Sri Lanka

The country context has changed dramatically in recent years. A 26-year conflict ended in May 2009, and resettlement of internally displaced persons is largely complete. The macroeconomic situation is much improved. Sri Lanka is now transitioning to middle-income-country status. In recognition of its emergence as a creditworthy middle-income country, Sri Lanka has access to International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) financing as of FY12, allowing for significantly increased financial support from the World Bank during the coming years. 

The Sri Lankan economy grew strongly during 2011 (about 8%), largely due to the post-conflict rebound. Sri Lanka was able to maintain relatively strong growth (about 5% per year) even during the war, though growth dropped to 3.5% in 2009 during the final military campaign, which coincided with the international economic crisis. The post-conflict rebound has helped all sectors both on the supply side and the demand side: agricultural land in conflict affected areas could once again be cultivated; double shifts in manufacturing became possible as workers no longer had to worry about security restrictions; domestic consumers’ and investors’ confidence revived; and services related to tourism picked up as tourist arrivals have surged since the end of the war.

As Sri Lanka’s economy grew, unemployment and poverty rates fell. As of the second quarter of 2011, unemployment was only 4.2%, though higher among youth, women, and the more educated. Poverty rates have also fallen, from 15% of the population in 2006/7 to 9% in 2009/10. The most dramatic declines have been in the estate sector (from 32% to 11%) following a major wage increase at the beginning of 2010. Poverty rates in Colombo District are under 4% though there are pockets of poverty in all other parts of the country

Sri Lanka is on track to meet most of the Millennium Development Goals. UNDP has identified Sri Lanka as an early achiever on 10 of the 21 indicators, including those related to the goals of universal primary education and gender equality. Sri Lanka is also expected to meet the goals of maternal health and HIV/AIDs. However, Sri Lanka is making slower progress on the goals related to malnutrition and child mortality.  Indicators are mixed on the environment goal: While Sri Lanka is an early achiever on indicators of protected area, ozone-depleting substance consumption, safe drinking water, and basic sanitation, it has stagnated or is slipping backward on forest cover and CO2 emissions.   

As with all prolonged conflicts, social inclusion has been slow to be established. A long-lasting solution to the ethnic problem and putting in place effective means of addressing grievances of minority communities is vital for sustained peace. The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (appointed by President Rajapaksa to investigate the final phase of the war), presented its final report to Parliament in December 2011.  

Sri Lanka’s demographic transition is having dramatic impacts on education and health as well as the economy. By 2036, more than 22% of the population will be over 60 and there will be 61 dependents per 100 adults. Unless labor force and employment rates increase, a very small number of employed persons will need to provide for a very large number of non-working people – straining the budgets of families and the government. As the population becomes older and has a higher income, the types of public services required will change. The education system will need to increase emphasis on computer, English and higher level cognitive skills. The health system will need to shift to treating non-communicable diseases. Social protection for the elderly will need to be enhanced. And, increasing urbanization will require investments in mass transit and expanded water and sewage networks.

The government strategic vision is laid out in the Mahinda Chintana document of 2010. The strategy describes three clear goals: doubling per capita income through sustained high investment; shifting the structure of the economy; and ensuring inclusive growth, improvement in living standards, and social inclusion.

Doubling of per capita income to US$4,000 by 2016. This goal is to be achieved through sustained high economic growth (8% per year), which is in turn to be achieved through high investment rate. Of the targeted investment rate (33%-35% of GDP per year), 6%-7% of GDP per year is expected to come from public investment with the remainder coming from the private sector. The public sector investment target was nearly achieved in 2010 and 2011 but will be a challenge to sustain unless fiscal space increases. Private sector investment fell far short of the target: Efforts to improve the investment climate will need to be expanded.

Shifting the structure of the economy. The second goal is shifting the structure of the economy to be more knowledge-based, globally integrated and competitive, environmentally friendly, internally integrated and increasingly urban. Sri Lanka has a solid base for achieving this goal, with a well-educated population and a wealth of environmental assets. Challenges include providing systems and incentives to give the labor force the types of skills needed for a knowledge economy, establishment of economic policies that encourage competitiveness, stronger efforts on environmental sustainability and adaptation to climate change, and modernizing infrastructure systems to integrate the disparate parts of the country and meet the needs of an increasingly urban population. 

Ensuring improvement in living standards and social inclusion. Thanks to a long history of attention to access to basic services, Sri Lanka excels for its income level on most social indicators. Malnutrition, however, is an exception. As Sri Lanka becomes a middle-income country, new challenges are emerging (e.g., a rapidly aging population) and improving the quality of services will be a major issue. While increasing the quality of services, the Mahinda Chintana aims to ensure that benefits are equitably shared across all segments of the population and that social inclusion is a priority.

The forthcoming Country Partnership Strategy is focused on strengthening Sri Lanka’s position as a middle-income country. The World Bank will support the government’s efforts to address the challenges and constraints for achieving its vision, more specifically by: (i) facilitating sustained private and public investment through improving the investment climate and increasing fiscal space and public spending efficiency; (ii) supporting structural shifts in the economy through assistance for a knowledge-based economy, and increased internal and international integration and competitiveness; and finally (iii) promoting improved living standards and social inclusion through support for increasing quality of services, reducing the prevalence of malnutrition and promoting social inclusion and equitable access.

