Inflation, as measured by the change in the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) (2013=100), which is compiled by the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS), remained unchanged from the previous month at 6.3 per cent in July 2017, on year-on-year basis. Both Food and Non-food categories contributed towards the year-on-year inflation in July 2017.

The change in the NCPI measured on an annual average basis increased marginally from 6.1 per cent in June 2017 to 6.2 per cent in July 2017.

In response to the news articles circulating on Total Pay and ICTA, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) wishes to clarify matters to the public and provide an accurate account of events which transpired regarding the National Payment Platform (NPP), in order to deliver a holistic understanding of the prevailing situation.

The CBSL requested for more information about the NPP when it was presented on 13.05.2016 at the Central Bank, and the request was made in order to gather details on system development, operation manuals, system security, compliance with system standards and the external system audit framework. This request was made in an attempt to gather further knowledge regarding the NPP, so that CBSL could make an informed decision on its feasibility. However, there has been no response regarding these concerns from ICTA, to date. Therefore, CBSL is not in a position to comment on the viability of the NPP in the absence of a response from ICTA, as the concerns raised have an impact on customer, transaction and information security.