Sri Lanka, Jan. 19 -- Sri Lanka must urgently pivot from a narrow focus on crisis management and International Monetary Fund (IMF) targets to a holistic developmental agenda that addresses the real economy as the country enters 2026.

Verite Research Executive Director Dr. Nishan de Mel emphasised that while the IMF programme has stabilised certain macroeconomic indicators, it has created a "tunnel vision" that obscures the deteriorating living standards of the general population.

Speaking on a televised programme recently, Dr. de Mel argued that the existing economic roadmap was designed as a limited solution to a crisis, not a comprehensive strategy for national development.

There is a growing disconnect between the narrative of macr...