https://archive.veriteresearch.org/handle/123456789/333 2026-07-11T21:27:50Z https://archive.veriteresearch.org/handle/456/8277 Prioritizing the Care Economy for an Inclusive Sri Lanka Gamage, Savant; Gunewardena, Dileni; Munas, Hasna; Perera, Ashvin; Sooriyamudali, Chinthani Unpaid care and domestic work (UCDW) sustains households and supports the functioning of the broader economy, yet it remains largely invisible in economic policy and national accounting frameworks in Sri Lanka. Performed predominantly by women, UCDW includes childcare, eldercare, cooking, cleaning, and other household maintenance activities that shape well-being, labour market participation, and gender relations. This paper synthesizes findings from two studies: a desk-based review of Sri Lanka’s care economy and a valuation of UCDW using data from the 2017 National Time Use Survey. Using replacement cost methods, the study estimates that the value of unpaid care and domestic work is equivalent to approximately 14% of GDP, with women contributing 86% of this value. The findings highlight the substantial but unrecognized economic contribution of care work and its implications for female labour force participation, gender inequality, and social welfare. The paper identifies significant gaps in care-related policies and services and argues for greater recognition of UCDW within economic policymaking through improved measurement, satellite accounting, expanded care services, and policies that promote a more equitable distribution of care responsibilities. Prioritizing the care economy, the paper argues, is essential for inclusive growth, social well-being, and economic resilience in Sri Lanka. 6p. 2026-05-01T00:00:00Z https://archive.veriteresearch.org/handle/456/8266 The Employees’ Provident Fund in Sri Lanka: A Comparative Assessment of the Adequacy of Information Disclosure Kapilan, Anushan; Econ Team, Verité Research This research brief examines transparency gaps in the management of Sri Lanka’s Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF), the country’s largest financial institution, and the main retirement savings vehicle for formal private-sector workers. Despite holding assets equivalent to roughly 15% of GDP, the EPF discloses less information, less frequently, and with less detail than many smaller financial institutions. The brief compares EPF reporting practices against domestic and international benchmarks, identifies five key disclosure failures, and sets out reforms to strengthen accountability, protect members’ interests, and align the fund with global pension transparency standards. The Sinhala translation, ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ සේවක අර්ථසාධක අරමුදල: තොරතුරු හෙළිදරව් කිරීමේ ප්‍රමාණවත්භාවය පිළිබඳ සංසන්දනාත්මක තක්සේරුවක් and the Tamil translation, இலங்கையில் ஊழியர் சேமலாப நிதியம்: தகவல் வெளிப்படுத்தலின் போதுமான தன்மை தொடர்பான ஒப்பீட்டு மதிப்பீடு are also available here. All three versions can be accessed from the links below. 2026-05-01T00:00:00Z https://archive.veriteresearch.org/handle/456/8182 Apparel Exports from Sri Lanka to the EU : A Product Level Analysis of the Impact of GSP+ Arangala, Mathisha; Hansaka, Sasitha Concerns about Sri Lanka losing GSP+ concessions resurfaced with the EU parliament passing a resolution on June 10th, 2021, calling the EU Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) to use GSP+ as leverage to push for the repeal or replacement of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). For Sri Lanka, a major area of concern is the impact of the above on apparel exports to the EU, a key beneficiary of the concessions. Apparel contributes the most to Sri Lanka’s export revenue, accounting for 40-45% of the country’s total exports and the EU is the second largest market for Sri Lankan apparel after the USA, making up 42% of Sri Lanka’s total apparel exports between 2015-2019. This working paper thus aims to evaluate the impact of GSP plus at a product level, based on the level of utilization of the concessions. It reviews the disaggregated impact of losing GSP+ concessions on individual products at the HS 6-digit level. It does so by assessing the reliance on GSP+ of the top 20 apparel products exported to the EU. These products account for 74% of the value of total apparel exports from Sri Lanka to the EU. 15p. 2022-09-01T00:00:00Z https://archive.veriteresearch.org/handle/456/8181 A Novel Governance - Linked Bond : As a Pareto Improving Instrument for Debt Restructuring de Mel, Nishan; Rajakulendran, Raj This working paper outlines the technical and incentive dynamics for a proposed new sovereign debt instrument designed for countries with high country risk premiums, where this risk is, ceteris paribus, correlated with the quality of present and future governance. We call this instrument a Governance-Linked Sovereign Bond (GLSB). The paper introduces the design of a GLSB and the formulaic method for deploying such an instrument in situations where country risk premiums might be correlated with governance-related actions. A specific illustrative model is used to demonstrate the practical applications of this debt instrument. 27p. 2024-06-01T00:00:00Z