About Us
Our Story
Arutha was created to formalise Default LK, a volunteer-run economic education platform launched during Sri Lankaโs 2022 economic crisis. In a time of widespread misunderstanding and misinformation, Default LK stepped in to share accurate, timely insights into the crisisโexplaining its causes, consequences, and possible solutions. Our goal has always been to help Sri Lankans understand how economics and public policy shape their daily lives. We believe in empowering people with knowledge to navigate and prevent future crises, thereby becoming more engaged citizens.
Our Team
Yolani Fernando
Executive Director
Yolani is the Executive Director of Arutha and leads the tax research stream. Yolani previously worked at the Ministry of Finance and served as the Senior Program Officer at the Asia Foundation. She holds a BSc in International Relations and a MA in Governance, Development and Public Policy from the Institute of Development Studies where she was a Chevening scholar (2022/23).
Research Interests: Taxes, Parliament and Policymaking
Umesh Moramudali
Director – Debt Research
Umesh is a lecturer and economist specialising in public finance and is currently attached to the University of Colombo. He previously worked at the Ministry of Finance as a Research Analyst and Ceylon Chamber of Commerce as a Senior Researcher. He has a MSc Economics from University of Warwick where he was a Chevening scholar (2018/19).
Research Interests: Chinese Debt, China-Sri Lanka relations, public finance
Rehana Thowfeek
Director – Civic Education
Rehana is an economist with an interest in political economy and public finance. She has previously worked at the Institute for Health Policy and Verite Research. At present she works for a US-based tech start up and is a Research Consultant of the Advocata Institute. She was a contributing writer on the Sri Lankan economy and business for Al Jazeera during the unfolding of the economic crisis. She holds an MSc in Economics from the University of Warwick.
Research Interests: Governance and public finance
Charuka Peiris
Programme and Research officer
Charuka is a Programme and Research officer with work experience at the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination (IMADR) and CINEC Campus. Prior to that, he served as a Research officer at the Presidential Commission for Election Reforms in Sri Lanka. Charuka holds a BA in International Studies from the University of Kelaniya and an MSc in International Relations from the Liverpool John Moores University.
Research Interests: Labour and debt
Shaheen Abdul Gani
Research Assistant
Shaheen is a Research Assistant at Arutha. She holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in International Relations from the University of Nottingham, where her research primarily focused on the root causes of Sri Lankaโs 2022 economic crisis. Prior to joining Arutha, she gained experience at several policy and research organisations, including Hype Sri Lanka, Advocata Institute, and the Centre for a Smart Future.
Research Interests: Sri Lankan macroeconomic policy, China-Sri Lanka debt relations, and green finance
Shehara Ratnasinghe-Samarasekera
Communication and Education Outreach Consultant
Shehara is a communications consultant with an interest in short story writing and poetry. At present she works full time as an Assistant Public Relations Manager for a PR company based in India. She previously worked at Verite Research as a researcher. She was a freelance writer for Daily Mirror, The Morning and HI!! Magazine. She holds an MBA from SLIIT.
Research Interests: Social media, social issues and creative writing
Our Advisors

Prof. Mick Moore

Romali Tudawe

Dr. Gopakumar Thampi
Partnerships and Collaborations
Arutha strives to collaborate with like-minded organizations and initiatives to effectively engage in our research and civic education goals. Our previous and current partnerships can be seen below.



Hari TV














Taxes are the main source of income for a government. This income is used for funding public healthcare, education, social services and infrastructure.ย Sri Lankan tax to GDP ratio (the amount of taxes the government raises in relation to the size of the economy) has been in decline over the past decades. Tax revenue in Sri Lanka accounted forย 15% of GDP in the 1990s and reduced to 7% in 2022. With tax revenues failing to keep up with the demands of a growing economy and budget deficits worsening, successive governments of Sri Lanka relied extensively on debt to tide over government expenditure. With tax cuts in 2018 and 2019, the budget deficit worsened, forcing the government to borrow and finance essentials.
For much of Sri Lankaโs recent history, a majority of tax revenues come from indirect taxes, rather than direct taxes. This is a regressive tax structure, which disproportionately burdens lower income earners. Indirect taxes like VAT, import tariff, excise and custom duty are those imposed on goods and services rather than on wealth and income. Indirect taxes are charged equally on everyone which disproportionately affects the lower income groups. Meanwhile, direct taxes like income taxes are underutilized due to poor regulatory and administrative barriers.








