15 March 2022 12:00 am Views - 215
By Kelum Bandara
In the midst of a mounting economic crisis, Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, along with key officials of the Ministry, held talks with a key official of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) visiting Sri Lanka. IMF Asia and Pacific Department Director Changyong Rhee met with the Minister and Ministry Secretary S. R. Attygalle.
The meeting took place at a time of its foreign reserves depleting and the cost of living going through the roof.
The government has been under pressure from various quarters to strike an arrangement with the IMF top and reschedule its debt payment so that foreign exchange can be saved for vital imports such as essential food items, fuel and pharmaceuticals. The Central Bank recently freed up exchange leading to the downfall of the rupee value against the US dollar and the price hike of imported items. Mr. Rajapaksa is expected to visit Washington next month with a complete set of proposals for the IMF to tide over the current crisis. In the meantime, he will also visit India later this week primarily to finalize formalities to secure US 1 billion credit line to import essential items from India.