I just finished talking to around a hundred students at the Sri Lanka Technological Campus on the above topic. I talked about the differences in kinds of jobs/tasks: consultants/entrepreneurs vs those working in large organizations; those whose work could be done remotely (Robert Reich’s symbol analysts) and those who required co-presence; and also in terms of how demand was affected (those in rubber gloves sector need not worry, while those in tourism services had plenty of cause to worry). And of course we ended up in the usual place: “learning to learn” Jobs for the new normal
As suppliers of public goods (policy relevant research), we at LIRNEasia know the importance of taxes. If there were no taxes, there would be no Internet. Much of the research being done today on multiple aspects of the response to COVID-19 is funded by taxes, including the flood of scientific articles that we are struggling to keep up with. The problem is that taxes have traditionally been levied on businesses located within the boundaries of the nation state. Tax is coercive, so in essence tax collection requires the ability of the state to audit tax declarations and to throw people into jail if they lie to the state or if they fail to pay taxes that are due.
This is highly dependent on the nature of the platform. 
The answer depends on a combination on factors, including the circumstances of the work.
Helani Galpaya presented LIRNEasia’s research on platform-mediated work in Sri Lanka, India, and Myanmar at the CEPA Open Forum “Transformative or same-same? The 4th Industrial Revolution and jobs,” organized by the Center for Poverty Analysis. Helani also participated in the panel discussion.
Helani Galpaya 24 Sep 2019 | CEPA Open Forum | Colombo, Sri Lanka
Presented by Helani Galpaya, Ayesha Zainudeen and Tharaka Amarasinghe on 22 May 2019 in Colombo, Sri Lanka
AfterAccess: ICT access and use in Asia and the Global South (Version 3.0)
There has been a lot of hype and buzz surrounding the gig economy over recent years. Researchers and policymakers alike have been grappling with many questions around the future of work debate, with the rise of digital platforms: How will these work platforms impact the labor market? How can workers rights be protected? How can consumer rights be protected? What will the gig economy do for (or to harm) inclusion?
How well equipped is the future workforce to face the uncertainties brought about by digital platforms and other emerging technologies such as AI, robotics and 3-D printing?
Readiness of School Leavers for the Workplace of the Future. Sujata N Gamage, LIRNEasia. September 2018
Meet Nang Lao Kham, an online freelancer from Myanmar.
Over the course of our research in Myanmar, we met many people connected with the world of online freelancing. Hear some of their stories in the video below.
Slides from a dissemination event on online freelancing in August 2018.
Investigating the potential for micro-work and online-freelancing in Sri Lanka
Helani Galpaya was invited as an expert speaker to the Intergovernmental Group of Experts (IGE) on e-Commerce and Digital Economy meeting which took place during UNCTAD’s eCommerce week. Helani’s presentation focused on the state of connectivity, use of mobile payment and level of eCommerce use in the Global South, as revealed by the AfterAccess surveys LIRNEasia, RIA and DIRSI have just completed. She was also an invited speaker at the first IGE in 2017.