are two measures of inflation in general use.  Those are Year-on-Year base Inflation and Moving average Inflation.
Inflation outlook    
Information Technology IT  
Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing IT/BPO  
Information Technology Department ITD  
Inherent Risk   The amount of risk that exists assuming there are no mitigating controls in place.
Initial Public Offering   An initial public offering is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and retail investors for the first time.
Input Prices (in BOS)   Indicates the input prices (raw material prices or prices of other inputs such as labour) during the current quarter and the expectation for the next quarter as compared to corresponding quarter of the last year
Insurance Policyholder   A person or entity who owns or controls an insurance policy and has the privilege to exercise the rights outlined in the contract. This party is often, but not always, the insured and may or may not be one of the policy’s beneficiaries.
Interbank Call Money Market    
Interest Rate Risk   Interest rate risk is the risk of changing the value of an asset when interest rates changes in the market.
Interest Service INT  
Interest Subsidy IS One of the tools that are used to expand the access to finance. GOSL or CBSL or a donor agency may provide funds to provide interest subsidy to the financial institutions under interest subsidy schemes in order to encourage the financial institutions to lend by using their own funds to economic sectors, which involve high credit risk.
Internal Audit Department IAD  
Internal Investment Oversight Committee IIOC  
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development IBRD  
International Development Agency IDA  
International Finance Corporation IFC  
International Fund For Agricultural Development IFAD  
International Monetary Fund IMF  
International Operations Department IOD  
International Reserve Investment Oversight Committee IRIOC  
International Securities Identification Number ISIN An identification number allocated to distinguish the type of security, tenure and date of maturity of government securities
International Sovereign Bond ISB  
Internet Protocol address IP address An identification number which is unique to each computer Eg: 192.168.101.1.
Intra Day Liquidity   Funds, which can be accessed during a business day and settled on the same day, usually to enable financial institutions to make payments on real time.
Intra-day Liquidity Facility ILF An intra-day interest free funding facility provided to PIs by the CBSL to facilitate smooth operation of the Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) System.
Intraday Volatility of the Exchange Rate   Exchange rate movements within a day.
Investment (in BOS)   Indicates the investment level during the current quarter and the expectation for the next quarter as compared to corresponding quarter of the last year
Investment Guidelines IG  
Investment Management and Accounting System IMAS  
Investment Oversight Committees IOCs  
Investment Policy Statement IPS  
Inward Investment Account IIA An account introduced for channelling inward remittances in respect of permitted capital transactions in Sri Lanka by non-resident investors and repatriation of any return of such investments.

 

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Description

Key Rate Duration   Key rate duration is a measure of how sensitive a debt security’s price is when its yield changes by 1% for a certain maturity while all other maturities are held constant.
Know Your Customer KYC The mandatory process of identifying and verifying the customer's identity when entering into relationships with FIs or DNFBPs

 

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Term

Abbreviation

Description

Labour Force   The current economically active population, i.e. the number of persons (aged 15 years and above), who are employed or unemployed during the reference one-week period.
Labour Force Participation Rate LFPR  
Labour Productivity   Measured in terms of Gross Value Added (GVA) (in 2010 prices) per hour worked
Land Price Index LPI LPI was compiled by the Statistics Department of the CBSL  using per perch bare land prices obtained from the Government Valuation Department covering all 13 DS divisions in the Colombo District on a semi-annual basis. From 2nd half of 2019 onwards LPI is renamed as LVI and released on a semi-annual basis.
Land Valuation Indicator LVI LVI which is previously known as LPI, is compiled by the Statistics Department of the CBSL  using per perch bare land prices obtained from the Government Valuation Department covering all 13 DS divisions in the Colombo District on a semi-annual basis.
LankaPay (Pvt.) Ltd LPPL LankaPay (Pvt.) Ltd (LPPL) which was previously named as Lankaclear (Pvt.) Ltd, is the national payment network that functions under the guidance and supervision of the CBSL.
LANKAQR   LANKAQR is the National Quick Response (QR) Code standard for local currency payments in Sri Lanka, introduced by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL)
LankaSecure Net   The internet based online viewing facility for the investors in Govt. Securities recorded in the Central Depository System
LankaSecure System   The Scripless Securities Settlement System and the Central Depository System established and operated by CBSL in terms of the Monetary Law Act
LankaSettle System   Real-Time Gross Settlement System and the LankaSecure System established and operated by CBSL in terms of the Monetary Law Act
Legal & Compliance Department LCD  
Legal Rate   Legal Rate is applicable to any legal action for the recovery of a sum of money
Legal Tender   All currency notes and coins issued by the Central Bank  shall be valid in Sri Lanka for the payment of any amount
Lender of last resort    
Lending rate caps    
Letter of Acceptance of Payments of Outstanding Bills due to Contractors and Suppliers of the Government LAPC A letter issued by the Government Treasury to contractors and suppliers of the Government confirming the outstanding payments from the Government to enable such contractors and suppliers to use the letter as a security to obtain loans from LCBs under special loan schemes introduced by the CBSL during the Covid-19 pandemic
Letter of Credit LCs A document issued by the importer´s bank stating its commitment to honor a draft, or otherwise pay, on presentation of specific documents by the exporter within a stated period of time
Library and Information Centre LIC  
Licensed Commercial Bank LCB  
Licensed Finance Companies LFCs  
Licensed Specialized Bank LSB  
Likelihood The probability of a risk event occurring  
Liquefied Petroleum Gas LPG  
Liquidity   Liquidity refers to the ability to convert an asset into cash without affecting its market price.

