Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, met Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo this afternoon to review Sri Lanka’s economic recovery and the next phase of the IMF-supported reform programme. Ms. Georgieva expressed solidarity following recent cyclone-related damage and said over US$200 million in IMF emergency financing had helped support recovery efforts.
Talks focused on sustaining macroeconomic stability, strengthening governance and accelerating growth to around 7-8 per cent, with Sri Lanka becoming the first Asian country to undergo the IMF’s Governance Diagnostic Assessment.
Agricultural productivity, rural livelihoods and private sector investment were highlighted as priorities, reflecting challenges common across South Asia, where climate shocks and debt stress continue to test fragile recoveries.
Cooperation with development partners such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank was also discussed, underlining the region’s push for coordinated responses to economic and disaster risks.
