Sri Lanka expects the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Board to approve a $2.9 billion loan by year-end, according to a news report by Reuters.The IMF Board approval of the loan is expected by mid-December. From now until mid-November, the country aims to get financing assurances from public- and private-sector creditors.
The country earlier this month reached a staff-level agreement with the IMF for the loan of about $2.9 billion, contingent on it receiving financing assurances from official creditors and negotiations with private creditors.
“It’s going be very tough, but so much of it depends on China, basically one creditor, so maybe it can be done,” a bondholder told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
The virtual presentation to investors on Friday marks the first time the Sri Lankan government has formally engaged with private bondholders after deciding earlier this year that it would restructure $13 billion in international sovereign bonds, held by private creditors such as asset managers BlackRock and Ashmore.Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe and Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena participated in the virtual presentation on Friday, along with representatives of financial and legal advisers Lazard and Clifford Chance.