เฎตเฎฐเฎฟเฎเฎณเฏ เฎเฎฉเฏเฎชเฎคเฏ เฎเฎฐเฏ เฎจเฎพเฎเฏเฎเฎฟเฎฉเฏ เฎฎเฏเฎเฏเฎเฎฟเฎฏเฎฎเฎพเฎฉ เฎเฎฐเฏ เฎตเฎฐเฏเฎฎเฎพเฎฉ เฎตเฎดเฎฟเฎฏเฎพเฎเฏเฎฎเฏ. เฎเฎจเฏเฎค เฎตเฎฐเฏเฎฎเฎพเฎฉเฎฎเฏ เฎชเฏเฎคเฏ เฎเฏเฎเฎพเฎคเฎพเฎฐเฎฎเฏ, เฎเฎฒเฏเฎตเฎฟ, เฎเฎฎเฏเฎ เฎเฏเฎตเฏเฎเฎณเฏ เฎฎเฎฑเฏเฎฑเฏเฎฎเฏ เฎเฎเฏเฎเฎเฏเฎเฎฎเฏเฎชเฏเฎชเฏเฎเฏเฎเฏ เฎตเฎเฎคเฎฟเฎเฎณเฏ เฎฎเฏเฎฑเฏเฎเฏเฎณเฏเฎณ เฎชเฎฏเฎฉเฏเฎชเฎเฏเฎคเฏเฎคเฎชเฏเฎชเฎเฏเฎเฎฟเฎฑเฎคเฏ. เฎเฎฒเฎเฏเฎเฏเฎฏเฎฟเฎฉเฏ เฎตเฎฐเฎฟ-เฎฎเฏเฎคเฏเฎค เฎเฎณเฏเฎจเฎพเฎเฏเฎเฏ เฎเฎฑเฏเฎชเฎคเฏเฎคเฎฟ เฎตเฎฟเฎเฎฟเฎคเฎฎเฏ (เฎชเฏเฎฐเฏเฎณเฎพเฎคเฎพเฎฐเฎคเฏเฎคเฎฟเฎฉเฏ เฎ
เฎณเฎตเฏ เฎคเฏเฎเฎฐเฏเฎชเฎพเฎ เฎ
เฎฐเฎเฎพเฎเฏเฎเฎฎเฏ เฎเฎฏเฎฐเฏเฎคเฏเฎคเฏเฎฎเฏ เฎตเฎฐเฎฟเฎเฎณเฎฟเฎฉเฏ เฎ
เฎณเฎตเฏ) เฎเฎเฎจเฏเฎค เฎชเฎฒ เฎคเฎเฎพเฎชเฏเฎคเฎเฏเฎเฎณเฎพเฎ เฎเฏเฎฑเฏเฎตเฎเฏเฎจเฏเฎคเฏ เฎตเฎฐเฏเฎเฎฟเฎฉเฏเฎฑเฎคเฏ. เฎเฎฒเฎเฏเฎเฏเฎฏเฎฟเฎฒเฏ เฎตเฎฐเฎฟ เฎตเฎฐเฏเฎฎเฎพเฎฉเฎฎเฏ 1990 เฎเฎณเฎฟเฎฒเฏ เฎฎเฏเฎคเฏเฎค เฎเฎณเฏเฎจเฎพเฎเฏเฎเฏ เฎเฎฑเฏเฎชเฎคเฏเฎคเฎฟเฎฏเฎฟเฎฒเฏ 15% เฎเฎ เฎเฎฐเฏเฎจเฏเฎคเฎคเฏ, 2022 เฎเฎฒเฏ 7% เฎเฎเฎเฏ เฎเฏเฎฑเฏเฎจเฏเฎคเฎคเฏ. เฎตเฎณเฎฐเฏเฎจเฏเฎคเฏ เฎตเฎฐเฏเฎฎเฏ เฎชเฏเฎฐเฏเฎณเฎพเฎคเฎพเฎฐเฎคเฏเฎคเฎฟเฎฉเฏ เฎคเฏเฎตเฏเฎเฎณเฏเฎชเฏ เฎชเฏเฎฐเฏเฎคเฏเฎคเฎฟ เฎเฏเฎฏเฏเฎฏ เฎตเฎฐเฎฟ เฎตเฎฐเฏเฎฎเฎพเฎฉเฎเฏเฎเฎณเฏ เฎคเฎตเฎฑเฎฟเฎฏเฎคเฎพเฎฒเฏเฎฎเฏ, เฎตเฎฐเฎตเฏ เฎเฏเฎฒเฎตเฏเฎคเฏ เฎคเฎฟเฎเฏเฎ เฎชเฎฑเฏเฎฑเฎพเฎเฏเฎเฏเฎฑเฏเฎเฎณเฏ เฎฎเฏเฎเฎฎเฎเฏเฎจเฏเฎคเฎคเฎพเฎฒเฏเฎฎเฏ, เฎเฎฒเฎเฏเฎเฏเฎฏเฎฟเฎฉเฏ เฎ
เฎเฏเฎคเฏเฎคเฎเฏเฎคเฏเฎค เฎ
เฎฐเฎเฎพเฎเฏเฎเฎเฏเฎเฎณเฏ - เฎ
เฎฐเฎเฎพเฎเฏเฎ เฎเฏเฎฒเฎตเฎฟเฎฉเฎเฏเฎเฎณเฏ เฎเฎเฏ เฎเฏเฎฏเฏเฎฏ เฎเฎเฎฉเฏเฎฏเฏ เฎชเฏเฎฐเฎฟเฎคเฏเฎฎเฏ เฎจเฎฎเฏเฎชเฎฟเฎฏเฎฟเฎฐเฏเฎจเฏเฎคเฎฉ. 2018 เฎฎเฎฑเฏเฎฑเฏเฎฎเฏ 2019 เฎเฎฎเฏ เฎเฎฃเฏเฎเฏเฎเฎณเฎฟเฎฒเฏ เฎตเฎฐเฎฟ เฎเฏเฎฑเฏเฎชเฏเฎชเฏเฎเฎณเฏเฎเฎฉเฏ, เฎตเฎฐเฎตเฏ เฎเฏเฎฒเฎตเฏเฎคเฏ เฎคเฎฟเฎเฏเฎ เฎชเฎฑเฏเฎฑเฎพเฎเฏเฎเฏเฎฑเฏ เฎฎเฏเฎฒเฏเฎฎเฏ เฎฎเฏเฎเฎฎเฎเฏเฎจเฏเฎคเฎคเฏ. เฎเฎคเฎฉเฎพเฎฒเฏ เฎ
เฎฐเฎเฎพเฎเฏเฎเฎคเฏเฎคเฎฟเฎฑเฏเฎเฏ เฎ
เฎคเฏเฎคเฎฟเฎฏเฎพเฎตเฎเฎฟเฎฏเฎชเฏ เฎชเฏเฎฐเฏเฎเฏเฎเฎณเฏเฎเฏเฎเฏ เฎเฎเฎฉเฏ เฎตเฎพเฎเฏเฎเฎฟ เฎจเฎฟเฎคเฎฟเฎฏเฎณเฎฟเฎเฏเฎ เฎตเฏเฎฃเฏเฎเฎฟเฎฏ เฎเฎเฏเฎเฎพเฎฏเฎฎเฏ เฎเฎฑเฏเฎชเฎเฏเฎเฎคเฏ.
