Sri Lanka

The SCL Act, which covers 63 items, imposes taxes at high rates on staple foods such as rice, potatoes, and maize. Critics argue that while these taxes protect domestic agriculture, they also make basic foods costly, exacerbating malnutrition among poor families.

President Dissanayake’s first official foreign trip since taking office in September 2024, underscored his commitment to deepening ties with India, especially as Sri Lanka seeks to rebuild after its economic crisis in 2022.

The Report records a 25 per cent increase in the number of trafficking victims detected globally in 2022 compared to 2019 pre-pandemic figures. Between 2019 and 2022, the global number of victims detected for trafficking for forced labour surged by 47 per cent.

Sri Lanka plans to revise the draft bill on stolen asset recovery, a move aimed at strengthening mechanisms to retrieve illicitly acquired funds hidden domestically and abroad.

On November 14 this year, another tsunami struck, sweeping across the country in an unprecedented wave that mesmerised many of the 22 million population.

The call for sanctions coincides with international pressure for reform within Sri Lanka. Critics argue that the lack of accountability perpetuates a culture of impunity, allowing economic and human rights violations to continue unchecked.

The Aswesuma programme is part of a broader strategy to rebuild public trust and enhance social equity as Sri Lanka continues its recovery from economic crises.

The decision to impose the ban was influenced by security concerns raised by neighbouring India, which cited potential spying activities by foreign research ships operating in the Indian Ocean.