Sri Lanka secures US$200 million ADB loan for trade and investment programme

Sri Lanka has secured a US$200 million loan from the Asian Development Bank to support the Government’s Trade, Investment and Industry Development Programme.

The agreement was signed at the Treasury in Colombo on Tuesday by Finance Ministry Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma and ADB Sri Lanka Country Director Shannon Cowlin.

The financing is being provided under the ADB’s Policy-Based Lending facility for the first subprogramme of the initiative.

The programme was initially approved with US$100 million in financing. However, the ADB agreed to provide an additional US$100 million amid increased economic uncertainty linked to the Middle East crisis and climate-related shocks.

The programme aims to strengthen policies supporting trade, investment and industrial development while providing general budgetary support to the Government.

It is aligned with Sri Lanka’s National Policy Framework 2025 and the Government’s Major Public Investment Projects for 2026–2028.

A second subprogramme, with indicative financing of US$100 million, is expected to be implemented in 2028.

The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development will serve as the executing agency.