The Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, at an urgent meeting to review its monetary policy stance on 16 March 2020, decided to reduce the Standing Deposit Facility Rate (SDFR) and the Standing Lending Facility Rate (SLFR) of the Central Bank by 25 basis points to 6.25 per cent and 7.25 per cent, respectively, with effect from 17 March 2020 and to reduce the Statutory Reserve Ratio (SRR) on all rupee deposit liabilities of licensed commercial banks (LCBs) by 1.00 percentage point to 4.00 per cent, with effect from the current reserve maintenance period. The Board arrived at this decision in consideration of the urgent need to support economic activity with the rapid global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and its possible further spread in Sri Lanka.
Monday, March 16, 2020