The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) requested proposals from international investor community on 12 November 2021 for the arrangement of a medium-term foreign currency financing facility by securitising the foreign currency receipts of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka under the mandatory sale of ten (10) per cent of workers’ remittances converted into Sri Lankan Rupees by licensed banks. The deadline for submitting responses was 15.00 hrs on 30 November 2021.

Accordingly, there were seven (7) responses, among which there were five (5) leading international banks and two (2) established investment arrangers.

These responses are being reviewed to determine the most suited modality to initiate the securitised financing arrangement.

The Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, at its meeting held on 24 November 2021, decided to maintain the Standing Deposit Facility Rate (SDFR) and the Standing Lending Facility Rate (SLFR) of the Central Bank at their current levels of 5.00 per cent and 6.00 per cent, respectively. The Board arrived at this decision after carefully considering the macroeconomic conditions and expected developments on the domestic and global fronts. The Board noted the recent acceleration of inflation, driven mainly by supply disruptions and the surge in global commodity prices, and reiterated its commitment to maintaining inflation at the targeted levels over the medium term with appropriate measures, while supporting the economy to reach its potential in the period ahead.