Gerhard van Onselen (strateeg by Sakeliga) gesels met James Kemp oor die huidige gebeure in Sri Lanka.

Dit volg op ’n onlangse gesprek by KragDag 2022 deur Russell Lamberti (ekonoom en uitvoerende direkteur by Sakeliga) oor die redes vir Sri Lanka se agteruitgang en huidige ekonomiese krisis.

Tot dusver het pryse in Sri Lanka die hoogte ingeskiet en verskeie produkte soos brandstof is gerantsoeneer. Armoede en lyding word algemeen gesien.

Lamberti wys op verskeie redes vir Sri Lanka se krisis, wat insluit oormatige buitelandse skuld, interne onstabiliteit en grootskaalse regeringskorrupsie, ’n sentrale bank wat ruim geld druk, en verregaande regulasies wat in die nadraai van Covid-19-inperkings op die spits gedryf is. Hierdie faktore word dieper bespreek.

Daar is belangrike lesse vir Suid-Afrika te leer uit Sri Lanka se geval. Lamberti meen dit is veral noodsaaklik om ’n staatsbestande burgerlike sektor te verseker om wal te gooi teen roekelose regeringsoptrede soos dié in Sri Lanka.

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Gerhard van Onselen (strategist at Sakeliga) talks to James Kemp about the current events in Sri Lanka.

This follows a recent talk at KragDag 2022 by Russell Lamberti (economist and executive director at Sakeliga) on the reasons for the deterioration and current economic crisis in Sri Lanka.

Prices in Sri Lanka have gone through the roof and several products, including fuel, have been rationed. Poverty and suffering are to be seen everywhere.

Lamberti gave several reasons for the crisis in Sri Lanka, including excessive foreign debt, internal instability and large-scale government corruption, a central bank that prints lots of money, and outrageous regulations that were carried to an extreme following the Covid-19 restrictions. These factors are discussed in greater detail.

There are important lessons for South Africa to learn from the Sri Lanka case.

Lamberti was of the opinion in particular that it is essential to ensure a state-proof civil sector so as to curb reckless government actions such as those seen in Sri Lanka.