Any redistribution efforts through taxation or subsidies by Western Province will make its poor better off than similar efforts by Uva Province. This is because Uva, being poorer, has less surplus to redistribute. Therefore, Devolution can lead to the different treatment of equal citizens residing in different parts of the country. Poor people from Uva may try to migrate to Western Province to get more welfare benefits. But this would encourage Western Province to restrict the entry of such migrants.
Devolution encourages politicised decision-making and politicised targeting of welfare assistance.
This can take an ethnic slant. Devolution paves the way for elite dominance in the Regions, weakens inter-personal redistribution. Most sub-national governments' decisions involve adjudicating between conflicting local demands entailing the emergence of winners and losers. Small elite groups of wealthy, powerful individuals can form rings round politicians and skilfully manipulate the decision-making process. For example, much of the felling and transport of illicit timber in this country is with the connivance of local politicians.