COLOMBO (News 1st); The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced significant reforms to its surcharge policy, which will benefit several low-income and vulnerable middle-income countries, including Sri Lanka. Loans provided to low-income countries under the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Gr...

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has successfully completed the review of the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) facilities and financing. This initiative is pivotal for providing concessional financing to low-income member countries.Krista...

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s economy has stabilized, with growth expected to reach 4.4 percent in 2024, surpassing earlier forecasts. This positive outlook follows four consecutive quarters of growth driven by the industrial and tourism sectors and supported by critical structural and policy...

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sajith Premadasa, the presidential candidate for the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), has announced a comprehensive poverty alleviation program that aims to combine the best aspects of existing initiatives such as Janasaviya, Samurdhi, Aswasuma, and Gamidiriya. Premadasa emphas...

COLOMBO (News 1st); Data from the recently launched Multidimensional Vulnerability Report (in collaboration with Oxford University) reveals that over half of Sri Lankans are multidimensionally vulnerable. Azusa Kubota, the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), ...