IMF factfinding team due next week

IMF fact-finding mission scheduled from 22-28 Jan to assess impact of Cyclone Ditwah Visit follows IMF Board approval of $ 206 m under RFI Discussions to focus on policy implications under EFF, which is temporarily on hold

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AN International Monetary Fund (IMF) team will visit Sri Lanka from 22 to 28 January on a fact-finding mission to assess the economic impact of Cyclone Ditwah and review its implications for the country's reform program under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

IMF Communications Director Julie Kozack yesterday said the mission would focus on building a clearer understanding of the scale and scope of damage caused by the cyclone and how the shock has altered Sri Lanka's macroeconomic trajectory.

"This is a fact-finding mission," Kozack said. The objective is to gather an accurate picture of conditions on the ground as Sri Lanka navigates the combined pressures of economic adjustment and climate-related shocks.

She noted that the team would also discuss related policy implications under the EFF program, which has been guiding Sri Lanka's economic reform agenda.