COLOMBO, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's targets under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) will remain unchanged, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Wednesday, signaling continuity in the country's reform program as the organization concludes a fact-finding mission assessing the economic impact of Cyclone Ditwah.
According to a statement issued by the President's Media Division, an IMF team that arrived in Sri Lanka last week informed President Anura Kumara Dissanayake that there would be no changes to the existing EFF agreement. The assurance was conveyed during a meeting held on Wednesday at the Presidential Secretariat.
Speaking to reporters following the meeting, IMF Mission Chief Evan Papageorgiou confirmed the position. He described the discussions with the president as productive, adding that the talks capped mission discussions that began last week.
Papageorgiou said the mission focused on understanding the cyclone's impact on economic activity, the authorities' fiscal and monetary policy intentions, and how the EFF framework fits into the post-disaster context.
He noted that while some parameters would need to be discussed when the IMF team returns in the future, the program itself is still the same.
The IMF delegation travelled across several parts of the country to observe the damage caused by the cyclone and met with affected communities.
The team expressed regret over the disaster, noting that it struck at a time when Sri Lanka's economy was showing early signs of recovery, while also acknowledging the hardship faced by households and businesses. It also commended the Sri Lankan government's response, including relief measures, infrastructure restoration and steps taken to normalize economic activity. ■