Centre for Poverty Analysis

12/08/2026

Nature is becoming a strategic asset for business. Join the conversation on biodiversity finance, disclosure, and investment pathways that can unlock long-term value in a nature-positive economy.

Join Breakout Session III with a distinguished panel featuring Dr. Sampath Wahala, Mr. Krishna Ranagala, Mr. Dushan Ranasinghe, and Mr. Roshan Ranawake, moderated by Ms. Piyumi Sumanasekara, with expert remarks by Emeritus Prof. Sirimal Abeyratne.

📅 25th August 2026 (Tuesday)
📍 Lotus Ballroom, Shangri-La Colombo
🕚 11.00 AM – 12.30 PM

Scan the QR code or register with the below link.

https://forms.gle/Wcfxj4YK7Qs1fwzJA



Hatton National Bank PLC
Dilmah Conservation
Dilmah Tea

10/08/2026

A 99.5% overnight tax cut on sugar. A warehouse raid uncovering 4,250 metric tons of expired stock. And consumers who may have unknowingly bought relabelled, expired sugar from supermarket shelves.

In this week's Sunday Times column, CEPA Executive Director Prof. Sirimal Abeyratne unpacks the economics behind Sri Lanka's sugar scandal and what it reveals about the risks of sudden, opaque policy decisions for businesses, consumers and the economy.

Read the full column: https://www.sundaytimes.lk/260809/business-times/sour-ending-of-a-sweet-deal-651369.html

Expired food items are normally considered unsafe for human consumption and should be discarded. This rule applies to expired sugar as well. Yet, unlike milk or meat, sugar does not spoil in the same way. It may clump, discolor, or absorb moisture, but chemically it remains fermentable. That means e...

10/08/2026

More Sri Lankan students are studying abroad than ever, but access is far from equal.

Our latest blog, by CEPA Research Professional Kalara Perera, looks at who can and cannot access international education, and why growing numbers should not be mistaken for equal opportunity.

🔗Read the full blog: https://cepa.lk/blog/who-gets-to-study-abroad-inequalities-in-sri-lankan-student-mobility-to-the-global-north/

06/08/2026

Private sector stakeholders came together today for a consultation under the Pasikudah Marine, Coastal and Community Tourism Development Initiative to explore opportunities for collaboration and strengthen engagement in tourism development.

The initiative is implemented by CEPA with the support of UNDP Sri Lanka and ADB Sri Lanka.

05/08/2026

Public sector stakeholders came together for a consultation under the Pasikudah Marine, Coastal and Community Tourism Development Initiative to strengthen collaboration and support the future development of Pasikudah as a marine, coastal and community tourism destination.

The initiative is implemented by CEPA with the support of ADB Sri Lanka and UNDP Sri Lanka.

Follow 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐤𝐮𝐝𝐚𝐡 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 for updates from the initiative.

05/08/2026

Our research on ageing and care poverty in Sri Lanka's hill communities, by Senior Research Professional Nilupulee Rathnayake, is featured on Development Asia.

In , the share of the population aged 60 and above is expected to reach one in four by 2042. Care poverty—a situation in which people who need care are lacking support—is an increasing concern, especially in poor, geographically isolated areas.

Sri Lanka can make its care systems more accessible for older people in isolated villages by
1️⃣ establishing more community-based and home-supported care services
2️⃣ considering geography in preparedness and social protection programs
3️⃣ providing allowances to unpaid caregivers, and
4️⃣ reducing vulnerability in old age through expanded coverage.

🟠 READ https://development.asia/insight/when-geography-shapes-aging-care-poverty-sri-lankas-hill-communities

Centre for Poverty Analysis

05/08/2026

When electricity tariffs rose steeply after Sri Lanka's 2022 economic crisis, households made difficult choices about what to switch off. The rice cooker. The washing machine. The electric kettle. One by one, the appliances that had made women's care work faster and easier disappeared and the hours they had saved came back.

In our latest blog, Harini Fernando and Oshini Kularathne at CEPA unpack what tariff hikes actually cost women: not in money, but in time, labour and health.

🔗Read the full blog here: https://cepa.lk/blog/when-the-lights-go-out-women-pay-the-highest-price/

04/08/2026

"Increasing numbers alone should not be mistaken for equal opportunity."

In this week's Below the Line column in the Sunday Observer, CEPA Research Professional Kalara Perera asks a question that rarely gets asked: who actually gets to study abroad?

🔗 Read the full article: https://www.sundayobserver.lk/2026/08/02/business/81892/inequalities-in-student-mobility-to-the-global-north/

Studying abroad has become an aspiration for many young Sri Lankans. It’s more than merely earning a degree abroad. It’s about professional advancement, personal independence, international exposure, and the possibility…

28/07/2026

"There is no freedom. We work like a machine from 4 in the morning until 10 at night."

When electricity became unaffordable after the 2022 crisis, Sri Lankan households switched off the appliances that had eased women's care work, and the lost hours returned as handwashing, firewood collection, and cooking that cannot be left unattended. A new CEPA study across twelve districts finds women absorbed the heaviest cost, in time and physical labour.

Our latest Below the Line column in the Sunday Observer, by Harini Fernando and Oshini Kularathne, tells that story.

🔗Read the full article: https://www.sundayobserver.lk/2026/07/26/business/81427/electricity-costs-and-the-changing-dynamics-of-household-care-work/

15/07/2026

On 13th July 2026, CEPA hosted the 39th session of Research, Reflection and Practices (RRP): Building the Foundation for Sustainable Growth in Sri Lanka through Regional Integration and Domestic Transformation.

The session brought together two papers on Sri Lanka's pathways to sustainable post-crisis growth.

Dr Thamali Ranasinghe presented "Transforming Indian Tourists to Tourism Investors," exploring tourism as a pathway to investment and stronger India–Sri Lanka ties. Mr Maximilian te Velde presented "Cluster Development in Sri Lanka: A Case Study of the Garment Sector," examining how regional industrial clustering can strengthen productivity and competitiveness.

Each presentation was followed by discussion and Q&A, with valuable insights from the audience that will help shape the next stage of this research.