---- Programme and Resources----

8:30 – 9:00            Registration

9:00 – 10:30          Inauguration

9.00 – 9:10            Welcome & Introductory:               Saman Kelegama, Executive Director, Institute of Policy Studies

9:10 – 9:30            Opening Remarks:                            Naoko Ishii, Country Director of Sri Lanka, World Bank

9:30 – 10:10          Launch of the ‘Global Economic Prospects 2009’ Report:  
                                                                                                      Shekhar Shah, Regional Economic Advisor – South Asia, World Bank

10:10 – 10:30       Address by the Chief Guest:           Hon. Sarath Amunugama,
                                                                                                Minister of Public Administration
                                                                                                & Home Affairs & the Deputy Minister of Finance                      
10:30 – 11:00       Tea/Coffee

11:00–13:15          Session I:       Global Financial Crisis & Regional Economic Prospects
                                 Chair:              Shekhar Shah, Regional Economic Advisor – South Asia, World Bank

11:00–11:20         Speaker I:       Sakib Sherani, Chief Economist, Royal Bank of Scotland, Pakistan

11:20–11:40         Speaker II:      Ajay Shah, Senior Fellow, National Institute for Public Finance & Policy, New Delhi

11:40–12:40         Discussants:   Richard Vokes, Country Director, Sri Lanka Resident Mission, Asian Development Bank
                                                            H.N. Thenuwara, Assistant Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka                        
                                                            Nihal Fonseka, General Manager/CEO, DFCC
                                                            W.D. Lakshman, Economic Advisor, Ministry of Finance & Planning                                       
                                                            Anura Ekanayake, Vice Chairman, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce        
                     
12:40–13:15         Floor Discussion

13:15 – 14:15        Lunch

14:15–16:45          Session II:       Responding to the Global Economic Crisis
                                 Chair:               Saman Kelegama, Executive Director, Institute of Policy Studies

14:15–14:45         Speaker I:       International Response to the Crisis
                                                           Claus Astrup, Senior Country Economist,
                                                           South Asia Poverty Reduction & Economic Mgmt, World Bank

14:45–15:15          Speaker II:     Sri Lanka’s Response to the Crisis
                                                           Dushni Weerakoon, Deputy Director, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka

15:15–16:15          Discussants:  Uthum Herat, Assistant Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka
                                                           Deva Rodrigo, Former Member of the Monetary Board, Central Bank of Sri Lanka
                                                           Anila Dias Bandaranaike, Former Assistant Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka
                                                           Sirimal Abeyratne, Department of Economics, University of Colombo
                                                           Nihal Welikala, Advisor, National Development Bank

16:15–16:45         Floor Discussion

16:45–17:00         Concluding Remarks & Way Forward
                                Deshal De Mel, Research Economist, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka
    
17:00                     Tea & End of Conference

Media Highlights

The Island, 25 February, 2009-- Global Economic Crisis deeper than expected……”

Lanka Business Online, 22 February, 2009-- “Sri Lanka Banking Sector needs Consolidation: Banker”

The Island, 22 February, 2009

Lanka Business Online, 19 February, 2009-- “Sri Lanka must sacrifice growth for stability: Economist”