เฎเฎฒเฎเฏเฎเฏเฎฏเฎฟเฎฉเฏ เฎ
เฎฃเฏเฎฎเฏเฎฏ เฎตเฎฐเฎฒเฎพเฎฑเฏเฎฑเฎฟเฎฒเฏ, เฎชเฏเฎฐเฏเฎฎเฏเฎชเฎพเฎฒเฎพเฎฉ เฎตเฎฐเฎฟ เฎตเฎฐเฏเฎฎเฎพเฎฉเฎเฏเฎเฎณเฏ เฎจเฏเฎฐเฎเฎฟ เฎตเฎฐเฎฟเฎเฎณเฏ เฎตเฎฟเฎ เฎฎเฎฑเฏเฎฎเฏเฎ เฎตเฎฐเฎฟเฎเฎณเฎฟเฎฒเฎฟเฎฐเฏเฎจเฏเฎคเฏ เฎเฎฟเฎเฏเฎเฏเฎเฎชเฏเฎชเฎเฏเฎเฏเฎณเฏเฎณเฎฉ. เฎเฎคเฏ เฎเฎฐเฏ เฎชเฎฟเฎฉเฏเฎฉเฎเฏเฎจเฏเฎค เฎตเฎฐเฎฟ เฎ
เฎฎเฏเฎชเฏเฎชเฎพเฎเฏเฎฎเฏ. เฎเฏเฎฑเฏเฎจเฏเฎค เฎตเฎฐเฏเฎฎเฎพเฎฉเฎฎเฏ เฎเฎเฏเฎเฏเฎชเฎตเฎฐเฏเฎเฎณเฏเฎเฏเฎเฏ เฎ
เฎคเฎฟเฎเฎฎเฎพเฎฉ เฎเฏเฎฎเฏเฎเฎณเฏ เฎเฎคเฏ เฎเฎฑเฏเฎชเฎเฏเฎคเฏเฎคเฏเฎเฎฟเฎฑเฎคเฏ. VAT, เฎเฎฑเฎเฏเฎเฏเฎฎเฎคเฎฟ เฎตเฎฐเฎฟเฎเฎณเฏ เฎฎเฎฑเฏเฎฑเฏเฎฎเฏ เฎเฏเฎเฏเฎ เฎตเฎฐเฎฟ เฎชเฏเฎฉเฏเฎฑ เฎฎเฎฑเฏเฎฎเฏเฎ เฎตเฎฐเฎฟเฎเฎณเฏ เฎเฏเฎคเฏเฎคเฏเฎเฏเฎเฎณเฏ เฎฎเฎฑเฏเฎฑเฏเฎฎเฏ เฎตเฎฐเฏเฎฎเฎพเฎฉเฎคเฏเฎคเฎฟเฎฉเฏ เฎฎเฏเฎคเฏ เฎตเฎฟเฎคเฎฟเฎเฏเฎเฎชเฏเฎชเฎเฏเฎตเฎคเฎฑเฏเฎเฏเฎชเฏ เฎชเฎคเฎฟเฎฒเฎพเฎ เฎชเฏเฎฐเฏเฎเฏเฎเฎณเฏ เฎฎเฎฑเฏเฎฑเฏเฎฎเฏ เฎเฏเฎตเฏเฎเฎณเฎฟเฎฉเฏ เฎฎเฏเฎคเฏ เฎตเฎฟเฎคเฎฟเฎเฏเฎเฎชเฏเฎชเฎเฏเฎเฎฟเฎฉเฏเฎฑเฎฉ. เฎฎเฎฑเฏเฎฎเฏเฎ เฎตเฎฐเฎฟเฎเฎณเฏ เฎ
เฎฉเฏเฎตเฎฐเฏเฎเฏเฎเฏเฎฎเฏ เฎเฎฎเฎฎเฎพเฎ เฎตเฎฟเฎคเฎฟเฎเฏเฎเฎชเฏเฎชเฎเฏเฎเฎฟเฎฉเฏเฎฑเฎฉ. เฎเฎคเฏ เฎเฏเฎฑเฏเฎจเฏเฎค เฎตเฎฐเฏเฎฎเฎพเฎฉเฎเฏ เฎเฏเฎดเฏเฎเฏเฎเฎณเฏ เฎชเฏเฎฐเฎฟเฎคเฏเฎฎเฏ เฎชเฎพเฎคเฎฟเฎเฏเฎเฎพเฎคเฏ. เฎเฎคเฎฑเฏเฎเฎฟเฎเฏเฎฏเฎฟเฎฒเฏ, เฎฎเฏเฎเฎฎเฎพเฎฉ เฎเฎดเฏเฎเฏเฎเฏเฎฎเฏเฎฑเฏ เฎฎเฎฑเฏเฎฑเฏเฎฎเฏ เฎจเฎฟเฎฐเฏเฎตเฎพเฎเฎคเฏ เฎคเฎเฏเฎเฎณเฏ เฎเฎพเฎฐเฎฃเฎฎเฎพเฎ เฎตเฎฐเฏเฎฎเฎพเฎฉ เฎตเฎฐเฎฟเฎเฎณเฏ เฎชเฏเฎฉเฏเฎฑ เฎจเฏเฎฐเฎเฎฟ เฎตเฎฐเฎฟเฎเฎณเฏ เฎเฏเฎฑเฏเฎตเฎพเฎเฎชเฏ เฎชเฎฏเฎฉเฏเฎชเฎเฏเฎคเฏเฎคเฎชเฏเฎชเฎเฏเฎเฎฟเฎฉเฏเฎฑเฎฉ.


