Colombo, Oct. 19 (Daily Mirror) - Sri Lankan think tank Verité Research has taken part in high-level discussions on global debt, inequality and governance at the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group in Bangkok.
The meetings, held from October 12 to 18, brought together policymakers, investors and other stakeholders to discuss economic and development issues.
The Verité Research delegation included Executive Director Dr. Nishan de Mel, Executive Vice President Inoshini Perera and Lead Economist Raj Prabu Rajakulendran.
During the meetings, the delegation organised two roundtable discussions, co-sponsored two Civil Society Policy Forum sessions and participated in expert discussions with international debt managers, legal experts and development partners.
One roundtable examined how Governance-Linked Bonds, a sovereign debt instrument designed by Verité Research for Sri Lanka, could be used by other countries facing debt problems. The organisation described the instrument as a world first.
The second roundtable focused on safeguards to protect democratic governance under IMF programmes, including concerns about reform processes that could bypass Parliament, the judiciary and independent national institutions.
Verité Research also co-sponsored two Civil Society Policy Forum sessions focusing on fiscal transparency and accountability in the Asia-Pacific region and international responses to countries facing severe debt burdens.
The delegation held closed-door discussions on hidden fiscal risks that may not be reflected in headline public debt figures. It also participated in a panel on policy advocacy in Asia at a partner foundation’s forum.
In addition, the team briefed international sovereign debt investors on Sri Lanka’s economic outlook and the implementation of the IMF programme, while providing media commentary on the country’s fiscal accountability structures.
Verité Research is an independent, interdisciplinary think tank based in Sri Lanka that provides strategic analysis and advice to governments, international organisations and private-sector institutions across Asia.
