The Government and UNDP in Sri Lanka launched the Sri Lanka SDG Investor Map last week.
It is a market intelligence tool that plans to direct private capital where Sri Lanka’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) priorities, Government policy and market opportunity intersect, as the country seeks to rebuild its economy sustainably, using the SDG framework as its guide.
The methodology for the Map was created by UNDP SDG Impact.
Sri Lanka is building pathways to recover from its double crisis of sovereign debt and a balance of payment crisis, making it difficult to import essential items such as medicine, fuel and food. The public debt is 140% of GDP and Sri Lanka’s plan is to bring it down to less than 100% by 2032.
While Sri Lanka is pursuing an IMF program to stabilise its macro-economy and restructure its external debt, private capital, foreign direct investments, blended finance options and public-private partnerships, are all needed. The SDG Investor Map will be of importance when channeling these funds to investments for social and environmental objectives- towards green development, women’s economic empowerment, social sector development (example: health).
The Map will be a crucial tool to accelerate Sri Lanka’s recovery pathway and build forward better. The Map can be used by:
* Investors wishing to explore Sri Lanka as an investment destination while also rendering benefits for local communities and the environment
* Enterprises that want to adjust their business strategy towards inclusive models and are seeking market intelligence and investment rationale to validate their approach
* Government agencies seeking to address entry level barriers for the private sector and to build an amenable ecosystem for the development of SDG enabling sectors
In Sri Lanka, the Map was the result of a strong collaboration between UNDP and Sri Lanka’s Sustainable Development Council, the nodal government institution responsible for coordination, facilitation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Sri Lanka.
The Board of Investments of Sri Lanka, also provided input and validation during the development of the Map and is a key partner for the Map’s launch. Through secondary research and over 50 consultations with public and private sector organisations, the Map has identified 15 Investment Opportunity Areas (IOAs) that cover investment themes and business models across five SDG priority sectors: Renewable Energy, Healthcare, Infrastructure, Food and Beverages and Consumer Goods.