Muttukrishna Sarvananthan
Email: sarvi@pointpedro.org
Muttukrishna Sarvananthan, a PhD graduate from the University of Wales Swansea, is the Founder and Principal Researcher at the Point Pedro Institute of Development, established in 2004, located in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Additionally, since 2019, he has held the position of Senior Lecturer at the Department of Economics, University of Jaffna, situated in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. With a wealth of research experience, he specialises in the statistical detection of false invoicing in international trade, among other areas of expertise
Papers Published in World Economics:
Assessing Economic Data Integrity Amidst Sovereign Default
The sovereign default of Sri Lanka in April 2022 has sparked concerns about the accuracy and reliability of official economic data, including GDP, inflation, and unemployment figures. The integration of statistical agencies under government ministries in developing countries like Sri Lanka raises concerns about political influence and data integrity. The inflation data in Sri Lanka, measured by indices such as Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI) has been historically low until 1977 but has since risen to double-digit levels, reaching 46% in 2022. However, authors raise doubts about the accuracy of these figures due to factors such as subsidised goods distorting consumer price indices and manipulated exchange rates affecting import costs. Unemployment data in Sri Lanka face challenges due to disguised unemployment and weak measurement methods. Discrepancies between official labour force surveys and data from institutions like the Employees’ Provident Fund indicate a need for more accurate and comprehensive data collection methods to understand the true extent of unemployment in the country. These discrepancies could affect policy decisions, especially regarding monetary policy and economic growth strategies.
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