Sri Lankan Government Pledges to Reduce Army's Manpower by Third to Cut Military Spending

Sri Lanka's defense minister said today, Friday, that his country will reduce the number of its army by up to a third, to 135,000 by next year, and 100,000 by 2030, as the country, facing the worst economic crisis in more than seven decades, tries to cut spending.

"Military spending is an expenditure borne by the state, which indirectly stimulates and opens up areas for economic growth by ensuring national and population security," Premita Bandara Tinacon said in a statement.

In 2022 Sri Lanka faced its deepest-ever economic and political crisis. The country’s descent into chaos accelerated from March, sweeping away high-level bureaucrats and political leaders held culpable for implementing the misguided economic policies at the heart of the country’s problems. The political casualties failed to allay public disaffection with prolonged power outages, queues, and shortages of essential commodities, according to a report published by the East Asia Forum.