COLOMBO, Aug 29 (NNN-XINHUA) – Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Dinesh Gunawardena, told an International Monetary Fund (IMF) team, led by Peter Breuer and Masahiro Nozaki, the country’s social security net, needed to be enhanced, when an agreement is reached with IMF.
In a press statement released yesterday, the Prime Minister’s Media Division said, the country is facing its biggest economic and social crisis since independence.
The prime minister told the IMF delegation that, Sri Lanka has taken steps to cut down on imports and boost exports.
“The poor are the most adversely affected by the crisis. We need to provide them social welfare during the economic reforms,” Gunawardena told the IMF delegation.
The Prime Minister’s Media Division said, IMF’s Masahiro Nozaki agreed that the welfare of vulnerable groups is important, when making plans for debt restructuring and economic revitalisation.
The IMF delegation earlier met Nandalal Weerasinghe, governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, and Ranil Wickremesinghe, president of Sri Lanka.– NNN-XINHUA
