Sri Lanka will this week vote at one of the most decisive periods of governance for the island in the 21st century. Our embattled island moves ahead with complex debt and bail out support agreements with bilateral creditor and multinational agencies, while cost of living remains high and poverty grows fast. The masses have called for radical change in how our house is kept and run, and change seems to be at the doorstep.  

Over the last three months or so, Sri Lankans have been swamped with political manifestos, some ranging into the hundreds of pages, of the leading candidates, and also national strategic plans which spell out the policy priorities and directions of each contender. While many of the contenders have highlighted the hot-button topics, and through their policy declaration, have in some aspects grown closer on the goals they want to reach, there is much more to do. However, there are few key areas which the Government will need to address.

Such key areas include the continued sustainment of the economic recovery, and the completion of the debt restructuring process. However, the State will need to address issues such as poverty and malnutrition, digitisation and automation for improved work efficiency, improving female participation in the workforce and tackling unemployment issues. This will not only require expansion of technical and vocational education and training, and fine tuning Sri Lanka’s foreign employment structure, but also awareness building and empowering female entrepreneurs. Improving public transportation and urban planning address many woes which the population centres face. Advancing the tourism industry is also important, but Sri Lanka should also quickly develop a bigger export basket. An overhaul and upgrade of the education and public health systems and infrastructure of the island is also of vital importance. None of the above will effectively work without reforming the law and order – justice sectors, and providing key social products which will rebuild trust in the State.    The above-mentioned areas are interconnected priority sectors that can contribute effectively to economic growth, if they are implemented through a well-thought-out strategic plan.  The glue that will bind it all together and drive growth is sound and progressive reforms of the governance system.

For example, Sri Lanka has a significant problem with malnutrition, the impact of which may likely be felt through the next few decades. Since 2021 Sri Lanka has recorded a significant growth in child malnutrition. There are serious developments, a recent study has estimated that nearly 90% of households are affected by food insecurity by now. Soaring cost of living has pushed many staple foods and nutrition out of reach of many families. Experts have recommended that a future government removes taxes on basic food items and the raw materials used to make them. They have also advocated relaxation of restrictions placed on food imports. These measures should be followed with a robust and broadened State nutrition support programme. There are calls for better awareness and education about nutrition, food and agriculture, adding that the Government must create the climate for more foreign and local investment in the agriculture sector, especially with new technology.

Women in Sri Lanka’s workforce has been lagging behind when compared to contemporary countries in the region. As of 2023, women in Sri Lanka’s workforce was around 32.5%. The lack of women in the workforce is due to many reasons, but they all impact the economic empowerment of women, and reduce the growth of Sri Lanka’s economy. One of the key issues in Sri Lanka is that most women leave their employment to raise children or to become unpaid caregivers for senior citizens. The restriction imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic also saw a rise in women quitting employment to stay at home and become caregivers. There is a need for legislative, and cultural changes to enable more women to enter and remain in the workforce. Many women who also were entrepreneurs and breadwinners by managing their own micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) fell victim to shut down during Covid-19 pandemic. Proponents and experts have advocated for the Government to enact concrete programmes to encourage and empower women to join or rejoin the workforce. Safety, security and not being exploited from your workplace is also key to attracting more women to the workforce. There is much to be done to educate, upskill and empower women to join the economy.

Sri Lanka’s public transport sector is in shambles, and has long been neglected with minimal funding, Trade union dominance and low efficiency and corruption. There is a need for a common minimum standards of safety, availability, and comfort be applied to all public transport providers. The sector is in dire need of better funding, a better business model, technology and digitalisation, and professional training for the staff. Sri Lanka must move to invest and improve both rail and bus transport systems, with enabling infrastructure also being built. The case of better technical, vocational and professional training to upskill the Sri Lankan workforce, is a proposal that has long been made. Colombo-based think tank Arutha, highlights the need to update curricula and to provide new ones which are suitable for the current market. More funding and resources, especially in terms of infrastructure and competent instructors are needed, alongside industry collaboration for employment prospects to improve.

As such, the new Government has little time to lose, as it finds its feet, there is much to be done.