Sri Lanka, June 1 -- Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, has urged the government to reconsider the country's open economic policies and reassess its engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Speaking to journalists, the Cardinal said the open economy introduced in 1978 had diminished Sri Lanka's ability to become self-sufficient in many essential goods. "There was a time when Sri Lanka had the capacity to produce many of the items it now imports. However, the country has increasingly become dependent on imports, and it is struggling to bear the associated costs. Therefore, it is time to rethink the open economic model," he said.

The Cardinal also expressed reservations about continuing the IMF programme.

"The ...