- CBank hikes rates by 700 bps
- Sri Lanka beset by crippling economic crisis
- Finance minister seeks debt moratorium, financial aid
COLOMBO, April 8 (Reuters) – Sri Lanka’s central bank doubled its key interest rates on Friday, raising each by an unprecedented 700 basis points to tame inflation that has soared due to crippling shortages of basic goods driven by a devastating economic crisis.
The heavily indebted country has little money left to pay for imports, meaning fuel, power, food and, increasingly, medicines are in short supply.
Street protests have been held nearly non-stop for more than a month, despite a five-day state of emergency and a two-day curfew.
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The Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s (CBSL) monetary board raised its standing lending facility (LKSLFR=ECI) to 14.50% and its standing deposit facility (LKSDFR=ECI) to 13.50%.
The build-up of aggregate demand, domestic supply…
