Ranjith Bandara

Professor Ranjith Bandara is a Sri Lankan economist, academic, and former legislator who represented the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) in Parliament. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Queensland, Australia, and has specialized expertise in economics, natural resource management, and sustainable agriculture. With an extensive academic background from the University of Peradeniya, University of Colombo, and the Agricultural University of Norway, he has contributed to both higher education and public policy in Sri Lanka.

October 20, 2026

Columns/Geopolitics

The French Protests Are Being Misunderstood

The French protests that are spreading over Europe are not receiving proper attention. The explanation that students all over France, with the disturbances spreading into Italy and Belgium, are burning down historic

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s illicit cigarette trade costs government Rs 29.5bn in lost tax revenue

Sri Lanka lost an estimated Rs 29.5 billion in potential tax revenue in 2025 because of illicit factory-made cigarette consumption, according to an economic assessment by Oxford Economics, which estimates that illegal products accounted for 20% of the market despite

October 20, 2026

Sri Lanka: Rising Prices and People’s Patience

Sri Lanka

A familiar storm gathers Sri Lanka’s inflation reached 8% in September 2026, above the Central Bank’s 3–7% target band for a third straight month,

Women’s Role in Peacekeeping Stalls Worldwide

Editor's Choice/Geopolitics

More than 25 years after the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, women’s representation in multilateral peace operations

Sri Lanka’s FDI Trap

August 25, 2026

Geopolitics/Sri Lanka

Investment promotion has been Colombo’s default strategy for two decades. The real barrier to foreign capital was never Sri Lanka’s pitch — it is Sri Lanka’s paperwork and administrative complexity. For more

The IMF Is Not Sri Lanka’s Development Strategy

May 27, 2026

Columns/Geopolitics/Sri Lanka

The IMF staff and Sri Lankan authorities have reached a staff-level agreement to conclude the combined Fifth and Sixth Reviews of Sri Lanka’s reform programme under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). If