To assess this claim, FactCheck consulted performance reports from the Postal Department. Financial performance reports indicate that the postal department’s average income from 2016 to 2019 was LKR 7.42 billio

In his statement, former Prime Minister (PM) Ranil Wickremesinghe made two claims: (1) Government revenue fell by LKR 100 billion, to LKR 50 billion, in July 2020, and (2) the required expenditure for salaries and pensions significantly ex

To evaluate this statement, FactCheck referred to the 2019 annual report of the Sri Lanka Labour Force Surveys published by the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS). For purposes of this analysis we consider the districts falling into the

FactCheck assessed this claim by evaluating the language and scope of Article 154(1) under the current constitution, as provided through the 19th Amendment, and under the proposed 20th Amendment (20A). In the

To assess this claim, FactCheck consulted the Labour Force Survey for Sri Lanka’s statistics and used the International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database to compare Sri Lanka’s female labour force participation rate in 2019 with that of the r

This statement was made in the context of the constitutional changes in the proposed 20th Amendment (20A). In his statement, Minister Peiris justifies the need for presidential immunity as provided for in the 20th Amendment, by claiming: As long as t

To evaluate this claim, FactCheck consulted the latest available Labour Force Survey (LFS) statistics, which provides sector-wise estimates of employment.The average labour force engaged in agriculture, as their primary employment, was 2

Minister Peiris correct: Pre 19A the president had unbridled power to dissolve parliament.

This statement was made by Minister Sabry in explaining his opposition to the 19th Amendment (19A) to the Constitution. Through this statement he asserts that the constraints on the president to remove the Inspector General of Police (IGP) from offic

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa claimed that the former government forcibly enacted the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) Act. In his statement, the prime minister indicated that this forcible enactment in

The industries Ministers Media secretary has sent the following response to the FactCheck published on page 1 of Daily Mirror on August 27: The FactCheck featured in your newspaper had been compiled using a news report published in the Mawbima news

Minister Weerawansa here is possibly repeating a claim about trade data in June 2020 that has also been separately carried in the media. To evaluate this claim, FactCheck looked at Sri Lanka’s monthly and annual import and export data as reported b

Last month, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka entered into an agreement with the Federal Reserve Bank, New York (FED) under its temporary ‘FIMA Repo Facility’. MP Harsha de Silva describe

Former Minister of Health Rajitha Senaratne transmits incorrect information on malaria incidence. To evaluate forme

To evaluate Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) W.D. Lakshman’s claim, FactCheck consulted the set of principles developed by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS)—an international organisation that serves and supports central

In the above statement, former MP Udaya Gammanpila claimed the UPFA government, which came in to power in 2005, reduced the debt burden of the country from 103% of GDP to 72% at the end of thei

On 24 June 2020, Divaina reported Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s above claim that his government succeeded in achieving effectively universal access to electricity (99.9% access). To evaluate this claim, FactCheck consulted data from the annual

FactCheck evaluated the former MP’s statement using data obtained from the Department of External Resources on foreign loan commitments to Sri Lanka. The analysis was limited—based on the availa

FactCheck evaluated the president’s claim in terms of real GDP growth in the post-war period, using data from the 2019 National Accounts Estimates of the Department of Census and Statistics and the Annual Report of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka 201

To evaluate this claim, FactCheck consulted the Monetary Law Act, Finance Companies Act and Sri Lanka Deposit Insurance Scheme Regulations. The legislative framework for deposit insurance in Sri Lanka is established by Sections 32A t

This fact check interprets the former MP’s statement as referring to the commitment of expendable financing—which is not limit

In evaluating this statement, FactCheck understood the minister as claiming that there was no “community transmission” of Covid-19, in the period 01-20 May 2020. According t

Former Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne made the overall claim that the number of people reported as having Covid-19 in Sri Lanka is a significant underestimate due to three reasons. This FactCheck evaluates the former minister’s overall claim by

Former MP Udaya Gammanpila made this statement as part of a series of tweets with reference to the ability to prosecute former President Maithripala Sirisena for any alleged crime in relation to the Easter Sunday attacks.

In his statement former Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa claimed that—based on the reduction in global fuel prices—domestic

FactCheck evaluated the MP’s claim using data from the Annual Report 2018 and the Weekly Economic Indicators published by the CBSL. At the time the MP made the statement, data for 2019 was only available for the first nine months (see Exhibit 1).

In comparing Sri Lanka’s trajectory with that of Italy, the GMOA makes reference to the first ‘local’ case detected. This is a standard distinction made in counting cases, where those that contracted the virus outside the country and brough

To check this claim, we evaluated the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Resolution 30/1 and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

MP Kiriella argues that the estimated loss of LKR 10 billion arising from irregular bond transactions post-January 2015 should not be considered a loss. His argument is based on over LKR 12 billion of counter-party assets being frozen in response to

To assess this claim FactCheck consulted Report 1 (of the 5 reports) from the forensic audit at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. It investigates the issuance of treasury bonds from January 2002 to 28 February 201