Upholding IMF Agreements Crucial, Says Sri Lanka's Ranil

COLOMBO (News 1st) Independent Presidential Candidate and President Ranil Wickremesinghe stated that his primary objective is to ease the burden on the lives of the people.

He emphasized the importance of upholding the agreements made with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and moving forward with them. The President noted that it is not feasible to alter these agreements, contrary to the claims made by Sajith and Anura.

Additionally, President Wickremesinghe pointed out that Sajith and Anura's proposals lack the approval of the IMF. The IMF's support is firmly behind the government's current program. Julie Kozak, the IMF’s Communications Director, has officially confirmed that protecting Sri Lanka's progress under the IMF program is crucial for future advancement.

In his address to the public, President Wickremesinghe further elaborated that his primary goal is to ease the burden on people’s lives. 

"We must continue to uphold our agreements with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as we have no other source of support. The IMF has facilitated aid from 18 countries and provided us with a $10 billion advantage in managing our debt interest payments," said the President.

"People are enduring hardships for the sake of their children’s future. We must build a prosperous nation for them. Sajith and Anura are promising everything for free, but this is not feasible. They are misleading people to secure votes. Despite their claims of negotiating with the IMF, no such discussions have taken place," added the President according to his campaign.

Wickremesinghe said that according to the IMF, our program has made significant progress, and it is crucial to protect the gains we have achieved to fully recover from this crisis. Neither Sajith nor Anura will receive support from the IMF; that support is for our program. Therefore, the choice is whether to fall for their misleading promises or to continue with the path we’ve set, he added.