Liquidity buffers

   

Liquidity Coverage Ratio

LCR  

Liquidity Facility to the Contractors and Suppliers

LFCS A special loan scheme introduced by the CBSL for contractors and suppliers of the Government to obtain loans from LCBs against a Letter of Acceptance of Payments of Outstanding Bills due to Contractors and Suppliers of the Government issued by the Government Treasury during the Covid-19 pandemic
Liquidity Risk   Liquidity risk Is the risk that a financial institutions fails to meet its financial obligations, without incurring a substantial loss.
Liquidity Support Facility LSF A Reverse Repo auction available for SPDs under OMOs
Loan Scheme LS  
Loan to Value Ratio LTV Measures the relationship between the loan amount and the market value of the asset securing the loan.
Local Treasury Bills Ordinance LTBO Local Treasury Bills Ordinance No. 8 of 1923 (as amended)
London Inter-Bank Offered Rate LIBOR The London Inter Bank Offered Rate. This rate is used as a reference rate by the international banking markets and is commonly the basis on which lending/borrowing margins are fixed.
Long Term LT Tenor of the auctions conducted more than 7 days (more than one week) under OMOs with the view to absorb/inject liquidity from/to the market on term basis
Long Term Credit Rating LTCR  
Long-term Insurance   Refers to life insurance

 

M

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Term

Abbreviation

Description

Macrofinancal feedback loops   Adverse condition in the macroeconomy affecting a component in the financial system which in turn will impact the macroeconomy again which will continue in form of a loop
Macroprudential measures    
Macroprudential policy   Policies aimed at maintaining financial system stability and avoiding systemic risk
Macroprudential Surveillance Department MSD  
Management Committee MC The Committee established under National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) which will supervise the day-to-day implementation of the NFIS and ensure that progress adheres to the implementation plan and the guidance of the NFIC
Market capitalisation   Market capitalisation is the total number of issued shares of listed Companies, multiplied by their respective prices at a given time. This figure reflects the broad value of the market at that time.
Market deposit interest rates    
Market Lending Rates    
Market Operations Committee MOC A committee entrusted with the task of translating overall monetary policy considerations adopted by the Monetary Board into daily monetary operations. In terms of monetary policy implementation, the MOC decides on the required actions in relation to liquidity management, taking into consideration the estimated liquidity conditions, desired level of the operating target, liquidity distribution among market participants, the need for devising appropriate market signals, etc
Market Rate   Market Rate is applicable only in relation to legal actions instituted by lending institutions for the recovery of debt exceeding Rs. 150,000 arising out of commercial transactions, where there is no agreed rate of interest
Market Risk   Market risk encompasses the risk of financial losses resulting from movements in market prices and includes interest rate risk, foreign exchange risk, equity price risk & the commodity price risk.
Market Volatility   Market volatility is how much and how quickly prices move over a given span of time.
Maturity   In case of a security (financial instrument) maturity is the amount and date the issuer has promised to redeem the issue by paying the principal value. The number of days or years until the date of redemption is called the maturity period.
Maximum Retail Price MRP  
Medium and Long-Term Debt Service MLDS  
Medium Term Debt Management Strategy MTDS  
Medium Term Fiscal Framework MTFF  
Memorandum of Understanding MoU  
Merchandise trade deficit    
Micro Finance MF  
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises MSME  
Mid-single digit levels    
Middle Office MO Middle Office conduct risk analysis & performance analysis of trading/investment activities.
Middle Rate of the USD/LKR SPOT Exchange Rate   The weighted average rate of all actual USD/LKR Spot transactions executed in the domestic inter-bank foreign exchange market, including the CBSL spot interventions carried out via “Request for Quote (RFQ)” method throughout the previous/ latest available business day.
Migration Allowance   A quota permitted for emigrants who is aged 18 years or above to claim  proceeds of realised from any asset in Sri Lanka which was owned/acquired/inherited/ received as a gift  by such emigrants. 
Ministry of Finance MOF  
Mobile payment application   A payment made for a product or service through  computer program or software application that enables making payments using a mobile device such as a tablet or mobile phone
Mobile phone based E-money System   Mobile phone based e-money systems issue monetary value upon receipt of funds, which can be stored electronically for the purpose of payments.
Monetary aggregates    
Monetary Board MB  
Monetary Law Act MLA  
Monetary Policy Consultative Committee MPCC  
Monetary policy measures    
Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing ML/TF Money Laundering is the process by which proceeds from a criminal activity are disguised to conceal their illicit origin.  Terrorist financing is the financing of terrorist acts, and of terrorists and terrorist organisations.
Money Market MM  
Money Market Instruments MMI Financial instruments, that are easily convertible into cash for the purposes of short-term lending and borrowing, with maturities ranging from a day to a year. 
Money printing   Money printing is the process of supplying fresh money to the economy by the Central Bank
Money services   Any services relating to money, including safekeeping, money transmission, cheque encashment, or currency exchange, and other similar services
Monitoring & Evaluation System M&E System  
Month on month basis Inflation   The percentage change of the current month Consumer Price Index(CPI) over previous month CPI.
Moody’s Investors Service Moody's  
Mortgage backed housing loans    
Mortgage-Backed Securities MBS A mortgage-backed security is a special type of asset backed security backed by mortgage loans.
Multidimensional Poverty Index    
Multilateral Net Settlement Clearing Balances MLNSB Multilateral Net Settlement Balances (MLNSB) is the net balances which are generated by LPPL through its Cheque Clearing, SLIPS Clearing, Common ATM Switch Clearing, Common Electronic Fund Transfer Switch Clearing and Common Point of Sales Clearing systems of Licensed Commercial Banks (LCBs)

