Business

IMF Staff Level Agreements are not a matter any administration can afford to take lightly

Published

2 years ago

2024/08/26

Thilina Walpola

Professor Priyanga Dunusinghe

What can Sri Lanka do if IMF leaves the negotiating table?

Professor Priyanga Dunusinghe at University of Colombo queries

By Sanath Nanayakkare

We cannot expect that IMF will always be there to support Sri Lanka if the country begins tinkering with the set of economic policies and reforms it needs to implement in exchange for financial assistance from the IMF, Priyanga Dunusinghe, a Professor in Economics in the Department of Economics at the University of Colombo said on 24th August 2024.

He said so in response to a question posed at him during ‘Paththaren Eha’ discussion televised live on Independent Television Network (ITN).

“The Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme depends on Sri Lanka’s economic situation and policy priorities, as well as the IMF’s technical assessment of the country’s financial and economic outlook. IMF Staff Level Agreements are very technical, so Sri Lankan authorities should not attempt to deviate from them for political reasons. What can Sri Lanka do if the IMF leaves the negotiating table”, he queried.

Further speaking he said:

“The IMF has made a careful analysis of Sri Lanka’s debt stock and has shown the country the way to manage its debt repayment under a ‘debt sustainability programme’. The macroeconomic targets were given to Sri Lanka by the IMF mainly based on this programme. You would have heard from time to time that IMF and Sri Lankan authorities came to Staff Level Agreements. Such an agreement is arrived at after lengthy debates and discussions between the two sides on technical points, fiscal situation and hard data. You asked me whether this agreement can be amended.

Yes, a new government coming to power can consider amendments to the agreement. But there arises the issue whether such amendments can be made without affecting the fiscal targets in the existing framework. For example, if tax revenue as a percentage of GDP is to be increased to 15.3% by 2027, it has got to be achieved, otherwise we won’t be able to continue working with the IMF programme. Alternate ways can be discussed as to how this tax share can be mobilized. But if someone suggests we abolish VAT and we collect taxes from tax evaders instead, the IMF knows that it can’t be done within the stipulated time frame. The IMF programme is crafted by experts based on data and analyses and timelines. If someone goes to the IMF and says the agreement needs to be amended, then the data which has already been used in the current programme would have to be proven erroneous.

Furthermore, the fact that we are entering into re-negotiations will mean that our credibility will be at stake. If that happens not only the IMF, the World Bank, the ADB, the bilateral and multilateral creditors also will begin to lose faith in us. Secondly, are there any countries in the world that amended IMF agreements and came out of their economic troubles? Greece attempted to do this, but it didn’t work. It is now said Greece will not be able to restore its pre-crisis level which prevailed in 2008, until 2031. This is the outcome of tinkering with the IMF programme. This is true for Argentina, Ecuador and other similar countries. So, attention must be paid to these international experiences when trying to make amendments to the IMF programme”

“Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, a key player for over three decades in Indian economic reforms visited Sri Lanka some time back. When asked about amending the IMF agreement he said,” Trying to amend the agreement is imprudent. What you need to do is; show the IMF that you are acting upon achieving the given targets as quickly as possible because going into re-negotiations will reflect badly on staff level agreements and would have adverse consequences on Sri Lanka. Dr. Ahluwalia even said that such a move could draw flak from IMF officials.”

Professor Dunsinghe said that the IMF reform programme has been painful to the people, but it is now starting to bear fruit and urged Sri Lankans to move ahead on the difficult path to benefit from it.

“Within 2 years, Sri Lanka was able to come out of the crisis. Locally, this feat is not acknowledged due to political differences. But internationally, it is recognized as an unprecedented achievement. Sri Lankan people will have to wait until the plant becomes a tree and the tree gives its yield. We are an impatient nation that always rushed to eating the leaves before the fruits were borne. So, it will be useful to keep in mind that if we rush to eat the leaves again, we will miss the fruits.”

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Business

India-Sri Lanka Foundation’s 41st meeting signals a new era of integration

Published

15 hours ago

2026/09/2

Sahan Weerasooriya

High Commissioners Santosh Jha and Mahishini Colonne chaired the 41st India-Sri Lanka Foundation meeting in New Delhi, highlighting ongoing bilateral cooperation across cultural, economic, and infrastructure sectors.

By Sanath Nanayakkare

On the surface, the 41st Board Meeting of the India-Sri Lanka Foundation (ISLF) in New Delhi on August 28, 2026, was structured as a routine diplomatic engagement. Co-chaired by Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha and Sri Lankan High Commissioner Mahishini Colonne, the session formally approved a standard slate of cultural and educational projects.

