Business

Sri Lanka needs ‘bridge financing’ to last next six months, says Indrajit Coomaraswamy

Published

4 years ago

2022/04/4

by Sanath Nanayakkare

Sri Lanka needs to take steps on getting to a framework programme with the IMF, restructure its external debt and bring some bridge financing to last for next six months until negotiations with the IMF on external debt is completed,”former central bank governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy said recently, at a forum hosted by CT CLSA.

“IMF won’t be able to transact with Sri Lanka until we fix the unsustainable situation in the country,” he said.

Dr. Coomaraswamy highlighted the fact that IMF may include fiscal consolidation in a programme of debt restructuring for Sri Lanka.

CT CLSA, a leading capital market service provider that offers investment banking, stockbroking and wealth management services , conducted the forum on the timely topic ‘ The IMF and the Order of Priorities for Reforms.”

Elaborating on the topic, he said, “In fact, we have a solvency problem on our external debt. Trying to treat it as a cash flow problem and addresing it with short-term measures may create a bigger problem. However, we are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel due to the policy measures taken by the government recently. Now having approached the IMF, and the government considering some external debt restructuring; we are shifting to the right path, but this is going to be tough.”

“Interest rates are about to rise. As per previous levels where inflation was high, 91-day treasury bill yield was 16%, SLFR was 12% and SDFR was 10.5%. According to former deputy governor of the central bank, Dr. W. A. Wijewardena, the interest rates are expected to double from the current levels.”

Responding to a question on the upward movement of the exchange rate, he said, “I think we could have taken measures to reduce the imbalance between demand and supply of foreign exchange before letting the exchange rate float.”

Referring to domestic debt, Dr. Coomaraswamy said,”We should not suggest or ever take into consideration to restructure our domestic debt. If we restructure the domestic debt, it will lead to serious undermining of the stability of the financial system. Such a situation may not help Sri Lanka in meeting its commitments with external creditors.”

“In fact, the crisis was two years in the making from the time the government cut taxes after the presidential election The country’s banking system is highly exposed to sovereign debt because in recent years, the banking system provided for bridging the budget deficit of the country. And therefore, if there is any restructuring of domestic debt, the impact of such a move could spill over to the balance sheets of the banks and would likely create a crisis in the financial sector. And some of the banks would be affected in the event of external debt restructuring. However, this effect could be managed through regulatory programmes of the central bank. The only way to solve this problem on a sustainable basis is to create a primary surplus in the budget,” he emphasised.

“All creditors of Sri Lanka would seek equality of treatment, and therefore, multilateral debt; namely, World Bank, ADB and the little bit of IMF debt should not be restructured. If it were to be restructured, those institutions could stop their operations in Sri Lanka, and even their financing in the pipeline may not be disbursed.”

“Bilateral debt, mainly OECD which is West + Japan are part of the Paris Club. As China and India are not part of the Paris Club, one of the possibilities for us is to see whether we are eligible for B20 framework earmarked for low-income countries. [B20 proposes to consider the issue of public debt management within the international financial architecture reform].

Dr. Dushni Weerakoon, the Executive Director of the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS) was also a panelist at the CT CLSA forum.

When she was asked how Sri Lanka should put the reforms in a particular order to be implemented, she said,”We no longer can afford sequential reforms. What is most critical for Sri Lanka in terms of its economic outlook is to gain some sense of macro stability as a first priority.”

“We are currently witnessing a clear shift in policy. We have to work on several fronts simultaneously with well-coordinated action on three fronts; namely, monetary policy front, exchange rate front and fiscal front. We have entered a monetary policy tightening cycle. The moves of the central bank led to a market-driven exchange rate. But the fiscal side is missing. As long as this is neglected the progress made on monetary and exchange rate fronts will not bring stability. This will put pressure on other two fronts.”

“There is slowness on fiscal adjustment maybe because it’s difficult to do it. Fiscal adjustment will require to raise taxes on the revenue side, and the spending side will require to freeze expenditures. Clear communication of these reforms to the general public is important as these changes should not create more social unrest. The way to do this could be that greater sacrifices would have to be made by those who have greater ability to pay taxes. The richer segment of the Sri Lankan population may have to bear a larger burden of the tax adjustments”.

“On the expenditure side, government spending may have to be frozen and public sector wages and salaries may also have to undergo changes. In such a context, there will be the need to try as much as possible to provide social safety nets for needy segments. It could be provided by implementing a cash transfer programme to reduce the potential social unrest.”

