Sri Lanka’s tourism sector is forecasting a significant increase in tourist arrivals following the recent elections. The tourism authority expressed optimism that the political stability brought by the elections would lead to a surge in international visitors. Industry experts, however, are urging the government to prioritize the reintroduction of the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system
The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) has congratulated newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and pledged its commitment to collaborate with stakeholders on growth strategies. In a statement, the CCC highlighted 10 economic priorities for President Dissanayake to focus on in the first six months of his term: The CCC reaffirmed its support for transforming
Sri Lanka has reached an agreement in principle to restructure approximately USD 14.2 billion in sovereign debt with International Sovereign Bond (ISB) holders and has also finalized an agreement with the China Development Bank, according to State Minister of Finance, Shehan Semasinghe. Semasinghe announced on Thursday, September 19, that the ISB deal was secured after
Sri Lanka’s bond yields increased ahead of a 300 billion rupee auction, with dealers noting a rise in yields for bonds maturing in 2028. In the secondary market, bonds maturing on February 15, 2028, were quoted at 13.30/50%, up from 13.15/40% the previous day. Similarly, bonds maturing on July 1, 2028, rose to 13.70/85% from
Ceylinco Life has announced its pioneering investment of Rs. 2 billion as the anchor investor in Sri Lanka’s first-ever Green Bond, issued by DFCC Bank. This landmark initiative, opening for subscription today, aims to raise up to Rs. 2.5 billion to fund solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation projects, including ground-mounted, floating, and rooftop solar facilities
Port City Colombo announced that Parliament officially passed two key offshore banking regulations, Offshore Banking and Offshore Banking – Prudent Management and Confidence, on September 4, 2024. This significant development aligns with Port City Colombo’s ambition to establish itself as a prominent regional financial centre, attracting increased Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Sri Lanka. Seven
The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) experienced a notable downturn yesterday as the All Share Price Index (ASPI) slipped to a negative Year-to-Date (YTD) return for the first time in 2024, closing down by 0.65% with a YTD negative return of 0.78%. The S&P SL20 index also saw a sharp decline of 1.17%, increasing its YTD
The Sri Lankan rupee opened slightly stronger at 300.75/301.00 to the US dollar on Tuesday, following Monday’s close of 301.50/302.00. Bond yields also saw a significant rise, according to market dealers, while stocks showed a modest increase of 0.13 percent in early trading. In secondary market bond trading, activity was subdued ahead of a bond
Sri Lanka’s rupee opened weaker at 299.10/40 against the US dollar on Monday, according to market dealers. Bond yields showed an upward trend, while stock markets saw a modest rise of 0.06 percent. The rupee had closed at 299.10/30 against the greenback last Friday. In the secondary bond market: In equities, Colombo’s All Share Price
Sri Lanka’s private sector credit expanded by Rs. 60 billion in July 2024, following a Rs. 74 billion rise in June, according to official data. Meanwhile, credit to state-owned enterprises (SOEs) decreased during the same period. In July, banks extended Rs. 82.7 billion in loans to the government, with much of this being interest roll-overs,