Media coverage on The Role of Trade in Economic Recovery in Sri Lanka

GSP Plus vital for SL to fight competition – EU Ambassador

After 2010 Sri Lanka’s exports to the European Union (EU) have increased by 60% but half of it is through the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) plus, stated EU Ambassador to Sri Lanka Denis Chaibi, speaking at a virtual conference organised by Colombo-based think-tank Advocata Institute.

Vietnam increased by 400% and Bangladesh by 150% during the period from 2010 to 2019, thus to stay ahead of competition, GSP plus is significant for Sri Lanka, stated Chaibi. Ambassador further noted that retaining GSP Plus would give a positive image for Sri Lanka that it is committed to human rights obligations. “The EU market is competitive as it is a superpower in terms of product quality standards.

For a Sri Lankan exporter to export to the EU would give the exporter recognition in any other market as the EU only accepts products with certain standards. Sri Lanka is already in a forex crisis. Increasing exports is a way out of the current crises. COVID-19 has created a resilient supply chain but without preferential access it is difficult for Sri Lanka to increase its exports to EU markets.

Read the full article here

SL’s economic recovery led by trade

The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the real weaknesses Sri Lanka had in terms of its economy for the past four decades.

With the foreign exchange shortage worsening day by day, many fear that the country will go back to the pre-1977 era of ration cards to purchase essential food items, as the importation of such goods will be impossible in the near months.

Sri Lanka needs economic reforms that will decide the fate of the country in the next few decades to come, and many experts say that reforms should start with the country’s protectionism trade that has not really evolved over the years.

Productivity for growth

Speaking at a webinar organised by the Advocata institute, its Chair – Academic Programme Dr. Sarath Rajapathirana said that Sri Lanka has failed to make any substantial reform for the economy, particularly on trade-side reforms, for the last 20 years.

He said trade is very important as it exposes the country to competition and among other areas such as the fiscal side, the budget, and having a proper monetary policy that avoids inflation and contributes to a more stable exchange rate, trade too needs a lot of work.

“Our imports are three times the value of exports, so we have been continuing a trade deficit, which is also accompanied by a current account deficit. These have to be addressed when talking about trade reform; we have to have the macroeconomic support for it,” he said.

He said more than the aggregates of imports and exports, the encouragement to productivity from having open trade or non-restricted trade is more important.

“If you don’t have strong growth in productivity, we have to keep on increasing the factors of production. It is difficult because we need to have more savings and less consumption. So the best way to get it done is to really have a system in which our reforms are going to immediately affect the positive side of our productivity growth,” he noted.

Read the full article here

Increased int’l trade participation key to achieving economic recovery, says top economist

As the national economy continues to face new challenges from multiple angles and their implications are being very much felt by businesses and masses, Dr. Rajapatirana called for the government to start by having in place a more streamlined tariff structure.

“First get rid of para tariffs fast. And then look to introduce a single uniform tariff,” asserted Dr. Rajapatirana while addressing a webinar hosted by the Advocata Institute, this week.

For Sri Lanka to embark on any efforts that would assist in the recovery of the national economy, Dr. Rajapatirana stressed it is essential for the relevant authorities to acknowledge the importance of international trade when charting the path for progress. 

He pointed out that Sri Lanka needs to get away from its protectionist mindset and the way to get about it is to first look at lowering the existing tariff.

“The existing para tariff hurts our competitiveness. This is one of the fundamental things we need to do,” said Dr. Rajapatirana.

He added that the government must also explore the option of introducing a uniform tariff of about 15 percent, which can be reduced over a period of time.

Dr. Rajapatirana opined that by bringing about the suggested changes, Sri Lanka would be signalling to the world that it is serious in wanting to achieve economic progress. 

Dr. Rajapatirana also pointed out that the country has not made any substantial economic reforms, especially on the trade side, in the last 20 years or so.

As the country continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic along with the rest of the world, Dr. Rajapatirana warned that neglecting the economy would only further delay the recovery process. 

