Least average monthly income reported from Hambantota

Raja Waidyasekera, Tissamaharama special corr.

Sri Lanka's gross national income per capita is US dollars 850 which is twice the average GNI US dollars 460 of South Asian countries, says a brochure released by the technical cooperation project. It further states that there has been a gap in economic development among regions in the country.

The national average poverty rate proportion of population below the poverty line income or expenditure was 19.9 per cent in 1990 and 1991 while it is 23.7 per cent in Southern Province. The situation of poverty has worsened on a national wide scale and the national average poverty rate has increased to 25.2 per cent in 1995 and 1996 and 26.5 per cent in the SP.

The average monthly household income in the Southern Province is Rs. 5,540 which is less than the national average of Rs. 6,476. It is only half of the average monthly household income of the Western Province which is Rs. 9,229.

The Hambantota district has the least average monthly household income of Rs. 4,397. Hambantota has the highest rate and it shows that the gap between the rich and the poor is largest in the Hambantota district. The brochure further said that the poverty survey in 2002 in the Hambantota district has the highest poverty gap ratio 28.4 per cent which shows that the poverty in the district is deepest in the country.

The brochure says that in order to alleviate poverty, improving livelihood condition in the Hambantota district, the capacity building of community members should be strengthened through economic and social aspects. Further to achieving this target, sustainable development model for the livelihood improvement should be standardised by the Ministry or Provincial Councils in Sri Lanka.