“Debt without development webinar” by Centre for a Smart Future (with Jonathan Spencer & Avanka Fernando)

In January 2025, Colombo Urban Lab hosted a webinar on Sri Lanka’s development projects and debt, with a focus on the lived realities of communities affected by the Colombo Urban Regeneration Project, on the 16th of January, at 6pm via Zoom. The team at Colombo Urban Lab shared some highlights from the November 2024 report on the URP, followed by a discussion with Professor Jonathan Spencer from the University of Edinburgh and Dr. Avanka Fernando from the University of Colombo.

Source: Centre for Smart Future

“Mired by Multiple Loan Sharks” by Amra Ismail

After a nearly three-decade civil war those devastated by it had to rebuild their lives and finding employment was a challenge. The strategy adopted by the Government was to expand credit and promote self-employment. But then things took a turn for the worse when their livelihoods did not flourish. People could not repay the mounting debts. The once war-torn areas of the country are now mired by multiple loans which include ‘predatory’ microfinance loans and loans provided by informal lenders at exorbitant interest rates.Failed attempts at self-employment coupled with accumulating high interest loans have now driven families to the brink of poverty.

via: www.dailymirror.lk/article/Mired-by-Multiple-Loan-Sharks-149365.html

source: dailymirror.lk

“Sri Lanka’s new leaders seek $4bn IMF bail-out” by brecorder.com

Sri Lanka’s new government will seek to borrow more than $4.0 billion from the IMF and other international lenders as it “restructures” expensive Chinese debt, the finance minister

via: http://www.brecorder.com/top-news/1-front-top-news/224306-sri-lankas-new-leaders-seek-$4bn-imf-bail-out.html