“We cannot think of economic recovery without really starting trade reforms. We are in a good driving seat to undertake the reforms since the government has two-thirds majority. 

We need to have the macrocosmic reforms that come from the monetary policy and the fiscal policy. Without that you don’t have the sort of dynamic stability that is needed to put in place a good reform programme,” he said.

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Sri Lanka international trade role in Advocata forum as monetary instability drive import controls

Colombo-based think tank Advocata Institute said it is hosting an online forum on ‘The Role of International Trade in Economic Recovery in Sri Lanka’, as the island is mired in the worst import controls since the 1970s after printing money.

Trade controls started during as money was printed to target an ‘output gap’ involving curbs on gold trading and vehicles and other items, escalated into full-scale import substitution, import bans and tightened from 2020.

Sri Lanka’s post-independent economic history is littered with administrations that tried to operate various economic plans without reforming a soft-pegged central bank with activist monetary policy.

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Online Discussion: Deep Dive "The Role of Trade in Economic Recovery in Sri Lanka"

The second Advocata Deep Dive discussion on "The Role of Trade in Economic Recovery in Sri Lanka” in partnership with the European Union in Sri Lanka and the Maldives was held on Aug 30th.

Prof. Prema-Chandra Athukorala (Emeritus Professor of Economics, Arndt-Corden Department of Economics, ANU), Dr. Sarath Rajapatirana (Chair, Academic Programme, Advocata Institute), H.E. Denis Chaibi (Ambassador, Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka and the Maldives) and Dr. Dayaratna Silva discuss (International Trade Economist | Former Sri Lankan Ambassador to the World Trade Organization) discuss "The Role of Trade in Economic Recovery in Sri Lanka”


You can also watch the full discussion here

Deep Dive 2.0 kickstarted with the primer by Dr. Sarath Rajapatirana discussing International Trade: From Theory to Policy: Sri Lanka in Perspective.

A brief overview of Sri Lanka's trade, trading partners and trade policies in relation to economic growth. In this video, we discuss the contribution of trade to a country's growth, Sri Lankan trade during the pandemic, import restrictions, and GSP+ and its effect on Sri Lanka's trade.

NEWS RELEASE: A Deep Dive on Trade “ The Role of International Trade in Economic Recovery in Sri Lanka”

NEWS RELEASE

Originally appeared in the Economy Next, Ada derana Business

The Advocata Institute event on “ The Role of International Trade in Economic Recovery in Sri Lanka”

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka—  The Advocata Institute launches its second episode of the public policy discussion series ‘DeepDive’, which will be on the Topic “The Role of Trade in the Economic Recovery of Sri Lanka”.  

The  discussion  kickstarted with a primer on trade on the topic International Trade: From Theory to Policy: Sri Lanka in Perspective, presented by  Dr. Sarath Rajapatirana,  Chair, Academic Programme of the Advocata Institute. This Primer has already been released in the lead up to the discussion and is available for viewing on the Advocata Institute Youtube page. 

The Deep Dive Discussion will feature an eminent panel consisting of Professor Prema - Chandra Athukorala (Emeritus Professor of Economics, Arndt-Corden Department of Economics, ANU), Dr. Sarath Rajapatirana ( Chair, Academic Program of the Advocata Institute), HE Denis Chaibi ( Ambassador, Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka and the Maldives), and Dr. Dayaratna Silva ( International Trade Economist, Former Sri Lankan Ambassador to the World Trade Organization) . The Panel would be Moderated by Aneetha Warusavitarana (Research Manager, Advocata Institute) and would be LIVE-streamed on the 30th of August from  4.00 PM onwards.  

The Advocata Institute remains committed to finding policy solutions to key challenges holding back Sri Lanka’s road to development. The lack of a competitive trading regime that can compete internationally,  remains a key structural issue impeding Sri Lanka’s Economy. With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sri Lanka’s economic position has become precarious. Exploring opportunities in global trade can be a key strategy to drive the Sri Lankan economy out of the present peril it faces and towards consistent high economic growth and prosperity.   The second episode of Advocata DeepDive would discuss policies and strategies that would enable Sri Lanka to expand and promote trade competitively. The discussion will further explore  how our regional neighbours have used trade as a tool for economic growth. 

