Category: Economy
End-of-Mission Statement: IMF Team to Continue Engagement with SL’s Economic Team for Third Review
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team, led by Mr. Krishna Srinivasan, Director for the Asia Pacific Department, visited Colombo from October 2-4, 2024. During the visit, Mr. Srinivasan held discussions with key Sri Lankan officials, including President Dissanayake, Prime Minister Amarasuriya, Minister Herath, Governor Weerasinghe, and Secretary to the Treasury Siriwardena. In a statement issued […]
Government Plans Relief for High VAT & Income Taxes, President Tells IMF Delegation
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake engaged directly with an IMF delegation yesterday, including Director of the Asia Pacific Department Krishna Srinivasan and Senior Mission Chief Dr. Peter Breuer, to discuss the progress of Sri Lanka’s ongoing IMF programme. The President was accompanied by key Sri Lankan officials, including Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Secretary to […]
IMF to Announce Dates for Third Review under EFF Program for Sri Lanka
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will soon announce the dates for the third review under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program for Sri Lanka, according to Ms. Julie Kozack, Director of the Communications Department at the IMF. This announcement was made during a recent press briefing. Ms. Kozack highlighted the progress made since the IMF […]
High-Level IMF Team Meets Sri Lankan Government to Discuss Economic Reforms
A high-level delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) arrived in Sri Lanka today (02) to engage with the newly formed government led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The primary objective of the visit was to initiate discussions on the progress of the IMF Program and necessary steps towards the release of the fourth tranche […]
Sri Lanka’s August 2024 Merchandise Exports Rise by 4.2-pct to USD 1.2 Bn
As per the provisional data released by the Sri Lanka Customs, the merchandise export performance in August 2024 amounted to US$ 1,165.4 million, recorded an increase of 4.18 % compared to the month of August 2023. This was mainly due to the increase in earnings from export of Apparel & Textiles, Tea, Rubber based products, […]
Japan to Restart 11 Stalled Projects in Sri Lanka with Government Support
The Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, MIZUKOSHI Hideaki, affirmed that the Japanese government is committed to fully supporting efforts to combat corruption and irregularities, a key priority of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s administration. He expressed readiness to continue close collaboration with Sri Lanka. Ambassador Mizukoshi made these remarks during a meeting with the Secretary to […]
IMF Congratulates Newly Elected President
The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, extended her congratulations to Anura Kumara Dissanayake on his election as the new President of Sri Lanka. In her special message, she reaffirmed the IMF’s commitment to remaining a strong partner to Sri Lanka and expressed her hope to further strengthen the mutually beneficial […]
Fitch Affirms Sri Lanka at Restricted Default; Policy Uncertainty Following Elections
Fitch Ratings has affirmed Sri Lanka’s LongTerm Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at ‘RD’ (Restricted Default) and Long-Term Local-Currency IDR at ‘CCC-‘. Fitch typically does not assign Outlooks to issuers with a rating of ‘CCC+’ or below. Sri Lanka’s September 2024 Presidential election was won by one of the opposition leaders. “Fitch believes the result […]
‘s Ratings: Political change unlikely to derail reform trajectory but underscores fiscal challenges
Moody’s Ratings suggests that the broad appetite for reforms will remain intact, and the agency does not foresee significant disruptions to the country’s reform agenda or macroeconomic policies, which include ongoing debt restructuring and structural adjustments under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme. Moody’s notes that while the reform agenda is expected to continue, some […]
Looks forward to collaborating with new President & discussing 3rd review timing: IMF Spokesperson
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has expressed optimism about working with President Dissanayake and his administration to build on the progress Sri Lanka has made towards economic recovery. The country has been on a challenging path since facing one of its worst economic crises in 2022. An IMF spokesperson stated, “We look forward to working […]
CBL Global Foods and USAID join forces to transform Sri Lanka’s coconut industry
CBL Global Foods Limited (CBL GFL), a key player in Sri Lanka’s agribusiness sector and a subsidiary of the CBL Group – one of the largest food conglomerates, has partnered with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to enhance the coconut industry through an initiative aimed at boosting productivity and market access for […]
SL Reaches in Principle Agreements for Restructuring Sovereign Debt with External Commercial Creditors
On the 19th of September 2024, Sri Lanka announced that it has reached Agreements in Principle on the restructuring of approximately USD$ 17.5 billion of external commercial debt (as of end 2023). These agreements have been reached with holders of its International Sovereign Bonds, following negotiations with the Ad Hoc Group of Bondholders (“AHGB”), a […]