IMF Managing Director to visit Sri Lanka next month

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will send its Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, to Sri Lanka next month to review the country’s economic reform program and to demonstrate the Fund’s solidarity following recent natural disasters, IMF Asia and Pacific Department Director Krishna Srinivasan said.

Srinivasan made the announcement during his current mission to Sri Lanka, where he is leading one of the largest IMF delegations to visit the country. He said the Managing Director’s visit will have a dual purpose: to acknowledge the progress achieved under the IMF-supported reform program and to express direct support to communities affected by the recent catastrophe.

“She’ll be here both to look at the success of the program and to express the solidarity we have with you,” Srinivasan told President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Wednesday (28).

The planned January 2026 visit will mark Srinivasan’s fourth trip to Sri Lanka. However, it is his first visit that included travel outside Colombo. He said spending two days in areas beyond the capital provided a deeper and more personal understanding of the country.

“For the first time, I went to parts of Sri Lanka outside Colombo,” he said. “This is a very beautiful country and has huge potential in terms of what it can achieve.”

Reflecting on his travels, Srinivasan highlighted three key observations. First, he underscored Sri Lanka’s natural beauty and long-term economic potential. Second, he said witnessing the impact of recent disasters firsthand left a strong impression.

“In many parts, I saw flooding. I saw roads which need to be repaired,” he said, extending condolences to families affected by the disaster. “Our sympathies are with you and with the people of Sri Lanka for the lives lost and for the impact of the disaster.”

Third, Srinivasan noted a strong sense of public appreciation for the government’s reform agenda, particularly in the area of governance.

“In conversations with communities outside the capital, there’s huge appreciation for what the government has done for the people, notably in the area of governance reform,” he said.

He also revealed that the regional IMF meeting currently underway in Sri Lanka had been planned several months ago. Following the disaster, there were suggestions to cancel the event, but the decision was made to proceed.

“I said no, we want to express our solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka,” Srinivasan said.