Business

Sri Lanka’s crisis seen as highlighting lessons from Greece

Published

3 years ago

2022/10/4

‘In some of the key metrics, such as debt/GDP, fiscal and current account deficit, you can see a lot of similarities between the crisis in Greece and that in Sri Lanka, which also has a lot to do with the actual incidents of the crisis, including accumulating of early warning signals and the failure to see the signals, rising deficits and debt to around 10% of GDP and triple deficits in 2009, in the case of Greece, former Finance Minister of Greece, Dr. George Papaconstantinou said at a Sri Lanka Institute of Directors (SLID)-initiated webinar recently.

‘The deeper causes behind the crisis was a combination of clientelism, a dysfunctional political system and weak institutions that could not act as a counterbalance to check political decision-making, Dr. Papaconstantinou added.

A SLID press release said: ‘The Sri Lanka Institute of Directors recently held a webinar titled Sri Lanka’s Economic Crisis: Lessons from Greece, featuring Dr George Papaconstantinou, the former Finance Minister of Greece. The session drew several pertinent lessons from Greece’s own experience through its tumultuous period of unprecedented economic crisis in 2009-2018 and its road to recovery. The session was moderated by Faizal Salieh, chairman of SLID. It had a 30-minute keynote speech by Dr Papaconstantinou followed by a 30-minute Q & A discussion.

‘Dr Papaconstantinou in his keynote said; “No two crises are the same. but there are many similarities such as warning signals, incidents, and unfortunately the same long and painful recovery periods.” He spoke about the key learnings from the Greek experience, critical actions that are required from a political and economic sense, the roles of business, government, and citizens in trying to find right solutions, short term quick fixes vs long term sustainability, and gave some broad recommendations that can be considered as Sri Lanka moves forward.

‘Greece had three bail outs, by far the biggest in any country. Unsustainable debt levels, excessive public expenditure, massive tax evasion, huge credit expansion and wages outstripping productivity gains contributed to the decline in the economy’s competitiveness.

‘He said that the Greek crisis was longer than it should have been due to mistakes that were made which need to be avoided in Sri Lanka, and that it is important to focus on the logic of the IMF bailout which is to provide funds until Sri Lanka regains access to international financial markets. In order to continue getting these funds, a combination of fiscal consolidation, monetary and exchange rate policies, and reforms in product, labour, and financial markets must be implemented which can be extremely unpleasant. He pointed out that fiscal consolidation would lead to recession but would eventually restore investor confidence and enable the return of long-term investors. He stressed the importance of long-term investors over the short-term opportunity-seekers for the economy’s long-term sustainability.’

‘Dr. Papaconstantinou cautioned that the country risk immediately spilled over to the corporate sector and had stayed over a long period in Greece, and they had a hard time tapping into international markets and had to grapple with issues such as acute forex shortages, and flight of highly skilled human capital that was essential for rebuilding the economy. He said the Greek economy was still carrying the cost of lost human talent.

“A lesson that we learnt was that one should not delay taking painful decisions, which is important for politics as well, because the longer it waits the tougher it becomes.” He stressed the need to move fast on the restructuring of debt. “Delay entails costs and typically, time is not in your favour. There is also a trade-off between short and long-term transformation with IMF asking for a lot of short-term measures which makes it harder to have long-term reforms. It is important to push for long-term transformation and growth potential of the country. In the private sector, when the bubble bursts there will be many losses and very few wins,” he added. “The crisis inevitably entails political polarisation, and even good companies can go bust. That’s where the Government should step in and support them.”

‘Speaking of the role of the citizens, business, and government, he said “Crises are transformative, dramatic and tend to completely upend a society, politics and business and often go through the 5 stages of grief – denial, anger, bargaining (Sri Lanka’s current stage), depression, and acceptance. Crises consume governments. It is important to keep the political climate non-toxic helping to keep the crisis duration shorter as in Portugal and Ireland and elites must also take the pain. If they are sheltered it is going to prolong the crisis. Social partners need to be part of the solution and should have a seat at the table even with IMF discussions on what needs to be done, and often IMF also gets it wrong as their recipes are not necessarily useful for every country.”

“The pain which accompanies every crisis needs to be apportioned in a socially fair manner. Everyone will suffer but the vulnerable will suffer more. If it is seen that business and political elites were carving out a secure environment, it will backfire. The government needs to be fully accountable with maximum publicity, honesty, and openness. Greece passed a law where every government expense is published on the web, if it is not, then it is not legal. Also, a realistic fiscal path needs to be determined, if not it could lead to a vicious circle and lead to economic collapse which happened in Greece. Embrace the necessary reforms whether they are public sector, product/market reforms, opening up markets, professions or reforming SOEs, and privatisation. It is important for the government to stand firmly behind these rather than as an afterthought to fiscal consolidation. Finally, it is important to get the narrative right, and recognize the reasons how you got to this situation, and who is accountable. In Greece, we blamed the IMF, the Germans for being too tough, and blamed everyone else except for ourselves, the government and the business community for making some wrong decisions like relying too much on the government and not standing on its own feet,” he concluded.

