The book titled “Sustaining Transformative Growth in Sri Lanka (2025–2030)”, a collaborative effort by ODI Global and the Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA), was officially launched on January 8, 2026, at the Sri Lanka Foundation in Colombo. The event was graced by the presence of the book’s eight authors.
Sri Lanka finds itself at a pivotal juncture. Having emerged from its most severe economic crisis since gaining independence, the nation now confronts the dual challenge of maintaining the hard-earned macroeconomic stability while initiating transformative growth. This report serves as a timely and evidence-based guide for navigating this intricate transition. Despite recent stabilization efforts yielding positive results, such as renewed economic growth and a significant reduction in inflation, poverty levels remain distressingly high, highlighting the need for deeper reforms beyond stabilization measures.
The study advocates for ongoing structural reforms as crucial to averting future crises and unlocking Sri Lanka’s long-term development potential. It identifies six interconnected policy priorities: sustaining macroeconomic stability; enhancing integration into global supply chains; improving factor markets, including labor, land, and capital; implementing targeted sector-specific policies; accelerating poverty reduction; and fostering political and social consensus for reform. By coordinating actions across these areas, Sri Lanka can seize opportunities in tourism, the digital economy, niche manufacturing, and agriculture to realize sustainable and inclusive growth from 2025 to 2030.
The authorship of the book comprises a group of esteemed economists and policy experts: Dr. Sirimal Abeyratne, Dr. Chandranath Amarasekara, Raveen Basnayake, Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy, Yvette Fernando, Dr. Dirk Willem T. Velde, Asela Wijesinghe, Shiya Wickramasinghe, and Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja.
During the launch, Dr. Sirimal Abeyratne, Executive Director of CEPA, remarked, “Sri Lanka’s challenge is not simply to return to growth, but to secure growth that is transformative in nature—one that reshapes the structure of the economy, creates productive employment, and delivers tangible improvements in living standards. This book outlines a realistic and coherent policy direction for the critical 2025–2030 period.”
The report stresses that the coming years represent a narrow yet decisive window of opportunity for Sri Lanka. Securing reforms, strengthening institutions, and fostering collaboration between the state, private sector, and civil society will be vital to placing the economy on a more resilient, equitable, and future-ready growth trajectory.
Photo caption: From left: Dr. Dirk Willem T. Velde, Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja, and Ms. Yvette Fernando presenting the edited version of Sustaining Transformative Growth in Sri Lanka (2025–2030).
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