COLOMBO -- The International Monetary Fund on Thursday said it has had "constructive and productive discussions" with Sri Lanka and made "significant progress" toward an agreement that could help the country overcome its economic crisis, as an IMF team wrapped up a nearly two-week visit.
In a statement, the IMF said the Sri Lankan "authorities' monetary, fiscal policy and other actions since early April were important first steps to address the crisis," which has led to dire shortages of essentials including fuel, food and medicine, daily power cuts and a "preemptive" default on foreign debt.