Originally appeared in the Daily FT, Lanka Business online, Lanka Talks and The Morning
Live on Advocata YouTube and Facebook pages on the 7th of April, 12pm onwards.
Food inflation has risen over the last year, although the overall inflation is low. According to the National Consumer Price Index, overall prices rose by 3.7% between January 2020 and January 2021 but food inflation rose by 5.9%.
While this is a matter of concern to the public, items like turmeric and green gram which made the news after rising to dizzying heights tend to steal the spotlight. While Sri Lankans appreciate a good plate of rice and curry, the cost of this essential meal is something that must be discussed.
“Bath Curry'' (බත්කරි ) is something that all Sri Lankans can immediately identify with. The “Bath Curry Indicator” (BCI) by the Advocata Institute is a Sri Lankan spin on the infamous “Big Mac Index” by The Economist. It simply tracks prices of a limited basket of goods that are consumed in Sri Lanka, and provides an indication of how much prices have changed over time.
The event for the launch of the BCI will feature a panel discussion that explains the BCI, what it measures and its potential for use in policy analysis.
The expected panelists will be Deshal De Mel (Economist), Rehana Thowfeek Zain (Economic Researcher and Blogger) and Naqiya Shiraz (Researcher). The discussion will be moderated by Aneetha Warusavitarana (Research Manager, Advocata Institute).
In-person seating is limited with strict Covid-19 guidelines. The event will also be live streamed on Advocata’s social media pages.
To register for the event please visit www.advocata.org/events