National People’s Power (NPP) presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake has reiterated that the conditions imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are not detrimental to the country. Speaking at a business community conference in Colombo, Dissanayake assured that an NPP-led government would maintain the current agreement with the IMF.
“All international relations of the country, including bilateral and multilateral agreements, are now tied to the IMF. This means that the entire future program of the country is linked with the International Monetary Fund,” he said.
Dissanayake emphasized that withdrawing unilaterally from the IMF program would represent an abdication of responsibility to the citizens and the nation.
“We guarantee that we have no intention of unilaterally withdrawing from the International Monetary Fund,” he stated.
He further acknowledged that the IMF has set several benchmarks that Sri Lanka must meet. “We need to maintain a primary account balance of 2.3 next year, and by 2032, our debt ratio should be maintained at 98%. These targets are not harmful to the country. Achieving them is a positive economic goal, regardless of who sets them,” Dissanayake added.
Last week, in an interview with the Associated Press, Dissanayake reaffirmed his commitment to upholding the IMF agreement while seeking to negotiate adjustments to alleviate public burdens.
“We cannot exit the current IMF program because it was established after the country’s financial collapse. While we believe there might have been alternatives, the reality is that all bilateral and multilateral agreements are now within the IMF framework,” he noted.
Dissanayake also highlighted the need to focus on the challenges faced by the public as the country progresses with the IMF program, urging a balanced approach that addresses the hardships of the people.
