SenFin Research – News Updates – 20 April 2026

Reserves fall 3.45% in March to $ 7.01 b
Gross official reserve assets held by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) dipped 3.45% month-on-month (M-o-M) to $ 7.01 billion as of end-March 2026.
Source: (Daily FT) https://www.ft.lk/front-page/Reserves-fall-3-45-in-March-to-7-01-b/44-790853

PMI expansion, Lower Lending Rates highlight weekly economic trends – CBSL
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has reported a mixed but broadly stable set of economic indicators for the week ending April 17, 2026, with improvements in business activity, easing lending rates, and steady external sector developments.
Source: (Daily News) https://dailynews.lk/2026/04/20/business/982125/pmi-expansion-lower-lending-rates-highlight-weekly-economic-trends-cbsl/

Workers’ remittances surge 26% YoY to $ 2.3 b in 1Q
In an encouraging sign for the economy, workers’ remittances increased 17.5% year-on-year (YoY) to $ 814.8 million in March during the first full month of the ongoing Middle East war. This brings total remittances inflows during the first quarter 2026 to nearly $ 2.3 billion, up 26.5% from a year ago, according to the latest Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) data.
Source: (Daily FT) https://www.ft.lk/front-page/Workers-remittances-surge-26-YoY-to-2-3-b-in-1Q/44-790857

Sri Lanka Customs revenue reaches LKR 765.7 bn by mid-April, exceeding target
Sri Lanka Customs has recorded revenue of LKR 765.7 billion as of 16 April 2026, according to official data. Customs officials said this has exceeded the revenue target for the period by LKR 71.8 billion.
Source: (Newswire) https://www.newswire.lk/2026/04/19/sri-lanka-customs-revenue-reaches-lkr-765-7-bn-by-mid-april-exceeding-target/

IMF and WB ensure support for Sri Lanka’s efforts towards durable economic recovery and sustained progress
The Sri Lankan delegation headed by the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), Dr Nandalal Weerasinghe, is engaged in productive discussions with the senior leadership of the IMF, WB, as well as with rating agencies and investors.
Source: (Daily News) https://dailynews.lk/2026/04/20/business/982142/imf-and-wb-ensure-support-for-sri-lankas-efforts-towards-durable-economic-recovery-and-sustained-progress/

Sri Lanka better placed to cushion energy shock, needs targeted support: IMF
Sri Lanka is in a stronger position to cushion the impact of rising energy costs following improvements in revenue mobilisation, though vulnerabilities remain due to its reliance on fuel imports, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said last week.
Source: (Daily FT) https://www.ft.lk/front-page/Sri-Lanka-better-placed-to-cushion-energy-shock-needs-targeted-support-IMF/44-790861

World Bank sees Sri Lanka growth slowing to 3.6% in 2026 amid energy shock
Sri Lanka’s economic growth is expected to slow to 3.6% in 2026 as higher energy prices weigh on activity, although the economy will regain its pre-crisis size last seen in 2018, the World Bank said in its latest South Asia Economic Update April 2026.
Source: (Daily FT) https://www.ft.lk/top-story/World-Bank-sees-Sri-Lanka-growth-slowing-to-3-6-in-2026-amid-energy-shock/26-790862

CBSL survey shows resilient business outlook post-Ditwah, pre-Mideast war
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) last week said its latest Business Outlook Survey (BOS), conducted before the onset of the Middle East conflict, pointed to continued expansion in business activity into early 2026 due to favourable macroeconomic conditions.
Source: (Daily FT) https://www.ft.lk/front-page/CBSL-survey-shows-resilient-business-outlook-post-Ditwah-pre-Mideast-war/44-790855

Global growth could fall to 2% , inflation up 6% – IMF
As IMF was looking to lift up the global growth forecast in 2026 the war in the Middle East halted this momentum. The closing of the Strait of Hormuz and serious damage to critical energy facilities in the Middle East raise the prospect of a major energy crisis should a durable solution not be found soon, Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, Economic Counsellor and Director of the Research Department IMF told its latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) launch held on April 14, in Washington, D.C..
Source: (Daily News) https://dailynews.lk/2026/04/20/business/982132/global-growth-could-fall-to-2-inflation-up-6-imf/

