The Sri Lankan government is finalising the framework of the Economic and Technology Agreement (ETCA), to be signed with India next May, by consulting with the public and the private sector.

A top level Sri Lankan official delegation will visit India to attend a meeting in New Delhi to discuss modalities of the proposed agreement that will cover investment and services, official sources told The Sunday Times, adding that this agreement was completely different from the earlier proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which was opposed by many organisations in the south.

However the ETCA is also being opposed, with several trade unions planning a strike in the new year, which will also be targeted at the new agreement, alongside grievances about the recent budget.

Doctors' union to protest Indian 'invasion' of Sri Lankan job market (22 Dec 2015)

At consultations with tourism industry leaders it was decided that  under the agreement, Indian skilled personnel will only be given employment in Sri Lanka on a case-by-case basis, depending on the availability of local skills. It was further decided not to allow Indian tour guides to operate in Sri Lanka except for tour representatives, tour leaders and language experts under the ETCA. It was decided hat Indians would be allowed to enter into only two specific sub- sectors – IT-enabled services and highly skilled workers for Colombo Dockyard, sources told The Sunday Times.

Sri Lanka discusses economic agreement with India (22 December 2015)

Sri Lanka rejects bridge linking Tamil Nadu and North-East (19 December 2015)

‘Our government will never sign the CEPA’ says Ranil (09 December 2015)