The high-level delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) visiting Sri Lanka met with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo today, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.

President Dissanayake reaffirmed commitment to IMF objectives and advocated for alternative solutions to ease the burden on people today, the President’s Media Division said.

While reaffirming the government’s broad agreement in principle with the objectives of the IMF programme, he emphasized the importance of achieving these objectives through alternative means that relieves the burden off the people, it said.

The President stated that the government plans to expand social spending and offer relief to those burdened by high Value Added Tax (VAT) and income taxes.

The IMF team led by its Director of the Asia Pacific Department, Krishna Srinivasan, is on a visit Colombo from October 02 to 04.

The delegation had also engaged in a cordial discussions with the economic team of the new government at the Presidential Secretariat, yesterday (2). 

The IMF team also included Dr. Peter Breuer, Senior Mission Chief; Dr. Sarwat Jahan, Resident Representative and Ms. Manavee Abeyawickrama, Economist.

Representing Sri Lanka were key members of the Economic Policy Council, including Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Prof. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Chair of the Economic Policy Council & Senior Advisor to the President on Economic Affairs & Finance, Mr. Sunil Handunnetti, Prof. Seetha Bandara Ranathunga, Mr. Sunil Gamage, Senior Advisor to the President Mr. Duminda Hulangamuwa, Dr. Nandasiri Kihimbiyahetti, Prof. O. G. Dayaratne Banda and Mr. Amarasena Athukorala. 

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 of the $ 2.9 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF), the President’s Office said.