Sri Lanka Budget Aims Investment, Reforms to Protect IMF Bailout

Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, presenting the nation’s 2026 budget, pledged reforms to keep a $3 billion International Monetary Fund bailout on track and announced measures to attract investments for sustaining the economy’s recovery from a historic default.

“Our key strategic objective is to achieve a sustained growth rate exceeding 7% within the next few years,” Dissanayake, who is also Sri Lanka’s finance minister, said while addressing lawmakers in Colombo on Friday. “We will continue to attract foreign investment through a transparent and rules-based mechanism.”