Sri Lanka’s official reserves fall to US$ 6.85 billion

Sri Lanka’s official reserve assets fell by 1.1 percent in September to US$ 6.85 billion, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) said.

The figure was down from US$ 6.92 billion at the end of August, a drop of US$ 78 million over the month, according to the CBSL.

The CBSL said the reserves include funds received under the currency swap arrangement with the People’s Bank of China.

Official reserves are the foreign currency and other assets the Central Bank holds. They help the country pay for imports and service foreign debt, and are closely watched for their bearing on the rupee.