‘In response to a question from the moderator that the usual criticism levelled against IMF was that it has a “one-size-fits-all” prescription for remedy and how it was managed in Greece, Dr George explained that the IMF is now different from the Asian crisis times, “it is a different beast, they do actively try to be more understanding of the social situation and they are open to keeping a recipe of measures that is balanced and protects the vulnerable, and they are open as long as you got the data to back it up, and arguments to exchange some measures for others if you can show them that a specific measure is detrimental. At the end of the day, they have the money and therefore the veto rights, so it’s a delicate situation and they have to be convinced of your sincerity and competence. The conversation with the IMF does not finish with the signing of the agreement.”

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

Published

23 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.

Business

Construction industry offers blueprint for Sri Lanka’s recovery

Published

24 hours ago

2025/12/31

Sahan Weerasooriya

Eng Nissanka N Wijeratne

The dawn of 2026 represents a time for critical recalibration, not just ceremony, for the nation’s vital construction sector, says Eng Nissanka N Wijeratne, Secretary General/CEO of the Chamber of Construction Industry (CCI).

In a New Year message, Wijeratne reframes the annual greeting as a strategic call to action. “For Sri Lanka’s construction industry – the true backbone of our economy – the turning of the calendar is an ideal moment for a realistic and forward-looking assessment,” he states.

His vision sketches a practical blueprint where the unprecedented challenges of the recent past become the foundation for a smarter, more sustainable future.

The industry, long considered a barometer of national prosperity, has weathered severe headwinds: economic volatility and spiraling material costs. “These were not mere business cycles, but unprecedented tests,” Wijeratne notes, acknowledging the severe strain on firms and professionals. Yet, the sector’s response, he observes, has been “nothing short of remarkable,” showcasing a deeply ingrained resilience.

The Chamber’s chosen theme for the year, “Resilience through Innovation,” signals a pivotal shift from enduring hardship to actively engineering progress.

The pathway forward, Wijeratne outlines, is built on three interdependent pillars.

First is the revitalization of Infrastructure. “This is not a simple call for new projects,” he clarifies, “but a strategic push to reactivate stalled ventures and initiate sustainable developments in concert with the government and international agencies.” He emphasises that construction activity is intrinsically linked to the broader economy’s pulse, where resuming projects catalyses employment, energises supply chains, and restores public confidence.

The second pillar, technological Integration, addresses the urgent need to modernise the sector’s core. Advocacy for Building Information Modeling (BIM), green building practices, and digital project management is a direct answer to past inefficiencies. “It is a commitment to ensuring Sri Lankan construction is not just rebuilt, but upgraded becoming more competitive, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible,” Wijeratne says. ” Innovation must move from slogan to practice, transforming how the nation conceives, builds, and maintains its infrastructure,” he notes.

The third pillar, consistent policy advocacy, underpins all efforts. The Chamber positions itself as a vital intermediary, fighting for fair pricing mechanisms, streamlined regulations, and a protective framework for local contractors. Wijeratne stresses that the best-laid plans of engineers can falter without a conducive policy environment, calling for a strengthened partnership with the state to create a level playing field where skill and enterprise determine success.

Ultimately, Wijeratne’s message is a powerful reminder of the industry’s profound legacy. “When we build, the nation grows,” he states, elevating construction from a commercial activity to a national mission. The structures that rise from the ground are more than concrete and steel; they are the schools, hospitals, roads, and homes that shape the nation’s future.

As Sri Lanka steps into 2026, the construction industry’s message is clear: it is ready to transform resilience from a trait of survival into a dynamic force for innovation.

The past challenges, according to Wijeratne, have been met with grit. Now, the future must be built with vision.

By Sanath Nanayakkare

Business

Expo Commodities and STAY Naturals honoured at the Presidential Export Awards 2024/25

Published

24 hours ago

2025/12/31

Sahan Weerasooriya

Expo Commodities (Pvt) Ltd, together with its member company STAY Naturals (Pvt) Ltd, has been recognized with Merit Awards at the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) Presidential Export Awards 2024/25, one of the country’s most prestigious platforms celebrating export excellence.

The awards were presented under the categories of Spices and Allied Products and Essential Oils, Oleoresins & Condiments, recognizing the companies’ consistent performance, product quality, and contribution to strengthening Sri Lanka’s presence in global markets.

The recognition reflects Expo Commodities’ continued focus on delivering high-quality, value-added Sri Lankan products while upholding international standards across innovation, sustainability, and responsible sourcing. Through STAY Naturals, the group has expanded its reach in key export markets, promoting Sri Lanka’s essential oils, oleoresins, and condiments derived from its rich agricultural heritage to customers worldwide.

The achievement also reflects the collective effort, technical expertise, and commitment of the teams behind the operations, alongside the continued trust of global partners and customers. Expo Commodities (Pvt) Ltd, part of Expo Commodities Global, is strategically focused on driving sustainable export growth and strengthening Sri Lanka’s global positioning as a reliable supplier of high-quality natural products.

Expo Commodities Global is a globally active Agri-commodity enterprise with operations spanning multiple origins including Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Indonesia, Madagascar, Comoros, Egypt, the UAE, India, Germany, and the Netherlands. The company specializes in the production, processing, and export of premium organic and conventional spices, coconut products, essential oils, oleoresins, and value-added agricultural products, delivering consistent quality through integrated and sustainable operations.

Expo Commodities Global and STAY Naturals (Pvt) Ltd are part of Aberdeen Holdings, a diversified Sri Lankan conglomerate with interests across pharmaceuticals, packaging, commodities, transport and logistics, power generation, and digital innovation, supporting long-term growth through strong governance, sustainability, and global market engagement.