 

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Description

National Agribusiness Development Programme NADeP  
National Consumer Price Index NCPI The NCPI demonstrates the price movment of selcted goods and services consumed by households at national level.
National Crafts Council NCC  
National Financial Inclusion Council NFIC The Council established under National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) which provide overall leadership, policy guidance, and strategic direction for the NFIS and oversee the NFIS implementation with the support from Management Committee and the Secretariat.
National Financial Inclusion Strategy NFIS Strategy for individuals and enterprises in Sri Lanka can access high-quality, appropriate, secure, and affordable services based on their needs and make an informed choice and use these services efficiently and effectively to support their economic activities and improve the quality of their lives.
National Payment Council NPC  
National Steering Committee NSC  
Nationally Determind Contributions NDCs The Paris Agreement requests each country to outline and communicate their post-2020 climate actions, known as their NDCs that includes commitments by each country to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change
NCPI Core NCPI Core Excluding Volatile Food, Energy and Transport from the NCPI basket
Near Field Communication NFC A short range wireless technology that allows devices with NFC chips to communicate securely with each other usually by a physical device touch or when placed within very close proximity
Net Credit to the Government NCG  
Net Domestic Assets NDA  
Net Foreign Assets NFA  
Net Foreign Exchange Open Position NOP An excess of assets (including off-balance sheet items) over liabilities (including off-balance sheet items) or an excess of liabilities (including off-balance sheet items) over assets (including off-balance sheet items) held by a financial institution denominated in a foreign currency at the given date/ point of time.
Net Present Value NPV  
New Comprehensive Rural Credit Scheme NCRCS  
New Orders (in PMI)   The volume of new sales orders
Nominal Effective Exchange Rate NEER  
Non-Conventional Renewable Energy NCRE Non-Conventional Renewable Energy sources such as Solar, Biomass, Dendro, Wind Power & etc.
Non Performing Loans NPLs  
Non-Financial Risk Management Committee NFRMC  
Non-Financial Risks   Risks excluding financial risks
Non-Governmental Organization NGO A voluntary social service organization registered under the National Secretariat for Non-Governmental Organizations in terms of the Voluntary Social Service Organizations [Registration and Supervision] Act, No. 31 of 1980 and any amendment thereto.
Non-Resident Rupee Account NRRA

A Sri Lanka Rupee account introduced for,

  1. emigrants to facilitate local transactions and permitted investments in Sri Lanka out of their rupee generated income which is eligible to claim migration allowance.
  2. firms and companies outside Sri Lanka, to repatriate their local income derived from current transactions and proceeds of investments made in Sri Lanka for which the inward remittances brought into the country could not be proved.
Nostro Account  

An account that a bank holds in a foreign currency in another bank in a foreign country.

Note Series   A collection of denominations of currency notes issued under a specific theme
Novation   Replacement of a contract between the original counterparties with two new contracts; one between the buyer’s clearing agent and the CCP, and another between the CCP and the seller’s clearing agent
Nuclear Gold Reserve   The minimum level of gold reserves that the Monetary Board shall endeavour to hold.
Numismatic   A study or collection of currency

 

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Description

Official Prices   Prices calculated by the CBSL of all available Treasury bill and Treasury bond ISINs based on the secondary market yield rates (quotes) published by the Public Debt Department (PDD). These official prices are used by the AS400 and Scripless Securities Settlement System (SSSS) to value collateral securities
Off-shore Banking Unit OBU  
One Time Password OTP An auto generated string of numeric or alphanumeric characters used to authenticate a user for a single transaction or login session
Online Electronic Bidding System OEBS AS400 System that facilitates auctions under OMOs and access to standing facilities by the PIs
Open account   A payment term under which the buyer promises to pay the seller within a predetermined number of days
Open Banking   The process of customers giving consent to third-party service providers to access their financial data held in financial institutions in order to obtain value-added services.
Open Market Operations OMO OMOs are the market based monetary policy operations conducted by the CBSL using acceptable securities (government securities and the CBSL’s own securities) to maintain market liquidity at appropriate levels and ensure stability in interest rates in line with the monetary policy stance of the CBSL. OMOs are used to steer the overnight interbank interest rates (AWCMR) along a desired path within the Standing Rate Corridor (SRC) by managing liquidity in the domestic money market so as to be consistent with the prevailing monetary policy stance
Operated Kilometres    
Operating Instructions OIs Operating guidelines issued by the Regional Development Department of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to implement a credit scheme including refinance, interest subsidy and credit guarantee from time to time.
Operational loss    
Operational Risk   Risk of loss resulting from inadequate or failed internal processes, people, systems or from external events.
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries OPEC  
Output Prices (in BOS)   Indicates the sales prices during the current quarter and the expectation for the next quarter as compared to corresponding quarter of the last year
Outright Transactions   Transactions by which ownership (title) of the securities are transferred permanently from seller to buyer.
Outstanding domestic debt    
Outstanding External Debt OED  
Outstanding foreign debt    
Outward Investment Account OIA An account introduced for channelling outward remittances in respect of permitted capital transactions outside Sri Lanka by resident persons and receipt of any return of such investments into Sri Lanka.
Overdraft OD A deficit in a current account held with an LCB caused by drawing more money than the money available in the account

