SubhashiniAbeysinghe

Economist

[Nishan de Mel @NCdeMel]

To keep pricing fuel on our cost recovery formula?
or not to--and give relief?

We hear this question a lot in #SriLanka with the global price shock triggered by war on Iran.

Good news! it's not a binary choice. Both are possible

1. Fully recover cost
2. Give relief to people

[Nishan de Mel @NCdeMel]

Is #SriLanka making a mistake in seeking IMF's RFI loan?
https://t.co/JOi6albh0W

Important for #LKA to take calculated, not knee-jerk steps to fund its #CycloneDitwah recovery.

Read the thread to learn why RFI loan from IMF is possibly quite adverse in the current context.

1/6

[Shashank Mattoo @MattooShashank]

Donald Trump is breaking the India-US relationship

A massive crisis now threatens one of the world's most important strategic partnerships

🧵on the Trump-India saga

[SubhashiniAbeysinghe @subhashini227]

PIIE Global Economic Prospects https://t.co/FSrP4ci3jf

[SubhashiniAbeysinghe @subhashini227]

I understand the frustration, I agree with the diagnosis, but we need to be extremely careful not to use solutions that make the illness worse - Ray Dalio

https://t.co/pHLDZ0ivXV

[SubhashiniAbeysinghe @subhashini227]

The WTO and the global rules-based trading system were likened by some to oxygen – you take it for granted until it is absent. The vacuum that global trade is about to enter may find economies throughout the world gasping for breath sooner than they think. https://t.co/oUrwqmTLwF

[SubhashiniAbeysinghe @subhashini227]

Tariffs War: China Raises Levies on US Goods to 125% https://t.co/fOmIpJ9sbe

[SubhashiniAbeysinghe @subhashini227]

According to the WTO, merchandise trade between China and the United States can decrease by 80% as a result of the escalating trade war between the two countries - https://t.co/7DsCnxBb4x

[Verité Research @VeriteResearch]

🌊 Riding the Indian Wave: World’s 5th Largest Economy on Sri Lanka’s Shores 🌊

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 of our Riding the Indian Wave conference will focus on Sri Lanka's strategic advantage in transport, logistics, and renewable energy to drive sustainable growth.

Join us on 27th March 2025, from 02:15 PM to 03:45 PM (UTC +5.30), for an in-depth discussion on "Connectivity Unbound: Leveraging Transport, Logistics, and Renewable Energy for Sustainable Growth".

🔴 Key Highlights:

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 & 𝐋𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬: Explore how Sri Lanka can seize new opportunities from India’s booming manufacturing sector and its growing integration into global supply chains.

𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲: Uncover opportunities for grid interlinking and renewable energy cooperation that can bolster sustainable supply chains across South Asia.

🔴 Panelists:

💡 Mr. Romesh David, CEO, SAGT (South Asia Gateway Terminals)
💡 Mr. Tamal Roy , President, J M Baxi Group, India
💡 Mr. Karma Tshewang, Chief Engineer, Ministry of Energy, Bhutan (Virtual Appearance)
💡 Dr. Pradeep Perera, Former Principal Energy Specialist, Asian Development Bank
💡 Mr. Vishvanath Daluwatte, Group Management Committee Member, Hayleys Advantis

🔴 Co-moderated by:

📍 Ms. Dhashma Karunaratne – Chief Commercial Officer, Colombo West International Terminal
📍 Mr. Damitha Kumarasinghe – Director General, Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka

🔴 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: In-person registrations have now closed, but online registrations are still open for those wishing to attend virtually via Zoom.

👉 Register: https://t.co/ZUcoIGYksh

🔸 Organised by Verité Research, with the support of the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka (@IndiainSL), and with the partnership of Hayleys Advantis Limited.

#srilanka #india #trade

[Verité Research @VeriteResearch]

📢 Join Us – Online Conference! 📢

Verité Research is hosting "Riding the Indian Wave: The World’s 5th Largest Economy on Sri Lanka’s Shores"

🔴How can Sri Lanka benefit from India's rapid economic rise?

🔴What trade & investment opportunities exist?

Join leading experts at our regional conference, organised with the support of @IndiainSL. Virtual access now open—register today!

