Courtesy Daily Mirror

Colombo, June 16 (Daily Mirror) – Sri Lanka aims to make the ongoing Extended Fund Facility of the International Fund Facility (IMF) the final programme undertaken with the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said today.

While delivering the keynote address at the international conference ‘Sri Lanka’s Road to Recovery: Debt and Governance’ in Colombo today, he said Sri Lanka aspires to build a stable economy with sufficient growth to service the country’s debt independently by 2028.

 “As I have previously stated, it is our aim to make this the final programme undertaken with the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility. We are hopeful of achieving this goal. By 2028, we aspire to build a stable economy with sufficient growth to service our debt independently. A state cannot maintain sovereignty where the economy has collapsed. A nation cannot retain independence when its economy is in ruins. Whether we like it or not, we have already lost a degree of our sovereignty and independence. Therefore, the ultimate outcome must be the restoration of our national sovereignty and self-reliance. This requires a strenuous and unwavering effort. It is not a task we can abandon. There is a clear mission to accomplish, and in pursuing that, I expect the commitment of the political leadership, the responsibility of public officials and the cooperation of the people.”

“We must be deeply grateful for the support extended by the International Monetary Fund in implementing this programme, as well as for the patience and endurance shown by our citizens, especially if they felt unfairly affected during this process,” he said.