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Statement by H.E. Mr. Mohan Pieris, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN at the Executive Board of the UNDPA, UNFPA and UNOPS – Second Regular Session 2022

Thursday, 01 September 2022

Madam Chair,

I thank Assistant Secretary General and Regional Director at the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific of the UNDP Madam Kanni Wignarajah for presenting the Country Programme Document for Sri Lanka for the term 2023-2027 notwithstanding the difficult economic environment. The crisis is referable to multiple compounding factors such an adventurous tax policy, money creation, a mistiming of a nationwide policy to shift to organic or biological farming, the 2019 Easter bombings, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka and finally exacerbated by the present crisis in Eastern Europe.

"Partnership Finder'' to help investors find new business partners

Tuesday, 23 August 2022

The Board of Investment (BOI)  of Sri Lanka has launched the "Partnership Finder" (PF), a new strategic initiative aimed at attracting investments and facilitating partnerships between existing investors and entrepreneurs of Sri Lanka as well as new entrepreneurs and innovators.

For more details please visit : https://investsrilanka.com/

Statement made by H E Mr. Mohan Pieris, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations at Main Committee II of Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

Monday, 08 August 2022

Importance of ‘fair play’ by all stakeholders of the economy in countering the current unprecedented economic crisis

Monday, 01 August 2022

The Government and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) have been implementing several measures to ease the burden of the current economic hardships on the people. One major factor that is contributing to the current crisis and the resultant hardships is the lack of foreign exchange liquidity in the banking system. Such shortage of forex liquidity has affected the provision of essential imports, including fuel. To ensure adequate foreign exchange liquidity in the banking system, the CBSL had to impose surrender requirements on export earnings. Further, measures were taken by the Government and the CBSL to discourage foreign exchange outflows, such as imposing restrictions on certain imports and payment terms and introducing margin requirements, while encouraging foreign inflows through the banking system, rather than those being channelled through the grey market. The success of these regulatory measures and the ability to achieve the intended outcomes depend on the support and cooperation from the trading community and the banking system. However, it has been brought to the notice of the CBSL that certain market players are not being fully compliant with these regulations. Such practice, if continued, would deprive the people of the support expected from the Government in difficult times, while undermining the moral obligation of ‘equal burden sharing’ that is expected of all stakeholders under difficult and extraordinary circumstances.

Sri Lanka presents its second Voluntary National Review on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Thursday, 21 July 2022

Sri Lanka presented its second Voluntary National Review (VNR) on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) today (15) at the High Level Political Forum (HLPF), convened under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Council in New York.