Arundathie Abeysinghe

Thanks to European Union funding, the Heritage Trails, a collection of walking trails that wind through the country over 300 kilometres, opened. The project is defined by signature experiences and sustainability that aim to develop the local economy while limiting its environmental impact.

The government's decision to switch to organic farming has devastated rice cultivation, reducing production by up to 50 per cent. The problem lies in the compatibility between seeds and fertilisers. For consumers, the situation is already critical due to the high prices of essential goods.

The Sri Lankan government banned a shipment from China. Driven by the need for Chinese help to cope with its economic crisis, Sri Lankan authorities had agreed to pay for the supply, but the Chinese company claims Sri Lanka violated the terms of the agreement.

For Sri Lanka, imports are increasingly expensive. China and India have granted lines of credit, but analysts note that they are short-term solutions. Due to the inability to buy fuel, the government announced daily power cuts.

In 1987, an agreement was signed between India and Sri Lanka providing for the devolution of powers to the Tamil communities. In a letter to the Indian government, some legislators underline the promises not kept so far and ask for external intervention to resolve the issue.

The contract concerns the joint development of a storage facility on Sri Lanka's east coast. Indian funding counteracts Chinese influence. The turning point came with the economic crisis of 2021: Colombo will need 4.5 billion dollars this year to repay its foreign debts.

Indebted and grappling with a severe financial crisis, Colombo tries to balance the interests of Beijing, Delhi and Washington. Affected by the pandemic, the island nation needs foreign currency to pay for its growing imports. China’s “debt trap” is an issue. Sri Lanka reaches oil deals with India.