The Advocata Institute cordially invites members of the public to tune into the LIVE streamed event on ZOOM and Advocata Institute Facebook Page. Questions will be taken online via ZOOM and Facebook. To get a comprehensive understanding of the benefits of trade debt and how it can affect Sri Lanka’s economy and the livelihoods of all citizens you can watch the Primer on trade titled “ International Trade: From Theory to Policy: Sri Lanka in Perspective ” available on https://youtu.be/NYG_RQxrSqQ

Advocata is an independent policy think tank based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. We conduct research, provide commentary and hold events to promote sound policy ideas compatible with a free society in Sri Lanka. Visit advocata.org for more information.    

The Dollar Dilemma and Sri Lanka | Dr W A Wijewardena | Dhananath Fernando

Sri Lanka’s Covid19 response and what role does the private sector play?

The Advocata Institute hosted a Twitter Spaces on ‘The Dollar Dilemma’ with. Dr W A Wijewardena (Former Deputy Director, Central Bank of Sri Lanka) moderated by Dhananath Fernando (Chief Operating Officer, Advocata Institute)


This originally aired on Twitter Spaces on Friday (August 20, 2021) at 7.00P.M

Follow @advocatalk on Twitter for future chats on Twitter Spaces. https://twitter.com/advocatalk

You can listen to the full discussion on Youtube

Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Advocata Conversations | Ep.01 | Murtaza Jafferjee | Dr Sarath Rajapatirana

The Advocata Institute launches its episode on Advocata Conversations, the new series of discussions, where we converse with esteemed industry leaders on policy and economy! With Advocata Conversations we aim to capture insights of experienced policymakers on policy reforms and its impact.

Our first episode is between Advocata Chairperson, Murtaza Jafferjee, Advocata Academic Advisor, Dr. Sarath Rajapathirana, and Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Former Deputy Chairperson of the Planning Commission of India.

In this episode, he discusses his experiences working with the Indian government, his expertise on the economy, his family, and his latest work as a writer.

Watch the full discussion here.

Read the transcript for the full discussion here.

Watch this video on Youtube 

IMF or no IMF, Sri Lanka needs Economic Analysis and Plan going forward: Advocata Advisor Dr. Nishan De Mel

Covered by The Island

Whatever Sri Lanka decides about dealing with its debt and paying its way through the world, the country needs to formulate a very good economic analysis and a publicly-backed plan that will establish the credibility of the world in its economy going forward, Dr. Nishan De Mel, Advocata Institute Advisor and Executive Director of Verité Research said recently.

He made this remark at a virtual forum called the Advokatha (Advoකතා) a weekly series conducted by the Advocata Institute on ‘How to Resolve Sri Lanka’s Debt Crisis Without Seeking Assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’.

The full discussion can be found on Advocata Plus YouTube Channel.

Further speaking he said:

“Such an analysis needs to be thorough and well-structured with the focus on the real economic activity and the financial conditions in the economy. That would be the first step to build credibility of the world about the Sri Lankan economy. It is actually credibility that we lack rather than foreign reserves. If we can build that credibility about us in the countries that we deal with, we may not need assistance from the IMF to resolve our liquidity issue. When such a favourable environment is created and other countries repose their trust in Sri Lanka’s economy, its sovereign credit ratings would see an upgrade and Sri Lanka would be able to raise funds at the international capital market at reasonable interest rates, The skill we need for this is to present an analysis and a plan and then demonstrate our commitment to stick to it. Our concern is whether the government has such a plan and if it does have one, why it is not publicized”.

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July Food Prices Increase by 0.70%

Originally appeared in the Daily FT and Daily Mirror

Advocata’s Bath Curry Indicator (BCI) which tracks the monthly changes in the price of food recorded a jump of 0.70% for the month of July 2021. 

