President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has reaffirmed his commitment to pursuing alternative solutions to meet the goals set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), with the aim of reducing the financial strain on the public. The President made these remarks during a meeting with a high-level IMF delegation today (03), held at the Presidential Office.
The IMF delegation, led by Mr. Krishna Srinivasan, Director of the IMF’s Asia Pacific Department, and Dr. Peter Breuer, Senior Mission Head, engaged in a special discussion with the President and senior government officials. Among those in attendance were Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena, Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, and the President’s Senior Advisors, Professor Anil Jayantha and Duminda Hulangamuwa. The meeting provided an opportunity to review the progress of the ongoing IMF-supported program in Sri Lanka.
While reaffirming the government’s broad agreement with the objectives of the IMF program, President Dissanayake stressed the importance of pursuing alternative strategies that would alleviate the financial burden on the public. He also highlighted plans to offer relief to those affected by high VAT rates and income taxes.
The IMF delegation commended the President’s dedication to achieving the program’s goals and expressed openness to discussing the alternative proposals put forward by the Sri Lankan government.
Additionally, both parties addressed the upcoming third review of the IMF program in Sri Lanka. Despite the potential for delays due to the approaching general election, President Dissanayake assured the IMF that the process would continue without disruption. He guaranteed the Financial Fund that the government remains committed to advancing the program’s objectives.
