In this file image, people place their canisters in line as they wait to buy kerosene oil outside a fuel station in Colombo, Sri Lanka, June 11, 2022 (Photo | AP) 
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Sri Lanka secures USD 2.9 billion IMF bailout for struggling economy: Report

The deal has been nearly a year in the making and is a lifeline for the country that has billions of dollars in loans, the report said.

TNIE online desk

Sri Lanka has secured a $2.9bn (£2.3bn) bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as it faces its worst economic crisis since independence, according to BBC.

The deal has been nearly a year in the making and is a lifeline for the country that has billions of dollars in loans, the BBC report said.

Foreign minister Ali Sabry told the BBC the government will raise funds by restructuring state-owned enterprises and privatising the national airline.

However, analysts warned Sri Lanka still faces a tough road ahead.

The country's economy has been hit hard by the pandemic, rising energy prices, populist tax cuts and inflation of more than 50%, the report added.

A shortage of medicines, fuel and other essentials also helped to push the cost of living to record highs, triggering nationwide protests which overthrew the ruling government in 2022.

As a result, the country defaulted on its debts with international lenders last May for the first time in its history.

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