News

Estate sector poorest of the poor

World Bank report on poverty assessment

Poverty reduction at the national level has been slow in Sri Lanka due to widening disparities across sectors and regions a new World Bank report, “Poverty Assessment for Sri Lanka: Engendering Growth with Equity: Opportunities and Challenges” points out.

“We hope the report will contribute to the debate and understanding of poverty in Sri Lanka,” said Naoko Ishii, World Bank Country Director in Sri Lanka. Poverty reduction has been hampered by slow economic growth outside the Western Province which remains predominantly rural.

Sri Lanka needs to integrate the rural economy into the growth path enjoyed by the Western Province,” Ishii added.

The report states that poverty reduction in Sri Lanka has been uneven across sectors—rapid in the urban sector, but slow or stagnant in rural and estate sectors. National poverty rate reduced from 26 percent in 1990-91 to 23 percent in 2002.

While urban poverty halved during this period, rural poverty declined by less than five percentage points and poverty in the estates (plantation sector) increased significantly— making this sector the poorest in the country. These estimates exclude the North and East, for which data suitable for measuring poverty was not available.

 
Top to the page  |  E-mail  |  views[1]
 
Other News Articles
Scandal-hit Trinco land deals halted
Diplomatic row with Britain over visa-free woman
Sting of spot fines to fight dengue
Speculation rife over next police chief
Fine way to deal with dengue
Not ‘sacked’, says Foreign Minister’s ex-PRO -- Right of reply
Yet another assault? Cops transferred out
Baby jumbo rescued from flooded quarry
Drifting fishermen return home
Rabid dogs have field day in Trincomalee
Big onion crop hit by fungus
Poor students lack basic facilities at this school
Bright student in fatal road accident
Millions in public funds spent on politicos’ vehicles
Lanka to have DPL presence in Eritrea
Lanka blasts Norway on war crimes charges
Rains raise dengue alert
Ex-UNP journalist allegedly abducted and released
Tissainayagam case: verdict tomorrow
Man fined for fishing in Kandy Lake
Double murder: Victims were whipped before being killed
Faji: From football to underworld
SC dams the ditch
UPFA supporters attack JVP Jana Hamuwa
Glitz to campaign as stars make debut in politics
Estate sector poorest of the poor
Double deaths point to bigger tragedy
Death due to drowning stands until fresh post-mortem report
Shyamlal’s death: The mystery deepens
CB defends cross-trading deal with large fund manager
Exam muddle: ‘Question of misreporting, not mistakes’

 

 
Reproduction of articles permitted when used without any alterations to contents and a link to the source page.
© Copyright 2009 | Wijeya Newspapers Ltd.Colombo. Sri Lanka. All Rights Reserved.| Site best viewed in IE ver 6.0 @ 1024 x 768 resolution