Impact of Sri Lanka's Free Education System on Economic Growth and FDI.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) has emerged as a central driver of economic growth, enabling host countries to benefit from capital inflows, technology transfer, managerial expertise, and employment opportunities. Yet, attracting FDI is not an easy process; it depends on the presence of favorable structural and institutional conditions. This paper investigates the determinants that shape a country's capacity to attract and sustain FDI, emphasizing both short-term incentives and long-term development strategies. The paper focuses on the ways in which the delivery of free education has played a key role in Sri Lanka's attractiveness for FDI. The study examines the framework for FDI and the education policy within Sri Lanka, examining some of the challenges the national education framework faces, considering accounting education as an example of a system that was not aligned with the changing needs of the industry. However, Sri Lanka's current educational focus recognizes the importance of a strong knowledge economy for sustainable growth and market competitiveness within a globalized economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]