Human Rights Watch (HRW) has revealed that Sri Lanka’s tax policies contributed significantly to the 2022 economic crisis. The report highlighted how low tax revenues led to underfunded public services, especially education.
The 101-page report, titled ‘Tax Giveaways, Struggling Schools’, stated that decades of government policies prioritizing GDP growth over social spending left Sri Lanka’s education funding among the lowest globally. HRW warned that this neglect turned the country from a global leader in public education to a laggard.
HRW acknowledged some positive steps by the new government, including a small education bursary for families, but said the education budget increase was marginal. The rights group recommended raising spending to meet the internationally agreed benchmark of 4–6 percent of GDP for education.
The report urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s administration to implement progressive tax reforms and use the income to adequately fund public services. HRW emphasized that economic growth alone is insufficient to uphold human rights and called for urgent measures to benefit all Sri Lankans.
