Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Anil Jayantha Fernando has categorically rejected claims that the government’s debt has increased by more than Rs. 190 billion.

The Deputy Finance Minister said it was unfortunate that claims regarding the country’s debt were being made without reference to verified official figures.

He said some recent media reports, citing information released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), had reported that government debt had risen by more than Rs. 190 billion.

However, the Deputy Finance Minister said the reports had not provided a clear explanation of the basis for the alleged increase and that some of the figures quoted were incorrect.

Deputy Minister Fernando said the government’s official debt figures are published quarterly through the Debt Bulletin, which provides comprehensive information on the country’s domestic and foreign borrowings.

The reports include details of foreign debt obtained from individual countries, as well as multilateral, bilateral and commercial sources, he said.

The Deputy Minister stressed that official records and verified data should be consulted before making or reporting claims about government debt.

Based on the official figures, he reiterated that government debt has not increased in the manner claimed in the recent reports.