IMF says monitoring political and economic developments in Sri Lanka ‘very closely’

COLOMBO – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Tuesday that it is monitoring political and economic developments in Sri Lanka “very closely” as public unrest in the island nation grows amid its worst economic crisis in decades.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Monday dissolved the cabinet and appointed a new finance minister, while also seeking a new central bank governor.

“IMF staff is looking forward to program discussions with the authorities, including during the visit of the newly appointed Finance Minister to Washington later this month,” IMF Sri Lanka mission chief Masahiro Nozaki told Reuters in an emailed statement.

(Reporting Uditha Jayasinghe, Writing by Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by Kim Coghill)