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Fitch downgrades Sri Lanka Insurance’s IFS to ‘B’; outlook negative

Fitch Ratings has downgraded Sri Lanka-based Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation Limited’s (SLIC) Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) Rating to ‘B’ from ‘B+’. The Outlook is Negative. SLIC’s National IFS Rating was not covered in this review. KEY RATING DRIVERS The rating action follows Fitch’s annual review of SLIC. The review took into consideration Fitch’s current assessment…

(0)Comments | May 3, 2020 11:12 am

SEC – CSE joint committee to digitize core activities of stock market

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka on Thursday (30th April 2020) proposed establishing a joint committee comprising members of the SEC and the CSE in order to identify mechanisms required for the stock market to conduct all its core activities digitally as well as to enable clearing and settlement electronically and to make recommendations…

(0)Comments | May 2, 2020 9:27 pm

Ceylon Oxygen takes proactive measures to ensure uninterrupted supplies of medical gases to critical care hospitals

Ceylon Oxygen Limited (COL), a subsidiary of leading gases and engineering company, The Linde Plc. On 1st May 2020 a contract employee of Ceylon Oxygen Limited’s (COL), based at Colombo-15 site, tested positive for COVID-19 whist dealing with a customer. He is currently under medical observation at the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) and is currently…

(0)Comments | May 2, 2020 9:18 pm

SEC introduces 3-Tiered Circuit Breaker Structure : CSE trading to be closed if S&P index drops by 10%

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC) has introduced a system that automatically halts trading and close the market for the day if the S&P SL20 index drops by 10% . The circuit breaker mechanism will take effect from the date the market re-opens and remain in force until further notice. The three Tiered Circuit Breaker Structure…

(0)Comments | May 1, 2020 10:08 am

SEC offers momentary regulatory flexibility to licensed entities

Sri Lanka’s Securities and Exchange Commission having taken into consideration the constraints and administrative challenges faced by the licensed/registered entities in complying with certain regulatory requirements due to COVID-19, has decided to grant several relief measures. Specific regulatory flexibility offered to licensed companies comes in the form of the following: I. Extensions of time for the licensed/registered…

(0)Comments | May 1, 2020 10:02 am

Inflation declines to 5.2% in April 2020

Sri Lanka’s inflation, as measured by the change in the Colombo Consumers’ Price Index (CCPI), decreased to 5.2% in April 2020 from 5.4% in March 2020, the Department of Census and Statistics reported. The CCPI for all items for the month of April 2020 was 133.6 and it records an increase of 0.2 index points…

(0)Comments | April 30, 2020 3:33 pm

PickMe to implement daily temperature checks for their riders and drivers

PickMe delivery drivers who had to undergo strict once a week temperature checks during the past two weeks, will now go through this exercise daily, as the number of COVID patients islandwide, are on the rise. The riders and drivers have also been given a new set of rules to follow, as per directives given…

(0)Comments | April 30, 2020 2:02 pm

As job losses escalate, nearly half of global workforce at risk of losing livelihoods : ILO

The latest ILO data on the labour market impact of the COVID-19 pandemic reveals the devastating effect on workers in the informal economy and on hundreds of millions of enterprises worldwide. GENEVA (ILO News) – The continued sharp decline in working hours globally due to the COVID-19 outbreak means that  1.6 billion workers in the informal economy…

(0)Comments | April 30, 2020 1:01 pm

CBSL sees real GDP growth of 1.5% in 2020

Sri Lanka’s gross domestic product (GDP) is forecast to decline in 2020 due to the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. The report highlights that Sri Lanka’s economic growth could decline to 1.5% in 2020, compared with 2.3% growth a year earlier as key sectors of…

(0)Comments | April 30, 2020 12:39 pm

Global COVID-19 outbreak exacerbates government liquidity & external risks : Moody’s

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…

(0)Comments | April 30, 2020 10:03 am