COLOMBO, JUL 10 (DNA) – Sri Lanka’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 4.3 percent in the first quarter of 2021, according to National Accounts Estimates released by the country’s Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) Saturday.

Sri Lanka’s GDP grew 4.3 percent in the first quarter of 2021 compared to a contraction of 1.8 percent in the same period in 2020. The DCS statement said that the economy grew despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Throughout the first quarter of this year, we observed a new normalization of lifestyles of people amidst the pandemic,” DCS General Director Anura Kumara said in a statement. The agricultural sector grew by 6.1 percent, while the industrial sector grew by 5.5 percent and services grew at a more moderate 3 percent during the first quarter.

Agricultural growth was buffered by strong growth of 37.9 percent and 34.8 percent in tea and cereals respectively. Industrial growth was buffered by a 20 percent growth in the manufacturing of chemical products and basic pharmaceutical items. = DNA

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