People carry goods at a market in Colombo, Sri Lanka on March 10, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

COLOMBO — World Bank Managing Director for Operations Anna Bjerde, who concluded her four-day visit to Sri Lanka on Wednesday, encouraged the Sri Lankan government to stay the course on reforms for recovery and sustainable growth, a statement from the World Bank said.

According to the statement, Bjerde underscored the World Bank's continuous commitment to investing in people, strengthening human capital and creating jobs.

As Sri Lanka recovers from a series of unprecedented shocks with devastating impacts, it is crucial to stay the course on sound and timely reforms

Bjerde met with Sri Lanka's President and Minister of Finance Ranil Wickremesinghe, cabinet ministers, representatives of opposition parties, civil society, private sector, development partners and World Bank project beneficiaries.

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She participated in a roundtable hosted by the president with key ministers, private sector representatives and development partners, which focused on Sri Lanka's progress on structural reforms, mobilizing private capital for development, job creation, human capital development and regional cooperation, the statement said.

Her trip included visits to World Bank-supported projects in the Northern and North Central provinces related to agriculture, health, climate change, private sector development and financial inclusion for women.

As Sri Lanka recovers from a series of unprecedented shocks with devastating impacts, it is crucial to stay the course on sound and timely reforms in order to stabilize the economy while fostering economic growth that can attract investment, generate jobs, protect the poorest and most vulnerable and build resilience to future crises, according to the statement.

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The World Bank will continue to support Sri Lanka on its journey to recovery, connecting farmers to markets, strengthening access to healthcare, boosting innovation, pursuing transformation through infrastructure investments, and creating quality jobs for women and youth, Bjerde was quoted in the statement.