The momentum of export earnings continued with over US dollars 1.0 billion for the ninth consecutive month in February 2022. Meanwhile, import expenditure also increased substantially in February 2022, year-on-year, while recording a decline, compared to the previous month. The trade deficit widened, compared to year before. Tourist arrivals showed a notable recovery in February 2022 over the same month in the previous year. Workers’ remittances continued to moderate in February 2022. Foreign investment in the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) recorded a net inflow during the month. The weighted average spot exchange rate in the interbank market hovered around Rs. 202 per US dollar during February 2022. However, the Central Bank allowed a measured adjustment in the exchange rate in the first week of March 2022, in view of the heightened pressures on the exchange rate amidst subdued liquidity in the domestic foreign exchange market, resulting in an overshoot subsequently by market forces beyond the expected level of depreciation in the measured adjustment.

Headline inflation, as measured by the year-on-year (Y-o-Y) change in the Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI, 2013=100) increased to 29.8% in April 2022 from 18.7% in March 2022. This increase in Y-o-Y inflation was driven by the monthly increases of both Food and Non-Food categories. Subsequently, Food inflation (Y-o-Y) increased to 46.6% in April 2022 from 30.2% in March 2022, while Non-Food inflation (Y-o-Y) increased to 22.0% in April 2022 from 13.4% in March 2022.