Sri Lanka, June 13 -- The Deputy Minister of Finance, Anil Jayantha Fernando, says that although the rupee's depreciation increases the rupee value of foreign currency loans, it does not actually increase the real debt obligation.

He stated in Parliament that Sri Lanka's total public sector debt is estimated to be around US$102.2 billion as of the end of March 2026.

The Deputy Minister emphasized that a country's debt sustainability should not be assessed based on fluctuations in exchange rates, but rather on its ability to repay that debt.

He further noted that central government debt stood at US$98.96 billion by the end of March 2026, and when loans taken by provincial councils, local authorities, and state-owned enterprises are incl...