“The other reforms include State Owned Enterprise (SOE) reforms, labor market reforms and banking sector reforms,” she said.

When asked about the possible scenario of debt restructuring with debt to equity swaps, she said,” The possible cost of that is; you will face a prolonged negotiating process with the threat of legal action on the country. Unlike in the past, now our creditor landscape is huge. Our creditors are mostly based in the U.S., and then we have bilateral debt providers such as China and India. we will have to bring all these stakeholders to a common ground and ensure equality of treatment.”

“Another risk is that we need to know that the bonds issued by Sri Lanka has clauses where the majority of the bond holders can buy the minority. If not, there could be a hold off problem where we may have to face legal consequences.”

“The recent debt restructuring of Ecuador and Argentina only had restructuring of interest rate adjustments and maturity extensions and did not receive a haircut,” she pointed out.

Sri Lanka for the first time in 63 years achieved a Rs. 21.9 billion surplus in the primary balance of the fiscal account during the first 10 months of 2017. The country recorded a primary surplus of 0.6 percent of GDP in 2018, the second year running. Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy was the governor of the central bank at that time.

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Business

Foreign Minister defends India pacts, sidesteps transparency demand

Published

11 hours ago

2026/01/6

Sahan Weerasooriya

The press conference held at the Foreign Ministry in Colombo yesterday. From left:Arun Hemachandra, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vijitha Herath, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism and Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe, Deputy Minister of Tourism

In a press conference marked by both clarity and pointed omission, Foreign Affairs and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath, yesterday offered a robust defence of two controversial bilateral agreements with India but conspicuously avoided committing to tabling their full texts in Parliament.

The minister’s appearance, billed as a year-opening briefing, took a sharp turn when questioned on the strategic implications of the India-Sri Lanka Defence Cooperation Agreement and Sri Lanka’s acceptance of the Indian Pharmacopoeia.

“No Indian military camps on our soil”

Responding in Sinhala to a question posed in English, Minister Herath moved first to allay what he suggested were widespread misapprehensions about the defence pact.

“This agreement is especially for data and information exchange purposes regarding drug trafficking, drug mafias, human trafficking, and any terrorist activities that could threaten regional security and peace,” Herath stated.

He emphasised that it would also facilitate “various support related to the defence sector.”

In his most definitive assertion, aimed at quieting a persistent national anxiety, the Minister declared: “We must clearly say that there is no plan or possibility of setting up Indian defence camps on Sri Lankan soil.” He categorised the pact not as a “defence agreement” but a “defence cooperation agreement in its real sense,” claiming it creates an “advantageous position” for Sri Lanka.

He linked recent post-‘Ditwah’ cyclone disaster support from India, as well as U.S. aerial support during recovery efforts, to the frameworks established by such cooperation agreements, arguing they have proven beneficial.

Indian Pharmacopoeia: A reputation-based advantage

On the equally contentious acceptance of the Indian Pharmacopoeia – a standard synopsis for drug manufacturing – Minister Herath framed it as a logical step that formalises existing practice.

“We already import a significant share of medicines from India,” he noted. The agreement, he explained, signifies the acceptance of medicines exported by a “reputed Indian pharmaceutical company” approved by its national regulators.

He assured the public that Sri Lanka’s National Medicine Regulatory Authority (NMRA) will continue to remain the monitor. “By entering into this, no disadvantage will happen to us. Only an advantage will happen… it will only be beneficial to us,” he emphasised.

The unanswered question

Despite the detailed assurances, the Minister pointedly ignored the final and arguably most critical part of the question posed by The Island Financial Review : whether the government would table the full text of the two agreements in Parliament for transparent debate and discussion.

This omission is likely to fuel further controversy, as opposition parties, civil society groups, and independent analysts have repeatedly demanded full parliamentary scrutiny, arguing that agreements touching on sovereignty and public health mandate the highest level of public transparency.

Tourism Pride

Shifting to his tourism portfolio, Minister Herath struck an optimistic note, citing record tourist arrivals and foreign remittances in 2025 as a sign of resilient recovery post-Ditwah.

The conference also touched on global affairs. When asked about the U.S. arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Herath presented a nuanced governmental position. He stated that while his party, the JVP, condemns the action, the government’s official stance is to urge respect for national sovereignty in line with the UN Charter – a reflection of the coalition’s delicate balancing act between ideological roots and diplomatic pragmatism once in governance.

Minister Herath’s explanations provide the government’s clearest public rationale yet for the India agreements, directly confronting fears over militarisation and pharmaceutical quality. However, the deliberate sidestepping of the transparency query left a communication deficit at the heart of the press conference.

