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Thursday March 23rd, 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 establishes committee to investigate aircraft incidents

An aircraft lands at the Jaffna International Airport, which was opened in October 2019 and promises to push the tourism frontiers in Jaffna.

ECONOMYNEXT: Sri Lanka’s has established an expert committee under the state-run Civil Aviation Authority to investigate aircraft accidents and to implement precautionary methods in the Sri Lankan airspace, an Official said.

“Even if it is only one flight, there is a chance an accident may occur,” Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka, Director General, P. A. Jayakantha said.

“This particular committee is there to investigate aircraft accidents and act as a mechanism to take over if something goes wrong”.

Sri Lanka has encountered around 2,700 minor aircraft accidents and incidents mostly on the ground in the 19 years through 2021, the CAA annual reports showed.

The new committee will analyze the past accidents and take precautionary measures while also conducting investigations and provide independent reports in the future, Jayakantha said.

The team is provided with required training and qualifications by the CAA along with an International organization, free of charge.

“Internationally also it is a requirement to have a team to investigate the aircraft accidents,” Jayakantha added.

“For a long time we have not fulfilled this requirement and that is why we established this team with the cabinet approval. Moreover, recently, Sri Lanka’s two aircrafts, one training aircraft and a commercial aircraft met an accident”

The committee will be on active duty, until the Accident Investigation Act is passed and a proper Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation Bureau is established. (Colombo/ Mar23/2023)

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Sri Lanka bond yields steady, Rupee 319/325 at close

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s treasury bond yields closed steady on Thursday while rupee closed weaker, dealers said.

A 01.07.2025 bond closed at 30.60/31.00 percent on Tuesday, down from 30.25/75 percent on Wednesday.

A 15.09.2027 bond closed at 27.80/28.10 percent, steady from 27.90/28.00 percent from Wednesday.

Sri Lanka rupee closed at 319/325 against the US dollar depreciating from 318/320 from a day earlier. (Colombo/ March23/2023)

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Sri Lanka shares dive to two-week low on local debt restructuring fears

ECONOMYNEXT – The Sri Lanka market fell for a fourth session to a two-week low on Thursday, led by financials, as worries over domestic debt restructuring continued after the IMF loan was approved earlier this week resulting in investors adopting a wait-and-see approach until further clarity was provided, analysts said.

The main All Share Price Index (ASPI) closed down 1.38 percent or 131.07 points to 9,395.98, lowest since March 02.

Analysts said, majority of the banks have been on slower investment trends on fears of domestic debt restructuring after the IMF approval and waiting for more clarity on the local debt restructuring.

“The market is on muted sentiments despite the IMF loan being approved and is going through a period of consolidation,” Ranjan Ranatunga of First Capital Holdings said.

The market saw a net foreign outflow of 298 million rupees and the total offshore inflows recorded so far in 2023 to 3.3 billion rupees.

The most liquid index, S&P SL20, closed 1.64 percent, or 45.33 points, down at 2,722.94.

The market saw a turnover of 3.4 billion rupees on Thursday, above this year’s daily average of 1.8 billion rupees.

This is the highest turnover generated since March 08, which is when the market was driven off of positive sentiments from International Monetary Fund deal hope after Chinese assurances.

Top contributors to revenue was Agalawatte Plantations, on off board transactions of a stake change, contributing revenue of 1.6 billion rupees, Ranatunga said.

Top contributors to revenue industry wise was Food and Beverage and Telecommunications.

Sri Lanka Telecom has been seeing positive uptrends as the Secretary to the Treasury has informed the Board of Directors of Sri Lanka Telecom PLC (SLT) and Lanka Hospitals PLC that the Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval in principle for the divestment of the stakes held by the Treasury Secretary in the two companies.

Top losers were Sampath Bank, Hatton National Bank and Commercial Bank.

Sri Lanka is looking at options to re-structure domestic debt, or local law local currency debt (LLLC), without harming the banking sector and announce them the International Monetary Fund said in a report.

Banks have been witnessing profit taking and selling pressures after continuous uptrends prior to the IMF loan had been approved.

Analysts said, selling pressures is expected to ease as the IMF hopes to reduce inflationary pressures which will in turn lead to reductions in interest rates. (Colombo/Mar23/2023)

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