Shenali Waduge ** … with highlighting that is her hand
Sri Lanka’s Economy is sustained by Sinhala Taxpayers: Without them, Sri Lanka stops – thank Sinhalese without demanding separatism
This is not emotion.
This is not racism.
This is economic fact.
What the numbers say:
According to Central Bank of Sri Lanka – Provincial GDP (PGDP) 2023:
- Total GDP:LKR 27.4 trillion
- Total Tax Revenue:LKR 3.05 trillion
- Sinhalese-majority provinces
(Western, Southern, North Western, Central, Sabaragamuwa, North Central):
GDP: LKR 21.92 trillion (≈80%)
Taxes: LKR 2.59 trillion (≈85%)
- Northern & Eastern provinces:
GDP: LKR 1.64–2.19 trillion (≈6–8%)
Taxes: < LKR 61 billion (<2%)
Budget Transfers Received: ≈LKR 610 billion (>20%)”
Provincial Numbers (2023)
- Western Province:7% of national GDP – (~LKR 12.0 trillion)
- North Western Province:9% – (~LKR 3.0 trillion)
- Southern Province:9%
- Sabaragamuwa Province:8%
- Central Province:3%
- North Central Province:8%
- Uva Province:7%
- Eastern Province:7%
- Northern Province:5%
- These four provinces, with over 90% Sinhala population, generate:
- Nearly 80% of Sri Lanka’s GDP – (~LKR 21.92 trillion),
- Over 85% of total tax revenue – (~LKR 2.59 trillion)
- North Western, Central, and Southern provinces contribute most of the remaining GDP.
- Northern & Eastern provinces:
- contribute only6–8% of GDP – (~LKR 1.64–2.19 trillion),
- collect less than 2% taxes – (<LKR 61 billion),
- but receive over20% of national budget transfers (~LKR 610 billion)
What this means
- Over 80% of GDP and 85% of tax revenue comes from Sinhala-majority provinces
- Northern and Eastern Provinces contribute only 6–8%of the economy
BUT they absorb over 20% of national budget transfers, subsidies and aid
- Taxes paid by people in Colombo, Gampaha, Kurunegala, Kandy, Galle, Matara, and Ratnapuraare used to finance schools, roads, hospitals, government salaries, fertilizer, Samurdhi, pensions, provincial councils, and welfare in the North and East.
- Yet, tax revenue collected from the North and East is less than 2% of the total economy
- Even during the war, funds to maintain schools, hospitals, salaries, pensions and welfare in LTTE-controlled areas STILL came from the Sri Lankan Government — paid by Sinhala taxpayers. Even the LTTE ate & survived on state funds.
Even today, soldiers from Sinhala villages shed their blood in border hospitalsthat also supply blood to Jaffna, Batticaloa and Trincomalee hospitals.
Sri Lanka 2023 Economic Summary
Total GDP: LKR 27 trillion
- Sinhalese-majority provinces:LKR 21 trillion (~78%)
- Northern & Eastern provinces:LKR 2.1 trillion (~8%)
Total Tax Revenue: LKR 3.05 trillion
- Sinhalese-majority provinces:LKR 2.59 trillion (~85%)
- Northern & Eastern provinces:< LKR 61 billion (<2%)
National Budget Transfers & Subsidies:
- Northern & Eastern provinces:~LKR 610 billion (>20% of national funds)
- Remaining provinces:funded by Sinhalese-majority tax revenue
So, let us be very clear:
- Sinhala taxpayerscontribute the largest share to government revenue. This is the fact.
- Sinhala-majority provincessubsidize the rest of the country
- TheNorthern and Eastern provinces survive on national funding, not separatist slogans
- Those shouting“self-determination”, “federalism”, and “separatism” do so while living on Sinhala taxpayers’ money
This is not racism.
This is economic justice.
Facts have no ethnicity.
Budget Reality – Who Pays the Bills?
Every year, billions of rupees are allocated to Provincial Councils.
Provinces like the North and East collect less than 2% of tax revenue but consume over 20% of national budget transfers, subsidies, and aid
This means Sinhala taxpayers are funding those demanding division of the country. Do those demanding or even supporting separatism realize this truth?
Questions the Nation Must Ask Before Discussing Federalism or Devolution:
Why are the people who carry the economy – the Sinhala taxpayers – constantly accused, insulted, and demonized, while the regions funded by their labor demand separation and federalism?
Before anyone talks about federalism, devolution, police powers, or land powers, let them answer:
- Who pays for your province?
- Who built your roads?
- Who funds your hospitals?
- Who pays your teachers and public servants?
- Who provided welfare, pensions and subsidies all these years?
No one has the right to divide what they don’t pay for.
Sri Lanka survives because of Sinhala workers, farmers, entrepreneurs and taxpayers.
The Sinhala majority is the economic spine of this nation. No one can contest this fact.
It is time to acknowledge their contribution – without apology.
Salute the Silent Sinhala Working Majority
Sri Lanka survives because of Sinhala workers, farmers, entrepreneurs, and taxpayers.
They are the economic spine of the nation.
They carry the nation.
They feed the nation.
They fund the nation.
Without them, Sri Lanka stops.
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What a fallacy and nonsense this Shenali Waduge promotes?
She assumes that NO Tamils and NO Muslims and Other minority ethnic groups live in the Western, Southern, North Western, Central, Sabaragamuwa, North Central provinces? Don’t they contribute to tax revenues?
Agree with Sachi, this is absolute rubbish. Shenali is a well known anti-Tamil activist.
This is complete nonsense. The Western Province has so many Tamil entrepreneurs. When Shenali Waduge realises this, she will cry foul play by Tamils as they are enjoying bigger slice of the profits in majority Sinhala provinces than their popular percentage.
It is annoying that we are still trying to sharpen the racial divide.
This is the worst economic explanation I have encountered in my lifetime. Doesn’t the fact that we, the so-called Sinhala-Buddhists, have failed to enable the deprived north and east people to upscale as taxpayers?
It’s easy to lie with statistics. “Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital.” — Aaron Levenstein
Convoluted poppy cock meant only for the dustbin
When Shenali presents her case with facts, others accuse her of being racist and attempt to dismiss her comments. She is not arguing against funding for the North and East. Why are people getting upset and commenting on something she hasn’t claimed?
I’ll comment briefly on Nuwan’s defence of Shenali-presented facts.
(1) Nuwan assumes that I have NOT read Shanali’s rantings on Tamils. In this particular piece, Shenali has used ‘North and East’ as an euphemism for Tamils and Muslim ethnics.
(2) Shenali’s use of so-called ‘facts’ has holes as big as Swiss cheese, as I had pointed previously that Tamils and Muslims also do live in all the provinces of Sri Lanka. Does the economic statistics and the tax revenue collected from each of the province provide separate tables for different ethnic groups? Nuwan should check the current population of Colombo city. Muslims and Tamils collectively outnumber the Sinhalese! Correct me, if I’m wrong.