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dc.contributor.authorWijerathna, Deeptha
dc.contributor.authorBandara, Jayatilleke S.
dc.contributor.authorSmith, Christine
dc.contributor.authorNaranpanawa, Athula
dc.contributor.editorRohde, Nicholas
dc.contributor.editorNaranpanawa, Athula
dc.date.accessioned2020-01-16T08:05:32Z
dc.date.available2020-01-16T08:05:32Z
dc.date.issued2014
dc.identifier.issn1837-7750
dc.identifier.otherRePEc:gri:epaper:economics:201410
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10072/390306
dc.description.abstractSimilar to many other developing countries, Sri Lanka has agreed to stream line its development process in order to achieve the eight millennium development goals (MDGs) by 2015. Even though the country is well on its way in achieving a number of MDG targets at the national level, it has to think beyond these goals in overcoming the long lasting regional economic disparities. While economic disparities are leading to civil conflicts, such conflicts are in turn leading to widening disparities and slow economic growth. Clear understanding about regional economic disparities and their dynamics over the time is crucial in designing effective development strategies for the country. The objective of this paper is to provide a better understanding of the magnitude, nature and dynamics of regional economic disparities in Sri Lanka. It starts with a brief overview of some related theories and previous empirical studies. As analytical results focussing on per capita gross domestic product (GDP) data reveal, there is a considerable inequality among Sri Lankan provinces. Though the provinces are diverging in terms of per capita GDP during the period 1996 to 2000, they are actually showing evidence of converging (with a fluctuating pattern) from the point of 2000 onwards. This data shows that whilst individual provinces behave differently, the gap between the richest and poorest regions has reduced significantly over time. However, even if the country can maintain its current trend of convergence linearly, it requires another 15 years to halve the current level of disparity and about 30 years to achieve a regionally balanced economy. Since achievement of convergence among regions will not occur automatically or in a timely manner, the country needs well planned policy options aimed at promoting regionally inclusive economic development that can lead it to a prosperous country with lasting peace.
dc.format.extent19 pages
dc.languageEnglish
dc.publisherGriffith University
dc.publisher.placeBrisbane, Australia
dc.relation.ispartofpagefrom1
dc.relation.ispartofpageto19
dc.subject.keywordsR12 - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity
dc.subject.keywordsO53 - Economywide Country Studies: Asia including Middle East
dc.subject.keywordsR58 - Regional Development Planning and Policy
dc.subject.keywordsR11 - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
dc.subject.keywordsO20 - Development Planning and Policy: General
dc.subject.keywordsEconomic disparity
dc.subject.keywordsregions
dc.subject.keywordsinequality
dc.subject.keywordsconvergence
dc.subject.keywordsdivergence
dc.title2014-10: Beyond the Millennium Development Goals: Regionally Inclusive Economic Growth for Lasting Peace and Prosperity in Sri Lanka (Working paper)
dc.typeReport
dc.type.descriptionDiscussion Paper
gro.facultyGriffith Business School
gro.description.notepublicEconomics and Business Statistics
gro.rights.copyrightCopyright © 2010 by author(s). No part of this paper may be reproduced in any form, or stored in a retrieval system, without prior permission of the author(s).
gro.date.issued2014
gro.hasfulltextFull Text
gro.griffith.authorNaranpanawa, Athula


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