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Lanka eyes December bailout, IMF says timing hard to predict
(Nikkei Asia) Sri Lanka’s government appears increasingly upbeat about its chances of receiving International Monetary Fund (IMF) board approval for a USD 2.9 billion bailout by December, but the multilateral lender has cautioned that the time frame remains uncertain, and much depends on discussions with the heavily indebted country’s creditors.
Peter Breuer, senior mission chief for Sri Lanka, and Masahiro Nozaki, mission chief for Sri Lanka, in written comments to Nikkei Asia, said, “It is difficult to predict the timeline, as the process of debt relief discussions takes time. All parties who are involved in the process should move expeditiously, so that Sri Lanka can emerge from the crisis as quickly as possible.”
On Sept. 1, Sri Lanka reached a staff-level agreement with the IMF to obtain the $2.9 billion, a crucial lifeline for a country wrestling with the worst economic crisis in its history. The country’s year-on-year inflation topped 70% in August, and the public continues to face severe shortages of essentials.
Earlier this year, Sri Lanka defaulted on a foreign bond for the first time, after its foreign reserves dwindled to next to nothing. “We announced that we are not in a position to pay,” central bank Gov. Nandalal Weerasinghe said in May, confirming the “pre-emptive default.”
“Our position is very clear. Until [the lenders] come and restructure, we can’t pay,” Weerasinghe said.
Last Friday, Sri Lanka’s Finance Ministry held an online presentation for external creditors to explain the situation and discuss the next steps toward restructuring. A handout cited “some past policy mistakes” along with the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting crisis as key factors that crippled the economy, depleted reserves and forced the country to stop debt repayments.
The day before, President Ranil Wickremesinghe chaired a meeting with ambassadors from 23 Paris Club and non-Paris Club countries, including Japan, France and India, to discuss related matters.Wickremesinghe appealed to all creditor countries to offer the “financing assurances” on debt sustainability the IMF has said are essential for the board to give the final green light.
The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka, for its part, expressed support even before the creditor briefings. On Sept. 20 it said that it had started discussions on restructuring Sri Lanka’s official debt to India. A spokesman told Nikkei Asia that the “cordial atmosphere” of the talks reflected New Delhi’s support for an “early conclusion and approval of a suitable IMF program.”
Noting the need for other creditors to work on ensuring Sri Lanka’s debt is manageable, he added that India would remain “closely engaged” with relevant stakeholders.
During last Friday’s presentation, Weerasinghe and Mahinda Siriwardana, secretary to the Treasury and Ministry of Finance, noted that as of the end of June, Sri Lanka’s public debt stood at 122% of gross domestic product. A figure equivalent to 70% of GDP was denominated in foreign currency.According to the presentation by the Ministry of Finance and the central bank, China, Japan and India were the country’s top three bilateral creditors, with China accounting for 52% in total, followed by Japan at 19.5% and India at 12%.
The Sri Lankan officials also pushed for the formation of an ad-hoc coordination group to expedite the process of obtaining financing assurances from multiple creditors. They explained that such a group would allow official bilateral creditors to give such assurances to the IMF collectively, after discussing the matter among themselves.
The Japanese Embassy in Colombo agreed that it is essential for all creditors to come to the table for debt restructuring discussions to ensure that the process is transparent and fair. “If all the creditor countries will participate in a coordination platform proposed by President Wickremesinghe, the government of Japan is ready to contribute to the discussion in a constructive way,” the embassy told Nikkei Asia.
But all eyes are on top creditor China, known for its preference for refinancing loans or deferring repayments rather than restructuring and settling for loss-making “haircuts.”
On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly last week, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry met his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, who pledged China’s support for a Sri Lankan economic recovery.A Chinese Foreign Ministry readout of the meeting said that Wang promised China “is ready to work with Sri Lanka to carry forward the traditional friendship, consolidate strategic mutual trust and deepen and expand pragmatic cooperation.” He also said that China would “continue to offer assistance within our capacity to help Sri Lanka overcome temporary difficulties.”
Still, a highly placed Sri Lankan diplomatic source said that although debt discussions have started with some countries, it is “impossible” to say how long they will take and when a final decision will be made.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
