Sri Lanka president to present first budget with hopes for IMF loan

Wickremesinghe is also expected to outline measures to support low-income communities worst hit by the crisis and announce new taxes to shrink its fiscal deficit.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe will on Tuesday slash defence and other expenditures in a bid to win International Monetary Fund (IMF) support as he presents his first budget since taking over as leader of his crisis-hit country.