IMF asks Sri Lanka to beef up anti-graft operations

COLOMBO, Oct 09 (AFP): The International Monetary Fund asked cash-strapped Sri Lanka on Thursday to strengthen its anti-corruption agency and accelerate prosecutions after a review of a bailout that began in 2023.

The IMF said Sri Lanka's reforms were paying off, but the South Asian nation should maintain the momentum amid the "heightened downside risks" posed by global trade uncertainties.

The Washington-based lender said it had concluded the fifth review of Sri Lanka's economy since granting a $2.9 billion, four-year bailout loan.