News
Ranil insists on getting IMF help to get out of current economic mess
UNP Leader and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had never asked Sri Lakan governments to downsize the public service.
Speaking at a meeting of the Rotary Club of Colombo West last week as the Guest Speaker, Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka should seek IMF assistance to overcome the current economic crisis, and many countries had been compelled to tighten their belts.
When a participant asked what conditions the IMF might impose on Sri Lanka other than retrenchment in return for assistance, the former Premier said that the IMF had never asked Sri Lankan governments to reduce the number of public workers.
“They may tell the government not to increase the workforce; they told us so in 2001. The bigger problem is making public service efficient and restructuring the economy.
“The current crisis is leading to the unravelling of our economy, our social system, and most probably, the unravelling of our political system. Economically, we have not seen such a situation since 1988/1989, when we had the LTTE on one hand and the JVP and the IPKF on the other. The economy really took a beating, but that is nothing compared to what we are going through today.”
“Firstly, there has been a decline in our foreign exchange reserves. Our overall situation is bad because the banks don’t carry their own reserves. Secondly, there’s a decline in government revenue, and the total debt has risen. By 2020, it hit 101% of our GDP, which has never happened before. We always try to keep it at 85% and then try to bring it down.”
“Due the revenue shortfall, we have resorted to money printing. In 2020, the increase in money supply was 23%. So, what have we got? Money is being printed while foreign exchange reserves are dwindling and as a result the dollar appreciates; the USD was Rs. 181 in 2019 November and it has reached about Rs 250. You have the government’s exchange rate, or the bank rate and the ‘Pettah’ rate.”
“What is the result? As the economy contracts fast, the impact is being felt by the working-class, low-income people, Samurdhi recipients and others. I think, before the end of the year, there will be a time when we have to stick to one meal instead of three.
“We are also finding that part of the middle class is slipping down to the lower-income category. That is the second issue. Unemployment and inflation are on the rise. Another issue is that there’s going to be a shortage of food by about March. In contrast, there are still enterprises which make good profits.
“So, how do we resolve this? Some people feel that this will be resolved when the global economy recovers from COVID-19. We hit rock bottom in 77 and 89 and 2001, and in 2015 while the global economy was doing well. So, we could always go to them and get some spare cash. We went along to the IMF, and they provided us funding. But there were always allies around, we ensured that every country was our friend. This time it’s different.
“According to the IMF, in the first quarter of 2022 there will be a slowing down of growth. That is due to ‘Omicron’. But thereafter, because the US and China are slowing down, the rate of growth globally will slow down. The global economy will lose up to 13 trillion dollars by 2024 and global debt – that is the official debt – will be 256% of the global GDP.”
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in a high-level dialogue titled “Tourism as Soft Power and Diplomatic Capital” held at the Euronews Hub, Piz Buin Davos, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on January 20.
The session explored how tourism functions as a strategic instrument of diplomacy by strengthening international trust, cultural exchange, and regional cooperation through mobility and people-to-people engagement. The Prime Minister shared the panel with Mr. Kuban Omiraliyev, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States and Mr. Meshari Alnahar – CEO Aseer Investment Company, Saudi Arabia.
Addressing global trends, the Prime Minister emphasized that Sri Lanka is an example of hope, recovery and resilience in a world of conflict demonstrating how tourism can play a critical role in a changing global environment particularly amid climate shocks, geopolitical instability, and uneven economic recovery. She noted that tourism is not only an economic sector but also a vital diplomatic bridge that supports livelihoods, builds relationships and connects people.
Drawing on Sri Lanka’s recent experience, she highlighted the country’s strong tourism recovery despite multiple crises, including the impact of Cyclone Ditwah. Transparent crisis management and strategic engagement with international partners helped sustain visitor confidence, resulting in record tourist arrivals even in challenging circumstances.
The Prime Minister also underscored the importance of green and climate friendly tourism infrastructure and underlined that Sri Lanka welcomes long term investment in tourism. She pointed out that tourism supports millions of jobs worldwide and that inclusive policies are essential to ensure fair opportunities, particularly for women and vulnerable communities.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 20 Jan 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized two (02) Indian fishing boats and apprehended seven (07) Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, off Kovilan, Jaffna.
The seized boats and Indian fishermen was to be handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Myliddy, Jaffna for onward legal proceedings.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in a series of high-level bilateral meetings on January 20 on the sidelines of the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.
The Prime Minister attended a productive bilateral meeting with Mr. Jozef Síkela, European Commissioner for International Partnerships. During the discussion, both sides focused on strengthening Sri Lanka–EU cooperation and advancing mutual interests.
Prime Minister Amarasuriya also met with Mr. Masato Kanda, President and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), at the WEF Congress Centre. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss ongoing engagement and future collaboration between Sri Lanka and the ADB.
In addition, the Prime Minister held discussions with Mr. Hassan El Houry, Chairman of Menzies Aviation, where opportunities for collaboration in aviation services and connectivity were explored.
The Prime Minister also participated in a high-level dialogue at the Global Tourism Forum held at the Euronews Hub, Piz Buin, Davos, as part of the World Economic Forum engagements.
Dr. Anil Jayantha, Minister of Labour, and the Deputy Minister of Finance were also present at these meetings.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
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