President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced today that the government has allocated Rs. 20,000 million for the settlement of the debt of national carrier, SriLankan Airlines.
Presenting the Budget 2025 in Parliament today, the President pointed out that SriLankan Airlines performs a leading service in the transportation of passengers and cargo by air.
He further said the previous Governments’ attempts to divest state ownership and attract private investment for the national carrier have been unsuccessful.
The President said, therefore, that the government has decided to sign an agreement with the banks linked to the debt and set aside Rs. 10,000 million for loan capital repayment in 2025 and Rs. 10,000 million for interest payments.
Stating that the Airline would be fully responsible for ensuring operating profitability once these legacy debt service costs are settled by the government, President Dissanayake added that a new medium-term strategic plan is being devised by the company in this regard. (Newswire)