MP Cabraal: Not without fault on debt default claims

Claim 1: Concerns regarding repayment or credit risk can be assessed by the rate of interest demanded by borrowers and willingness to lend. The majority of Sri Lanka’s government non-ISB debt consists of domestic rupee debt (53.5% of total debt). On this, interest rates have declined to very low levels, indicating low concern over credit risk. However, of the remaining non-ISB debt, it is no

Prime Minister Rajapaksa: yields correct understanding on export agriculture

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa claims that there has been an increase in the exports of export agricultural crops (EACs) during 2020 when compared to 2019. Export Agricultural Crops (EAC) refers to a set of specific crops that are under the purview of the Department of Export Agriculture. These include various spices (cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg etc.), betel leaves, areca nuts, coffee, cocoa and various essential oils.

DG Health Services sets up the wrong criteria for community spread of COVID-19

In his statement, the Director General (DG) of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardana states that if COVID-19 reaches community spread, then the positive rate will spike up as an indication. He concludes by this criteria that Sri Lanka does not have community spread. In November 2020, Fact

Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva: Teases out the problem in tea exports

To check this claim, FactCheck consulted data from Sri Lanka’s Export Development Board. The minister claims,

MP Eran Wickramaratne correctly flags foreign outflow from stocks

To check this claim, FactCheck consulted data from the Colombo Stock Exchange Quarterly Report and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka Annual Report. LKR 104 billion is recorded as the total sales value (outflow) of foreign owned stocks in the Colombo stock exchange from January 2020 to December 2020.

State Minister Cabraal: right on reserves with reservations

To evaluate the state minister’s claim FactCheck consulted the 2014 and 2019 Annual Reports of the Central Bank and the Cen

Money printing: MP Champika Ranawaka right on the money

Money printing is more formally known as deficit financing. It refers to when the Central Bank finances the government’s budget deficit by creating new money to directly purchase government securities issued by the treasury. The Central Bank’s purchases of treasury securities are reflected in the balance sheet of the Central Bank. Therefore, to quantify the money printed during the relevant period, FactCheck referred to the Central Bank’s purchas

College of Community Physicians: lays to rest concerns on Covid-19 burials

To check this claim, of overwhelming global support for permitting burial of Covid-19 victims, FactCheck consulted the latest available guidelines provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO) of the United Nations, Center for Disease Co

Deputy Leader of the UNP Wijewardene: technically right on health ministry budget, not on its implications

In his statement, former MP Ruwan Wijewardene claimed that the allocation for the Ministry of Health in 2021 was decreased by LKR 20 billion during a health crisis, compared to 2019. To check this claim, FactCheck consulted the budget estimates and publicfinance.lk.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa miscalculates by engaging the wrong base

To evaluate MP Premadasa’s claim, FactCheckreferred to data available in the weekly economic indicators of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

MP Dissanayake correctly exposes foreign debt payment exposure

To assess this claim, FactCheck consulted the Ministry of Finance Annual Report for 2019, the latest full year for which actual data

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa fails to account for the accounting method

In the second reading of the 2020 Appropriation Bill, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa claimed that the budget deficit for 2019 increased to 9.6% of GDP. To evaluate this claim, FactCheck consulted annual reports from the Ministry of Finance (MoF).

President Rajapaksa: Sends right message on cost of the post

To assess this claim, FactCheck consulted performance reports from the Postal Department. Financial performance reports indicate that the postal department’s average income from 2016 to 2019 was LKR 7.42 billio

Former Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe: Incorrect claims with some correct figures

In his statement, former Prime Minister (PM) Ranil Wickremesinghe made two claims: (1) Government revenue fell by LKR 100 billion, to LKR 50 billion, in July 2020, and (2) the required expenditure for salaries and pensions significantly ex

MP Wigneswaran overstates the unemployment disparity in war affected areas

To evaluate this statement, FactCheck referred to the 2019 annual report of the Sri Lanka Labour Force Surveys published by the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS). For purposes of this analysis we consider the districts falling into the

NFF: Accurate on attrition of auditor general in proposed 20A

FactCheck assessed this claim by evaluating the language and scope of Article 154(1) under the current constitution, as provided through the 19th Amendment, and under the proposed 20th Amendment (20A). In the

MP Amarasuriya calls out Sri Lanka’s low rank on female labour force participation

To assess this claim, FactCheck consulted the Labour Force Survey for Sri Lanka’s statistics and used the International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database to compare Sri Lanka’s female labour force participation rate in 2019 with that of the rest of the world.

