Sri Lanka rupee closes flat, bond yields down

Friday December 26, 2025 4:39 pm

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s rupee closed flat at 309.65/75 to the US dollar in the spot market Friday, having depreciated in recent weeks, dealers said, while bond yields closed down.

A bond maturing on 15.03.2028 closed at 8.95/9.05 percent, down from 9.10/18 percent.

A bond maturing on 15.09.2029 closed at 9.60/70 percent, down from 9.70/80 percent.

A bond maturing on 15.05.2031 closed at 9.95/10.03 percent, down from 9.95/10.10 percent.

A bond maturing on 01.10.2032 closed at 10.32/35 percent, down from 10.30/40 percent.

A bond maturing on 01.11.2033 closed at 10.45/60 percent, up from 10.54/60 percent. (Colombo/Dec26/2025)

Friday December 26, 2025 6:32 pm

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka and Vietnam officials explored deeper ties in health, trade, and tourism sectors when they met officially this week, the government said.

The discussions, held at the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, centered on strengthening the longstanding diplomatic relations between the two countries and exploring new avenues for bilateral cooperation.

Vietnam’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Trinh Thi Tam, commended the island nation’s recent progress across multiple sectors during a ministerial meeting with Minister of Health and Mass Media Nalinda Jayatissa, on Tuesday.

Ambassador Tam noted that she was “satisfied with Sri Lanka’s progress in political, cultural and economic spheres.” Sri Lanka government said in a statement.

She emphasized the importance of “deepening bilateral relations based on mutual trust and shared development goals, it said.

Minister Jayatissa expressed Sri Lanka’s desire to “further strengthen political, diplomatic and economic ties with Vietnam in the years ahead.”

The meeting delved into ongoing development projects supported by Vietnam, as well as future initiatives. Key areas of focus included the health sector’s performance, needs for pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, and cooperation in agriculture and tourism.

Both sides explored how Vietnam’s development achievements could be adapted to the Sri Lankan context. (Colombo/December 26/2025)

Friday December 26, 2025 10:58 am

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s Haggala Botanical Gardens in the Nuwara Eliya district has been opened for domestic and foreign tourists from December 25, the Ministry of Environment said.

The gardens were closed after Cyclone Ditwah.

Deputy Minister of Environment Anton Jayakody had inspected the gardens on December 12 with officials to assess the ground situation and landslide risks, the statement said.

The Gardens were re-opened after carrying out recommendations of the National Building Research Organization (NBRO) and the Disaster Management Centre (DMC).

“Due to the emergence of hazardous ground conditions, certain areas—specifically the pond area near the entrance gate and the access roads leading toward the forest park where such signs were observed—have been temporarily cordoned off,” the statement said.

“Warning signs have been installed to prevent visitors from entering these zones. To ensure the convenience and safety of both local and foreign tourists, the staff of the Botanical Garden has organized a special assistance program.”

Friday December 26, 2025 9:41 am

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s rupee was quoted at 309.70/80 to the US dollar Friday morning weaker from 309.65/75 in the spot market Friday while bond yields fell, dealers said despite a spike in bill yields at the last auction.

Bill yields corrected upwards last week, after a higher volume than maturing bills was announced.

RELATED : Sri Lanka Treasury bill yields rise, 12-month up 16bp

Sri Lanka has announced sweeping relief payments for cyclone Ditwah victims, to be paid in cash.

A bond maturing on 15.03.2028 was quoted around 9.06/11 percent down from 9.10/18 percent.

A bond maturing on 15.09.2029 was quoted at 9.60/65 percent down from 9.70/80 percent.

A bond maturing on 01.07.30 was quoted around 9.75/80 percent down from 9.90/95 percent. (Colombo/Dec26/2025)

Friday December 26, 2025 9:08 am

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals reached 154,609 by December 21, 2025 up from 150,563 last year, despite a slowdown in the first two weeks after Cyclone Ditwah, data from the tourist promotion office showed.

Coastal resorts were mostly fully booked Sri Lanka Tourist Hotels Association Chief Asoka Hettigoda told EconomyNext before Christmas.

The hill country was also getting more tourists and returning to normal, he said.

Sri Lanka was getting around 10 to 15 percent more tourists each month in 2025, compared to 2024 when Cyclone Ditwah hit.

RELATED : Sri Lanka Cyclone output shock likely to be offset by ‘broken window fallacy’ effect

The International Monetary Fund has estimated that the net output loss from Cyclone Ditwah could be around 0.2 percent of gross domestic product.

A World Bank study has estimated that 4.1 billion US dollars of government and private assets had been destroyed by the Cyclone. (Colombo/Dec26/2025)

Thursday December 25, 2025 8:46 pm

ECONOMYNEXT – The first flight of Vision Air from the Kishinev, the capital of Moldova will arrive iSri Lanka on December 27, Udayanga Weeratunga, an ex-ambassador who has helped bring tourists from former Soviet Republics said.

This winter season, six Vision Air flights will haul around 1,500 tourists, he said in a statement, brining estimated revenues of 2.25 million US dollars.

The tourists are sent by the Join Up, travel agency and the tourists are facilitated in Sri Lanka by Delux Holidays.

Sky Up airlines is also due to fly from Moldova’s capital Kishinev to Sri Lanka.

The flights will bring mainly Ukrainian tourists, Weeratunga said as all airports in Ukraine are now closed. (Colombo/Dec15/2025)

Thursday December 25, 2025 1:53 pm

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka will commemorate this year’s “National Safety Day” on Friday (26) to remember the victims of the 2004 tsunami and those who lost their lives in the recent Ditwah Cyclone, the government said.

Arrangements have been made to hold interfaith prayer events centered around the District Secretariat in all districts of the country, the government said in a statement.

A two-minute silence will be be observed from 9.25 am to 9.27 am on 26 December 2025, in memory of those who lost their lives in the 2004 tsunami disaster and Ditwah cyclone disaster.

The main commemoration event of “National Safety Day” will be held from 8.30 am to 11.00 am in front of the Peraliya Tsunami Memorial, Galle.

On December 26, 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami struck Peraliya, a coastal village near Galle in southern Sri Lanka, causing one of the deadliest rail disasters in history. The Queen of the Sea or Samidhra Devi passenger train from Colombo to Galle, overcrowded with about 1,700 people, was derailed by multiple waves up to 10 meters high around 9:30 a.m.

The surging waters smashed the train off its tracks, sweeping carriages over 100 meters inland and killing at least 1,000 passengers, many locals who had sought refuge atop the cars, while only 150 survived. Peraliya itself was obliterated, with hundreds more villagers dead and nearly all buildings destroyed.

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, triggered by a massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake off Sumatra on December 26, devastated Sri Lanka’s eastern, southern, and western coasts, sweeping away coastal communities, infrastructure, and over 100,000 homes. It killed approximately 35,000 people and displaced around 500,000, marking Sri Lanka’s deadliest natural disaster.

Cyclone Ditwah, a severe cyclonic storm, made landfall on Sri Lanka’s eastern coast on November 28, 2025, unleashing torrential rains, flooding, and landslides nationwide. Intensified by the northeast monsoon, it devastated almost every district of the country, affecting over 2.2 million people.

Impacts included over 800 dead or missing with hundreds of thousands are still displaced with severe agricultural losses and disrupted supply chains. (Colombo/December 25/2025)