Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa has urged the government to immediately seek a fresh agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to protect the public from worsening economic hardship.
In a message posted on X, Premadasa pointed out that Bangladesh is also pursuing a more realistic IMF arrangement aimed at reducing the burden on citizens amid challenging global economic conditions.
He said Sri Lanka should similarly place public welfare at the centre of its economic policy decisions.
Premadasa warned that economic policymaking should not become a delayed process where authorities only respond after shortages intensify, prices increase further and families are pushed into greater difficulty.
He stressed that the responsibility of leadership is to prevent public suffering before it becomes unmanageable and called on the government to act swiftly while there is still an opportunity to avoid deeper economic distress.