📅 27 March 2025, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
💻 To Register: https://t.co/7fTcgONhZ4

#SriLanka #India

[PublicFinance.lk @PublicFinanceLK]

The Money Heist from Sri Lanka’s EPF

The systematic methods of extracting EPF funds for the profit of private parties and government interests are a money heist of a colossal scale.

Earlier this week, Minister Vijitha Herath announced that legal action is underway regarding a part of that heist, known as the "bond scam".

The data that can expose it fully is yet concealed. But some limited data is available from the Central Bank forensic audit of 2019.

The forensic audit revealed that the EPF lost nearly LKR 10 billion from just the irregular bond transactions prior to February 2015.

But that could be just the tip of the iceberg. Because the forensic audits didn’t cover the “bond scam” period, and the heist occurs in various other ways as well.

In Sri Lanka, 20% of the gross income of formal sector workers is contributed to the EPF as savings for retirement. That means that the continuous heist from the EPF is hurting the future social security of today’s formal sector workers – that could include you!

Over the years, @VeriteResearch has done extensive work on issues with management and returns of the EPF. You can access them here: https://t.co/QA61BMQNIT

Stay tuned for a new report on losses detected by the forensic audit in the bond market and stock market – to be released soon by @VeriteResearch .

[ManthriLK @ManthriLK]

🎯Election results just got more exciting!
Tomorrow, for the first time in Sri Lanka, we’re launching a cutting-edge vote tracker that gives you live updates, district-wise vote breakdowns, and much more.
Stay tuned to learn more❗️
#PresidentialElection2024 #FirstOfItsKind

[PublicFinance.lk @PublicFinanceLK]

The recently enacted Economic Transformation Act sets a primary balance target of 2.3% of GDP annually till 2032 for #SriLanka. However, the country has achieved a primary balance of 2.3% or higher only once since 1950. Based on that record, do you think this target is realistic and achievable?
Read more: https://t.co/wN81WuKSqc

[CSDR @CSDR_India]

🚨EVENT ALERT🚨

Roundtable Discussion on:

"Foreign Economic Engagement in South Asia: Opportunities and Challenges"

July 24th, 1530-1700 hrs IST, New Delhi.

Can't make it in person? Join us online!

Confirm your spot, register now: https://t.co/qD6KaBoiLB

@SouthAsianUni @HappymonJacob @LtGenHooda @rakeshnms @kathuria_rajat @VeriteResearch @Mathisha1234 @rivagdas @jnu_ir @dhananjayjnu

#SouthAsia #EconomicEngagement #RoundtableDiscussion

[CSDR @CSDR_India]

Thank you, FES-India (@FESinAsia), for hosting SAFF fellow (https://t.co/M6QoeyZox0) Mathisha Arangala (@Mathisha1234), Lead Economist at @VeriteResearch, & currently a SAFF fellow at CSDR, for a discussion on 'Implications of Geoeconomic competition in the Colombo Port: A Sri Lankan Perspective.'

[Verité Research @VeriteResearch]

The FTA #SriLanka signed with Thailand this year shows that the reason for #lka's failure to increase exports to Southeast Asian countries is not a lack of duty-free market access, note @subhashini227 & @Mathisha1234 of Verité Research.

Read article: https://t.co/kAgN423f8B

[Verité Research @VeriteResearch]

#SriLanka has the worst record among South Asian countries in blacklisting corrupt contractors in public procurement, with critical gaps in the procurement guidelines as well as a lack of compliance, according to a new report by Verité Research.

[SubhashiniAbeysinghe @subhashini227]

“A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It’s where the rich use public transportation.”
Gustavo Petro, former Mayor of Bogotá

Sadly, LK seems to be going in the opposite direction. Insightful article by Sanjay de Silva
https://t.co/x4lb0XTogf

[Nature is Amazing ☘️ @AMAZlNGNATURE]

A young elephant hears his name and decides to interrupt an interview

[Namini Wijedasa @nimilamalee]

The health sector investigation is the single longest one I've done in a while, starting December 2022. Had we kept silent, or given up, many more innocent users of government hospitals would have died or suffered. That is now blatantly clear.