The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has observed media reports erroneously highlighting lack of funds to pay-off Treasury bonds before their date of maturity.

CBSL notes that there is no accuracy in above media reports and highlights the unblemished debt service payment record of the government in servicing both domestic and foreign debt. The payment of interest and principal at maturity on due dates (timely payment) and not before the due date is followed to the rule by CBSL in discharging its agency function of managing public debt on behalf of the government.

After constructive discussions with the authorities in Colombo and during the Spring Meetings in Washington DC, Manuela Goretti, the IMF mission chief for Sri Lanka, issued the following statement: 

“The IMF team reached a staff-level agreement with the Sri Lankan authorities on the fourth review under an economic reform program supported by a three-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement. All the end-December quantitative performance criteria under the program were met, as the authorities have successfully advanced fiscal consolidation and strengthened international reserves. Due to a weather-related spike in food prices, inflation exceeded the upper limit for the inner band for December, but has since fallen back within the inner band. The authorities are taking actions to implement all the pending structural benchmarks for this review, despite some delays.”