The month of July experienced an increase in prices compared to the month of June, according to the basket of food tracked by the BCI.

The 3 items that contributed most to this increase were:

For the month of July 2021, the prices of pumpkin showed the largest increase of 66.4%.

Likewise, the prices of Samba rice, Beans, Dhal and fish (balaya) also experienced minor increases in prices as well.

In comparison to the month of July 2020, the BCI has increased by 45% for 2021, which translates that an average family of 4 that spent Rs. 899.85 on this basket of goods for a week in July 2020 would pay Rs. 1308.10 for the same amount of goods in a week in July 2021.

The BCI tracks the weekly retail prices in the Colombo market of the most commonly consumed food ingredients that might be used in a typical Bath curry meal. The prices are collected from the “Weekly Indicators” that the Central Bank publishes.

The BCI Indicator can be accessed at www.bci.advocata.org.

Advocata welcomes full time Minister of Finance for Sri Lanka’s Public Finances

Originally appeared in the Daily FT and Daily Mirror

An independent Minister of Finance can lead the way for better management of Public Finances.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka— For 23 of the last 30 years, the Head of Government in Sri Lanka has simultaneously held the title of Minister of Finance.  Experience shows that combining the two roles is usually a big mistake as the job of the Head of Government is already very demanding. It is almost impossible for any one person to combine that with being an effective Minister of Finance. The tasks associated with being the Head of Government almost always gain priority.  Secondly, an effective Minister of Finance needs to maintain fiscal discipline by resisting pressures from the political office. The head of government who is also the head of a party or coalition cannot simultaneously meet this requirement due to such conflicting priorities. 

 Analysis of Sri Lanka’s public finances further provides convincing evidence that the absence of a dedicated Minister of Finance has undermined revenue collection. From post independence to around 1990, Sri Lanka’s tax revenue averaged over 20 per cent. At present Sri Lanka has one of the lowest income tax rates compared to peer countries as well as a tax threshold which is several times its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita.

The Advocata Institute, therefore, welcomes the government decision to appoint a dedicated Minister of Finance.

Key Points:

  • A dedicated Minister of Finance is beneficial to effective public Finance management.

  • The Advocata Institute welcomes the appointment of a full-time Minister of Finance.

  • Poor public finance management and poor revenue collection are partly a result of a lack of a dedicated Minister of Finance.

  • Understanding the seriousness of the present crisis and utilising pragmatic public policies is the way forward.

[1] The Political Economy of Long-Term Revenue Decline in Sri Lanka, Mick Moore, ICTD Working Paper 65, February 2017

 

June Food Prices Increase by 14.3 %

Originally appeared in the Daily FT and Daily Mirror

Advocata’s Bath Curry Indicator (BCI) which tracks the monthly changes in the price of food recorded a jump of 14.3%  for the month of  June 2021. 

The month of June experienced an increase in prices comparatively to the month of May, according to the basket of food tracked by the BCI.

The 3 items that contributed most to this increase were:

For the month of June 2021, the prices of green chillies, coconut, and beans, increased by 64%, 33% and 17% respectively. Likewise, the prices of Samba rice, pumpkin, Brinjals, Dhal and red onions also experienced minor increases in prices as well.

 In comparison to the month of June 2020, the BCI has increased by 30%, for 2021, which translates that an average family of 4 that spent Rs.1,136 on this basket of goods for a week in May, would pay Rs.1, 299 for the same amount of goods in a week in June.

 The BCI tracks the weekly retail prices in the Colombo market of the most commonly consumed food ingredients that might be used in a typical Buth curry meal. The prices are collected from the “Weekly Indicators” that the Central Bank publishes.

The BCI Indicator can be accessed at www.bci.advocata.org.

Advocata's Sathya Karunarathne Wins Asia Think Tank Shark Tank Competition

Originally appeared on the Daily FT, The Morning

Advocata Institute secures a $10,000 project grant for research work on improving women’s property rights.