 

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Description

Para tariffs   Import taxes other than general custom duty
Parent Migration Scheme   A scheme operated by a foreign country enabling Sri Lankan parents of a person who has obtained permanent residency status or citizenship in that country, to obtain permanent residency status in such foreign country.
Parity Variance   Effect of the appreciation/ depreciation of foreign currencies against the local currency on the existing foreign currency debt portfolio stated in the local currency.
Participating Institutions PIs Financial Institutions such as Licensed Commercial Banks (LCBs) and Standalone Primary Dealers (Companies appointed as Primary Dealers except LCBs) as well as the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) who are conducting operations with the CBSL
Participatory Financial Institution PFI  
Pay-As-You-Earn Tax PAYE tax  
Payment card   Any card, plate, coupon book, or other device, including a code or any other means of access to an account, stored value or credit that may be used from time to time to obtain money or to make payment and includes a debit, charge, credit and stored-value card
Payment detail file for paying through electronic media EVEMP  
Payment instrument   Cheque, draft, money order, traveller’s cheque, payment card or other instrument for the transmission or payment of money or monetary value, whether or not negotiable. The term does not include a credit card voucher, letter of credit, or instrument that is redeemable by the issuer only in goods or services
Payment system   A system or arrangement for the communication, processing, exchange, clearance or settlement of payment orders and other messages effecting, ordering, enabling, or facilitating the making of payments money transmission, money withdrawals, or transfers of monetary value
Payments & Settlements Department PSD  
Percentage Points pps  
Person   Any natural or legal person
Personal Foreign Currency Account PFCA Foreign Currency Account for eligible individuals
Personal Identification Number PIN A numeric code which the cardholder or customer may need to quote for verification of identity when using payment cards, accessing Internet banking or mobile payment apps.
Persons’ resident in Sri Lanka   Persons determined as ‘residents’ in terms of the Order issued under Section 31 of the Foreign Exchange Act, No. 12 of 2017
Phishing   A trick scammers do to obtain private information from vulnerable users. Scammers send fabricated e-mails that seem to be from legitimate websites, requiring users to click on certain malicious links through which personal data may be stolen
Point of Sale (POS) terminal POS terminal POS terminals allow customers to make payments through credit, debit and stored value cards at merchants’ outlets
Policy Review and Monitoring Department PRMD  
Port Terminal operators   Include Airport & Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd., Sri Lanka Ports Authority, South Asia Gateway Terminals (Pvt) Ltd. and Colombo International Container Terminals Ltd
Portfolio Management Unit PMU  
Ports and Airports Development Levy PAL  
Potential Exposure PE  
Poverty Alleviation Microfinance Project PAMP  
Poverty Alleviation Microfinance Project -Revolving Fund PAMP - RF  
Poverty Head Count Index    
Preferential trade agreements    
Price-earnings ratio   The ratio of a company's/ overall market’s share price to the company's/ overall market’s earnings per share. The ratio is used for valuing companies/ overall market and to find out whether they are overvalued or undervalued
Price-to-book ratio   Price-to-book ratio is a financial ratio used to compare a company's current market value to its book value.
Primary Dealer PD An institution appointed by CBSL under the LTBO and the RSSO to participate in the Primary Auctions of Government Securities, and to hold and transact Scripless Securities for itself and for its customers.
Primary Market   Market is where the instruments are first created and issued to the investors for the first time.
Primary Market Weighted Average Yield Rates PMWAYR  
Private- Public- Producers Partnership 4P  
Private Sector Credit PSC  
Probability of Default PD  
Profitability (in BOS)   Indicates the profit level during the current quarter and the expectation for the next quarter as compared to corresponding quarter of the last year
Profits after tax of the banking sector    
Profits and dividends    
Project Management Unit PMU  
Property Price Indices   Statistics Department of the CBSL currently compiles four property price indices covering the Colombo District. The Price Index for new condominiums is compiled on a quarterly basis using the information gathered through the CMS. Meanwhile, Asking Price Indices are compiled for Condominiums, Houses and Lands on a monthly basis using property advertisement information. These price indices are calculated according to hedonic regression based rolling window time dummy method following international best practices.
Provincial Gross Domestic Product PGDP PGDP is computed by the Statistics Department of the CBSL, using a top-down approach by disaggregating the nominal GDP compiled by the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS). In the estimation of PGDP for the provinces, the value of each line item in GDP is apportioned using relevant indicators at the provincial level.
Public Debt Department PDD  
Public Private Partnership PPP  
Purchasing Managers' Index  PMI PMI is a monthly survey conducted seperately on a monthly basis for Manufacturing, Construction and Services activities, and the data are considered as high frequency and timely indicators of economic activities

