Eminent panel appointed to advise Prez and guide SL’s talks with IMF

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy, Prof. Shanta Devarajan and Dr. Sharmini Cooray to advise the president and provide guidance to Sri Lankan institutions and officials that will engage with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to resolve the country’s debt crisis.

The group of economic and fiscal experts named ‘Presidential Advisory Group on Multilateral Engagement and Debt Sustainability’, have already held a round of discussions with Rajapaksa since their appointment on key matter in going forward with the IMF programme, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.

“Among the responsibilities that the Presidential Advisory Group will undertake are to engage in discussions with the relevant Sri Lankan institutions and officials engaging with the IMF and to provide guidance that will address the present debt crisis and lead towards sustainable and inclusive recovery for Sri Lanka,” a PMD statement said.

Dr. Coomaraswamy is a former Governor of the Central Bank and a former Director, Economic Affairs Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Prof. Devarajan, who is a former World Bank Chief Economist, is a Professor of the Practice of Development, Georgetown University.

Dr. Coorey is former Director, Institute of Capacity Development of the IMF Institute and a former Deputy Director, Africa Department, IMF.