Sathya Karunarathne, Research Analyst, from Colombo based independent policy think-tank Advocata Institute won the coveted Asia Think-Tank Shark Tank competition for the proposal to expand their work on economic freedom for women, specifically on women’s property rights in Sri Lanka. 

The Asia Liberty Forum Think Tank Shark Tank competition is a rigorous project pitch that identifies the best project out of Think Tanks in the region.  The winning think tank is awarded a grant to implement the proposed research project.

As highlighted by Sathya during her pitch “Sri Lankan women’s property rights are not firmly established in the legal system. A 2002 survey by the Agriculture and Environment Statistics Division highlighted that only 16 per cent of privately owned land in the country belongs to females. The lack of updated, gender-disaggregated data makes it difficult to fully understand the extent of this problem”.

The project has three major components; the research effort that will focus on formulating a policy brief on the issue, the communication effort to create awareness on the issue, and an advocacy campaign to highlight to policymakers the importance of property rights, and the urgency of revising these gender discriminatory laws.

As an independent public policy think-tank, the Advocata Institute looks forward to implementing this project in order to improve the ownership of property by women. Securing property rights for women will secure many more rights such as the ability to grow and sell crops, obtain agricultural services and assets, and access debt capital from formal financial institutions with lower interest rates.

Looking beyond awareness, the Advocata Institute hopes to lobby policymakers to amend existing gender-discriminatory land inheritance laws, in line with the equality provisions in the Article 12 of the Constitution of 1978 that recognises all individuals as equal in front of the law and worthy of equal protection.

Advocata is an independent policy think tank based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. We conduct research, provide commentary and hold events to promote sound policy ideas compatible with a free society in Sri Lanka. Visit advocata.org for more information.

Advocata Conversations Pricing Fuel & Energy : Lessons From India with Dr Narayan and Murtaza Jafferjee-

The Advocata Institute hosted a live conversation with Dr S Narayan, Former Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Department of Petroleum and Industrial Development | Former Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister of India and Murtaza Jafferjee, Chair of Advocata Institute on 'Pricing Fuel and Energy: Lessons From India'. The conversation was live-streamed on ZOOM, Facebook and Youtube on Thursday, June 24 at 10.30 AM.

Click here to watch the full conversation

Click here to access the presentation by Murtaza Jafferjee

Click here to access the updated presentation by Murtaza Jafferjee

Click here to access the updated presentation 20/02/2022

K D Vimanga on Newsline in conversation with Sharlan Benedict 22/06/2021

K D Vimanga, Policy Analyst at Advocata Insitute on News1st NEWSLINE program 22/06/2021. She addresses the policy stability the need of the hour on Newsline with Sharlan Benedict.

"The most important thing we need to realize about public policy is that it deals with peoples issues and the issues that impact their livelihood. And then we analyze those issues. As a policy-maker or policy analyst what we do is try and propose solutions that are equitable, in line with the development and with other factors. The problem in Sri Lanka is that we haven't prioritized this process."

Click here to watch the full video:

Dr. Roshan Perera on Newsline in conversation with Sharlan Benedict 18/06/2021

Dr. Roshan Perera, Senior Visiting Fellow at Advocata Insitute on News1st NEWSLINE program 18/06/2021. She addresses the policy stability the need of the hour on Newsline with Sharlan Benedict.

"The fundamental problem that Sri Lanka is facing, which it has been for decades, is our twin deficit problem. We have both a fiscal and external deficit. Basically, we have been living beyond our means and consuming more than we produce. We must address this problem."

Click here to watch the full video:

SL's COVID Response & the Role of the Private Sector with Dr. Rannan-Eliya, Dr. Lakith Peiris and Shyam Sathasivam

Sri Lanka’s Covid19 response and what role does the private sector play?

The Advocata Institute hosted a Twitter Spaces on ‘Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 Response: What is the role of the private sector? with. Ravindra P. Rannan-Eliya, Executive Director & Fellow at Institute for Health Policy, Dr. Lakith Peiris, President of APHNH and Managing Director of Hemas Hospitals Sri Lanka & the Laboratory Chain, and Shyam Sathasivam, Executive Director of Sunshine Healthcare Lanka Ltd

Listen to the conversation as they discuss the topic with Advocata, Research Manager, Aneetha Warusavitarana.

