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Foreign exchange swap discounts widen, fears of underworld grabbing kerb market
ECONOMYNEXT – Upside down rates in Sri Lanka’s rupee dollar swap discounts continued to widen last week and market participants lamented the movement of higher share of kerb market foreign exchange to the underworld after a crackdown on authorized money changers.
In the official foreign exchange market swap discounts continued to widen, reflecting low rupee yields and low dollar availability for funding purposes, market participants said.
The spot/one month was quoted -170/-150 cents this week.
The spot two months was -325/-275 cents
The spot/three months was -500/-450 cents
The spot/six months was -800/-750 cents
A swap discount of 750 indicates that a market participants who sells dollars today at (say) 200 rupees in the swap market will get it back roughly for 192.50 (a discount) in six months, despite continued reserve losses indicating that the peg is under pressure.
The central bank has also forced dollar earnings of exporters and service providers to be converted, indicating that dollar deposit growth will slowdown further, hurting the funding books of banks, analysts warn.
Sri Lanka’s state banks had been among key borrowers in the swap market. State banks have large dollar loans to state-run CPC in particular.
The CPC had been forced to borrow dollars when the central bank printed money to target a call money rate in the past as well creating forex shortages. Attempts are underway to get credit lines and further expand dollar borrowings of the CPC.
This week the central bank raided several authorized money changers who have been exchanging dollars at above the official non-credible peg of 200 rupees to the US dollar.
Sri Lanka’s authorized money changers are mostly long standing businesses which have operated across generations. Many belong to the Tamil and Muslim communities.
The communities had been engaged in cross-border trade from the British period and beyond.
“Most of my business is going to the underworld,” a traditional kerb market merchant lamented earlier this week after the first raids of authorized money changers took place.
Hawala operators may also get additional business discouraging people from bringing notes to the country, another said.
There was also a possibility of forged dollar notes being circulated as the underworld expands the business, market participant warned.
Sri Lanka is a country where there was hardly any forged dollar notes due to the screening done by the longstanding kerb market community which included authorized money changers.
Though international card fraudsters targeted credit cards and ATMs in Sri Lanka forged dollar note operators could not target Sri Lanka due to the business practices of the domestic kerb market, those familiar with the practice say.
Forged foreign currency notes operators are active in countries like Indonesia.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
