The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Thursday that the completion of Sri Lanka’s combined Fifth and Sixth Reviews, under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), remains subject to approval by its Executive Board, which is expected to meet in the coming weeks.

Addressing a media briefing, IMF Communications Department Director, Julie Kozack, said IMF staff and Sri Lankan authorities had reached a staff-level agreement on 09 April.

She noted that several prior actions must be completed before the programme can be submitted to the Executive Board, including the restoration of cost-recovery pricing for electricity and fuel, measures to protect vulnerable groups, and the completion of financing assurances.

Upon Board approval, Sri Lanka would gain access to approximately US$700 million in financing, Kozack said.

Responding to a question on whether the government’s fuel subsidy scheme — including the Rs. 100 per litre diesel subsidy — was consistent with the IMF’s pricing framework, Kozack declined to comment directly on the measure. However, she reiterated that the programme requires both cost-recovery pricing reforms and safeguards for vulnerable communities.

Kozack also observed that Sri Lanka had recently faced “two very large shocks”, referring to Cyclone Ditwah and the wider external impact of the Middle East conflict, which, she said, had affected both the economy and the public.

Despite these challenges, she said Sri Lanka’s reform programme was yielding positive results, citing strong fiscal performance in 2025, progress in debt restructuring, 5 percent economic growth, and inflation returning to positive territory following a period of deflation.

She reaffirmed the IMF’s commitment to supporting Sri Lanka’s reform agenda, stressing that the institution continues to work closely with the authorities to sustain economic stability and recovery.

Former Arachchikattuwa Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman, Jagath Samantha, was yesterday sentenced to five-and-a-half years’ rigorous imprisonment by the Chilaw High Court after being found guilty of assaulting the Arachchikattuwa Divisional Secretary.

The court also ordered Samantha to pay Rs. 1 million as compensation to the victim, failing which he will serve an additional 24 months in prison.

The case had originally been filed against former State Minister Sanath Nishantha and his brother Jagath Samantha over the assault incident.

However, following the death of Sanath Nishantha, in a road accident on the Katunayake Expressway, on 25 January, 2024, only Samantha appeared before court for the proceedings.

The verdict was delivered after the High Court considered the evidence and submissions presented during the trial.

Sri Lanka and Belarus reaffirmed their longstanding friendship as Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath met President Aleksandr Lukashenko, in Minsk, during an official visit marking 25 years of diplomatic relations.

The Foreign Ministry said the talks produced a roadmap for deeper cooperation in trade, industry, agriculture, tourism, education, and people-to-people ties. Herath described the visit as “a new chapter” in bilateral relations.

During the trip, Herath held a series of discussions with Belarusian leaders, senior officials, business representatives, and tourism stakeholders, leading to several agreements aimed at boosting trade and economic cooperation. Plans were announced to establish direct air services between Sri Lanka and Belarus by the end of the year.

The discussions also explored collaboration in tourism, education, gemstones, agricultural machinery, fertilisers, and other sectors of mutual interest.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Herath said the planned direct flights would enhance tourism, support Sri Lankan students in Belarus, and expand opportunities in key industries, including gemstones, mechanical engineering, and agriculture. He added that the agreements would further strengthen trade, tourism, and educational ties between the two countries.