This originally aired on Twitter Spaces on Thursday (June 17, 2021) at 8.00.P.M

Follow @advocatalk on Twitter for future chats on Twitter Spaces. https://twitter.com/advocatalk

You can listen to the full discussion on soundcloud

You can listen to the full discussion on Youtube

Murtaza Jafferjee on Face the Nation: Overcoming Sri Lanka's economic woes

Murtaza Jafferjee Chair of Advocata Institute was featured on the News1st Face the Nation: Overcoming Sri Lanka's economic woes that was aired on the 14th of April 2021.

'It is a pity that we have been playing politics with fuel prices. The first time I recollect a fuel pricing formula was put into operation was back in the early 2000s. In 2005 this program was suspended by the new government. It's by far the single largest component of our import bill. So it's vital that we price it correctly. This price increase was long overdue. Even now we are running at a loss.' - Murtaza Jafferjee

Click here to watch the full video:

Aneetha Warusavitarana on the much debated fuel price hike 'Talk of the Town'

Aneetha Warusavitarana (Research Manager at the Advocata Institute) was feautured on the newest episode of 'Talk of the Town' on Yes 101 on June 14 speaking on the much debated fuel price hike.


'We need to face the reality of the situation that Sri Lanka needs to purchase fuel. Then you need to think of how this must be done in a sustainable manner so you don't see intermittent increases that invariably end up hurting the consumer. And the solution to that I believe, is to introduce a price formula.

Aneetha Warusavitarana on Newsline in conversation with Sharlan Benedict 14/06/2021

Aneetha Warusavitarana (Research Manager at the Advocata Institute) speaks about the fuel pricing mechanisms & economy. SHe addresses this on Newsline with Sharlan Benedict. June 14, 2021.

'Ideally the solution that would work best here is a fuel pricing formula. A crucial factor is that this formula is transparent. The way in which it is calculated should be made available to the public, it should be vetted by the relevant authorities and we should be able to understand how this formula works and how it is linked to international changes in fuel prices.'

Click here to watch the full video:

COVID and Education w/ Dr. Sujata Gamage and Dr. Tara De Mel

Will the COVID-19 Education Crisis become a generational catastrophe?

The Advocata Institute hosted a Twitter Spaces on COVID-19 & Education with Senior Research Fellow at LIRNEasia, and Advocata Institute Advisor Dr. Sujata Gamage, and Former Secretary, Ministry of Education and Co-founder of Education Forum Sri Lanka, Dr. Tara De Mel.

Listen to the conversation as they discuss the topic with Sumhiya Sallay (Advocata Institute).

This originally aired on Twitter Spaces on Monday (May 31, 2021) at 6.30P.M
Follow @advocatalk on Twitter for future chats on Twitter Spaces. https://twitter.com/advocatalk

You can listen to the full discussion on soundcloud

You can listen to the full discussion on Youtube

"Consider all teachers as frontline workers and vaccinate them"- Dr Sujata Gamage.


Dr Sujata Gamage, an advisor to the Advocata Institute in her capacity as the Education Forum Sri Lanka co-coordinator, has called upon the government to take urgent steps to avoid the Covid education crisis becoming a generational catastrophe. The Covid-19 pandemic is not going to go away anytime soon. Therefore, even in the midst of a third  wave of infections, education authorities should be planning to open schools at the earliest  opportunity.

Do not let the Covid education crisis become a generational catastrophe

The whole world is in the middle of a pandemic. Beginning around March 2020 schools across the  world had to close at once, for the first time since World War II. The health crisis created by the  pandemic is obviously the number one priority of governments. The economic crisis the pandemic has  caused too is taken as a serious concern by governments. Unfortunately, the gravity of the Covid  education crisis is yet to be fully appreciated. We will recover eventually from the pandemic; We will recover from the economic crisis too; But the long-term effects of the loss of education for children  will last a generation or more. As António Guterres, Secretary General of the UN said:  

“Covid has led to the largest disruption in education ever. It is a generational catastrophe that would  waste untold human potential, undermine decades of progress in getting children to school and  exacerbate existing inequalities.” 