 

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Term

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Description

QR code Issuer   Financial Institutions which facilitate QR code based payments from current accounts, savings accounts, credit card accounts, and Operators of Mobile Phone Based e-Money Systems
QR code Merchant Acquirer   The Financial Institution or Mobile Phone Based e-Money Operator responsible for enrolling merchants, assigning merchant IDs, maintaining merchant records/accounts, and settling merchants. The Merchant Acquirer also facilitates generation of merchant presented LANKAQR code
Quarterly Projection Model QPM A semi-structural macroeconomic model of a quarterly frequency used by the Central Bank to undertake medium term macroeconomic projections
Quick Response code  QR code An ISO 18004-compliant encoding and visualization of data which is a machine-readable code, typically used for storing URLs or other information for reading by the camera on a smartphone.

 

R

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Term

Abbreviation

Description

Real economy    
Real Effective Exchange Rate REER The REER is computed by adjusting the Nominal Effective Exchange Rate (NEER) for inflation differentials with the countries whose currencies are included in the basket
Real Estate Investment Trusts REITS A company or a fund, listed and traded on an exchange, whose purpose is to invest in property or finance income-generating real estate/infrastructure. REITs pool the capital of numerous investors and, similarly to a mutual fund, sells shares in those investments, providing the holder with exposure to real estate investment without buying, managing or financing any properties themselves.
Real Time Gross Settlement System RTGS Real Time Gross Settlement System (RTGS) is an electronic fund settlement system which processes and settles each payment instruction individually and irrevocably on real time basis using funds in the participants’ Settlement Accounts in the RTGS System
Recurrent expenditure    
Receipts in exports of goods and non-factor Services including workers’ remittances and Compensation of employees. XGS  
Receive versus Payment RVP Transfer (receipt) of ownership of securities and the underlying transfer of funds are realized simultaneously on real time.
Regional Development Department RDD  
Regional Office - Anuradhapura RO-ANU  
Regional Office - Kilinochchi RO-KIL  
Regional Office - Matale RO-MAL  
Regional Office - Matara RO-MAT  
Regional Office - Nuwara Eliya RO-NUW  
Regional Office - Trincomalee RO-TRI  
Registered Stocks and Securities Ordinance RSSO Registered Stock and Securities Ordinance No. 7 of 1937 (as amended)
Regulatory Sandbox   A framework set up by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to allow small scale, live testing of innovations by select entities, in a controlled environment (operating under a special exemption, allowance, or other limited, timebound exception) under its supervision.
Remittances   Include telegraphic transfers, other interbank transfers, bank drafts, other payment instruments, payments received via other internationally accepted payment mechanisms or platforms and funds received from exchange companies/houses in foreign currency from abroad, other than currency notes
Renewal of a Swap Transaction   Extending the maturity period of a swap transaction for a further period of time with an agreed terms and conditions of both parties to the swap agreement. Sometimes it may call as a roll-over of a swap transaction.
Repayment Period   The period during which the debt obligation is to be repaid.
Repealed Exchange Control Act ECA  
Reproduction of Currency Notes   Copying, replicating, imitating or designing any part (more than 25% of a currency note) or the whole of the visual image, contents or appearance of currency notes through illustrations, paintings, photographs, pictures, electronic images, print or electronic media including internet, television and films
Repo   A form of temporary deposit by the PIs with the CBSL under OMOs involving the sale of government securities by the CBSL to PIs with an agreement to buy them back at a higher price at a future date
Request for a Quote RFQ Verbal, electronic or written request for a written quote/ price with an intention to buy/sell in a competitive market.
Reserve asset position    
Reserve Maintenance Period RMP The period which LCBs needs maintain their reserves at CBSL. Currently, the RMP is two weeks period
Reserve money    
Resident Guest Foreign Currency Account RGFCA Resident Guest Scheme Special Accounts - These special accounts are introduced under the Directions No. 08 of 2021. There are three types of accounts available under this special category.
Resident Guest Rupee Current Account – Investor’s RGRCAs - Investors
Resident Guest Rupee Current Account – Professionals RGRCAs - Professionals
Resident Guest Scheme RGS Special Accounts for of prospective investors and professionals who come to Sri Lanka under ‘Resident Guest Scheme’ implemented by the Department of Immigration and Emigration
Resident Investor   An eligible resident persons as specified in the Regulations issued under the provisions of FEA, to make permitted capital transactions outside Sri Lanka.
Residual Risk   Risk after considering the effectiveness of mitigating control(s) already in place
Resolution and Enforcement Department RED  
Restricted Dealer RD Any person, class or classes of persons not being an authorized dealer, to deal in foreign exchange within Sri Lanka for the purposes specified in the permit, subject to such terms and conditions as may be imposed by the Central Bank in that behalf
Retention Ratio   The percentage of businesses covered by insurance companies that are not transferred to reinsurance.
Return on assets    
Return on equity    
Returned Determination Letter RDL  
Reverse Repo Re-Repo A form of temporary borrowing by the PIs from the CBSL under OMOs involving the purchase of government securities by the CBSL from PIs with an agreement to sell them back at a higher price at a future date
Risk Appetite Statement RAS Statement that sets out the amount and types of risks that an entity is willing to undertake in order to meet its objectives and its readiness to accept a level of risks subsequent to the application of risk treatments.
Risk Coordinating Officers RCOs  
Risk Management Department RMD  
Risk Management Policy Statement RMPS  
Risk Matrix   A four-point scale which gives the rating for residual risk, by considering the ratings for aggregate impact and likelihood of the risk events.
Risk Weighted Capital Adequacy Ratio   The ratio computed by dividing available capital by the risk weighted assets.
Running Cost Ratio   The interest paid as a proportion of the outstanding debt stock at the beginning of the year.
Rupee denominated securities    
Rupee liquidity    
Rupee Loan   A medium to long-term debt instrument issued with maturities more than two years on tap basis or as private placements by the Central Bank on behalf of the government under the Registered Stock and Securities Ordinance. Interest rates of this instrument are determined administratively.
Rural Banking and Staff Training College RB&STC  

