The Financial Board of the Central Financial institution of Sri Lanka has determined to extend the Standing Deposit Facility Price (SDFR) and the Standing Lending Facility Price (SLFR) by 100 foundation factors to 14.50 per cent and 15.50 per cent, respectively.
The Central Financial institution stated in an announcement that having famous the upper than anticipated escalation of headline inflation lately and the elevated persistence of excessive inflation within the interval forward, the Financial Board was of the view {that a} additional financial coverage tightening could be essential to comprise any build-up of antagonistic inflation expectations.
The Central Financial institution stated, the Financial Board in arriving on the choice weighed the influence of tighter financial situations on total financial exercise, together with the micro, small and medium scale companies, and the monetary sector efficiency, amongst others.
The Central Financial institution famous that the Financial Board was of the view that the coverage adjustment would assist information inflation expectations to be anchored across the focused stage of headline inflation over the medium time period, whereas curbing any build-up of underlying demand pressures within the economic system.
In the meantime, the Central Financial institution stated as per estimates of the Division of Census and Statistics (DCS), Sri Lanka’s Financial system contracted 1.6 per cent, year-on-year, within the first quarter of 2022.
It additionally confirmed that the commerce deficit narrowed considerably in Might 2022 over the corresponding interval of final 12 months, largely supported by the coverage measures that had been aimed toward discouraging non pressing imports, alongside the constrained international alternate liquidity within the home international alternate market.
The Central Financial institution famous that international alternate inflows within the type of staff’ remittances and tourism earnings stay decrease than anticipated, impacted by unfavourable situations each domestically and globally.
The alternate price, which underwent a extreme bout of depreciation in March 2022, stays broadly secure with the introduction of market steering from mid-Might 2022.
The Central Financial institution stated the gross official reserves, as at finish June 2022, are estimated at US {dollars} 1.9 billion, together with the swap facility from the Folks’s Financial institution of China equal to round US {dollars} 1.5 billion.
In the meantime, the Central Financial institution introduced that vital progress has been made with respect to negotiations with the Worldwide Financial Fund (IMF) in direction of reaching a staff-level settlement on the Prolonged Fund Facility (EFF) association within the close to time period.
The Central Financial institution additionally confirmed that negotiations are underway with a number of bilateral and multilateral companions to safe bridging financing.