Since the World Bank Group’s first development credit to Sri Lanka for the Aberdeen – Laksapana Power Project in 1954, the institution has become one of Sri Lanka’s largest development partners. It has worked closely to support the country’s progress in infrastructure, education, health, and resettlement and reconstruction in conflict-affected areas. It is currently supporting the implementation of 13 projects totaling US$1.068 billion in assistance aimed at maximizing impact and results.

Education
Sri Lanka has made great strides in increasing school enrollment and literacy rates. School survival rates through grade 9 increased from 78% in 2005 to 91% in 2011 and the proportion of primary school students attaining competence in mathematics increased from 67% to 82% during the same period. The Education Sector Development Project, which was completed in 2011, promoted bilingual education in the school curriculum and included civics as a subject. Multi-ethnic and multicultural curriculum review committees are overseeing the design and delivery in the areas of civics, history, and English.

The IT achievement scores of undergraduates have risen from 49% in 2005 to 56% in 2008. Development outcomes under the Improving Relevance and Quality of Undergraduate Education Project contributed to implementing IT and English improvement learning programs in all universities. The Higher Education for Twenty First Century (FY2010) Project has made progress in the development of a national qualifications framework, and legislation has been approved to enable registration, quality assurance, and accreditation of state and non-state higher education institutions in line with the Higher Education Development Strategy of the government.

Health
The significant progress that Sri Lanka has made in health translates into a high level of life expectancy (75 years) that compares well with indicators from higher middle-income countries. The long life expectancy and the dropping fertility rates ratios has meant that Sri Lanka is experiencing a rapid demographic transition (mainly characterized by an aging population), the consequences of which the Bank‘s Demographic Transition study examined in detail and which is contributing now to a rich national dialogue on its implication for development opportunities in all sectors of the economy.

Sri Lanka has one of the leading health care systems among developing countries. Preventive and curative health services are available free of charge, and the country’s health outcomes are among the best in South Asia.

Since 2004, IDA support has helped improve health services in rural areas by increasing the proportion of lower-level (primary and secondary level) health facilities that provide emergency health services and the proportion of hospitals meeting high quality standards.

Roads
The quality of the national road network has improved with a reduction in the International Roughness Index and a decline in the network vehicle operating costs. Bank support has come through the Road Sector Assistance Project (FY06). Under the project. Under the project, 618 km of national roads have been upgraded and the roughness index is far below the national average. A component on rural roads has contributed 154 km of repaired roads, with a 60% reduction in travel time.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
The Bank‘s e-Sri Lanka Development Project, has established more than 600 tele-centers throughout the country, linking over 70,000 users monthly, half of whom are women. The project has trained 35,000 private sector participants to incorporate ICT into their business and is helping to improve government efficiency and transparency by introducing ICT in government agencies and taking public services online. These results help reduce the regulatory burden for business and individuals.

Power and Energy
The World Bank Group contributed both to a greater availability of electricity in rural areas and to an increase in energy supply from renewable sources. Access to electricity in rural areas has expanded with the support of the Renewable Energy for Rural Economic Development Project (RERED): 139,241 new rural households have access to electricity.

Water
Availability of drinking water in rural areas has expanded. The share of rural households with access to an improved water source reached 74% in 2011 up from 71% as of 2008. The Bank contributed partially to the increased availability of water through the recently completed Second Community Water Project and provided around 384,100 people in rural areas with access to improved water sources and about 92,000 new piped household water connections as of the end of 2010.

Resettlement and Reconstruction
An ambitious resettlement of displaced persons advanced rapidly after the conflict ended. Resettlement became a priority as the government wanted refugees to return to their place of origin and become economically active as soon as the conflict ended. Resettlement was undertaken rapidly with the Bank’s support. As of October 2011, 187,533 internally displaced persons (IDPs) had returned, exceeding the target of 100,000. By the same date, employment equivalent to 1,653,000 person-days had been generated, above the target of 1,070,000.

There is improved access to infrastructure services in conflict affected areas. The share of rural population with access to basic infrastructure facilities in North and East reached 15% as of 2011 from 9% as of 2008. The Community Livelihoods in Conflict-Affected areas, locally known as the Re-awakening Project received additional financing in 2009 to scale-up support for village development and irrigation and to support the resettlement process as the conflict ended. In addition, the North East Local Services Improvement Project (FY10) is working on construction and rehabilitation of rural roads, construction of drainage systems, and construction and rehabilitation of drainage points.

The Bank has been contributing to the reconstruction of housing destroyed during the conflict as a basis for improving livelihoods of people living in the North and Eastern regions. The support has come through two projects: Puttalam Housing and North East Housing Reconstruction Program. This support has led to the reconstruction of 52,193 houses as of November 2011, and 532 villages are receiving basic infrastructure improvements.

Irrigation
Sri Lanka possesses an extended irrigation system, part of which is one of the oldest in the world and is in dire need of repair to raise agricultural productivity and reduce risks from floods. Since 1999, the International Development Association (IDA) has supported irrigation projects to help communities in the North and East that were devastated by war. Between 2004 and 2009, more than 35,000 hectares of irrigated land were brought back to cultivation and seven major irrigation schemes were rehabilitated, benefiting more than 55,000 farm households. The Dam Safety and Water Resources Planning Project (FY08) focuses on establishing long-term sustainable arrangements for operation and maintenance of large dams and on improving water resources planning.