 

S

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Term

Abbreviation

Description

Sales (in BOS)   Indicates the sales volume during the current quarter and the expectation for the next quarter as compared to corresponding quarter of the last year
Scripless Securities   Treasury bills and Treasury bonds issued in book entry form or as paperless securities.
Scripless Security Settlement System SSSS A system which facilitates the settlement of transactions in Scripless Securities.
Secondary Market  

The market where securities are traded and exchanged among buyers and sellers after the securities are issued at the primary market.

In case of government securities, Secondary Market is where government securities are traded between market participants /investors subsequent to the first issuance at the primary market.

Secretariat Department SEC  
Secured Overnight Financing Rate SOFR The Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) is a broad measure of the cost of borrowing cash overnight collateralized by Treasury securities Benchmark interest rate for dollar-denominated derivatives and loans that will replace London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR).
Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka SEC  
Securities Investment Account SIA  
Security Features   Features incorporated in currency notes enabling  distinguishing between genuine currency notes and counterfeit notes
Security Services Department SSD  
Self-Employment Promotion Initiative Loan Scheme SEPI  
Sell-buy forex swap    
Senior Foreign Nationals’ Fixed Deposit Account (Foreign Currency) SFNFDA These special accounts are introduced under the Directions No. 07 of 2021. There are two types of accounts available under this special category.
Senior Foreign Nationals’ Rupee Accoun SFNRA
Senior Foreign Nationals’ Special Account SFNSA Special Accounts for senior foreign nationals who are over 55 years of age and wish to a prolonged stay in Sri Lanka on resident visas under “Sri Lanka – My Dream Home programme” implemented by the Department of Immigration and Emigration
Server   A specific computer dedicated to serve requests made by other devices or software programs
Serviceable/Fit Currency Notes   Currency notes in a good condition that can be continue to be in circulation 
Settlement Risk   Settlement risk is a type of counterparty risk, where counterparty fails to deliver its obligation as per the terms and conditions to the trade.
Shipping Agent SA Person authorized to carry on business as a shipping agent in Sri Lanka on behalf of a foreign shipping line (foreign principal) with a valid license or authorization letter issued by the Director General of Merchant Shipping of Sri Lanka
Short Message Service SMS  
Short Selling   The sale of an asset (a security/ stock, commodity futures contract, corporate or sovereign bond) that is not owned by the seller at the time of sale. Short selling are of two kinds, namely “Naked Short Selling and “Covered Short Selling”.
Skill Development Program SDP A program conducted to improve the business management knowledge of MSMEs
Small and Medium Enterprises SME  
Small Enterprises Development Division SED  
Smallholder Agribusiness Partnerships Programme SAPP  
Smallholder Tea and Rubber Revitalization STaRR  
Social Security Contribution Levy SSCL  
Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications SWIFT An international system that allows member banks to transfer money across borders safely and efficiently
South East Asian Central Banks SEACEN  
Sovereign Bond   A debt security issued by a sovereign government denominated in domestic or a foreign currency. The foreign currency most likely is a hard currency.
Sovereign Credit Rating  

A sovereign credit rating is an independent assessment of the creditworthiness of a country or sovereign entity. Sovereign credit ratings can give investors insights into the level of risk associated with investing in the debt of a particular country, including any political risk.

At the request of the country, a credit rating agency will evaluate its economic and political environment to assign it a rating. Obtaining a good sovereign credit rating is usually essential for developing countries that want access to funding in international bond markets.

