Posts Categorized: Economy

2024 Budget

Prime focus on SOE reform and corruption [discusses budget going to the military – Ed/] by Daily FT, Colombo, November 14, 2023 President Ranil Wickremesinghe, as Finance Minister, yesterday presented the Budget for 2024, a year which will start the election cycle. The welfare allocation for 2024 is close to Rs.  200 billion compared to… Read more »

Roots of Ethnic Contestation in the Eastern Province

As in the past, the contestation is over title to the land by PK Balachandran, Daily Mirror, Colombo, October 10, 2023 Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province is again becoming a contested region between ethnic groups. This time round it is more between the Tamils and Sinhalese, with the Muslims in the periphery. . This is because of… Read more »

Purse-seiners, Trawlers, and the Epic Fight over Fishing in Tamil Nadu

A ban on purse-seine fishing in Tamil Nadu has threatened thousands of fishers’ livelihoods – and they are refusing to give up without a fight by Jeff Joseph, Himal magazine, Colombo, September 7, 2023 “There were young people with degrees taking to purse seines because of the pay,” Karthi P said. “It was easy work.”… Read more »

The Boat People

by Watchdog, Colombo, July 12, 2023 For years, Sri Lankans have risked everything, trying to escape their homeland. Crushed by a failing economy, cold-hearted politics, and the brutal realities of world events, many venture into the unforgiving sea. Few return. This is their story. Story by Andrew Fidel Fernando and Mohammed Fairooz Additional reporting and translation… Read more »

Kurundi: A Runway To ’56?

by Tissaranee Gunaratne, Colombo Telegraph, June 18, 2023 “Already the snow falls…” ~ Karl Kraus words in verses III In his fifth labour, Heracles cleans the Augean Stables by rerouting the rivers Alpheus and Peneus through the filthy abode of King Augeas’ divine cattle. Many believed that the Aragalaya would have a similarly cleansing effect on… Read more »

Report of the Presidential Truth Commission on Ethnic Violence 1981-1984

by Presidential Truth Commission on Ethnic Violence 1981-1984, September 2002 Report of the Presidential Truth Commission on Ethnic Violence 1981-1984 – Report Report of the Presidential Truth Commission on Ethnic Violence 1981-1984 – Documents – A summary of the Nature and Extent of Damage suffered by Victims of Violence, PART 1 Report of the Presidential… Read more »

MP Charles: Mahaweli Project J Zone

by Sri Lanka MP Charles Nirmalanathan, TrendReport.lk, May 29, 2023 [Translated from Tamil by Google Translate with minor edits — Editor] “The Mahavali Project is a long-term strategy to destroy the ethnic heritage of the Tamils, settle the Sinhalese population, and make the Tamils ethnically non-existent,” Charles MP charged. He also warned about Sinhalese immigration… Read more »

IMF-supported EFF program Press Briefing for Sri Lanka

by International Monetary Fund, Washington, DC, March 21, 2023 Video of press briefing at IMF Videos – Press Briefing on the IMF Executive Board Approval of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) Arrangement for Sri Lanka Staff country report, March 20, 2023 T R A N S C R I P T MS. YAN: Thank you… Read more »

Canadian MP Gary Anandasangaree on IMF Bailout of Sri Lanka

by Liberal MP Gary Anandasangaree, Ottawa, Canada, March 21, 2023 https://www.youtube.com/live/bVp5wnT83mo?feature=share On Parliament Hill, Liberal MP Gary Anandasangaree discusses the International Monetary Fund’s bailout program for Sri Lanka to help bolster the country’s struggling economy. He is joined by Ahrabi Rajkumar (advocacy lead for People for Equality and Relief in Sri Lanka), Madura Rasaratnam (associate… Read more »

IMF Approves Sri Lanka’s $2.9bn Bailout

by Agence-France Press in The Guardian, UK, March 20, 2023 President vows to get economy back on track through ‘prudent fiscal management and ambitious reform agenda’ The International Monetary Fund has approved Sri Lanka’s request for a $2.9bn bailout, raising hopes for an easing of its economic crisis. The IMF’s board confirmed it had signed… Read more »

Why Is South Asia’s Finest Natural Harbor Still Undeveloped?

by P.K. Balachandran, Eurasia Review, Oregon, USA, February 27, 2023 While the Trincomalee port’s intrinsic value is well-known, its exploitation has been stymied by a variety of factors   The natural endowments and the strategic value of Trincomalee port have been well-known for long time. Yet, to date, very little concrete has been done to… Read more »

No Power Cuts and No Elections?

by A, Nillanthan, February 25, 2023 [translated from the original Tamil by Google Translate, with some improvement by the Editor.] The power cuts have been stopped since the 16th, but the electricity bill has increased by 66 percent. What does the government want to convey to the people through this? Stopping power cuts means you… Read more »

Report on Norochcholai Power Plant

A dark side by Centre for Strategic Studies, Trincomalee, February 2023 The Power Plant  The Lakvijaya Power Plant, also known as the Norochcholai Power plant, is situated in Norochcholai, Puttalam in the Northwestern province of Sri Lanka, at the southern end of Kalpitiya peninsula. It is the largest thermal power plant in Sri Lanka. The… Read more »

Sri Lanka’s Duplicity on Promises to India

by Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam via EINPresswire, New York, January 26, 2023 “History Repeats Itself First as a Tragedy, then as a Farce”. “Indo-Lanka Accord and Implementation of the 36 years old 13th Amendment.” Indo-Lanka Accord Gives India the Legal Authority to Intervene.” — V. Rudrakumaran NEW YORK, UNITED STATES, January 26, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/… Read more »

India’s Timely Help Ensured Sri Lanka’s Economic Survival during Crisis

:Sri Lankan envoy Moragoda by Suhasini Haidar, The Hindu, Chennai, January 26, 2023 India’s support to Sri Lanka during its economic crisis, that External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar underlined during his visit to Colombo last week has opened a new chapter in ties between the neighbours, says Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda…. Read more »