The Silk Road Journal by Mahika Ming The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) allocated more than USD 831 billion on education in 2020 which is an increase of more than 5.5% from the allocation in 2019 (more than 4% of national GDP). In the PRC most media organizations are under the purview of the ministry…
A recent national survey conducted by LIRNEasia, a regional policy think tank, showed that 44% of Sri Lanka’s population aged 15 and above were internet users in 2021. Internet use was lower amongst the rural, elderly, less educated and poorer groups. Those residing in rural areas, for example, were 19% less likely to be online…
A new survey shows that 85% of enrolled school-aged children had some form of education services during school closures between March and July 2020. While some received educational services through multiple means, 54% of students received information, instructions, notes, or assignments sent to smartphone, tab, or computer, 50% had live lessons delivered over Zoom and…
By Sarojinie Jayasekara Recently, Sri Lanka’s environmental issues have seen an uptick due to circumstances, at times, beyond our control. Additionally, the irresponsible disposal of polythene and plastics have been an unending issue for the country; data shows that polythene and plastic comprise more than 5.9% of the country’s urban solid waste, which exceeds 400,000…
Says Saminda Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law According to the report on Land Tenure Considerations in Sri Lanka’s Proposed National REDD+ Strategy Sri Lanka UN-REDD Programme, 82.25% of the land in the country is owned by the government while only 17.75% is owned privately. As the value of this land appreciates each year, and property is transacted between…
Advocata’s Bath Curry Indicator (BCI) which tracks the monthly changes in the price of a basket of commonly consumed food items recorded the highest retail prices since 2019. Since 2019, prices have increased by 44%. This means that an average family, who spent Rs. 960 weekly on the BCI basket of food items in November…
Headline inflation, as measured by the year-onyear (Y-o-Y) change in the Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI, 2013=100), increased to 9.9 per cent in November 2021 from 7.6 per cent in October 2021. Meanwhile, the CCPI measured on an annual average basis, increased to 5.3 per cent in November 2021 from 4.8 per cent in October 2021. Inflation was driven by monthly…
By: Charith Gamage Cryptocurrencies together with Decentralised Finance (DeFi), the finance ecosystem that extends cryptocurrencies into banking territory, can positively impact developing countries. But it is not quite so straightforward and is still a double-edged sword for developing markets like Sri Lanka. So, how should the country position itself to face the key challenges ahead?…
By Shirendra Lawrence The emergence of apparel and textiles as a significant contributor to Sri Lanka’s economy began post-Independence in 1948 when a few pioneering industrialists saw opportunities in its domestic market. Following the liberalization of the economy in the late 70’s, the industry ventured into exports, bringing in much needed foreign exchange, and before…
Business sentiment trends down in the wake of lingering concerns among corporates The trade deficit narrowed in September on the back of exports recording earnings in excess of a billion dollars for the fourth consecutive month this year. According to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), this alongside import expenditure remaining largely the same…
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