Economic

Online platform to unite auctioneer, brokers and suppliers
Export demand unchanged so far but marginal price drop locally
Restrictions loosened to support sector

Industrial Export, Investment Promotion, Tourism and Aviation Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said yesterday the government has decided to extend the Rs.5, 000 allowance granted to Samurdhi beneficiaries to those engaged in the Tourism sector affected by the battle to contain the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Ex-Estate sale of 720,000 kilos up for bidding from 11 a.m. onwards
Over 300 buyers registered on electronic platform along with 8 brokers
High and Medium Growns sale to follow

During this time of crisis in our land, as well as globally, Sri Lanka’s apparel sector has taken up the responsibility to equip brave healthcare workers with the appropriate clothing as they serve in the frontlines of our battle against COVID-19.

Considering the unprecedented disruption to the global economy and trade due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Export Development Board has revised its 2020 exports forecast by a hefty 42% to $10.75 billion.

Central Bank continues its stance of slashing policy interest rates amidst Corona virus crisis this month to support the ailing economy without giving much reasons

ගොවි ජනතාවගේ, ව්‍යාපාරිකයන්ගේ මෙන්ම රටේම ජනතාවගේ සෞඛ්‍ය ආරක්ෂාව වෙනුවෙන් දඹුල්ල විශේෂිත ආර්ථික මධ්‍යස්ථානය නැවත දැනුම් දෙනතුරු වසා තැබීමට තීරණය කළ බව දඹුල්ල ආර්ථික මධ්‍යස්ථාන වෙළෙඳ සංගමයේ සභාපති ඡන්න ඇරෑවුල අද (07) පවසා සිටියා.

Cash strapped Sri Lankan Airlines has decided to slash the salaries of its staff for a period of three months.

Central Bank, Treasury make joint appeal for foreign currency deposits from Sri Lankans living abroad and here, as well as charity organisations, well wishers
Assure all forex remittances will be exempted from exchange control regulations and taxes, and protected under banking secrecy provisions
3-month offer aimed at boosting reserves and economy to face COVID-19 challenge, ensure healthcare and social security to people of Sri Lanka
Analysts say success of new initiative depends on assurance of no legal or Inland Revenue action later on
Under pressure from dwindling reserves, debt repayment and COVID-19 impact on the country, the Government yesterday sent an open invitation to all Sri Lankans abroad, as well as locals having foreign currency holdings, to deposit same with guarantee of secrecy and convertibility.

කොවිඩ් – 19 වසංගතය හේතුවෙන් ගෝලීය ආර්ථිකයට හා වෙළෙඳාමට සිදුව ඇති හානිය සැලකිල්ලට ගනිමින් අපනයන සංවර්ධන මණ්ඩලය විසින් 2020 වසරේ මෙරට අපේක්ෂිත අපනයනය 43%කින් , එනම් ඇමෙරිකානු ඩොලර් බිලියන 7.75කින් කපා දැමීමට තීරණය කර ඇත.

The Commercial Bank of Ceylon of Ceylon continues its ‘Bank-on-Wheels’ Mobile ATM units in areas where curfews are in force, to provide urgently needed access to cash to members of the public.

The much-anticipated, historic first-ever tea auction via an electronic platform will not be held today.

කොරෝනා වසංගතය හේතුවෙන් ආර්ථිකයේ සිදුවන පසුබෑම ජයගැනීම සඳහා හිටපු මහ බැංකු අධිපති අජිත් නිවාඩ් කබ්රාල් මහතා විසින් යෝජනා කර තිබෙන EPF අරමුදල් ශේෂයෙන් 20% ක් සාමාජිකයන් වෙත සෘජුවම නිදහස් කිරීම සම්බන්ධයෙන් විවිධ පාර්ශවයන්ගෙන් මේ වන විට විරෝධය එල්ල වෙමින් තිබේ.

Most of the over 100,000 apparel sector workers now in their homes in villages following the closure of the garment factories in Free Trade Zones are suffering in their abodes as they are yet receive their wages

The Hotels Association (THASL) yesterday listed 10 recommendations for the consideration of the Government if it were to ensure survival and success of the crucial tourism industry. The recommendations were further to the several measures the Government had already extended for the tourism industry, which have been commended by THASL. The tourism industry, by far the highest net foreign exchange earner and whose success hinges on the livelihood of two million people, is reeling from the novel coronavirus pandemic a blow hot on the heels of the Easter Sunday tragedy of April 2019.

ඊයේ (05) දිනයේදී බණ්ඩාරවෙල තොග පොලට සහ කැප්පෙටිපොල විශේෂ ආර්ථික මධ්‍යස්ථානයට රැගෙන ආ එළවලු අස්වනු විකුණාගත නොහැකිව ගොවීන් දැඩි දුෂ්කරතාවකට මුහුණ පා සිටින ආකාරය දැක ගැනීමට ලැබිණි.

In a significant move, Hutch announced yesterday it had started offering its subscribers ‘100% Anytime Data’ packages without any night-time quotas.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced relief to all investors in the Colombo stock market, which has been affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.