CSE yet to extend the trading hours to pre covid level despite completion of the third phase of market digitalisation recently. CSE trading hours are still restrcted to 2 hours per day despite country reaching normalcy after Covid 19 and energy crisis. Previously CSE was opened for trading between 9.30 am to 2.30 pm. (5 hours) per day.
This will make digitalisation of the CSE utterly useless from the perspective of the investors where the regulator has curtailed trading operations despite spending large amounts of funds for digitalisation affecting the overall performance of the Sri Lanka Stock Market. Further digitalisation without internal efficiencies or overall development of the market is unlikely to bring any material benefits to the investors or the country.
Maldives Stock Exchange one of the smallest stock market in the world operate longer than the Colombo Stock Exchange.
A market opening ceremony was organised by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC) and the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) under the patronage of SEC Chairman Viraj Dayaratne, to mark the third phase of digitalisation of the Sri Lankan Capital Market and to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the SEC. The launch was themed ‘Sri Lankan Capital Market – The Odyssey’.
A joint committee was formed by the Chairman of the SEC with the objective of identifying measures and mechanisms required for the Colombo Stock Market to conduct its core activities digitally. The committee comprised representatives from the SEC and the CSE and has worked towards converting paper-based statements to electronic forms.
The committee launched a transformative digital offering through the CSE Mobile App, an end-to-end digital onboarding and online account opening feature. In the third phase, the committee explored avenues to bring in investments from retail investors living outside of Sri Lanka.
The committee developed infrastructure to offer convenient registration and investment opportunities to these foreign investors. Fourteen new features were also introduced as part of the third phase of digitalisation.