The government has not yet made a final decision on whether to enter into a new programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Cabinet Spokesman Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa stated.

Speaking at the weekly Cabinet media briefing today (29), Minister Jayatissa said the government had achieved some of the targets under the ongoing IMF programme, while several others remained to be fulfilled.

He said the government would assess both global and domestic economic conditions before deciding whether to continue with a new programme or move away from IMF obligations.

“There is no such final decision,” Minister Jayatissa said in response to questions regarding the government’s plans for the IMF programme.

“Some of the projections have been achieved, while some of the targets have not yet been met. We are currently somewhere in between. There are still several months remaining this year and several others next year. We will have to consider the global situation and the state of the economy as a whole before making a decision at that time,” he said.

The Minister’s remarks follow comments recently made by Deputy Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply T.B. Sarath, who said Sri Lanka was expected to exit the IMF programme by the end of 2027.

Deputy Minister Sarath had said the government hoped to leave the IMF programme and provide additional relief to the public.

However, Minister Jayatissa’s latest comments indicate that the government has not formally committed to a specific timeline for ending its engagement with the IMF, with any future decision expected to take into account economic developments and progress under the existing programme.