President Mahinda Rajapaksa, accompanied by his wife Shiranthi Rajapaksa arrives for the opening ceremony of the southern highway in Welipenna, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Nov. 27, 2011.
by Jehan Perera
There is a hope that Sri Lanka is on the verge of economic take-off, which is yet to happen. The government takes the public position that all is well with its plans to make the country an economic success story. The growth figure of 7 to 8 per cent is given as proof that development is happening. For a small country like Sri Lanka it is important that economic relations with other countries are secured so that markets are obtained for what the country produces. However, the connection between economics and politics needs to be borne in mind. Sri Lanka lost the European Union’s GSP Plus tariff privilege on account of its inability to meet human rights standards.Read more...
