COLOMBO, June 15 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's economy (LKGDP=ECI) shrank 11.5% in the first three months of 2023, official data showed on Thursday, as the country remained in the grip of its worst financial crisis in decades.
Sri Lanka's central bank projects that GDP will shrink by 2% this year while the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates a contraction of 3%.
"A pickup in private sector credit will be a growth positive and credit growth will increase over the next six to nine months," Cooray added.
Sri Lanka's economy contracted by a record 7.8% last year after its foreign exchange reserves hit record lows, plunging the island into the worst financial crisis since it gained Independence from the British in 1948.
But Sri Lanka still needs to complete debt restructuring talks by September in time for the first IMF review.
Persons:
”, Shehan Cooray, Cooray, Uditha, John Stonestreet, Susan Fenton
Organizations:
Statistics Department, Sri, International Monetary Fund, Thomson
Locations:
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka's, Sri, Sri Lanka