Sri Lanka's Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning has rejected media claims that government debt has risen by over Rs. 190 billion, arguing that reports lack proper verification and contain inaccuracies.
Deputy Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando has disputed recent media reports suggesting that Sri Lanka's government debt has increased by more than Rs. 190 billion. According to Fernando, the reports—which cited information from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka—were based on unverified figures and lacked adequate explanation for the alleged debt increase.
Ferdinand emphasized that accurate debt information should be obtained from official government sources rather than media interpretations of central bank data. He pointed out that some figures cited in the reports were incorrect and that journalists had failed to provide a clear methodology for calculating the purported rise in debt obligations.
The Deputy Minister stressed that the government publishes comprehensive debt figures quarterly through its official Debt Bulletin. These reports contain detailed information on both domestic and foreign borrowings, including breakdowns of loans from individual countries as well as multilateral, bilateral, and commercial lenders. According to Ferdinand, these verified official records show that government debt has not increased in the manner claimed by recent reports.
The dispute highlights ongoing questions about Sri Lanka's debt levels and the importance of relying on official government statistics when assessing the country's fiscal position. Ferdinand's comments suggest tension between official government figures and independent interpretations of central bank data.