News
Top IMF official to attend confab on ‘Sri Lanka’s Road to Recovery: Debt and Governance’
The First Deputy Managing Director (FDMD) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Dr. Gita Gopinath, is scheduled to visit Colombo from 15-16 June 2025, the Central Bank (CBSL) announced.
This visit is a significant development as it marks the first time, since 2005, that a serving FDMD of the IMF visits Sri Lanka, according to the CBSL.
During this visit, Dr. Gopinath will be the guest of honour at the conference on ‘Sri Lanka’s Road to Recovery: Debt and Governance’, jointly co-hosted by the Ministry of Finance, Central Bank of Sri Lanka and the IMF, scheduled to be held on 16 June 2025.
At the mid-point of the IMF-supported reform programme, the Conference aims to reflect upon the lessons learnt from Sri Lanka’s experience in restoring macroeconomic stability, implementing debt restructuring and governance reforms, and to focus on the challenges ahead, the CBSL noted.
Additionally, she is expected to hold bilateral discussions with the Sri Lankan authorities and several key stakeholders on the IMF’s engagement with Sri Lanka.
A discussion with the Catholic Council was held on Thursday (21) afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat under the co-chairmanship of Minister of Science and Technology, Chrishantha Abeysena and Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
Discussions focused on administrative issues relating to Catholic schools taken over by the Government, the formulation of a structured teacher cadre system for Catholic religious education, the need to recruit Catholic nuns and priests into the teaching profession and the establishment of a mechanism to obtain the support of the Ministry of Education for the administration of Government-acquired Catholic schools.
It was also decided that discussions with the Catholic Council would be held three times annually, while Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage would serve as Secretary to the forum.
Expressing appreciation on behalf of the Catholic Council, His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith thanked President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the Government for facilitating the discussion.
His Eminence further stated that the expectation was to ensure every student, without discrimination, is given the opportunity to learn his or her own religion and stressed the importance of resolving the prevailing issues within the education sector.
Also present at the occasion were Most Rev. Bishop Harold Anthony Perera, Most Rev. Bishop Christy Noel Emmanuel, Most Rev. Bishop Anton Ranjith, Most Rev. Bishop Wimal Siri Jayasuriya, other clergy representing the Catholic Council, Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Nalaka Kaluwewa and senior officials of the Ministry of Education.
(PMD)
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to broaden the Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy, which was launched last year. Unlike the inaugural edition held in November 2025 that featured eight Associate teams, the second edition will comprise 10 teams, including five Test-playing nations. The tournament is scheduled to be held in November this year.
Italian Navy’s ITS GIOVANNI DELLE BANDE NERE, which arrived in Colombo (21 May 2026) on a replenishment visit, departed the island today (22 May).
The Sri Lanka Navy bade a customary farewell to the departing ship in compliance with naval traditions at the port of Colombo.
During her brief stay in Colombo, the Commanding Officer of the ship, Commander Antonio BUFIS called on the Commander Western Naval Area at the Western Naval Command Headquarters.
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