Innovative Digital Marketplace to Help Sri Lanka’s Small Businesses

To expand the reach of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), including women-owned small businesses, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) is supporting the Commercial Bank of Ceylon (CBC) launch a digital marketplace in Sri Lanka, helping business owners connect with more customers locally and abroad.  Named Commercial Bank LEAP, this one-of-its-kind initiative, which is supported under […]

Ceylon Chamber Facilitates SME Entry to International Markets

Supporting the capacity development and growth of the Small and Medium Enterprises sector, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce recently held a series of workshops to facilitate SMEs’ entry into international markets. The Enterprise Transformation and Market Access (ET&MA) programme, developed and conducted by the Ceylon Chamber’s Centre for SMEs together with VSSL Global, offers mentorship, […]

‘ ratings; Maintains RWN

Fitch Ratings has downgraded the National long-term ratings of five Sri Lankan finance and leasing companies (FLCs) after the recent sovereign downgrade and recalibration of the agency’s Sri Lankan National Rating scale. The FLCs’ ratings remain on Rating Watch Negative (RWN). The downgrades follow similar action on 10 Sri Lankan banks. (For details, see “Fitch […]

USAID, Keells & HNB Partner to Provide USD 4Mn Lending Facility in Sri Lanka

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) coordinates with Keells Supermarkets and Hatton National Bank (HNB) on an innovative supply chain financing facility that supports micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the food sector to access capital. Through greater access to capital, this facility reduces the supply chain disruptions that emerged during the […]

SL Purchasing Managers’ Index: Sept 2022 manufacturing PMI decline

Manufacturing PMI declined in September 2022, indicating a setback in manufacturing activities on a month-on-month basis. Accordingly, Manufacturing PMI recorded an index value of 42.6 in September 2022, with a decline of 7.0 index points from the previous month driven by the decreases in all the sub-indices, except Employment and Suppliers’ Delivery Time. The decline […]

Ceylon Chamber seeks acceleration of reforms and greater accountability for Govt spend

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce acknowledges the rationale for the recently proposed tax changes and calls on the Government to show greater restraint, accountability and transparency on government spending. While the tax hike will invariably impact businesses and private sector employees adversely in the current context of high inflation and negative economic growth, it is […]

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