📈 Data Gaps Emerge in Sri Lanka's Public Debt Reporting After PDMO Transition

Parliament's Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) has raised concerns over reduced transparency and accessibility of public debt and government securities market data following the transfer of debt management from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) to the new Public Debt Management Office (PDMO). • The Issue: Detailed debt tables—historically published by the CBSL breaking down Treasury Bills, Treasury Bonds, and foreign borrowings—have become harder to access. Publication of detailed secondary market government securities summaries (yields, volumes, transaction counts) has also faced interruptions. • Market Risks: CoPF Chairman Dr. Harsha de Silva warned that these information gaps risk creating an uneven playing field, fuel market speculation, increase volatility, and cause market distortions. • The Official Stance: CBSL Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe clarified that statutory authority for debt data publication now rests strictly with the PDMO under the Public Debt Management Act. While CBSL no longer receives privileged early access to this fiscal data, the Governor maintained that the data remains available on the CBSL website, though the presentation structure has changed. • Next Steps: Lawmakers emphasized that even if data is technically online, it remains difficult to locate and interpret for investors, researchers, and Parliamentarians. CoPF has proposed a joint engagement between CBSL and PDMO officials to resolve accessibility issues and restore comprehensive public disclosures.