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About 90% of SL youth under 25 want to go overseas to live comfortably

Published

2 years ago

2024/04/19

By Rathindra Kuruwita

More than 90 percent of youth under 25 believe that they have to go overseas if they are to live comfortably, lecturer at the University of Vocational Technology, H.A Gayan Madushanka, who is one of the authors of a recent study titled ‘Better living, better opportunities: Exploring how economic distress influence the intention to migrate’ says.

The study had been carried out between June and August 2023, he said. 33 percent of respondents have completed an advanced-level coursework, nine percent have completed diploma-level coursework, 59 percent have completed degrees, and one percent have completed doctoral degrees, according to Madushanka.

“About 92 percent feel like this. 66 percent of people we interviewed were in the process of leaving the country. These are people who have at least started learning Korean, seeking employment in South Korea. We also found that 58 percent of the respondents were facing stress because of the economic crisis. There is a lot of uncertainty, and a lot of people don’t think they can achieve their objectives if they stay here,” he said.

Madushanka said they had interviewed a large number of university students and that most students had to stay in Colombo or move to the city to find jobs that match their education level. Many were not certain that it would not be possible with the starting salaries of most of the jobs available, he said.

“On the other hand, young people who have left the country seem to be enjoying a better quality of life. Most undergraduates feel that they, too, need to leave. A lot of undergraduates, who do not come from well off families, are struggling financially,” he said.

Almost all respondents believed that living in Sri Lanka would not provide them with the necessary skills to compete on a global scale.

“Sixty six percent of respondents stated that they would leave the country as soon as a job opportunity presented itself to ensure a better future and to be rewarded for their efforts. Due to uncertainty, nearly one third of respondents said they had lost focus on studies and daily activities. They reported increased anxiety, a lack of uninterrupted sleep, and peer pressure,” he said.

Madushanka said that the beginning of the economic crisis could be traced to Easter Sunday attacks and continued through the COVID lockdowns and the economic crisis. Even young people from well off families started feeling that the country was not a stable place for them to live.

“Even if people have money, their purchasing power has drastically decreased and the services as well. Companies froze recruitment and there were salary cuts. Inflation also rose. Young people feel uncertain about the future,” he said.

Madushanka said they had also come up with a number of policy recommendations that minimise the exodus of youth from the country.

Among the recommendations they had come up with are: make it mandatory for and public sector organisations to recruit a minimum of 25% of their workforce annually from the youth demographic; implement state backed initiatives to support young entrepreneurs and encourage self-reliance by nurturing startup enterprises; develop comprehensive mental health guidelines for employees and university students by establishing anonymous helplines within universities for open communication, ensuring widespread access to these services; mandate universities and workplaces to employ a minimum of one mental health specialist, fostering an environment where students and employees can openly discuss and seek assistance for their mental health concerns; implement participatory research practices at the district level to assess diverse community needs comprehensively and create sustainable mechanisms for advancing youth-driven initiatives and foster cross-border collaborations within state universities to provide students exposure to international academic frameworks, equipping them with the skills required to meet global demands effectively.

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58,454 International aircraft movements in Sri Lanka in first 11months of 2025 – Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation

Published

10 hours ago

2025/12/31

Priyan

According to figures released by the Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation there have been 58,454 international aircraft movements in the first 11 months of 2025 in Sri Lanka. [An aircraft movement refers to the count of take offs and landings at an airport]

The figures also confirm that tourist arrivals via air stands at 2.1 million.

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Highest revenue in 93-year history of Inland Revenue Department collected in 2025

Published

13 hours ago

2025/12/31

Priyan

The Inland Revenue Department has succeeded in collecting Rs. 2,203 billion in revenue in 2025, the highest amount recorded in its 93-year history. This represents a surplus of Rs. 33 billion over the revenue target for the year and a 15 per cent increase compared with the revenue collected in the previous year, stated Commissioner-General of Inland Revenue Ms Rukdevi Fernando.

She made these remarks at a discussion held on Tuesday (30) morning at the Department’s auditorium under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Marking the first occasion in the 93-year history of the Inland Revenue Department that a President has visited the Department, the President attended a meeting with the staff to review the progress achieved in 2025 and the new plans for 2026.

The President expressed his appreciation to all officers and staff of the Inland Revenue Department for surpassing the revenue expected by the Government and urged everyone to continue working towards a common objective in order to realise the economic transformation required for the country.

Emphasising that no individual is entitled to the privilege of evading taxes, the President stated that the era in which a tax culture prevailed based on personal or political affiliations has come to an end. He further stressed that the law will be enforced without hesitation, irrespective of status, against those who attempt to evade taxes.

The President also pointed out that tax collection is neither repression nor coercion but a legitimate right of the State, adding that necessary changes will be made to laws, regulations, designations and staffing in order to secure this contribution.

He further emphasised that the Government’s objective is to ensure that the benefits of these economic achievements flow to the people of the country. The Government is focusing on improving essential public services to enhance the quality of life, undertaking a new transformation of the transport system and providing adequate allocations for the development of the education and health sectors.

The President also highlighted the need for a targeted programme to properly collect the taxes due to the Government by addressing issues such as improving tax literacy, simplifying the tax system and filling staff shortages.

Ms Rukdevi Fernando stated that the professional competence and dedication of the Department’s officers were the key factors behind this success.

She further noted that a revenue target of Rs. 2,401 billion has been set for 2026 and that the Department expects to achieve this through programmes aimed at enhancing tax compliance and broadening the tax base.

In addition, she said that the Department plans to expand third-party data sharing, strengthen investigations into domestic and overseas assets, take over the RAMIS system, reinforce risk-based auditing, introduce e-invoicing, adopt modern technology for tax administration and enhance tax ethics in 2026.

Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr Anil Jayantha Fernando, Deputy Minister of Economic Development Nishantha Jayaweera, Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Commissioner-General of Inland Revenue Ms Rukdevi Fernando and senior officials and staff of the Department were present at the occasion.

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Sri Lanka Customs exceeds revenue targets to enters 2026 with a surplus of Rs. 300 billion – Director General

Published

22 hours ago

2025/12/31

Priyan

The year 2025 has been recorded as the highest revenue-earning year in the history of Sri Lanka Customs, stated Director General of Sri Lanka Customs, Mr. S.P. Arukgoda, noting that the Department had surpassed its expected revenue target of Rs. 2,115 billion, enabling it to enter 2026 with an additional surplus of approximately Rs. 300 billion.

The Director General made these remarks at a discussion held on Tuesday (30) morning at the Sri Lanka Customs Auditorium, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

The President visited the Sri Lanka Customs Department this to review the performance achieved in 2025 and to scrutinize the new plans proposed for 2026. During the visit, the President engaged in extensive discussions with the Director General, Directors and senior officials of the Department.

Commending the vital role played by Sri Lanka Customs in generating much-needed state revenue and contributing to economic and social stability, the President expressed his appreciation to the entire Customs employees for their commitment and service.

Emphasizing that Sri Lanka Customs is one of the country’s key revenue-generating institutions, the President highlighted the importance of maintaining operations in an efficient, transparent and accountable manner. The President also called upon all officers to work collectively, with renewed plans and strategies, to lead the country towards economic success in 2026.

The President further stressed that the economic collapse in 2022 was largely due to the government’s inability at the time to generate sufficient rupee revenue and secure adequate foreign exchange. He pointed out that the government has successfully restored economic stability by achieving revenue targets, a capability that has also been vital in addressing recent disaster situations.

A comprehensive discussion was also held on the overall performance and progress of Sri Lanka Customs in 2025, as well as the new strategic plans for 2026, with several new ideas and proposals being presented.

Sri Lanka Customs currently operates under four main pillars, revenue collection, trade facilitation, social protection and institutional development. The President inquired into the progress achieved under each of these areas.

It was revealed that the Internal Affairs Unit, established to prevent corruption and promote an ethical institutional culture, is functioning effectively.

The President also sought updates on measures taken to address long-standing allegations related to congestion, delays and corruption in Customs operations, as well as on plans to modernize cargo inspection systems.

The discussion further covered Sri Lanka Customs’ digitalization programme planned for 2026, along with issues related to recruitment, promotions, training and salaries and allowances of the staff.

Highlighting the strategic importance of airports in preventing attempts to create instability within the country, the President underscored the necessity for Sri Lanka Customs to operate with a comprehensive awareness of its duty to uphold the stability of the State, while also being ready to face upcoming challenges.

The discussion was attended by Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. Anil Jayanta Fernando, Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Nishantha Jayaweera, Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Deputy Secretary to the Treasury, A.N.Hapugala, Director General of Sri Lanka Customs, S.P.Arukgoda, members of the Board of Directors and senior officials of the Department.