COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Sunday said that there was no alternative to the IMF programme for the cash-strapped island nation to get out of its economic bankruptcy. Last week, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved the release of the second tranche worth $337 million to the island nation, bringing the value of disbursements to $670 million in the four-year facility. Responding to the strong criticism from the opposition to the reforms, President Wickremesinghe, who is also the finance minister, said that he opted for the IMF programme as it was the only option available. "People who make statements to please the gallery are not prepared to take the tough decisions needed. I opted for the IMF programme as it was the only option available," he said and u...
