📰 SRI LANKA MONEY WEEKLY
Sri Lanka Money Weekly: Petrol 92 Up Rs. 10 to 424, Inflation Hits 8.3% (30 Oct – 6 Nov 2026)
TL;DR: Petrol 92 rose Rs. 10 to Rs. 424 a litre on 2 November, and October inflation came in at 8.3% — a 40-month high and the fourth straight month above the Central Bank’s 7% ceiling. The good news: electricity tariffs will probably not rise this year — the system operator itself says no revision is needed, and the Energy Minister agrees, with PUCSL’s final decision due around 11 November. In the markets, carrot and brinjal jumped 43% while fish got cheaper — hurulla fell by a third. The rupee was flat at 337.01 and AWPR eased to 11.01%.
| Indicator | This week | Last week | Move |
|---|---|---|---|
| USD/LKR (TT sell) | 337.01 | 337.14 | −0.04% |
| AWPR | 11.01% | 11.23% | −0.22pp |
| Policy rate (OPR) | 8.75% | 8.75% | — |
| Petrol 92 (Rs./L) | 424 | 414 | +Rs. 10 |
| CCPI inflation (Oct) | 8.3% | 8.0% (Sep) | +0.3pp |
Fuel up Rs. 10, inflation at a 40-month high
The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation raised fuel prices on 2 November: Petrol 92 up Rs. 10 to Rs. 424 a litre, Petrol 95 up Rs. 15 to Rs. 490, auto diesel up Rs. 5 to Rs. 397 and super diesel up Rs. 15 to Rs. 543. It is the first fuel revision since 1 October. The hike drew a political row, with the opposition saying fuel taxes were raised beyond previous levels.
The same week brought the October inflation print: CCPI headline inflation rose to 8.3% year on year, up from 8.0% in September — the highest since mid-2023. Food inflation was 8.8% and core inflation 5.6%. The Central Bank expects inflation to stay in the high single digits through the first quarter of 2027 before easing towards its 5% target. Work out what the hike costs your weekly driving →
Electricity: probably no rise this year
The electricity picture flipped this week. The National System Operator told PUCSL it does not need a tariff revision for the October–December quarter — its projected generation cost fell from Rs. 129 billion to Rs. 125 billion. PUCSL’s own preliminary review had already cut the proposed increase from 2.88% to 1.46%. On 6 November the Energy Minister told Parliament that tariffs will not need to increase this year, and questioned why PUCSL held a public hearing at all. The final decision is expected around 11 November — until then, the likely position is 0%, not confirmed.
If you run a business, that is one cost line you can plan around for now. Re-cost your overheads with the new fuel prices →
Rupee flat, AWPR down, stocks up
The rupee barely moved — the TT selling rate slipped from 337.14 to 337.01. AWPR fell 22 basis points to 11.01%, its lowest since late October, after rising to 11.23% the week before. The policy rate (OPR) stays at 8.75%. The stock market had a strong week: the ASPI rose 5.4% to 21,239.65. Check what the AWPR move means for your EMI →
Market basket: vegetables split, fish cheaper
The CBSL daily price report (6 Nov) shows sharp moves in both directions compared to last Friday:
| Item | Price now | Week change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrot | Rs. 600/kg | +Rs. 150 | +42.9% |
| Brinjal | Rs. 600/kg | +Rs. 150 | +42.9% |
| Cabbage | Rs. 700/kg | +Rs. 100 | +20.0% |
| Dried Chilli (Imp) | Rs. 1,583/kg | +Rs. 245 | +19.2% |
| Thalapath | Rs. 2,400/kg | +Rs. 250 | +17.2% |
| Hurulla | Rs. 1,300/kg | −Rs. 400 | −33.3% |
| Linna | Rs. 960/kg | −Rs. 300 | −31.6% |
| Kelawalla | Rs. 2,480/kg | −Rs. 400 | −26.7% |
| Green Chilli | Rs. 350/kg | −Rs. 100 | −25.0% |
| Beans | Rs. 550/kg | −Rs. 150 | −23.1% |
Pettah retail, 30 Oct → 6 Nov 2026. Source: CBSL Daily Price Report.
- Carrot and brinjal up 43% (Rs. 450 → 600/kg) — and carrot is up 150% on the month. Cabbage up 20% to Rs. 700/kg.
- Fish fell across the board — hurulla down a third (Rs. 1,700 → 1,300/kg), linna down 32%, kelawalla down 27%.
- Beans down 23% (Rs. 700 → 550/kg) and green chilli down 25% (Rs. 450 → 350/kg) — the two cheapest vegetables of the week.
- Rice was flat — Samba Rs. 240, Nadu Rs. 218, Kekulu (white) Rs. 194 and Kekulu (red) Rs. 190, all unchanged on the week. Tomato was also flat at Rs. 650/kg, but it is still up 71% on the month.
If you run a food business, this is the week to push beans, green chilli and fish, and go easy on carrot and cabbage. Cost your menu properly → See all 42 items on the price hub →
What to watch next week
- PUCSL electricity decision (~11 Nov) — the final call on Q4 tariffs. The operator and the Minister both say no rise is needed; the formal decision settles it.
- Fuel prices — the next revision window follows the monthly cycle. Petrol 92 is now Rs. 424; watch whether diesel follows.
- AWPR trend — down to 11.01% after a week at 11.23%. If it keeps easing, loan rates should follow.
- November inflation — the next CCPI print lands at the end of the month. The fuel hike will show up in it.
Sources
- CBSL Daily Economic Indicators, 6 Nov 2026 — cbsl.gov.lk
- CBSL Daily Price Report, 6 Nov 2026 — price_report_20261106_e.pdf (hub: cbsl.gov.lk price report)
- CBSL press release: CCPI-based headline inflation accelerated in October 2026, 30 Oct 2026 — cbsl.gov.lk
- Fuel price revision, 2 Nov 2026 — via EconomyNext / Daily Mirror
- PUCSL Q4-2026 tariff proposal and Energy Minister statement, 4–6 Nov 2026 — Ada Derana, Daily Mirror
All figures are CBSL indicative rates. Commercial bank rates may differ. This is not financial advice.