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Sri Lanka Purchasing Managers’ Index - November 2018

The slowdown observed in manufacturing activities in November was mainly driven by the slowdown in new orders and production, especially in manufacturing of textiles, wearing apparels, leather and related activities. However, new orders and production in the manufacturing of food and beverages activities has improved with the Christmas season demand. Employment remains unchanged during the period due to the difficulties in recruiting additional employees, especially in manufacturing of furniture activities.

Meanwhile, overall Stock of purchases indicated a slowdown, mainly due to the subdued production of manufacturing of textiles, wearing apparels, leather and related products. Suppliers’ delivery time lengthened at a slower rate which is mainly driven by the reduction of lead time on demand, for supplies related to manufacturing of food and beverages activities to speed up their production.

Central Bank of Sri Lanka hold its 11th International Research Conference

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka held its 11th International Research Conference on 07 December 2018 at the John Exter International Conference Hall. This conference is held annually, with the objective of promoting theoretical and empirical research in fields related to contemporary macroeconomic policy, providing an opportunity for researchers from diverse backgrounds to share their findings and experiences. This year’s conference was held under the theme of “Inflation Targeting and Central Bank Independence, Accountability and Transparency”.

Compensation Payments to the Depositors of The Standard Credit and Finance Ltd. under Sri Lanka Deposit Insurance and Liquidity Support Scheme

The license issued to The Standard Credit and Finance Ltd.(TSCFL) to carry on finance business has been cancelled with effect from 25.07.2018 in terms of the provisions of the Finance Business Act No. 42 of 2011.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has taken steps to pay compensation under the Sri Lanka Deposit Insurance and Liquidity Support Scheme to the depositors of The Standard Credit and Finance Ltd. Compensation payments will be made in line with the provisions of Sri Lanka Deposit Insurance Regulations. Instructions on the application criteria will be notified through the print and social media.

The depositors of the Standard Credit and Finance Ltd. are hereby informed to submit duly completed claim forms along with the required documentation to the Resolution and Enforcement Department of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka once the notification is issued in the press and social media in due course.

54th SEACEN Governors’ Conference / High-Level Seminar and the 38th Meeting of the SEACEN Board of Governors

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka hosted the 54th SEACEN Governors’ Conference / High-Level Seminar and the 38th Meeting of the SEACEN Board of Governors in Colombo from 29 November to 02 December 2018. These events were attended by Governors and delegates of SEACEN member Central Banks and Monetary Authorities. The Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Mr. Mitsuhiro Furusawa, attended the Conference as the Keynote Speaker.

The SEACEN Centre plays a leading role in promoting greater understanding in financial, monetary and banking matters in the Asia-Pacific region. Established in 1982, The SEACEN Centre serves central banks and monetary authorities in Asia-Pacific through learning programmes, research work, and networking.

CBSL Disputes the Rating Agencies’ Latest Rating Decisions

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) is of the view that the decisions by Fitch Ratings on 3 December 2018 and Standard and Poor’s (S&P Global Ratings) on 4 December 2018 to downgrade Sri Lanka's Long-Term Rating from ‘B+’ (Stable) to ‘B’ (Stable) are based on uncorroborated facts on the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals.

External Sector Performance - September 2018

Sri Lanka’s external sector came under pressure in September 2018. The widening deficit in the trade account and the strengthening of the US dollar, which resulted in outflows of portfolio investments, adversely impacted the balance of payments during the month. Despite earnings from exports which surpassed US dollars 1 billion for the fourth consecutive month, higher growth in import expenditure outpaced the increase in export earnings. In the financial account, foreign investments in the government securities market recorded outflows responding to the firming up of global financial markets. Meanwhile, the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) also witnessed some outflows of foreign investments during September. Consequently, the Sri Lankan rupee which depreciated against the US dollar by 5.3 per cent in the first eight months of the year, showed a further depreciation of 4.6 per cent in September, reflecting the pressure on the domestic foreign exchange market. These developments necessitated intervention by the Central Bank to curtail excessive volatility in the exchange rate.

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