Bilesha Weeraratne Discusses Economic Impact of COVID-19 on Sri Lanka

IPS Research Fellow and Head of Migration and Urbanisation research, Bilesha Weeraratne, in a live interview on Swarnavahini, on 30 March 2020, discussed the economic impact of COVID19 on Sri Lanka. She noted that a drastic fall in demand for exports, unemployment, social security for the poorest, a decline in tourist arrivals, disruptions to supply chains, and a significant decrease in remittances were some of the major challenges that Sri Lanka will have to face due to the pandemic. Dr. Weeraratne highlighted that immediate relief measures in Sri Lanka has to be well targeted, while global economic recovery efforts need to be synchronised and coordinated.