IMF team here from 10 Sept. for 7th EFF review focusing on growth-oriented reforms

Saturday, 5 September 2026 00:32 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

IMF Mission Chief for Sri Lanka Evan Papageorgiou

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Mission Chief for Sri Lanka Evan Papageorgiou yesterday said a team will visit Sri Lanka from 10 September to conduct a routine review under the ongoing Extended Fund Facility programme which will include the periodic review on the economy has well.

Issuing a statement, Papageorgiou said: “An IMF staff team will visit Sri Lanka from September 10 to 23, 2026, to hold discussions with the authorities on the combined Seventh Review of Sri Lanka’s reform program supported by the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the 2026 Article IV Consultation. The IMF team will communicate its findings at the end of the visit.”

Last June, the IMF Executive Board last week completed the combined Fifth and Sixth Reviews under Sri Lanka’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF), enabling an immediate disbursement of SDR 508 million, equivalent to approximately $ 695 million, and bringing total IMF financing under the program to about

$ 2.4 billion.

The IMF revised down Sri Lanka’s economic outlook and approved temporary adjustments to its reform program in response to the economic fallout from the Middle East conflict and Cyclone Ditwah, while maintaining the program’s long-term fiscal and debt sustainability objectives.

The Fund said gains achieved under Sri Lanka’s reform program had enabled the authorities to respond to successive shocks while preserving economic resilience. However, it noted that the Middle East conflict has significantly worsened the country’s external outlook through higher fuel import costs, weaker tourism receipts, pressure on the balance of payments, and softer external demand.

According to the IMF’s revised baseline projections, Sri Lanka’s economic growth is now expected to slow to 3% in 2026 from the 4% forecast prior to the conflict.