IMF Team to Visit Sri Lanka Next Week for Seventh Review Talks

COLOMBO (News1st); An International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff team will visit Sri Lanka from September 10 to 23, 2026, for a fresh round of discussions with government authorities as the country prepares for another key assessment of its ongoing economic reform program.

The visit was announced by Evan Papageorgiou, IMF Mission Chief for Sri Lanka, who stated that the discussions will focus on the combined Seventh Review of Sri Lanka's reform program supported under the IMF's Extended Fund Facility (EFF), as well as the 2026 Article IV Consultation. He noted that the IMF team will communicate its findings at the conclusion of the visit.

The upcoming mission is expected to closely review Sri Lanka's progress in implementing economic reforms and evaluate recent developments in the country's macroeconomic landscape as policymakers continue efforts to maintain stability and strengthen recovery.

The September visit follows an earlier IMF mission led by Mr. Papageorgiou, which was conducted in Colombo from June 24 to 30, 2026. During that visit, IMF officials took stock of recent macroeconomic developments and held discussions with Sri Lankan authorities regarding the progress made in carrying out the economic reform program supported under the Extended Fund Facility arrangement.

Prior to that, in May 2026, the IMF Executive Board completed the combined fifth and sixth reviews of Sri Lanka's Extended Fund Facility arrangement, marking a significant milestone in the country's engagement with the global lender.

That decision paved the way for the disbursement of approximately US$695 million, nearly US$700 million, in financial assistance. The latest tranche increased the total financial support provided to Sri Lanka under the IMF program to around US$2.4 billion.