Business confidence seems to have regained its footing despite the challenges Sri Lanka’s manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) improved to 67.3 in June, reflecting a month on month increase of 18 index points with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka attributing this to a “normalising of economic activities in the country following the complete relaxation…
Hot on the heels of a scathing review of the country’s monetary policy by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on 16 June, in response to the COVID-19 crisis, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka announced a further reduction of the Statutory Reserve Ratio (SRR) applicable on all rupee deposit liabilities of licensed commercial banks (LCBs). This lowering…
By Harini Weerasekera and Chamini Thilanka The susceptibility of smokers to contract COVID-19 has been recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other medical authorities. In Sri Lanka, concerned parties have called for a temporary ban of cigarette sales as a measure to contain the spread of the virus – a commendable move. However, beyond the pandemic, it…
Sri Lanka’s corporates would have breathed a collective sigh of relief in May as the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) opened for trading following an extended shutdown in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak and imposition of curfew. The move came at a time when businesses were looking to get back on track given the hit…
COVID-19 has proven to be an unprecedented challenge for the corporate sector as all but essential services operations have come to a halt amid an extended period of lockdown in several parts of the country. A recent report by Fitch Ratings states that “corporates in consumer goods retail, construction and hotels will be among the…
Moody’s Investors Service yesterday (29) warned that Sri Lanka is facing simultaneous domestic and external shocks amid the global coronavirus outbreak. The rating agency in its latest report stated that the country faces multiple challenges from capital outflows, marked local currency depreciation, wider risk premia and a further decline in real GDP growth that will…
Perceived Economic Opportunity Index: January – March 2020 Given the onset of Covid19 all research activity sized middle of March 2020 with the whole country going in to a lockdown and subsequently a nationwide curfew. Therefore, data for Quarter 1 for 2020 is restricted to January and February. Methodology The PEOI is calculated based on…
Sentiment is dealt a body blow on account of the emergence of a global health alert Just when Sri Lankan businesses thought a semblance of normalcy was emerging following the negative impacts of the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks last year, they’ve been hit by another blow in the form of COVID-19. The infectious disease caused…
By the Economic Intelligence Unit of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce The outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is having its toll on the global economy with many economists now expecting a larger impact than the SARS outbreak in 2002-03. The outbreak is lowering China’s GDP growth expectations in the first quarter to 4.5%, a…
Post – election economic positivity erodes as corporates adopt a wait and see mindset The economy according to the latest LMD- Nielsen Business confidence index (BCI ) survey, the share of respondents who say the economy will improve in the coming 12-months has fallen to 62% in January from 74% in the previous month. Commenting…
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