Sovereign default    
Sovereign Risk   The chance that a national government's treasury or central bank will default on their sovereign debt, or else implement foreign exchange rules or restrictions that will significantly reduce or negate the worth of its forex contracts.
Special Commodity Levy SCL  
Special Drawing Rights SDR The unit of account of the International Monetary Fund of which the value is based on a basket of key international currencies.
Special Deposits Accounts SDA SDAs were introduced under the Directions No. 21 of 2021. Further, said Directions was amended by the Directions No. 25 of 2021 and 04 of 2022.
Special Foreign Currency Account SFCA Foreign Currency Accounts specially permitted under the Foreign Exchange Act, No. 12 of 2017 with specific credit and debit limits
Specialised Leasing Companies SLCs  
SFCA – Short Term Loans   Foreign currency account which has been introduced to facilitate payments for import of raw materials for manufacturing of products.
Spot Transaction SPOT Outright purchase of one currency amount against another currency, at the agreed foreign exchange rate, settled on the second business day after the transaction execution date (t0+2).
Sri Lanka Development Bond SLDB Government bond denominated in USD, issued by Government of Sri Lanka domestically under Foreign Loan Act. 29 of 1957, for the purpose of developmental activities of the country.
Sri Lanka Inter-bank Payment System SLIPS A system that handles pre -authorised small value bulk payments (direct credit and debit transfers)
Sri Lanka Nation Building Bonds SLNBB  
Sri Lanka Prosperity Index SLPI SLPI is a composite indicator compiled by the Statistics Department of the CBSL to measure the level of prosperity of the country. The index comprises three sub-indices, i.e. Economy and Business Climate, Well-being of the People and Socio-Economic Infrastructure, measured using 41 variables representing different aspects of prosperity.
Sri Lanka Socio Economic Data Folder SLSED A pocket-size annual publication containing statistical tables and charts on socio economic variables including country comparisons. The booklet is available in both printed and electronic formats and in all three official languages.
Staff Services Management Department SSMD  
Stakeholder Engagement Committee SEC The Stakeholder Engagement Committee (SEC) consists of a cross section of stakeholders including eminent professionals, academics, and the private sector personnel
Standalone Primary Dealer SPD Non-bank primary dealers
Standard and Poor’s S&P  
Standing Deposit Facility SDF A facility provided for PIs to deposit excess funds at the CBSL at the end of the day
Standing Deposit Facility Rate SDFR The deposit interest rate at which the SDF is provided to PIs, which forms lower bound of the Standing Rate Corridor (SRC)
Standing Lending Facility SLF A collateralised facility provided for PIs to fulfill further shortage of the liquidity requirements from the CBSL at the end of the day
Standing Lending Facility Rate SLFR The interest rate at which the SLF is provided to PIs, which forms the upper bound of the (SRC)
Standing Rate Corridor SRC An interest rate corridor formed by the main policy rates of the CBSL, i.e. SDFR and SLFR
State Owned Business Enterprises SOBEs  
State Owned Enterprises SOEs A legal entity that is created by a government in order to partake in commercial activities on the government's behalf. It can be either wholly or partially owned by a government and is typically earmarked to participate in specific commercial activities.
Statistical base effect    
Statistics Department STD  
Statutory Liquid Assets Ratio SLAR  
Statutory Reserve Ratio SRR The statutory reserve ratio (SRR) is the proportion of the deposit liabilities that commercial banks are required to keep as a cash deposit with the Central Bank
Sterling Overnight Index Average SONIA SONIA is based on actual transactions and reflects the average of the interest rates that banks pay to borrow sterling overnight from other financial institutions and other institutional investors.
Stock of Purchases (in PMI)   Raw materials purchased and kept in a warehouse to be used for production
Stored-value Card   A payment card or any other device with access to a stored value that can be used as a means of payment. The term does not include cards that can be used only to settle payment obligations to the issuer of such cards
Strategic Asset Allocation SAA SAA is the process by which an institution determines the appropriate asset allocation at any point in time to achieve its long-term investment objectives.
Strategic Risk   Risk events that adversely impact or affect an entity’s business strategy and strategic objectives.
Stress Testing   Stress Testing is used to determine the stability of a given sector/institution to withstand potential vulnerabilities emanating from certain unlikely but plausible events or movements in macro-financial variables.
Subsidiary Loan Agreement SLA Loan agreement entered into by and between the CBSL and each of the PFIs with regard to the implementation of a loan Scheme
Suppliers' Delivery Time (in PMI)   Time lag between order placement and delivery by the supplier
Sustainable Banking Network SBN SBN is a voluntary community of financial sector regulators, central banks, industry associations, and environmental regulators from emerging markets committed to advancing sustainable finance for national development priorities, financial market deepening, and stability. International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, acts as the Secretariat to the SBN, playing the role of strategic and technical advisor, as well as global convener to SBN and its members.
Swap   An agreement or a derivative contract between two parties to exchange cash flows or liabilities from two different financial instruments.
Systemic Risk   Systemic risk is the risk of a breakdown of an entire financial system or financial markets caused by idiosyncratic events or conditions of financial sector. Risks associated with an individual entity or multiple of entities may not trigger a systemic risk if such risks can be contained without harming the entire system.
Systems Applications and Products SAP  

 

