Cabinet Spokesman Minister Dullas Alahapperuma says the Cabinet of Ministers has not reached a decision on whether to seek the assistance of the International Monetary Fund.
Speaking during the weekly Cabinet media briefing, Minister Alahapperuma said the country has engaged in various deals as a stakeholder of the IMF on 16 occasions since 1950 adding the last such deal was in 2016 amounting to USD 1.1 billion.
The Minister said in 2008 during the term of President Mahinda Rajapaksa at a most crucial point of the conflict, Sri Lanka obtained USD 2.5 billion from the IMF.
He claimed the sum was the largest amount obtained from the IMF at the time.
He said making comments against the IMF was not suitable as Sri Lanka is a member country.
The Minister claimed they have never lost trust between international organizations throughout history adding they have not reached a decision yet as a government to seek IMF assistance.
Minister Alahapperuma said a decision must be reached considering the past rather than looking at the IMF as an evil entity.