However, looking closer at the broader macroeconomic and geopolitical landscape, the meeting underscored a much deeper structural alignment between the two nations. Against a backdrop of ongoing economic recovery, bilateral discussions increasingly touch upon critical areas of regional integration, investment, and infrastructure.

Among the key areas attracting attention are post-civil war reconciliation efforts and administrative milestones in the Northern Province.

Discussions in diplomatic circles continue to focus on the progressive release of state-held lands back to civilian inhabitants, alongside the anticipated finalization of provincial council elections to support local governance frameworks.

In the economic sphere, commercial integration remains a central theme as Sri Lanka stabilizes its foreign exchange reserves.

Recent financial dialogues in Colombo were seen exploring mechanisms such as transacting in Indian Rupees (INR), aligning with wider regional efforts to facilitate bilateral trade settlements and mitigate foreign currency pressures. Financial institutions, including the State Bank of India, continue to support these bilateral trade facilitation mechanisms.

Cooperation in the energy sector is also progressing through key joint ventures aimed at harnessing renewable resources. Proposals such as the 200MW solar power project in Sampur, developed via a partnership between NTPC and the Ceylon Electricity Board, highlight ongoing efforts to diversify national power generation. Discussions concerning cross-border grid interconnections further reflect strategies to enhance regional energy security and optimize renewable capacity.

At the same time, ongoing reviews of project tariffs – such as those involving renewable initiatives by firms like Adani Green Energy – demonstrate the government’s focus on balancing capital investments with domestic economic interests.

As the ISLF marks decades of supporting bilateral cultural exchanges through hundreds of initiatives, the overarching partnership between New Delhi and Colombo continues to evolve. Navigating these complex frameworks of trade, energy, and development remains essential as Sri Lanka charts its economic future within the South Asian region.

Business

Sysco LABS named one of Sri Lanka’s Most Outstanding Women-Friendly Workplaces for 2026

Published

15 hours ago

2026/09/2

Sahan Weerasooriya

At the far left and far right, respectively: Ruchini Weerawardena, Senior Manager – Talent Management and Development, and Tashiya Jayatilaka, Team Lead – People Operations accepting the award on behalf of Sysco LABS.

Sysco LABS, the Global Innovation Center of Sysco, has been named one of Sri Lanka’s Most Outstanding Women-Friendly Workplaces at the Women-Friendly Workplace Awards 2026, marking its highest recognition at the awards to date.

The recognition represents an important milestone in Sysco LABS’ ongoing journey to build a workplace where women are supported not only to enter and participate in the technology industry, but to develop, progress and build meaningful long-term careers.

Held recently, the 2026 awards organized by Satynmag continued a six-year journey of recognizing and encouraging organizations to move beyond intention towards meaningful and measurable progress for women at work. This year’s awards placed particular emphasis on a defining question for women-friendly workplaces: beyond representation, how far are women able to go?

This win also reflects a progression in the company’s recognition journey at the Women Friendly Workplaces Awards. Following an “Honorable Mention” in the 2023 edition of the ceremony while winning a special award for “Best Women in STEM Project” in 2025, 2026 marks the first time Sysco LABS has been recognized as one of Sri Lanka’s Most Outstanding Women-Friendly Workplaces.

Business

CCPI-based headline inflation accelerates in August 2026

Published

15 hours ago

2026/09/2

Sahan Weerasooriya

The Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI, 2021=100) based headline inflation (year-on-year, Y-o-Y) increased to 8.0% in August 2026 from 7.3% in July 2026, primarily due to the statistical base effect in food inflation. Meanwhile, food inflation (Y-o-Y) increased to 8.5% in August 2026 from 6.3% in July 2026, contributing mainly to the increase in headline inflation, while non-food inflation (Y-o-Y) decelerated to 7.7% in August 2026 from 7.8% in July 2026.

On a month-on-month basis, the CCPI increased by 0.28% in August 2026. This increase was mainly driven by the food category, which contributed 0.20 percentage point, largely owing to the increase in prices of Milk Powder, while the non-food category contributed a marginal 0.07 percentage point.

Meanwhile, core inflation (Y-o-Y) accelerated to 5.1% in August 2026 from 4.4% in July 2026.

According to the inflation projections made at the monetary policy round in July 2026, headline inflation is expected to remain above the target of 5% in the near term, before easing and stabilising around the target over the medium term, supported by appropriate policy measures. These projections are conditional, among other assumptions, on the expectation that the effects of the tensions in the Middle East and their spillovers will be temporary and gradually dissipate.