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Finance Ministry & CBSL hold virtual meeting with creditors

Published

3 years ago

November 3, 2022

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The Sri Lankan authorities held a virtual meeting with Sri Lanka’s official creditors today (03).

The meeting was chaired by the Secretary to the Treasury and the Ministry of Finance, Mr. K M Mahinda Siriwardana, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe.

Sri Lanka remains fully committed to advancing engagements with all its creditors in an equitable and transparent way. The meeting represented another important step towards securing International Monetary Fund (IMF) Board approval for Sri Lanka’s IMF program, a media release by the President Media Division said.

The State Minister of Finance, Mr. Shehan Semasinghe, has said:

“Sri Lanka is at a critical stage, and we are seeking IMF program approval as soon as possible so that we can restore macroeconomic stability. We are grateful to our bilateral partners for their continued engagement and support during this process. The IMF program and our ambitious economic reforms will restore public debt sustainability, help protect the most vulnerable and restart our growth engine. This government is focused on re-establishing social and economic prosperity, and ensuring our citizens have access to critical public services.”

The Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, has said:

“The IMF program and economic reform agenda will reconstitute Sri Lanka’s financial buffers. I thank the official creditors for joining this productive meeting where we were able to discuss Sri Lanka’s current financial position and progress on reforms.”

Sri Lanka reached a Staff-Level Agreement with the IMF on a four-year program supported by the Extended Fund Facility on 1st September 2022. The program, amounting to USD 2.9bn, is expected to restore macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability while protecting the vulnerable and safeguarding Sri Lanka’s financial system. This agreement remains subject to IMF Executive Board approval.

The IMF program has been centred around Sri Lanka’s ambitious reform program. The government’s reform agenda is based on four pillars:

The first pillar is fiscal reform. The program foresees the implementation of ambitious revenue-based fiscal consolidation measures, combined with revenue administration reforms and the introduction of fuel and electricity pricing mechanisms to minimize fiscal risks stemming from SOEs. It also includes the enhancement of existing social safety nets to protect the most vulnerable;
The second pillar will be to restore public debt sustainability. Sri Lanka’s debt situation has been deemed unsustainable by the IMF and will need to be addressed by a comprehensive debt treatment;
Thirdly, the program will aim to restore price stability and rebuild external buffers. The government is committed to refraining from any monetary financing and the Cabinet will soon approve the Central Bank Act that will strengthen the Bank’s independence and modernise its policy framework;
The fourth pillar of the program is the safeguarding of financial system stability, a key condition to Sri Lanka’s economic recovery. This will be achieved by ensuring that Sri Lanka’s banking system is adequately capitalised and by strengthening the resilience and governance of its state-owned banks.
In addition to these pillars, the government will introduce a series of anti-corruption reforms that will align Sri Lanka’s legal framework with international standards and will implement broader structural reforms to unlock Sri Lanka’s growth potential.

News

IMF Executive Board approves Sri Lanka’s fourth review

Published

36 minutes ago

July 2, 2025

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The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the Fourth review under the 48-month Extended Fund Facility (EFF) Arrangement, allowing the authorities to draw about US$350 million, said Evan Papageorgiou, IMF Mission Chief for Sri Lanka.

This brings the total IMF financial support disbursed so far to about US$1.74 billion.

“The EFF arrangement for Sri Lanka was approved by the Executive Board on March 20, 2023 in an amount of SDR 2.286 billion (395 percent of quota or about US$3 billion). The program supports Sri Lanka’s efforts to durably restore macroeconomic stability by (i) restoring fiscal and debt sustainability while protecting the vulnerable, (ii) safeguarding price and financial sector stability, (iii) rebuilding external buffers, (iv) strengthening governance and reducing corruption vulnerabilities, and (v) enhancing growth-oriented structural reforms.”

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Cabinet approval for online traffic fine payment system – Bimal

Published

11 hours ago

July 1, 2025

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Minister of Transport and Highways Bimal Rathnayake has said that Cabinet approval has been granted to implement an islandwide online traffic fine payment system.

He made this statement during a media briefing near the Kottawa Expressway entrance, following a public awareness programme on mandatory seat belt use for vehicles travelling on expressways.

“The Cabinet approved the proposal today. At present, the online fine payment system is available only between Kurunegala and Anuradhapura. Now, we’re providing all police units with mobile devices, so that from this year, traffic fines can be paid from anywhere via mobile phones… Rather than paying fines, we urge everyone to drive carefully, wear seat belts, and avoid violations. Our core message is simple, travel safely,” the minister has said.

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Indian entrepreneur delegation meets President AKD (Pics)

Published

11 hours ago

July 1, 2025

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Indian entrepreneurs state that they are currently directing their attention towards new investment prospects in Sri Lanka, particularly in sectors like energy, infrastructure, the digital economy, tourism and agriculture, as well as on enhancing entrepreneurial capacity.

A delegation of around 20 Indian entrepreneurs, comprising heads of several prominent Indian companies, is currently engaged in an active programme in Sri Lanka, coordinated by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), with the aim of further developing existing investment opportunities and exploring new prospects. These comments were expressed during the delegation’s meeting with President Anura Kumara Disanayake this afternoon (01) at the Presidential Secretariat.

The delegation is visiting Sri Lanka following an invitation extended by President Anura Kumara Disanayake during his recent official visit to India. The Indian delegation held discussions with several Sri Lankan Ministers and with officials from key government institutions, including the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka.

President Disanayake emphasized that the country has now established a more favourable environment for investors, owing to the current economic stability.

The President briefed the Indian business representatives on the constructive measures implemented by the government to create a supportive economic climate and conditions conducive to investment. He further noted that the government has strengthened the legal framework and institutional system necessary to attract and sustain large-scale investments. He assured that under the present administration efforts have been made to eliminate the losses and corruption previously associated with investments.

The President also emphasised that special attention has been given to attracting regional investors and providing them with the necessary facilities. He pointed out that numerous new business opportunities have opened up between India and Sri Lanka across various sectors.

The Indian entrepreneurs stated that Sri Lanka’s strategic location is of great appeal to investors. They appreciated the President’s explanation regarding the current situation of the country, noting that it had inspired confidence and renewed hope in them.

Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Professor Anil Jayantha Fernando, Senior Additional Secretary to the President, Roshan Gamage, and Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha, along with officials from the Indian High Commission, were present at the occasion. Also in attendance were former Chairman of CII and Chairman and Managing Director of ITC Limited, Sanjiv Puri, and heads of several other major Indian companies.

(President’s Media Division)