Sri Lanka Foreign Reserves increase to USD6 Bln in 2016: CB

Jan 03, 2016 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's foreign reserves were around six billion dollars at the end of 2016, up from 5.





64 billion dollars at the end of November, the Central Bank said on Tuesday. The increase was due to swap arrangements and 200 million dollars from Japan and the World Bank as budgetary support, Central Bank Governor Indrajit Coomaraswamy said, presenting the Road Map for Monetary and Financial Policies for 2017 and beyond.

Income from tourism rose to three billion dollars during the first 11 months of last year, along with strong foreign remittances which supported balance of payments, he added.



Fiscal deficit reduction bodes well for the economy, although there would be some pain that had to be endured in the short term, he said.



Nevertheless, a slowdown in exports was a critical issue and Sri Lanka cannot continue with business as usual, he added.