Washington, June 25 (IANS) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday said an IMF team is in Sri Lanka to assess the country’s economic recovery programme, including the impact of higher energy prices following the recent conflict in the Middle East.

Speaking at a regular IMF press briefing, Julie Kozack, Director of the IMF’s Communications Department, confirmed that the mission began this week and would conclude on June 30.

“We do indeed have a team currently in Sri Lanka. This is a staff visit that will take place from June 24 through 30,” Kozack said.

The comments came in response to a question about whether the IMF planned additional support for Sri Lanka amid higher costs for imported energy as the country continues its economic recovery.

Kozack said IMF officials were holding discussions with government representatives and a broad range of stakeholders.

“The team is engaging with the authorities on a broad range of stakeholders to take stock of recent economic developments, including obviously the impact of the war in the Middle East and the energy price shock,” she said.

She added that the review would also examine Sri Lanka’s performance under its IMF-supported reform programme.

“The team will also be looking at Sri Lanka’s economic reform programme and the performance under that programme,” Kozack said.

Asked whether the IMF would provide additional support to offset higher fuel import costs, Kozack declined to speculate before the mission concluded.

“The team plans to communicate its findings at the end of the mission, so I think at that point that’s where you’ll get the full picture on how the team has assessed the impact of the energy shock,” she said.

The IMF has been closely monitoring the economic effects of the recent conflict in the Middle East, particularly on countries that depend heavily on imported energy. During the same briefing, Kozack said higher oil prices had affected many economies and that countries with limited fiscal buffers remained especially vulnerable to external shocks.

Sri Lanka has been implementing an IMF-supported reform programme since 2023 following its worst economic crisis in decades, which resulted in a sovereign debt default and severe shortages of fuel, food and foreign exchange. The programme is aimed at restoring macroeconomic stability, rebuilding foreign exchange reserves and implementing structural reforms.

The island nation remains heavily dependent on imported petroleum products, making global oil price movements a significant factor in inflation, fiscal management and external financing. The IMF’s latest mission is expected to assess both the country’s reform progress and its resilience to the latest geopolitical and energy market disruptions.

–IANS

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