Sri Lanka will be free of its debt burden by 2025, according to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Addressing the Sri Lanka Economic Summit, he stressed that Sri Lanka could not continue to rely on the IMF. He also emphasised the importance of the export sector to Sri Lanka’s economy, noting that while export revenue is about US$ 12 billion, the country has the capacity do more.

The prime minister stated that FTAs with Japan, the EU and Chile must be considered, and urged the private sector and business chambers to take the lead in producing items to be exported, adding that the government would extend support for such initiatives.