The 45th Meeting of the Sri Lanka Forum of University Economists (SLFUE) was successfully held on April 28th, 2023, at the Auditorium of the Faculty of Technology, South Eastern University of Sri Lanka (SEUSL). The event was presided over by Prof. MAM. Musthafa, the Chairman of SLFUE, and was attended by several economists from other Sri Lankan national universities and the SEUSL community.

Mr. S. Santhirakumar, the Head of the Department of Economics and Statistics, delivered a warm welcome address to the gathering and expressed his gratitude to all the participants. The Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Culture, Prof. MM. Fazil, also addressed the gathering, shedding light on the current economic situation and providing some valuable insights.

The highlight of the event was the keynote address delivered by Dr. Howard Nicholas, a retired professor of the Institute of Social Studies in the Netherlands. Dr. Nicholas spoke about the exchange rate of the country and the merits and demerits of the International Monetary Fund's loan to Sri Lanka. His speech was well-received by the audience, who found it informative and insightful.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. A. Rameez, participated as the Chief Guest and addressed the present economic crisis in the country and how IMF’s loan could support the nation to recover from the crisis. He also emphasized that economists should conduct research on the present crisis and express their findings to the Government of Sri Lanka to inform the policy-making process and bring the nation out of this crisis.

The event provided an excellent opportunity for economists and academics to share their knowledge and opinions on the current economic situation in Sri Lanka. The participation of various experts from different universities and institutions added value to the event.