INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
first time under the current USD 2.9 billion agreement, officials said on Monday.Led by Peter Brueur, the International Monetary Fund senior
mission chief for Sri Lanka, the team last week met with the Governor of the Northern province, PMS Charles, and other senior officials and
discussed issues related to economic growth in the province, demining programmes, resettlement of conflict-displaced individuals and
compensation for conflict victims.They also discussed the educational matters related to Jaffna University, post-COVID operations, and the
adverse effects of climate change on the northern region, the officials said.The team, which returned to Colombo on Monday, is scheduled to
engage with the finance ministry
Talks are expected with Shehan Semasinghe, the state minister of finance, who leads the local IMF engagement under President Ranil
Wickremesinghe.The discussions in Colombo are anticipated to focus on the targets outlined in the current IMF programme, which advocates
large scale economic reforms in the island nation.In a meeting with President Wickremesinghe on Thursday last, Brueur had expressed
for its advancements in policy-oriented variables and fiscal consolidation.Sri Lanka, which declared its first-ever debt default in April
2022, had secured an IMF bailout agreement of USD 2.9 billion over four years by the last quarter of 2022.The first tranche of USD 1.5
billion was released in March 2023, with the second installment of USD 337 million arriving in December 2023 following the first
review.Source: PTI--Agencies
