Sri Lanka Strengthens Global Confidence Amid Economic Reforms at 2025 IMF–World Bank Meetings

The Sri Lankan delegation, led by Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), actively engaged in a series of high-level bilateral and multilateral meetings during the 2025 World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meetings held in Washington, D.C., from October 13–18, 2025.

Throughout the sessions, Dr. Weerasinghe met with the IMF Managing Director, World Bank Group President, senior officials from both institutions, and representatives from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the CBSL confirmed.

The Sri Lankan delegation — comprising senior officials from the CBSL and the Ministry of Finance — received strong international support for the country’s ongoing economic reform program. Global counterparts commended Sri Lanka’s prudent macroeconomic management, including sound fiscal and monetary policies, efforts to maintain financial system stability, expanded social safety nets, and continuous governance improvements.

Discussions with development partners centered on infrastructure, energy, and digital transformation, with an emphasis on securing new financing, technical assistance, and capacity building support. The delegation also held productive meetings with sovereign credit rating agencies, sharing updates on the country’s economic recovery and reform milestones, which were positively received and further strengthened market confidence.

Constructive engagements with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and active participation in investor forums underscored Sri Lanka’s commitment to transparency, investment promotion, and renewed investor confidence. Progress on debt restructuring was highly commended, and partners encouraged continued collaboration to advance reform momentum.

At the Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable (GSDR), Sri Lanka welcomed international initiatives aimed at addressing global debt vulnerabilities and improving coordination. Dr. Weerasinghe highlighted Sri Lanka’s near-completion of debt restructuring and recent progress under the IMF-supported program. He emphasized the importance of timely debt resolution, transparency, and sustained reform, calling for clearer processes in commercial debt restructuring, better bilateral coordination, and enhanced debt transparency.

Sri Lanka’s intervention endorsed the updated Restructuring Playbook and urged greater international support to help countries sustain reforms and regain market access — reaffirming Sri Lanka’s commitment to global cooperation on debt sustainability.

The outcomes of these meetings reflected strong international confidence in Sri Lanka’s reform trajectory. Constructive engagement with key financial institutions reinforced global support for the country’s economic recovery, debt sustainability, and investment climate.

A highlight of the week was the recognition of Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe with the prestigious “A Grade” award by Global Finance Magazine at the 2025 World’s Best Bank Awards Ceremony, honoring his prudent monetary policy leadership, effective financial system oversight, and the Central Bank’s steady guidance through challenging global conditions.

Overall, the delegation’s transparent dialogue and reform-focused agenda sent a clear message to the global community: Sri Lanka is firmly on the path to stability, recovery, and growth — supported by sound policies and strong international partnerships.