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Friday March 31st, 2023

Sri Lanka exporters bring back nearly 100-pct of proceeds: CB Governor

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka exporters are bringing back almost all export proceeds, based on data generated from a monitoring mechanism, Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said.

Sri Lanka tightens rules on exporters and also on importers whenever the central bank prints money to mis-target interest rates and triggers forex shortages.

The rule requiring exporters to bring back dollars was put in August 2021, to his recollection, Governor Weerasinghe said.

The monitoring mechanism was put in July 2021, with some officials also claiming that there appeared to be a discrepancy between reported export numbers and conversions, firing public anger against the country’s export businesses.
“We have data from the time we started the monitoring mechanism,” Governor Weerasinghe said.

“Based on that we see that exporters have brought back almost 100 percent of proceeds as foreign exchange.”

Governor Weerasinghe was responding to a question by a Washington based agency which had claimed that there was large scale under-invoicing by businessmen who had kept money abroad.

Similar and even larger estimates had been made against other countries, he said.

Mis-invoicing is a matter for Sri Lanka Customs over had authority and not the central bank he explained.

“If anyone has any information that can reported to the Financial Intelligence, action can be taken against illegal money transfers using anti-money laundering laws,” he said.

While exporters are targeting by activists after forex shortages came, the usual accusation is that importers are under-invoicing.

Importers under-invoice to avoid excessive tax protection given to nationalist businessmen with political connection.

Protected business rake in the taxes which would otherwise have gone to the state but they escape censure.

Exporters usually do not have enough margins to keep large shares of money abroad as it is very competitive business.

Exporters however may get more packing credit and delay conversions as central bank money printed to maintain a non-market based fixed policy rate through aggressive open market operations begins to put pressure on the currency.

The limit to which such delays can be done also depends on their credit limits, which are not unlimited.

However analysts even if exporters borrowed domestically they cannot put pressure on the currency unless the central bank printed money, injected rupee reserves to banks and allowing excess credit to be given.

When central banks allow market based interest rates to resume, it is no longer profitable to borrow domestically and delay conversion.

In the absence of open market operations, a bank that gives extra credit to an exporter, has to necessarily crowd out another customer, reducing an equivalent amount of exports.

Currencies started to collapse – and the Gold Standard also broke down – after fixed policy rates with aggressive open market operations were invented by the New York Fed Governor Benjamin Strong.

Related Sri Lanka, world’s poor suffers from Fed’s accidental discovery: Bellwether

Strong’s Fed fired the roaring 20s bubble and the subsequent Great Depression.

With open market operations being done with government securities, central bankers then go its main scapegoat to blame for monetary stability – the budget deficit.-

In 2018 in particular, Sri Lanka triggered a currency in the course of flexible inflation targeting using aggressive open market operations to keep call market in the middle of the policy corridor.

Because claims on government and claims on commercial banks – due to open market operations – are no separately accounted for in general and in Sri Lank in particular, budgets are then blamed. (Colombo/Jan28/2023)

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Sri Lanka tax hike: no response from president, professionals to discuss next steps

GMOA Secretary Haritha Alutghe

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s trade unions and professional associations who have been agitating against an International Monetary Fund (IMF) backed progressive tax hike will meet to discuss further union action after a letter to the president went unanswered.

Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) secretary Dr Haritha Aluthge told reporters on Friday March 31 that the unions will meet as the self-styled Professionals’ Trade Union Alliance (PTUA) collective which have so far been organising strikes and demonstrations demanding a revision of the taxes.

The PTUA has been awaiting a promised meeting with President Ranil Wickremesinghe for some days now. Aluthge previously said on Monday that if the meeting did not materialise, the unions would be compelled to go on strike.

The issue has become stagnant due to government inaction, said Aluthge at Friday’s press conference.

“The PTUA informed the president in writing yesterday for the last time to please understand the gravity of this situation and to immediately give us a meeting and present the government’s interim solution, through which the government can take measures to ease the sense of tension among professionals,” he said.

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss an “interim solution” to the professionals’ grievances over the progressive income tax hike until a reported revision that’s due in six months when the country’s recently approved 17th IMF programme comes up for review.

“Sadly, there has still been no response,” the GMOA official said.

All unions and professional associations will meet Friday evening together with a number of other unions to discuss further action, he added.

The privately-owned English-language weekly newspaper The Sunday Times reported on March 26 that the IMF had indicated the possibility of revising some of the taxes imposed as part of the IMF’s staff-level agreement with Sri Lanka when the programme comes up for review in six months.

According to the newspaper, IMF officials had conveyed this to representatives of trade unions during a virtual roundtable held last Friday March 24. The virtual meeting was held on the initiative of the IMF and was attended by trade unions and professional associations representing the PTUA including the GMOA. (Colombo/Mar31/2023)

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Sri Lankan transport associations cut haulage and transportation fees after fuel price cut

ECONOMYNEXT –  Sri Lanka Association of Container Transporters and fuel bowser owners has decided to reduce the haulage charges and transportation fee, after the government cut the auto diesel prices by 80 rupees, association officials said.

“Due to the recent reduction in Auto Diesel price from March30, 2023, the committee has decided to reduce haulage charges by 7 percent,” association said.

Sri Lanka Private Petroleum Tanker owners has also decided to reduce the transportation fee of fuel by 8 -10 percent from April onwards.

“We will be meeting with the association members and will be deciding on exactly how much we will be reducing,” the General Secretary of the association Nimal Amarasekera told EconomyNext.

“We hope to reduce it by 8-10 percent and will be applied.”

Meanwhile United Lanka Fuel Transport Bowser Owners Association said, the price reduction will be done, and the specific amount will be calculated using the cost per kilometer for a transporting bowser.

“We have different types of bowsers such as 13,200 litre and 19,800 litre likewise,” Association President K.W. Charles told EconomyNext.

“So the cost per kilometer per bowser is different and after we calculate only we can give a specific percentage.

“It will come to effect from this month and the payments for the next month will be based on the new prices.”

Charles said, this is only based on the price reduction of fuel, however several costs as maintenance and spare part costs should also be considered when deciding the transportation cost, which is also being discussed with the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.

Sri Lanka slashed fuel prices with effect from Wednesday (29) midnight, Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said, after a protest by trade unions of state-run fuel retailer Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) resulting in queues at filling stations due to supply disruption.

The price of Petrol 92 Octane will be slashed by 15 percent or 60 rupees to 340, Petrol 95 Octane 95 will be reduced by 26.5 percent or 135 rupees to 375, Auto Diesel by 19.8 percent or 80 rupees to 325, and kerosene by 3.3 percent or 10 rupees to 295. (Colombo/ March31/2023)

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Sri Lanka’s shares edge up in mid day trade

Stock Market. Free public domain CC0 image.

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s shares edged up in mid day trade on Friday, Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) data showed.

All Share Price Index was up 1.09 percent or 100.69 points to 9,329.19, while the most liquid index was up 1.23 percent or 32.86 points to 2,697.12.

The market generated a turnover of 895 million rupees.

Top gainers during mid day trade were Commercial Bank, Hatton National Bank and Expolanka. (Colombo/Mar31/2023)

 

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