Despite a blistering 7.9 percent growth for the six months to June, and a three percentage drop in national poverty rates (mainly as growth in centered around the economically rich western province), Sri Lanka has to tackle social issues, corruption and ongoing conflict to rise out of the poverty trap, he said at the launch of a new report: "Can South Asia end poverty in a generation?"
South Asia has had a strong impressive growth. But there remains long standing problems of social and economic exclusion, illiteracy, ill-health, conflict, corruption and confrontational politics, the report said.
Rising inequality is holding back market oriented reforms and