IMF says upcoming Seventh Review to focus on growth

Wednesday, 1 July 2026 00:30 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) yesterday said its latest visit to Sri Lanka was intended to take stock of policy developments between program reviews and lay the groundwork for the Seventh Review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), which will assess both the country’s performance under the program and the way forward.

Speaking at a media briefing, IMF Mission Chief for Sri Lanka Evan Papageorgiou said the current mission was an “inter-review” visit rather than a formal program review, allowing staff to examine recent policy developments and engage with the authorities before returning for the Seventh Review.

He said the formal review would comprise both backward-looking and forward-looking assessments. The former would examine compliance with quantitative performance criteria and structural benchmarks, while the latter would consider the macroeconomic outlook, the Government’s policy priorities, program targets and associated reform measures.

Papageorgiou said the Fund’s structural reform agenda continued to span fiscal, monetary and governance reforms, citing energy pricing, public financial management regulations, tax administration, procurement transparency, beneficial ownership verification and disaster-related spending transparency as examples.

He said the program was now placing greater emphasis on growth-oriented reforms alongside macroeconomic stabilisation, adding that the Seventh Review would provide an opportunity to discuss these reforms in greater detail.

Papageorgiou noted that only the Seventh and Eighth Reviews remain under the current EFF arrangement, with a full assessment of the program expected upon its completion. He said the IMF would continue to provide policy advice, technical assistance and capacity development as required by the authorities.