One-fourth of Sri Lanka s population living in poverty - Minister Upali Pannilage

The Ministry of Rural Development, Social Security, and Community Empowerment reports that a quarter of Sri Lanka’s population is living in poverty. Minister Upali Pannilage highlighted that almost 80% of those affected by this issue live in rural areas, pointing out that efforts should focus on eliminating rural poverty first. He mentioned the importance of identifying the causes of poverty in each Grama Niladhari Division and suggested that Community Development Councils work together to create development plans. Additionally, he noted that ongoing military tensions in the Middle East have impacted the global economy. However, he assured that the actions taken to boost Sri Lanka’s economy in the last 15 months have reduced these effects. Minister Pannilage warned that without these steps, the country might have faced a new “era of queues,” similar to what it experienced in the past.