Schools have been closed for more than 16 months and the difficulties of being trapped indoors for  children and their families are all too well familiar. Less familiar is the fact that not all homes are safe  places for children. Disputes or even violence in the family affect the children. In some cases, children  are abused and there is no teacher or other caring adult to whom to confide. Some children who used  to get a midday lunch at school may be affected nutritionally. Yet, these are somewhat short-term  issues because they would subside once schools start. But the long-term consequences are more  serious. 

In the long-term, students who were already at the risk of dropping out even before the pandemic are  very likely to not return when schools start. Secondly, whether the schools are open or not, the  growth of these children, including their brain growth, will continue. If their education does not  parallel this natural growth, there will be severe deficiencies in the intellectual development of these  children. This deficiency is now known by education experts around the world as Covid Learning Loss.  Schools need to do diagnostic tests to understand the extent of this loss and take remedial measures. 

This Covid-19 pandemic is not going to go away anytime soon. Therefore, even in the midst of a third  wave of infections, education authorities should be planning to open schools at the earliest  opportunity. Not all schools can or should be opened on the same day. Regional or even school-wise  differences in each region need to be considered.  

The first step in such a plan is to consider all teachers as frontline workers and vaccinate them, perhaps  prioritizing teachers in high-risk areas. Once schools start children should be tested regularly for Covid  using low-cost methods. As mentioned before, diagnostics tests should be carried to assess the  learning loss of each child and remedial action taken, as necessary.  

If we do not take those steps with an urgency, the educational crisis of this epidemic will turn into an  education catastrophe that will affect generations to come. 

Sujata Gamage and Tara de Mel 

Co-coordinators

Media coverage on Advocata Colombo Port City Debate! Live Fireside Commentary

Sri Lanka Port City still at risk of incompetent regulators: Samarajiva

Economy Next: Sri Lanka’s China-backed Colombo Port City, which has attempted to cut through a regulatory morass that is holding back the rest of the country via a fast-track ‘single window’ law is still at risk of delays from incompetent regulators, a top policy specialist has warned.

Rohan Samarajiva, the founder of LIRNEasia, a regional policy research body and former regulator of Sri Lanka’s telecom sector who carried out an extensive de-regulation, says the state ends up regulatory activities of citizens in multiple ways.

“We talk about regulators as some special breed but quite a lot of what the government does is regulations,” Samarajiva said at a seminar organized by Advocata Institute, a Colombo based think tank.

“The difference is that there are entities that do formal explicit regulations, rule-bound; and there are those that can say yes or no therefore regulate but don’t necessarily do in that in a formalized manner.”

Limiting Discretion

Regulations become unclear to investors and the general public and also lead to corruption where there is room or discretion for officials to vary decisions. Delaying decisions also make it difficult to get anything done at all.

“I believe it important to make regulations more efficient and the whole essence of regulations is something called discretion – that is the ability to say yes or no,” Samarajiva said.

“To bound that and to limit that. Of course, you have to say yes or no but to bind it.”

The Port City bill was passed to cut regulatory barriers through a ‘single window’ for investment approvals as the government was called upon to start a state regulator for beauty pageants by people who believe the coercive state with a broken public sector is better at it.

“Why is this concept important? To do any one thing you can ask how many steps you must go through and places you have to go through and any of those places can slow you down due to incompetence,” explained Samarajiva.

“When you talk about the basic concept of greater Colombo Economic Commission law from 1978, the BOI and all the work that was done in the last few years on improvising Sri Lanka’s position in the ease of doing business index; all these hinge on a central concept that is the ‘single window’.

“The whole point of all these activities – I’m not saying it is unique to the Port City bill – but the whole point of all these is the single window concept of simplifying things for the investor.”

Read the full article