The Center for Poverty Analysis (CEPA) is set to host a high-level symposium on February 27th at the Hilton, Colombo, to present key findings from its comprehensive 5000-household poverty study conducted in 2023. The study, partially funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), assesses the impact of Sri Lanka’s economic crises on poverty incidence and evaluates the effectiveness of social protection programs.
The half-day event will bring together government officials, representatives from the donor community, civil society organizations, academics, and development practitioners to engage in discussions on poverty alleviation strategies and policy recommendations. Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy, former Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, will deliver the keynote address.
CEPA’s study employs both the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) and the expenditure-based poverty line to provide a comprehensive analysis of poverty dynamics in Sri Lanka. Initially, ADB provided funding for research assessing the impact of rising electricity costs on household welfare, particularly among vulnerable populations. CEPA later expanded the study by incorporating an additional 2,500 households through independent funding, further enriching the analysis.
The symposium will explore critical questions, such as the current status of poverty in Sri Lankaand whether poverty levels are rising, stabilizing, or declining. It will also assess the impact of the Aswesuma social protection program, which replaced the previous Samurdhi program. Samurdhi was known for high exclusion errors, with nearly 50% of allocated funds misdirected. Implemented with a USD 200 million budget, Aswesuma aims to improve targeting efficiency—and the symposium will examine whether it has succeeded in reducing exclusion errors and achieving its objectives.
CEPA invites key stakeholders to participate in this crucial discussion, which will shape future policy directions and contribute to evidence-based decision-making on poverty reduction in Sri Lanka.
