President invites Opposition Leaders for crucial meeting on IMF proposals

March 8, 2024 at 2:40 PM

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has convened a pivotal meeting with leaders of accepted political parties to discuss the proposals put forth by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with its high-level delegation on Sri Lanka’s economic assistance.

In a proactive move, Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa, leader of the National People’s Power (NPP) Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader S. Sridharan have been invited to participate in these deliberations. 

According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), the meeting is slated to be held at the Presidential Secretariat on Monday (Mar 11), with an open invitation extended to interested individuals to join alongside the invited leaders.

The initiative stems from a recent request made by Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Dr. Harsha de Silva in Parliament, prompting the President to extend a warm invitation to all recognized opposition parties to collaborate with the government in navigating the challenges posed by the IMF program.

President Wickremesinghe underscores the critical importance of successfully advancing the IMF program for the country’s reconstruction. To this end, he emphasizes the necessity of collective accountability from all parties involved.

Key figures set to participate in the discussions include Ministers of State for Finance Shehan Semasinghe and Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff Sagala Ratnayaka, Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake, Governor of the Central Bank Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Secretary to the Treasury and Finance Ministry K. M. Mahinda Siriwardena and Senior Advisor to the President on Economic Affairs, Dr. R. H. S. Samaratunga. (NewsWire)