The deficit in the trade account widened in December 2021 compared to a year earlier, mainly due to excessive surge in imports recording the highest ever monthly import expenditure, despite persistently high earnings from exports that exceeded US dollars 1.0 billion for the seventh consecutive month. During the year 2021, the trade deficit widened notably, driven by considerable increase in imports that outpaced the growth in exports. Tourist arrivals continued the growth momentum in December with a notable increase over the previous month. Meanwhile, workers’ remittances recorded a month-on-month growth in December 2021, mainly reflecting the response to incentive scheme introduced for remittances and the seasonal increase. The weighted average spot exchange rate in the interbank market continued to hover around Rs. 201 per US dollar during the month.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) is currently taking steps to increase the inflows of foreign remittances to Sri Lanka as well as encourage the use of formal remittance channels when sending remittances to the country. Accordingly, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka initiated a National Remittance Mobile Application branded as “Lanka Remit”. It has been introduced and developed by LankaClear (Pvt) Ltd.

The National Remittance Mobile Application “Lanka Remit” was launched on 8th February by the Hon. Minister Namal Rajapaksa, Minister of Youth and Sports, Minister of Development Coordination and Monitoring and State Minister of Digital Technology and Enterprise Development of Sri Lanka.