Annual Report 2005 - Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka

IPS Publications__Publications of 2005Labour Standards and International Trade: The Case of EU GSP Concessions to SriLankaBilesha WeeraratneWorking Paper Series No. 8, July 2005This publication analyses implications of deeper tariff concessions extendedto Sri Lanka under the Labour Arrangement of the European Union’s (EU)Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). The publication traces the labour-tradelinkage, and underscores the implications and issues of the GSP scheme in thecontext of the textile and apparel industry in Sri Lanka. The analysis of Sri Lanka‘stextile and apparel trade performance in EU sets the local industry in the context ofits competitors and evaluates implications of the tariff concessions for this industryunder two broad themes, namely- market access and image/branding. Someprominent issues addressed are EU GSP scheme’s rules of origin requirements, SriLanka’s low utilization of concession and underlying reasons.Regulatory Impact Assessment: A Tool for Better RegulatoryGovernance in Sri Lanka?Research Team led by Malathy-Knight JohnWorking Paper Series No. 9, August 2005Regulations – broadly understood in the sense of laws, regulations, orders andrules of all levels of government – have a key role to play in promotingeconomic growth and development. However, even as Sri Lanka has moved alongthe path of economic reforms, priority has not been given to implementing a wellstructured,“independent” regulatory mechanism in the country. Regulations haveoften been implemented that had unintended adverse impacts, did not realize theanticipated benefits, or that became unnecessarily burdensome. This publicationdescribes an international best practice tool for addressing such regulatory failures – Regulatory ImpactAssessment (RIA). It goes on to set out a suitable framework to implement RIA in Sri Lanka , taking account ofthe specific local context.Impact of Trade Liberalization on Poverty and Household Welfarein Sri LankaSanath Jayanetti and Ganga TilakaratnaPoverty and Social Welfare Series No. 6, September 2005This publication attempts to look at the impact of trade liberalization onpoverty and welfare of households, with a special focus on the rice and potatosectors of Sri Lanka. Both a descriptive approach (for rice and potato sectors) and ananalytical model (for the rice sector) are used in this regard. The publication alsoanalyses various trade policy reforms undertaken during the last decade, and theextent and nature of poverty in Sri Lanka It further stresses the need to eliminatead hoc trade policies and move towards a low uniform ad valorem tariff rate for riceand potato. Moreover, it highlights the importance of having both compensatory and complementary policiesto minimize the adverse effects of trade liberalization on households, particularly those which affect the poor.45__________ Annual Report 2005