Sri Lanka, Oct. 16 -- Sri Lanka's long-running failures in tax policy have worsened the country's economic collapse and violated the basic rights of its citizens, particularly the right to education, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW).

The report says decades of inadequate taxation, excessive corporate tax breaks, and weak enforcement deprived the government of essential revenue for health, education, and social protection - forcing millions into poverty and hardship.

Food prices doubled by September 2023, and when the government began cutting energy subsidies under an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, the cost of electricity and transport soared. For families like that of Susikala, a mother of two, the bur...