Debt restructuring: no parliamentary debate, only President’s statement today

By Yohan Perera

The parliamentary debate on the agreements which Sri Lanka has signed with creditor nations on debt restructuring process has been postponed. The parliamentary communications unit said the party leaders decided not to take up the debate on the debt restructuring process, though it had been scheduled earlier for today. However, President Ranil Wickremesinghe is expected to make a special statement in the House instead.

Earlier, the Chairman of Public Finance Committee Harsha de Silva told media that his committee has not received a copy of the debt restructuring agreement. “I requested for the agreement to be sent to the finance committee, as we have to study it. However, I was told by the Finance Ministry officials that they cannot send the agreement as it cannot be revealed to anyone till an agreement is reached with the international sovereign bondholders (ISB) holders. The President then approached me and I explained to him that the debate could not take place without the finance committee approval. The President accepted my point,” MP de Silva said. The party leaders who met yesterday took the situation into consideration and decided not to take up the debate.