Economist warns IMF RFI too costly for Sri Lanka

Verité Research Chief warns Sri Lanka poised to repeat past mistakes amid cyclone recovery funding push Argues IMF RFI financing effective rate exceeds 6% and time-based surcharges add further 2.75% after three years IMF Executive Board decides on $ 200 m RFI today

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ECONOMIC think tank Verité Research has cautioned that Sri Lanka's move to seek emergency financing from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) could prove costly in the current debt context, urging policymakers to weigh alternative funding options for post-cyclone recovery.

In a detailed analysis shared on 'X,' Verité Research Executive Director Dr. Nishan de Mel, a critic of Sri Lanka's handling of debt repayments during the COVID-19 crisis and the subsequent debt restructuring process, said IMF borrowing has become relatively expensive for Sri Lanka due to effective interest rates that factor in surcharges, Special Drawing Rights (SDR) valuation, and exchange rate movements. He warned against what he described as "knee-jerk" financing decisions in response to Cyclone Ditwah-related spending needs.

According to Dr. de Mel, the effective cost of IMF RFI financing currently could exceed an effective rate of 6% in US dollar terms and over 11% in rupee terms, once exchange rate effects and SDR-linked costs are taken into account.

He also pointed to IMF time-based surcharges, which add a further 2.75% after three years, raising the long-term cost of such borrowing.