Pandemic and Beyond: Replacing the Old Normal
Before the current lockdown, the Sri Lankan government asked its employees to come back to work in early August but the escalation of the pandemic and a new lockdown put a halt…
Economy
Bridging the Gender Wage Gap
Today is International Equal Pay Day Gender equality is a fundamental human right, and as a result, it is crucial to ensure that every person has equal access to social, economic, political…
Reform or Perish – Urgent Action Vital to Save Ravaged Economy
The Sri Lankan economy faces a historical crisis. The root causes are the twin deficits. First, the persistent fiscal deficit – the gap between government expenditure and income. Second, the external current…
Beating the Rice Mafia with Competition Law
Rice has played a vital role in Sri Lanka for many centuries not only because it is the staple diet but also because paddy cultivation has been the main source of livelihood…
Consequences of Emergency Regulations for Provision of Essential Foods
On August 30, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a State of Emergency across the island, on the basis that he was “Of the opinion that it is considered expedient to do so in…
Will COVID-19 Trigger a Baby Boom or Bust?
*Sandamali is 26 weeks pregnant but she doesn’t yet know the sex of her unborn child. She lives in Bodagama with her husband and her two children, where healthcare facilities are at…
Lost and Confused – An Economic Policy in Shambles
At the time of gaining independence 74 years ago, Sri Lanka was a prosperous country that was recognised as a model economy with a per capita income of $120, on par with…
Short Sighted Agricultural Policies Spell Doom for Farmers and the Country
The decision to ban chemical fertilizer is one of the crucial policy changes taken by the current government since coming to power. It received mix reactions from the public. The government’s argument…
Managing Economic Inequity During and After COVID
When the European Parliament passed a resolution calling for economic sanctions against Sri Lanka, everyone over here sits up and takes notice. For the first time in years, the Government suddenly talks…
Institutional Discrimination Puts Plantation Community at Risk
Over the last two decades the plantation sector has undergone huge changes in Sri Lanka including a sharp reduction in the labour force, poor social welfare provision, lower productivity and a rapid…
Lack of Good Governance Will Cost Sri Lanka Dearly
The Sri Lankan government’s failure to respect human rights, democracy and accountability have caused alarm at home and abroad and may prove still more costly in various ways. After a recent decision…
Avoiding Necrocapitalism in Sri Lanka’s Free Trade Zones
Sri Lanka’s Free Trade Zone (FTZ) workers are employed in global factories deeply embedded in global supply chains. Historically, they contribute significantly to Sri Lanka’s export income and economic development goals. Women,…
Hidden and Discounted: Child Labour in Tea and Tourism
In the South Asian region, Sri Lanka is a success story when it comes to tackling child labour. The widely prevalent forms of child labour in the 1990s and before, such as…
Navigating Geopolitics: The Need for a Balanced and Nuanced Approach
The visit of Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe to Sri Lanka in late April 2021 – the second visit by a high ranking Chinese official since the pandemic – has raised…
Vaccine Inequality and the Cost to Garment Sector Workers
Sri Lanka’s admired initial coordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic is now a distant memory. The second wave that multiplied from the Brandix factory in Minuwangoda should have sounded a warning to…
