Sri Lanka Economic Association Annual Sessions kick off today
Friday, 24 October 2014 00:25
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The Sri Lanka Economic Association (SLEA) will hold its 2014-Annual Sessions on 24 and 25 October at the Centre for Banking Studies, Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Rajagiriya.
The theme of the Annual Sessions is ‘GDP as a Measure of Quality of Life of a People’. The theme is timely and relevant especially in the context of the Government’s efforts to reach $ 4,000 per capita income and overcoming the lower-middle income trap.
GDP is the most elusive economic concept. It can mislead and misinterpret facts and status. Economists have started to question methods and concepts used in measuring GDP; its validity in current market prices; its ability to express inequality, disparity, poverty, gender concerns, welfare, quality of life, etc. The SLEA’s Annual Sessions would endeavour to explain, examine and explore the importance as well as limitations of GDP to express the quality of life of a people.
Merits and demerits of using GDP as a measure of quality of welfare of people have always taken centre of the debate among economists worldwide. SLEA expects to take this debate to a further higher elevation during its Annual Sessions 2014 in October. Economists who are serving as academics, researchers, bankers and policy makers would take a critical view on the theme from four different perspectives.
The Annual Sessions will take a whole day on 25 October and consists of four technical sessions and eight presentations followed by a panel discussion at the end of each session. The sub-themes will focus upon: GDP – Its nature and significance; Measurement of GDP and its limitation; Doubling per capita income as a target; and GDP growth and development
The Sessions will be inaugurated today (24) at 4 p.m. by Vidya Jyothi Professor Dayantha Wijeyesekera, formerly Chairman, TVEC and Vice Chancellor of Open University and Moratuwa University. The keynote address will be delivered by Dr. S.S. Colombage, formerly Professor of Economics of Open University and Director of Statistics, Central Bank.
The SLEA expects a large gathering and earnestly requests the prospective participants to register early to avoid any disappointment.
