Still, the Mirage
The Supreme Court judgement about the Rajapaksa culpability for Sri Lanka’s economic ruin couldn’t have come at a better time. The sense of hope generated by the ending of chronic shortages and…
Economy
The Parliament and the Question of Sovereignty
Conversations lay down the foundation for consensus; they provoke discussion and enable debate. One Text Initiative’s (OTI) session on strengthening parliamentary fiscal sovereignty through the Committee System opened such a debate and…
A Governance Diagnostic by the Sri Lankan Public
As the IMF has noted in its Governance Diagnostic Assessment in September, “The resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in July 2022 emphasized that addressing the crisis required changes in governance as much…
Balance of Payments Crisis: Separating Fact from Fiction
There is much confusion as to the causes of a balance of payments crisis. To clear up the misunderstanding requires defining the problem clearly and disentangling several issues. To begin with, there…
Can Sri Lanka’s Economic Revival Weather the Storm of a 2024 Election?
By all estimates, Sri Lanka’s economy is expected to grow around 1.5% in 2024, making inroads into reversing the economic contraction the country experienced since 2020. Sri Lankan authorities have reached a…
IMF: Strengthening the Social Safety Net is Critical
The IMF has reached a staff-level agreement after conducting the first review of Sri Lanka’s extended fund facility arrangement. The release of the second tranche of the facility now awaits a decision…
Drones in National Parks: For Whose Benefit?
For many years the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) has been criticised for its lack of intent in upholding the principles of conservation. There are times, however, when the DWC does act…
What Can We Learn from Sri Lanka’s Debt Default?
At Independence in 1948, Sri Lanka was second to Japan on most socio-economic indicators and ahead of South Korea on per capita income in 1960; it has since slipped behind most Asian…
Plight of Blue Whales in Sri Lankan Waters
Sri Lanka has had multiple reports of threats posed to the lives of blue whales off its southern coast, with incidents having increased in frequency in the recent past. Reports indicate that…
Against Elections or Against Economics?
In his latest column, Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka criticises two economists for what he interprets to be a call for postponing presidential elections next year. Both economists, Dr Indrajit Coomaraswamy and Nimal Sanderatne,…
Tackling Climate Vulnerabilities in the Farming Sector
Since August this year, ten districts in Sri Lanka have witnessed severe drought conditions due to the lack of seasonal rainfall. The cultivation of around 50,000 farmers has been affected due to…
Health System Needs Urgent Support to Save Lives
Sri Lanka’s health system continues to face extreme challenges in the aftermath of the economic crisis and continued lack of health system strengthening. While some of the urgent threats such as power…
Understanding the Gender Gap in the Workforce
The issue of female labor force participation in Sri Lanka has remained a subject of discussion for several decades yet tangible progress in improving it has been elusive. As the country grapples…
Microplastic Pollution: A Silent Killer in the Making
I was only a few years old when Sri Lanka opened its economy in the late 70s. The influx of plastics into the island was among the few visible changes I remember…
Debt Restructuring, Austerity and the IMF: a Panacea or an Exacerbation? Part 6
The IMF programme needs to be used to negotiate debt restructuring with commercial and multilateral creditors. It would create space to spend on priorities such as food and fuel. However, the country…
