SenFin Research – News Updates – 13 July 2026

External sector: Remittances dip 21.8% in June
Sri Lanka’s inward workers remittances dropped by roughly around 21.8% in June, recording $ 695 million in inward remittances in the month, down from the $ 847 million posted in May, Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) data shows.
Source: (the morning) https://www.themorning.lk/articles/kuZaL5nrFRnAo6LVhDQd

External sector: Tourism earnings fall 11.7% y-o-y in 1H
Sri Lanka’s tourism earnings in the first half of 2026 (January to June) declined by 11.7% in comparison to the same time period in 2025, posting a total of $ 1,511.1 million, Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) shows.
Source: (the morning) https://www.themorning.lk/articles/xsdmJsySD1lBXO2Mannp

Documentation: Govt increases fees for company registrations
The Sri Lankan Government has increased the fees for registering companies and societies, according to a gazette notification issued by Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe.
Source: (the morning) https://www.themorning.lk/articles/znOVv0S6gaRlAsjHm1rE

Government revenue rises 30.6% in first five months as private sector credit expands: CBSL
Government revenue and grants increased by 30.6% during the first five months of 2026, while private sector credit and broad money continued to expand, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s latest Weekly Economic Indicators report.
Source: (Daily News) https://dailynews.lk/2026/07/13/business/1025160/government-revenue-rises-30-6-in-first-five-months-as-private-sector-credit-expands-cbsl/

Foreign holdings in Sri Lanka rupee bonds hit near 3-year high with US$97mn buying
Foreign holdings in Sri Lanka rupee bonds hit a near three-year high in the week ended on July 9 as offshore investors bought a net US$ 97.1 million worth of government securities, Central Bank data showed, as the rupee currency recovered from a near four-year low hit in May.
Source: (economynext) https://economynext.com/foreign-holdings-in-sri-lanka-rupee-bonds-hit-near-3-year-high-with-us97mn-buying-278193/

Sri Lanka foreign reserves fall 6.2-pct in June 2026
Sri Lanka’s foreign reserves fell 6.2 percent to US$ 6,450 million by end June 2026, from 6,873 million dollars a month earlier amid central bank purchasing US$70.5 million on a net basis in the last month.
Source: (economynext) https://economynext.com/sri-lanka-foreign-reserves-fall-6-2-pct-in-june-2026-278189/

Sri Lanka’s exports to India surge 160% in five years as bilateral trade tops US$ 7.2 Bn
Sri Lanka’s exports to India have grown by nearly 160% over the past five years, significantly outpacing the growth of India’s exports to Sri Lanka, Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha said, highlighting the rapid expansion of bilateral trade between the two countries.
Source: (Daily News) https://dailynews.lk/2026/07/13/business/1025073/sri-lankas-exports-to-india-surge-160-in-five-years-as-bilateral-trade-tops-us-7-2-bn/

Sri Lanka sells extra Rs10bn Treasury bills after auction
Sri Lanka has sold 10,000 million rupees of treasury bills offered on tap at average rates of 10.21 percent and 10.30 percent, the public debt management office said, bringing the total of bills sold this week to 110 billion rupees.
Source: (economynext) https://economynext.com/sri-lanka-sells-extra-rs10bn-treasury-bills-after-auction-278163/


Hayleys Aventura introduces Sri Lanka’s first automated rotary parking system
As Sri Lanka’s cities continue to grow, the demand for parking within increasingly limited space has become a pressing urban challenge.
Source: (Daily Mirror) https://www.dailymirror.lk/business-news/Hayleys-Aventura-introduces-Sri-Lankas-first-automated-rotary-parking-system/273-345449

Senkadagala Finance posts record Rs. 2 Bn profit as assets cross Rs. 57 Bn in FY 2025/26
Senkadagala Finance PLC closed the financial year ended 31 March 2026 with a group profit after tax of Rs. 2.05 billion, up 16% year-on-year, marking the strongest bottom line in the Company’s history. At Company level, profit after tax reached Rs. 1.85 billion, a 14% increase, as the lending business gained momentum amid a gradually stabilising macroeconomic environment.
Source: (Daily News) https://dailynews.lk/2026/07/13/business/1025185/senkadagala-finance-posts-record-rs-2-bn-profit-as-assets-cross-rs-57-bn-in-fy-2025-26/

Lion Brewery’s Rs. 103.8bn tax bill exposes seven-year-old broken promise on alcohol tax reform
Lion Brewery (Ceylon) PLC’s latest set of numbers reads like a masterclass in top-line resilience undone by fiscal drag.
Source: (Daily Mirror) https://www.dailymirror.lk/business-news/Lion-Brewerys-Rs-103-8bn-tax-bill-exposes-seven-year-old-broken-promise-on-alcohol-tax-reform/273-345455