COVID-19 and its Impact of Sri Lanka Economy

Abstract

The corona virus, an invisible virus, have caused almost all of world badly more than World War III. On December 2019, WHO was informed of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan City, China and it was the starting of spreading this COVID 19 virus in word wide. Most of our daily activities are affected. This pandemic has meant no job and no unemployment benefits or other protection for the workers specially who is earning day today revenues. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a dramatic loss of human life worldwide and presents an unprecedented challenge to public health, food systems and the world of work.COVID-19 has effects adversely for Sri Lankan economic income earning sector such as tourism, food and agriculture, exports of apparels and textiles and small and medium scale enterprises as well as there is massive drop in educational system and many other socio-economic setbacks.The COVID-19 pandemic has affected school education island wide. Governments have temporarily closed schools in an attempt to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. School closures impact not only students, teachers, and families, but carry high social and economic costs for people across communities. Unexpected turns in students' educational activities such as zoom educational activities, online exams, etc. are mainly caused to increase day today living expenses. Sudden price rises of goods in the market such as turmeric powder, sugar, gas, bakery items are unbearable for the most of Sri Lankan people. This is evidence which says that people are facing serious problems such as unemployment and economic recession. In the midst of it all, undoubtedly Sri Lanka will face severe economic repercussions in the long term. With the economy frozen during lockdown, the entire economic mechanism involving agriculture, manufacturing and service sectors were drastically affected. Additionally, with big-player global economies struggling, the demand for imported luxury goods from Sri Lanka such as tea and cinnamon has reduced significantly. The unprecedented cost of the pandemic management will take Sri Lanka’s focus away from much-needed development in infrastructure and strengthening of the economy. The sudden economic down turn means that Sri Lanka is likely to face high unemployment, inflation and poverty rates in the future.