Sri Lanka to seek IMF help to reduce debt: finance minister

Colombo

SRI Lanka's two-week-old government plans to start discussions with the International Monetary Fund on reducing a debt burden that grew under the previous administration, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said.

Mr Karunanayake, who met IMF officials on Tuesday, said in an interview that President Maithripala Sirisena wanted to reduce interest costs on the nation's 7.2 trillion rupees (S$73.1 billion) in total debt.