T

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Term

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Description

Tactical Asset Allocation TAA TAA is the asset allocation maintaining in a portfolio deviating from use SAA in order to take its advantage of pricing anomalies available in its market. It is an active management portfolio strategy.
Tax holidays    
Technical Assistance TA  
Technology Transfer Program TTP A program conducted to improve the technical knowledge of business processes of MSMEs
Telegraphic Transfer Rates TT Rates Exchange rates that banks used to transfer foreign exchange via overseas wire transactions.
Temporary Resident Visa under Regulation 3 of 2021   A visa obtained by a citizen of Sri Lanka which falls into a category of visa that entitles the individual to obtain permanent residency status or citizenship in that country at a future date subject to fulfilling specified conditions.
Terms of Reference ToR  
Terms of Trade   The ratio between the index of export prices and the index of import prices
The Convention on the Suppression of Terrorist Financing Act, No. 25 of 2005 CSTFA An act which gives effect to the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Financing and prohibits the financing of terrorist acts, terrorists and terrorist organizations, and sets provisions for freezing, seizure and forfeiture of terrorist financing related assets.
The Financial Transactions Reporting Act, No. 6 of 2006 FTRA An Act to provide for the collection of data relating to suspicious financial transactions to facilitate the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of the offences of money laundering and the financing of terrorism respectively ; to require certain institutions to undertake due diligence measures to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism ; to identify the authority which will be responsible for monitoring the activities of all institutions to whom this act applies ; and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto
The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, No. 5 of 2006 PMLA An act to prohibit money laundering in Sri Lanka; to provide the necessary measures to combat and prevent money laundering: and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
Tight monetary policy stance    
Total Debt Service TDS  
Training of Trainers ToT  
Treasury Bill T-Bill A short-term debt instrument issued usually on a discount basis and for maturities of 91, 182, and 364 days by the CBSL on behalf of the government under the Local Treasury Bills Ordinance.
Treasury Bond T-Bond A medium to long-term debt instrument issued by the CBSL on behalf of the government under the Registered Stock and Securities Ordinance.
Twin deficits    

 

U

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Term

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Description

Un-circulation Standard/Uncirculated Commemorative Coins   Commemorative coins which are not issued into circulation and sold as numismatic items. Typically the selling price of such coin is higher than its’ face value
Underlying demand pressures    
Underwriting   Underwriting is the process through which an individual or institution takes on financial risk for a fee. This risk most typically involves loans, insurance, or investments.
Underwriting Ratio   The amount of a company's net premiums that were allocated to underwriting costs, like commissions to agents and brokers, state and municipal taxes, salaries, benefits and other operational expenses. This ratio is determined by dividing the underwriting expenses total by net premiums earned.
Unemployed Population   Persons available and/or looking for work, and who did not work and took steps to find a job during the last four weeks and are ready to accept a job given a work opportunity within next two weeks are said to be unemployed.
Unfit Notes   A genuine currency note that has become worn out, badly soiled, disfigured with writing, sustained minor damage while in circulation or willfully mutilated, altered or defaced
United Nations Development Programme UNDP  
Unitholder   An investor who owns one or more units in an investment trust. A unit is equivalent to a share, or piece of interest. Unitholders are afforded specific rights that are outlined in the trust declaration, which governs the trust's actions.
Unserviceable Notes   Currency notes that have become dirty, worn out/badly soiled while in circulation but not mutilated and not in a good condition to reuse
Usable Foreign Reserves   Foreign reserves that can be readily available to utilize without any restrictions/encumbrances on the convertibility and usability.
Utility costs    

 

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Term

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Description

Value Added Tax VAT  
Value Chain Player VCP Participants in Value Chain
Value-at-Risk VaR VaR is the potential loss of a portfolio over a target time horizon with a given level of confidence, based on projected distribution of asset returns.
Virtual Currency   A digital representation of value that can be digitally traded and functions as a medium of exchange; and/or a unit of account; and/or a store of value, but does not have legal tender status in any jurisdiction and is not issued nor guaranteed by any jurisdiction
Virtual Private Networking VPN A secure way to access a network by connecting to a remote access server through another network or the internet
Volatility    

 

W

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Term

Abbreviation

Description

Weighted Average Cost WAC  
Weighted Average Time to Maturity WATM  
Weighted Average Yield Rate WAYR  
West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil Prices WTI  
Willfully Mutilated/Altered/Defaced Bank Notes   Currency notes defaced with drawings, words, numbers, signs or symbols where the serial number, date, signature, value, or security feature of the currency note has been altered in any significant way
Withholding Tax WHT  
Working capital loan    
Working Groups WG Teams established under National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) to cover NFIS focus areas (digital finance and payments, MSME finance, consumer protection and financial literacy & capacity building) and to cover key three enable (data, infrastructure, and policy tools and enabling regulatory environment) of which act as a consultation forum for NFIS focus areas.
World Currency Rates   Exchange rates of major foreign currencies against US dollar.
World Economic Outlook WEO  

 

Y

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Term

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Description

Year on Year  basis Inflation   The percentage change of the current month CPI over same month CPI of the last year
Yield   The coupon or discount when expressed as a percentage of the price.
Yield Curve   A graphical depiction of the relationship between the yield on the securities and different maturities.
Yields on government securities    

 

Z

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Term

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Description

Zero Coupon Bond   A bond that does not pay interest during the life of the bond. Instead, investors buy a zero coupon bond at a deep discount on the face value. The face value of the bond is paid at the maturity.