ECONOMYNEXT – Foreign investors sold US$2.25 million worth of Sri Lanka government securities in the week ended on April 10, Central Bank data showed, amid renewed depreciation pressure on the local currency. Foreigners sold a net 697 million rupees (US$2.25 million at 1$=310 rupees) in the week. Foreigners have sold rupee bonds for a 11th week in the last 30, data showed.

With the latest outflow, the foreign investment into rupee bonds has been 1,554 million rupees in the first 15 weeks of this year, falling from 21,863 million rupees recorded in the first six week of this year, data showed. Globally, investors are cautious about economic growth due to the impact of the latest Middle East war. The island nation enjoyed a total inflow of around 71.5 billion rupees (around US$234.4 million) into rupee bonds in 2025.

Sri Lanka suffered an outflow of 10.1 billion rupees ($32 million) in the two weeks following Donald Trump’s tariff declaration in the first week of April last year and the rupee has fallen since then. Analysts have said Sri Lanka’s deflationary policies have helped inflows amid curtailed imports. Sri Lanka’s central bank has kept its key policy rates steady since May last year after reducing them by 825 basis points over 24 months since June 2023 and foreign investors have been buying rupee bonds despite depreciation in the local currency. (Colombo/April 15/2026)