National People’s Power presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake has voiced his support for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program, dismissing concerns that its conditions are detrimental to Sri Lanka. Speaking at a business meeting in Colombo, Dissanayake assured that under his leadership, Sri Lanka would not unilaterally withdraw from the IMF agreement.
He emphasized that the country’s entire future economic program, including bilateral and multilateral credit transactions, is interlinked with the IMF. “If anyone is thinking of withdrawing from the program unilaterally, it is an abdication of responsibility towards the citizen or the country,” he stated.
Dissanayake acknowledged that while the IMF has set specific economic targets, such as maintaining a primary account balance of 2.3% next year and reducing the debt ratio to 98% by 2032, these are not harmful to the nation. “Achieving them is not a bad thing. It’s not a bad economic goal, no matter who gives it,” he concluded.