High-stakes diplomacy

It reflected a perception that while the administration is willing to defend its policy outcomes, it remains reluctant to subject the processes of high-stakes diplomacy to the full glare of parliamentary and public scrutiny. As these agreements continue to shape Sri Lanka’s strategic and health landscape, the call for their full disclosure is now accompanied by a louder question about the government’s commitment to open governance.

by Sanath Nanayakkare

Business

‘Vehicle-Testing Can Save Lives’

Published

11 hours ago

2026/01/6

Sahan Weerasooriya

Dharmasiri Gamage, Director, Presidential Secretariat, (4th from left), receiving the proposal from Prasanna De Zoysa (2nd from left), AAC Sectoral Chairman, Road Safety and Devapriya Hettiarachchi (3rd from left), Secretary, AAC at the Presidential Secretariat.

Automobile Association of Ceylon (AAC), in collaboration with the Federation Internationale de L’ Automobile (FIA) and under the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety has been consistently engaging in road safety enhancement programs for all citizens of Sri Lanka.

Current data indicates that while over 08 million vehicles are registered in the country, only heavy vehicles (less than 20% of the vehicle population) are subjected to compulsory road-worthiness tests.

Fatal accidents due to technical failures in vehicles are on the rise and the damage to lives and property is severe.

We also understand that there is a death every three hours and eight deaths per day in road accidents. This amounts to nearly 3000 deaths in road accidents per year.

AA of Ceylon has launched the “Vehicle Testing can Save Lives” project with the advice and support given to execute our campaign by the Minister of Transport, chairman, National Council for Road Safety (NCRC), Deputy Inspector General of Police (Traffic Division), Dr. Indika Jagoda, Deputy Director (Accident Service), National Hospital, president, Lions Club of Boralasgamuwa, Metro(Lions Club International – District 306 D 2) and other stake-holders to find a workable, low / cost solution for mandatory vehicle testing in Sri Lanka.

Therefore, this project aims to educate the public on the necessity of checking essential safety features in all vehicles and the benefits of same to all road users.

AAC has therefore respectfully requested Anura Kumara Dissanayake, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, to consider implementing the proposal we have submitted to him, to minimize fatal accidents, injuries to people and damage to vehicles and property due to road accidents and to also implement a rule to have compulsorily road-worthiness checking of all vehicles. (AAC)

Business

INSEE Lanka appoints new Chief Executive Officer

Published

11 hours ago

2026/01/6

Sahan Weerasooriya

Eng. Thusith C. Gunawarnasuriya

Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited (INSEE Lanka) has announced the appointment of Eng. Thusith C. Gunawarnasuriya as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective 01 January 2026. He succeeds Nandana Ekanayake, who will continue to serve as Chairman, ensuring leadership continuity and strategic stability for the organisation.

A long-standing contributor to INSEE’s journey, Thusith has worked with the company through its evolution under Holcim (Lanka) Ltd, LafargeHolcim and INSEE, playing pivotal roles that influenced both operational progress and strategic direction.

Rejoining INSEE Lanka in January 2025 as Chief Operating Officer, he has since demonstrated exceptional leadership, driving topline growth, improving EBITDA performance, and strengthening talent development initiatives that enhanced organisational capability and business outcomes.

His expertise in business strategy, operations excellence, and supply chain transformation is well-recognised, supported by over 25 years of multi-industry and multi-country leadership experience. His career includes senior positions at Lion Brewery (Ceylon) PLC, Hemas Manufacturing, Fonterra Brands Lanka, GlaxoSmithKline, MAS Active, and DMS Software Engineering. His international exposure spans India, Bangladesh, and Thailand.

Thusith is a proud alumnus of Dharmaraja College, Kandy, and holds a BSc (Hons) in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from the University of Peradeniya, an MBA from the University of Colombo, and an MSc in Business & Organizational Psychology from Coventry University, UK. He has completed executive leadership programs at IMD (Switzerland) and the National University of Singapore. He is also a member of IEEE (US), CILT (UK), ISMM (Sri Lanka), and IESL (Sri Lanka).

Chairman’s Quote – Nandana Ekanayake:

“Thusith’s deep understanding of our business, strong operational mindset, and proven leadership make him the ideal successor to lead INSEE Lanka into the next phase of growth. His experience within INSEE and across multiple industries, positions him well to deliver on our long-term ambitions and uphold the values that define the organisation.”