Sri Lanka, March 17 -- The Sri Lankan government borrowed over Rs. 700 billion from the domestic market, including treasury bills, in January 2025 to maintain its operations, according to IMF columnist Talal Rafi. He compared this amount to the cost of constructing eight expressways from Colombo to Katunayake.

Rafi noted that this recurring borrowing is not solely the fault of current or past governments but reflects Sri Lanka's longstanding economic practices. He explained that Sri Lanka's Gross Financing Needs, which measure the total annual financing required to sustain the country, dropped from 32% during the 2022 economic crisis peak to 25% according to the latest IMF report.

Rafi stressed that halting borrowing would be unsustaina...