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Q1 GDP data by Friday

06 Jul 2021

  • DCS optimistic of growth rate

  • Pandemic blamed for delay in issuing

  • Harsha suspects delay due to Basil

By Imsha Iqbal Sri Lanka’s gross domestic product (GDP) data for the first quarter of this year is expected to be released by the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) this Friday (9) after delaying it for a little less than a month from its required date of release, The Morning Business learns. Speaking to us, DCS Director General P.M.P. Anura Kumara stated that following several discussions with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), the Department looks forward to releasing Q1 GDP growth rate on 9 July. Kumara added that he is optimistic about this year’s Q1 growth rate results unlike the one of the last year. “Last year, Q1 had a negative value, but I hope this year’s growth rate will be positive.” According to the regulations in this regard, the GDP data for the Q1 is supposed to be released on or before 15 June of each year. Speaking on the delay of the release, Kumara said the results were supposed to be released by 15 June. Further explaining on the matter, he said that due to the pandemic, collecting data was crucial. “Since most of the institutions were closed, the Census officers had to reach the institution heads only through the telephone,” he said, explaining that movement restrictions affected the gathering of field data and that activities related to data collection faced multiple difficulties and interruptions. Also, he said the officers themselves were not, in fact, enthusiastically willing to collect data, pointing that it could possibly endanger their lives as they were supposed to be physically present in order to engage in gathering statistics due to the highly transmissible virus. The previous year’s (2020) Q1 GDP data was also delayed significantly by the DCS. There too the DCS cited pandemic as the main reason behind the delay. In 2020, it was delayed by a duration of nearly two months, where it was released in August a few hours prior to the general election, with a negative 1.6% growth rate. Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Dr. Harsha de Silva condemned the delay of this data release by the DCS on his official Twitter handle Monday (5), questioning whether the DCS is holding the release of the Q1 2021 GDP growth rate until the arrival of Basil Rajapaksa. He also expressed that such delay is “most unprofessional” and said the delay of aforementioned data release makes matters worse. When it comes to last year’s Q2 and Q3 GDP data, issuing a statement in mid-October, the DCS said that Q2 data will be released along with the one of the Q3 on 15 December 2020, mentioning that pandemic has caused much delay and highlighting the seven-week lockdown that was imposed.

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