• Claims delay in receipt of IMF EFF next tranche  

The main Parliamentary Opposition Party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) alleged that Sri Lanka is facing a delay in the receipt of the next tranche of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the finalisation of the debt restructuring process due to the Government’s unwillingness to agree to certain conditions put forward by international bondholders in order for them to consider an interest rate cut on Sri Lanka’s debts.

SJB Parliamentarian S.M. Marikkar claimed during a media briefing held yesterday (18) that one condition is that Sri Lanka devises a recognised, systematic, and swift mechanism to eradicate corruption and waste. He said that the Government has not agreed to this condition. Questioning as to why the Government is afraid to formulate an effective and systematic anti-corruption programme, he further alleged that the present Government is a corrupt one which has engaged in many incidents of corruption.

“It is not necessary to sell State assets and the country’s properties to make money. If an anti-corruption programme is properly implemented, it will instil confidence in investors that this country is an investment friendly one and will in turn attract investments,” he added, expressing concerns about the lack of foreign direct investments to Sri Lanka.

The Daily Morning’s attempts to contact the State Ministers of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya and Shehan Semasinghe to discuss these claims proved futile.

For its part, the Government enacted the Anti-Corruption Act last year.