Minister Peiris misrepresents effect of 19A on presidential immunity

This statement was made in the context of the constitutional changes in the proposed 20th Amendment (20A). In his statement, Minister Peiris justifies the need for presidential immunity as provided for in the 20th Amendment, by claiming: As long as the 19th Amendment is in force, the president will have to waste his time (“rastify”) in courts. To evaluate

MP Aluthgamage on agriculture: overgrows labour statistics

To evaluate this claim, FactCheck consulted the latest available Labour Force Survey (LFS) statistics, which provides sector-wise estimates of employment.The average labour force engaged in agriculture, as their primary employment, was 2

Minister Peiris correct: Pre 19A the president had unbridled power to dissolve parliament.

Minister Peiris correct: Pre 19A the president had unbridled power to dissolve parliament.

Minister of Justice Ali Sabry: Misrepresents safeguards as gaps in the 19th Amendment.

This statement was made by Minister Sabry in explaining his opposition to the 19th Amendment (19A) to the Constitution. Through this statement he asserts that the constraints on the president to remove the Inspector General of Police (IGP) from office was brought about by 19A.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa: Missing facts on Office on Missing Persons (OMP) Act  

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa claimed that the former government forcibly enacted the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) Act. In his statement, the prime minister indicated that this forcible enactment in

Industries Minister Wimal Weerawansa responds to FactCheck

The industries Ministers Media secretary has sent the following response to the FactCheck published on page 1 of Daily Mirror on August 27: The FactCheck featured in your newspaper had been compiled using a news report published in the Mawbima newspaper of 13. 07. 2020 using a statement made by Minister Wimal Weerawansa.

Minister of Industry Wimal Weerawansa repeats misconception on export earnings

Minister Weerawansa here is possibly repeating a claim about trade data in June 2020 that has also been separately carried in the media. To evaluate this claim, FactCheck looked at Sri Lanka’s monthly and annual import and export data as reported by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL).

MP de Silva over-interprets Sri Lanka’s borrowing from the New York Fed

Last month, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka entered into an agreement with the Federal Reserve Bank, New York (FED) under its temporary ‘FIMA Repo Facility’. MP Harsha de Silva describe

Former Minister of Health Rajitha Senaratne transmits incorrect information on malaria incidence

Former Minister of Health Rajitha Senaratne transmits incorrect information on malaria incidence. To evaluate forme

Governor’s claim on strength of the banking system can be banked on

To evaluate Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) W.D. Lakshman’s claim, FactCheck consulted the set of principles developed by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS)—an international organisation that serves and supports central banks in their pursuit of monetary and financial stability—to assess the risk taken on by global and domestic banks. Sri Lankan domestic ban

Udaya Gammanpila on debt burden: Correct on statistics, less so on the inference

In the above statement, former MP Udaya Gammanpila claimed the UPFA government, which came in to power in 2005, reduced the debt burden of the country from 103% of GDP to 72% at the end of thei

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa: over-energetic on electricity access

On 24 June 2020, Divaina reported Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s above claim that his government succeeded in achieving effectively universal access to electricity (99.9% access). To evaluate this claim, FactCheck consulted data from the annual reports of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka from 2004 to 2019. In 2004—prior to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) forming government—74.9% of the population had access to electricity. By 2014—the final

Former MP Ranawaka ‘right on the money’ on Japanese loans

FactCheck evaluated the former MP’s statement using data obtained from the Department of External Resources on foreign loan commitments to Sri Lanka. The analysis was limited—based on the availa