At the end of the recent visit to Sri Lanka to assess impact of Cyclone Ditwah by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff team led by Mr. Evan Papageorgiou, the IMF issued the following press release on 28 January 2026, which can be accessed from the link below.
https://www.imf.org/en/news/articles/2026/01/27/pr-26022-sri-lanka-imf-staff-concludes-visit
IMF Staff Concludes Visit to Sri Lanka
End-of-Mission press releases include statements of IMF staff teams that convey preliminary findings after a visit to a country. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. This mission will not result in a Board discussion.
Colombo, Sri Lanka: An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team led by Mr. Evan Papageorgiou visited Colombo from January 22 to 28 to hold discussions on the impact of Cyclone Ditwah. At the conclusion of the visit, Mr. Papageorgiou issued the following statement:
“During the mission, the team engaged with authorities and relevant stakeholders to understand the economic and social impact of the cyclone, including the damage to infrastructure and loss of livelihoods. Discussions focused on the fiscal response to the natural disaster, as well as on the implications for monetary policy and financial sector stability. Our meetings included in-depth exchanges on the authorities’ policy intentions going forward, their financing needs, and how the IMF can best support Sri Lanka’s recovery and reconstruction efforts under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement.
“As Sri Lanka starts rebuilding, the authorities are committed to safeguard the gains that were achieved on fiscal and debt sustainability, strengthen public investment management including project reprioritization and implementation, and ensure spending is executed transparently and in compliance with the Public Financial Management Act. They are determined to continue strengthening social safety nets to protect the poor and vulnerable, who are disproportionately affected by the cyclone.
“We plan to field an IMF mission at the earliest possible juncture to resume discussions on economic policies for the next review under the EFF. We reaffirm our solidarity with Sri Lanka and readiness to support the country in its efforts to safeguard macroeconomic stability and promote resilience and sustainable growth.
“The mission held meetings with His Excellency the President and Finance Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Honorable Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Honorable Labor Minister and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Prof. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Central Bank of Sri Lanka Governor Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Secretary to the Treasury Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Senior Economic Advisor to the President Mr. Duminda Hulangamuwa and other senior government and CBSL officials. The mission also met with representatives from the private sector, civil society organizations, and development partners. We would like to thank the authorities for the excellent collaboration during the visit.”