The middle value in Sri Lanka’s inter‑bank foreign exchange market has dropped to Rs. 330, down from Rs. 350 yesterday, Deputy Finance Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando announced today. 

He said the bidding rate now stands at Rs. 327, with the expected selling rate around Rs. 332, describing the development as “good news for the public.”

Fernando noted that while the rupee’s appreciation offers relief to consumers, it may unsettle certain groups who had anticipated further depreciation to Rs. 360 or even Rs. 400, sometimes for political advantage or business profit. 

He cautioned against making decisions based on unverified information, warning that such actions could lead to losses not only in vehicle imports but also in foreign exchange transactions.

The Deputy Minister stressed that the government must take fact‑based policy measures to manage the situation, while the Central Bank will implement systematic steps in response to market developments. 

He recalled that during the previous crisis, misinformation had worsened economic instability, and urged the public to rely on official guidance. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka and India have held discussions on a USD 450 million post‑conflict reconstruction package, the Ministry of Finance said.

The announcement follows a meeting held yesterday (May 10) between Deputy Minister of Finance Anil Jayantha Fernando and Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha.

According to the Finance Ministry, during the discussions, both sides focused on the reconstruction package and further strengthening the strategic partnership between India and Sri Lanka. (Newswire)

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The Australian High Commission in Sri Lanka has confirmed that both the mission and Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Finance are aware of irregularities in payments owed to the Australian Government.

Sri Lankan authorities have launched an investigation into the matter and are coordinating closely with Australian officials, who are assisting the inquiry, the Australian High Commission said in a statement on ‘X’. 

The High Commission further said that Australia remains committed to supporting Sri Lanka’s path toward debt sustainability.

The statement comes after Deputy Minister of Finance Dr Anil Jayantha announced that complaints have been filed with law enforcement agencies following a cyber theft incident involving unauthorised access to the computer system of the Department of External Resources under the Ministry of Finance.

He said the incident occurred during communication and fund settlement activities between the Australian Export Finance Agency and the Treasury, where both parties exchanged information via email. 

Hackers allegedly exploited this communication channel to manipulate the information exchange,he said, adding that the fraud came to light after a similar attempt was made to obtain additional funds linked to a payment due to India. 

He further said that suspicion arose when changes were detected in account numbers. Following this, the Treasury immediately alerted the Sri Lanka Police Computer Crimes Investigation Division and the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), after which a lengthy investigation was then carried out tracing communications back to the start of discussions on debt restructuring and repayments.

This established that money intended for the Australian Export Finance Agency had been diverted into accounts controlled by the hackers. A complaint has since been filed with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and investigations are ongoing, Deputy Minister of Finance Dr Anil Jayantha added. (Newswire)

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Deputy Minister of Economic Development Anil Jayantha Fernando says a discussion with the US Trade Representative’s Office on the recently imposed reciprocal tariffs will be held today (08 Apr). 

Addressing the Parliament today, Deputy Minister Anil Jayantha said that the discussion will take place at 08.00 pm today. 

He further announced that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had already sent a letter to US President Donald Trump on the reciprocal tariffs. 

“The President highlighted the possible ways of mitigating these things, the actions we can take, and a request for collaboration to reduce these tariffs,” he said.

The Deputy Minister said that an acknowledgement of that letter has also been received from the White House. 

“We have been both proactive and reactive as necessary. However, we did not panic and were not driven by emotions. All the possible risks and consequences have been assessed and taken into consideration accordingly. Diplomatic relations and continuous dialogue with the White House and the US Trade Representative’s Office are taking place continuously,” he added. 

He made the remarks in response to a question raised by opposition MP Ravi Karunanayake. (Newswire)

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Deputy Finance Minister Anil Jayantha acknowledged in Parliament that 323 red-flagged containers had been released through the Green Channel. 

Addressing the Parliament yesterday, he said that an investigation into the matter has been initiated.

The minister explained that due to congestion caused by an excessive number of containers, they had been released following scanning, as reported. 

Responding to a question raised by Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Kavinda Jayawardena, the minister said a discussion with trade unions was held under the President’s leadership after the unions issued a statement on the matter, and an investigation was assured.

He further noted that in some instances, containers were released through special committees involving customs officers after obtaining Cabinet approval due to congestion. 

The minister added that red-flagged containers had been released after scanning in some cases, while others were released through the Green Channel without being scanned.

“We are unaware whether investigations have been conducted into these incidents,” Jayantha said.

The minister also disclosed that from July 25, 2024, approximately 584 containers had been released across seven instances. (Newswire)

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