Now showing items 1-20 of 164

    • 10 years since the infamous "bond scam" 

      Public Finance Infographics;
      Econ Team
      (Colombo: Verité Research, 2025-02-27)
      The 27th of February marks ten years since the infamous “bond scam” of 2015. This resulted in a forensic audit, completed in 2019, on activities of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) with regard to bond market auctions ...
    • 2023 Budget's revenue target missed by LKR 382 Bn 

      Public Finance Infographics;
      Econ Team
      (Verité Research, 2024-08)
      The Ministry of Finance Annual Report, released on 31st May 2024, shows that in 2023, total revenue including grants fell short of the Budget target by LKR 382 billion or 11%. In 2023, actual total revenue and grants ...
    • 2023 government expenditure surge matches the increase in interest payments​ 

      Public Finance Infographics;
      Econ Team
      (Colombo: Verite Research, 2024-06-26)
      Government spending increased by 20% in 2023, reaching LKR 5,357 billion, up from LKR 4,473 billion in 2022. This LKR 884 billion increase was primarily due to an LKR 890 billion rise in interest payments. In contrast, ...
    • 2025 Vote on Account: Revenue and expenditure - Revenue increase is less than the increase in primary expenditure 

      Public Finance Infographics;
      Econ Team
      (Colombo: Verité Research, 2024-12-13)
      On 6 December, Parliament approved the 2025 Vote on Account, allocating funds for the first four months of the year. For January to April 2025, primary expenditure—which includes both recurring and capital spending but ...
    • 9 Years Since Bond Scam 

      Public Finance Infographics;
      Econ Team
      (Colombo: Verité Research, 2024-02-27)
      The 27th of February marks nine years since the infamous “bond scam” of 2015. This resulted in a forensic audit, completed in 2019, on activities of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) with regard to bond market auctions ...
    • Agriculture: Key NPP manifesto promises 

      Public Finance Infographics;
      Econ Team
      (Colombo: Verité Research, 2025-02-13)
      The NPP Presidential Election manifesto for 2024 outlines several new promises to address the existing challenges in the agricultural sector, including low production efficiency, high costs, and the decline of key export ...
    • Analysis of Sri Lanka's improved position in the 'Doing Business Index' 2012 

      Econ Team (Colombo: Verité Research, 2011-11-01)
      The World Bank’s ‘Doing Business Index’ measures the ease with which domestic small and medium sized enterprises can do business in their home countries. Between 2011 and 2012, Sri Lanka’s rank in the Doing Business Index ...
    • Appropriation Bill 2025: Ministerial allocations 

      Public Finance Infographics;
      Econ Team
      (Colombo: Verité Research, 2025-01-07)
      The Appropriation Bill for 2025, presented to Parliament on 9 January 2025, allocates funds for government spending for the full year of 2025 – following the Vote on Account which only allocated funds for the first 4 months ...
    • Average Time Taken to Restructure Debt 

      Public Finance Infographics;
      Econ Team
      (2022-06)
      A country resorts to debt restructuring when its public debt is unsustainable. Debt restructuring involves a substantive default on existing debt contracts. This can occur through an orderly or disorderly process. An orderly ...
    • Benefits of Adopting Measures to Facilitate Trade: A Case Study on Forest Permits for Exporting Horticultural Products 

      Research Brief;September 2024
      Econ Team
      (Colombo: Verité Research, 2024-09)
      Governments often mandate that traders secure permits before importing or exporting certain products to fulfill objectives such as protecting endangered species, endemic flora, and ensuring consumer safety. The time, cost, ...
    • Bloomberg Markets Predicts LKR's Possible Depreciation Against USD 

      Econ Team (Colombo: Verite Research, 2023-06-02)
      Bloomberg reported that the Sri Lankan rupee may deteriorate as a result of upcoming debt repayments. In March 2023 Verite Research took the view that greater volatility in exchange rates increases uncertainty and risk for ...
    • Budget performance 2023 - Expenditure: Limit overshot by LKR 104 billion 

      Public Finance Infographics;
      Econ Team
      (Colombo: Verite Research, 2024)
      The Ministry of Finance Annual Report, released on 31st May 2024, shows that in 2023, the Government of Sri Lanka exceeded its total expenditure by LKR 104 billion. The total expenditure budgeted based on the government’s ...
    • Budget Promises: 2021 End Year Assessment Infographics 

      Econ Team (2022)
      For the end year assessment of the 2021 budget, 37 RTI requests were filed to 28 implementing government agencies for information on Expenditure Proposals and Verité filed 12 RTI requests with 9 implementing government ...
    • Budget Promises: 2023 End Year Assessment - Infographics 

      Public Finance Infographics;
      Econ Team
      (Colombo: Verite Research, 2024-06)
      For the end-year assessment of the 2023 budget, the top 25 expenditure proposals, worth LKR 49.3 billion, along with seven regulatory proposals, were tracked. The proposals were categorized into five groups based on their ...
    • Budget Promises: Beyond Parliament - 2020 End Year Assessment 

      Econ Team (Colombo: Verite Research, 2021-10)
      Due to the absence of a budget speech in 2020, the public finance platform tracked 24 cabinet decisions—a combination of expenditure and regulatory policy decisions—made from January to June 2020. The decisions tracked ...
    • Budget Transparency: Score card - Sri Lanka is ranked 80th out of 125 countries 

      Public Finance Infographics;
      Econ Team
      (Colombo: Verité Research, 2024-07-31)
      The Open Budget Survey (OBS) is the world’s only independent, comparative, and fact-based research instrument that uses internationally accepted criteria to assess public access to central government budget information, ...
    • CBSL more Optimistic than the IMF 

      Public Finance Infographics;
      Econ Team
      (Colombo: Verite Research, 2023-06-16)
      According to the Annual Report of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) published for the financial year 2022, projected real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth was higher than the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) ...
    • Change in Tariffs on Monthly Electricity Consumption 

      Public Finance Infographics;
      Econ Team
      (Colombo: Verite Research, 2023-02-23)
      Electricity tariffs were initially revised in August 2022, which was the first revision since November 2014. However, in February 2023 tariffs were revised again. For households using less than 60 units, the initial tariffs ...
    • Changes in Allocations to Ministries 

      Public Finance Infographics;
      Econ Team
      (Colombo: Verite Research, 2023-10-13)
      In the Appropriation Bill for 2024, key ministries such as Finance, Defense, Health, Education, Transport, and Highways witness an increase in their allocations. The Ministry of Finance experienced the largest year on ...
    • China Endorses Sri Lanka Debt Plan 

      Econ Team (Colombo: Verite Research, 2023-03-09)
      China has given its approval to Sri Lanka's plan to restructure its international debt, clearing the path for a loan via the IMF's Extended Fund Facility (EFF).