As the 2024 Presidential election approaches, ‘At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte' featured Dr. Ahilan Kadirgamar, Senior Lecturer from the University of Jaffna and a renowned expert on Sri Lanka's political economy, to explore the critical economic policies Sri Lanka must adopt to navigate the country’s worst economic crisis since independence. Dr. Kadirgamar discusses the root causes of the crisis, examining both domestic policy failures and the broader global economic conditions that have contributed to the current situation. He critiques the economic strategies of successive Sri Lankan governments and highlights the potential pitfalls of continuing down the same path without significant reforms. The conversation also touches on the controversial agreements with the IMF, questioning whether the conditions imposed are in the best interest of the Sri Lankan people. Dr. Kadirgamar advocates for a renegotiation of these agreements to ensure that the focus is on self-sufficiency and reducing social suffering, rather than austerity measures that could further cripple the economy. Looking to the future, Dr. Kadirgamar emphasizes the importance of prioritising health, education, and food security in the recovery process. He argued for a comprehensive restructuring of Sri Lanka's debt, warning against the risks of repeated defaults and stressing the need for policies that ensure long-term stability and growth.

The Secretary General of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), Indra Mani Pandey says the seven member states of the association are collectively working towards realizing their Sustainable Development Goals. Joining this week's episode of ‘At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte' the Secretary General of BIMSTEC, discussed the importance of regional integration among member states and the initiatives taken by each state to support other member nations in achieving individual development goals. Discussing latest developments in the organization the Secretary General Pandey said, a special report prepared by an eminent persons’ group is scheduled to be published in the next BIMSTEC summit, in order to identify the weaknesses and opportunities presented by the BIMSTEC for its member states. He also said a Technology Transfer Facility is expected to be set up in Colombo, enabling the member nations to have access to technologies developed by other BIMSTEC member states.

Joining this week's episode of ‘At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte' the World Bank's Chief Economist for South Asia, Franziska Ohnsorge discussed key indicators outlined in the recent release of the Sri Lanka Development Update, titled "Bridge to Recovery”. She highlighted several positive developments, such as easing inflation, increased revenues due to new fiscal policies and a current account surplus for the first time in nearly fifty years. These gains have been supported by rising remittances and a resurgence in tourism. Also talking about the South Asia Development Update, Ohnsorge said that South Asia is poised to maintain its status as the world's fastest-growing region, largely propelled by India's robust economic expansion. However, this optimistic outlook masks underlying challenges. Many countries in the region still lag behind pre-pandemic growth levels, relying heavily on government spending. She added that in order to ensure more resilient and enduring growth, nations must implement policies that foster private investment and enhance employment opportunities. Ada Derana | ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්‍රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා

Dr. Pramod Varma, Co-Chair of the Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure in India, explains the fundamentals of a Digital ID, which Sri Lanka also plans to introduce. He spoke of how the Indian government streamlined the process of providing government aid to the general public through the digital ID. Joining ‘At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte’, Dr. Varma, who led India’s ‘Aadhar’ Digital ID program in 2009, explained how laws were ensured to protect personal information and privacy of data of individuals. Dispelling recent rumours, he also assured that data of Sri Lankans will not be shared with the Indian Government through Sri Lanka’s programme to introduce digital IDs to citizens, launched in collaboration with India. Also joining the program, the Secretary to the Ministry of Technology, Dr. Dharmasri Kumaratunga, assured that all data collected will be secured within Sri Lanka and that it will be used to streamline the process of welfare distribution. He assured that the digital ID will only be used to identify individuals, strictly for use when providing government services.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Eran Wickramaratne says the main opposition is ready for any election, and commended the President's statement on holding Presidential election first. Commenting on possible alliances, MP WIckramaratne said that the SJB is continuing discussions with all interested stakeholders. Joining 'At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte’, MP Wickramaratne said that a merger with the origin party of SJB- the United National Party, is possible under the right circumstances as both parties' socio economic opinions run parallel to each other. Meanwhile discussing his decision to resign from the Committee on Public Enterprises, Eran Wickramaratna said that the ethics and character of a person must be evaluated along with the skill and knowledge when appointing members and chair to committees.

I STAND FOR A UNITED, UNDIVIDED INDIVISIBLE SRI LANKA - M A SUMANTHIRAN 'AT HYDE PARK WITH INDEEWARI AMUWATTE' MP of Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi M.A. Sumanthiran, says that his party is ready to work with any President in office but, solving the Tamil national question will remain a priority. Joining 'At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte,' MP Sumanthiran discussed at length the ongoing IMF Extended Fund Facility Program, prevailing social issues in the country, power devolution and the upcoming election. Commenting on the recent meeting with President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Sri Lanka’s IMF arrangement, MP Sumanthiran said his party did not have any reason to boycott the meeting and that as public representatives, politicians are responsible for engaging in matters that impact the country and citizens. On his personal Political stance, Sumanthiran said he stands for a united, undivided, even indivisible Sri Lanka in which powers of governance are shared among the people of the country.

In this episode of 'At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte, Carol Spahn, the Director of Peace Corps, who is in Sri Lanka, to oversee the swearing in of 20 Peace Corps Volunteers from the United States discuss the educational program that is set to be implemented in the country. The 25th group of Peace Corps volunteers are set to embark on a two-year service journey as English teachers in the Central and Uva provinces. The Director of the Peace Corps, Spahn said that Volunteers will work alongside their Sri Lankan counterparts, including English teachers and principals, to deliver English language instruction to Sri Lankan school children. Further, she also discusses the challenges and opportunities experienced by the Peace Corps while commending the support of the local authorities and added that the Peace Corps is willing to expand the program throughout the country.

Veteran cinematographer Chandran Rutnam asserts that the film industry is one of the top five revenue generators globally and that it can be a major source of income for Sri Lanka, if essential infrastructure facilities are in place. Joining 'At HydePark' with Indeewari Amuwatte, the filmmaker highlighted that, Sri Lanka must promote and invest in iconic locations of the country featured in international movie productions, such as in the critically acclaimed Hollywood movie "The Bridge on the River Kwaii". Rutnam disclosed his intentions to position Sri Lanka as the Asian Film Capital and stated that a number of Indian producers and directors have expressed a strong desire to film in Sri Lanka.