Sri Lanka, Aug. 26 -- The national economy has recovered to almost its pre-crisis level following a sharp turnaround from its worst economic meltdown, Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe said this week, pointing to stronger public finances, improved fiscal balances and progress towards debt sustainability as key pillars of the recovery.

According to Weerasinghe, the speed of the rebound was particularly significant given the depth of the economic and balance-of-payments crisis the country faced, which ultimately pushed Sri Lanka into its first sovereign default in 2022.

"The economy has now recovered to almost the level seen before the crisis. This represents a strong recovery over a relatively short period," Weerasinghe sai...