DR. NIHAL PITIGALA
Dr. Nihal Pitigala is an economist with over 27 years of experience providing analytical and advisory work and program management to promote sustainable trade development in Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia Middle East, covering over 30 countries. Dr. Pitigala is an expert and a thought leader in South Asia trade development, bringing extensive experience in regional integration approaches, trade policy reforms, trade facilitation, investment promotion, export competitiveness, technology, and trade. He has also published numerous peer-reviewed articles collaborating with leading scholars such as Arvind Panagariya, Bernard Hoekman, Uri Dadush, and Aaditya Mattoo. He was, formerly an economic advisor to the Government of Sri Lanka, engaged in trade and investment policy formulation and multilateral and regional trade negotiations. He was instrumental in developing Rules of Origin under the India-Sri Lanka trade agreement, which later became the benchmark for the SAFTA agreement. At the World Bank, Dr. Pitigala supported both research (Development Economics Research Group) and operational work (PREM Trade Group)—this included trade strategy and policy as part of CEM or PRSP and through recent Diagnostic Trade Integration Strategies (DTISs) in Asia and Africa. He also helped in the development of the World Bank Group’s Trade Strategy, 2011-2021. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Sussex (Thesis: global value chains and its determinants)
PUBLICATIONS
Book, May 2021
Article, Jan 2020
Article, Jan 2020
Article, Oct 2019
Book, Oct 2019
Technical Report, Oct 2019
Chapter, May 2019
Technical ReportApr 2017
Chapter, Aug 2016
Chapter, Aug 2016
Article, Jun 2013
Chapter, Dec 2012
Chapter, Jul 2012
Technical Report, Jul 2012
Article, Mar 2011
Article, Aug 2010
Working Paper, Jan 2010
Technical Report, Aug 2009
Technical Report, Oct 2006
Article, Feb 2006
Article, Mar 2005