Lanka enters challenging environment from position of strength – ADB
Although the Middle East conflict places geopolitical risk at the center of developing Asia and the Pacific’s economic outlook, Sri Lanka enters this challenging and uncertain environment from a position of strength, with growth at 5 % in 2025, ADB Senior Country Economist Lilia Aleksanyan said releasing its Asian Development Outlook (ADO) April 2026 report in Colombo.
Source: (Daily News) https://dailynews.lk/2026/04/20/business/982135/lanka-enters-challenging-environment-from-position-of-strength-adb/

Arrivals top 800,000 mark, but April slowdown clouds outlook
Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals have crossed the 800,000 mark so far this year, raising cautious optimism about reaching the Government’s ambitious 3 million visitor target for 2026, despite a recent slowdown.
Source: (Daily FT) https://www.ft.lk/front-page/Arrivals-top-800-000-mark-but-April-slowdown-clouds-outlook/44-790860

Tourism earnings slump 37% in March as arrivals drop
Sri Lanka’s tourism earnings fell sharply in March 2026, declining 37% year-on-year (YoY) to $ 223.7 million, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL).
Source: (Daily FT) https://www.ft.lk/front-page/Tourism-earnings-slump-37-in-March-as-arrivals-drop/44-790859

April arrivals slump to two-year low, exposing vulnerability to aviation shocks
Sri Lanka’s tourism sector faced a harsh reality check in the first half of April 2026, with tourist arrivals plunging to a two-year low of 68,961. This represents a 26.5 percent drop compared to the 93,915 arrivals recorded during the exact same fifteen-day period in 2025.
Source: (Daily Mirror) https://www.dailymirror.lk/business-news/April-arrivals-slump-to-two-year-low-exposing-vulnerability-to-aviation-shocks/273-338127

Insurance Industry Development Roadmap unveils to strengthen economic stability
Sri Lanka’s insurance sector is set to take a significant step forward with the unveiling of the Insurance Industry Development Roadmap, an initiative led by the Insurance Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka and hosted by the Insurance Association of Sri Lanka tomorrow (21).
Source: (Daily News) https://dailynews.lk/2026/04/20/business/982172/insurance-industry-development-roadmap-unveils-to-strengthen-economic-stability/

No evidence other banks impacted by NDB’s Rs. 13.2 b fraud: CBSL
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) last Friday issuing its third statement on the Rs. 13.2 billion fraud-hit National Development Bank PLC (NDB) said there was no evidence to suggest other banks or financial institutions have been impacted by the scandal.
Source: (Daily FT) https://www.ft.lk/front-page/No-evidence-other-banks-impacted-by-NDB-s-Rs-13-2-b-fraud-CBSL/44-790856

Central Bank orders int’l forensic audit into Rs. 13.2bn NDB fraud
In a decisive regulatory response to a staggering Rs. 13.2 billion internal fraud, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka has mandated National Development Bank PLC to undergo a comprehensive forensic audit led by international experts.
Source: (Daily Mirror) https://www.dailymirror.lk/business-news/Central-Bank-orders-intl-forensic-audit-into-Rs-13-2bn-NDB-fraud/273-338131

Rejoicing as the inflation target, depreciation batter Sri Lanka’s poor, is immoral and in bad taste
The self-congratulatory and almost gloating terms in which the return of monetary depreciation and accompanying rise in the cost of living towards the central bank’s inflation target is welcomed by macro-economists is in bad taste.
Source: (economynext) https://economynext.com/rejoicing-as-the-inflation-target-depreciation-batter-sri-lankas-poor-is-immoral-and-in-bad-taste/-/267451/

Sri Lanka completes SOP for foreign research vessels: Minister
Sri Lanka will complete the standard of procedure (SOP) for handling foreign research vessels within the next two months, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said.
Source: (economynext) https://economynext.com/sri-lanka-completes-sop-for-foreign-research-vessels-minister/-/267440/