Cost of low-skilled migration to Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Malaysia

The high cost of securing employment abroad is a barrier to cross-border labour mobility for low-skilled workers in developing countries. The migration cost is distributed among many stakeholders in the migration value chain. 

Role of stress test in risk management

Over a period of time, with proliferation of internal operational data and external data banks, risk analysts, market intelligence, rating analytics and other agencies aiding risk management evolve innovative tools in banks to develop more robust resilience. Some prove more effective. 

Why trade arrangements are important for Sri Lanka

Despite all the negative rhetoric about trade agreements, trade arrangements encourage the free flow of goods and services between the members. These agreements, which can be bilateral or multilateral, reduce or eliminate trade barriers such as tariffs and quotas. As such, they lead to the creation of new markets for businesses, facilitate the production of high-quality goods and enhance economic growth.

Navigating the shift to a clean energy future

The relative abundance and modular nature of solar and wind are driving the shift to renewables. Multiple trends are driving the transformation of global energy systems. One of them is electricity networks, including “the digitization of everything and the electrification of everything”, decentralization, decarbonization and deregulation.

Lessons to learn from wildlife conservation in India

Recently, I visited one of the most visited national parks in India, famed for its vast number of flora and fauna, the Bandhavgarh National Park. It is one of the most popular national parks in India, located in the Umaria District of Madhya Pradesh.

Key metrics are critically important when measuring success of an agile company

Leaders often can encounter ‘information overload’ in their work. They know the importance of measuring results but can find themselves faced with an overwhelming hodgepodge of numbers rather than a simpler and more focused set of data that is truly useful for making decisions that lead to achieving their organisational vision.

The reality of investment risk

When it comes to risk, here’s a reality check: All investments carry some degree of risk. Stocks, bonds, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds can lose value, even all their value, if market 

Measuring rice yield from the sky

Nearly 70 percent of the world’s poor live in rural areas and rely on agriculture for their livelihood. Target 2.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aims to double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers by 2030.

Mounting debt threatens Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, 193 countries adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as an overarching policy roadmap through 2030. These goals are predicated on the idea that for a sustainable future, economic growth must go hand-in-hand with social inclusion and protection of 

SL urgently needs professional real estate marketing: expert

It is an established fact that the real estate industry makes an important contribution to the economy of a country and to the welfare of its people.

Why governance standards becoming No. 1 yardstick for equity investors

To begin, after the financial crisis, the regulators and funds came up with a new bunch of new governance structures and rules that they wanted their companies to practise and adopt. This new governance regime brought about new challenges for the chairman, the conscience keeper in a business. 

Time for a sea change in India-China relations

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has advanced its ‘Act East’ policy, an upgraded version of the 1990s ‘Look East’ policy. This new approach encompasses a more robust political and security engagement with Asia.

Lack of fuel subsidies could hasten Asian crude demand destruction

The term “demand destruction” is again entering the lexicon of the current crude oil market as the sharp rise in prices raises concerns about when do consumers start cutting back on their fuel consumption.

Strategy should always be coupled with tactics to achieve business success

Many people use strategies and tactics interchangeably but anyone with military experience can tell you they’re different. Senior management usually define strategies, while middle managers and those who execute employ tactics. 

Building the future of HR for the Avocado Toast generation, with social media principles

When people in Asia Pacific want to buy a pair of shoes, book a holiday abroad or catch up with friends and family, they turn to social media.

AIIB’s creative spirit: Experiments in infrastructure finance

Mid-January 2018 marked the second anniversary of the founding of the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) but many are still debating whether it will be any different from the existing multilateral development banks like the World Bank or Asian Development Bank (ADB). 

Business should not be limited to making boatloads of money: Prof. Ulrich

Prof. Dave Ulrich is the Rensis Likert Professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. Prof. Ulrich has published over 25 books and has been ranked the #1 Management Educator and Guru by Business Week and named the most influential thinker of the decade in HR by the HR magazine. Prof. Ulrich in an interview with Dinesh Weerakkody talks of the many challenges faced by the leaders and businesses and points out the CEOs can add con

Urbanisation – A strategy to increase GDP

A book titled ‘Economic Policy in Sri Lanka – Issues and Debates’, edited by Dr. Saman Kelegama, was published by the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka in 2004.  This book has 22 chapters in the volume, which are divided into six parts namely, Development Strategy and Ideology, 

Building a more English-literate Sri Lanka: the Need to combat inequities

Lack of English proficiency is a key constraint affecting the employability of the Sri Lankan graduates in the private sector, according to a recent Labour Demand Survey conducted by the Census and Statistics Department.

Plan and execute strategy and tactics to achieve your business success

Many people use strategies and tactics interchangeably but anyone with military experience can tell you they’re different. The senior management usually defines strategies, while the middle managers and those who execute employ tactics. 

Malnutrition in Sri Lanka: A persistent problem

Although Sri Lanka performs well in most health indicators, child nutrition is still a major challenge.  Sri Lanka Human Development Report 2012 revealed that poor nutrition is the chief cause of multidimensional poverty, accounting for 30 percent of the multidimensionally poor (based on 10 indicators representing health, education and living conditions). 

New violence against Muslims in Sri Lanka has old roots

On March 5, 2018, the Sri Lankan government mandated a state of emergency for 10 days following riots and a wave of targeted violence against Muslims in the city of Kandy. 

Demystify those CRM buzzwords so that they will no more bamboozle you

In the last two weeks we have been discussing about some ‘buzzwords’ in customer relationship management (CRM). We continue with few other terms.

Role of Science in adapting climate-resilient plantation sector

Despite some politicized rhetoric and limited debates on the far fringes of the global scientific community, all of humanity’s scientific experience and observations have proved beyond any shred of a doubt that climate change is not a myth, and never was. 

Sri Lanka targets pharmaceuticals self-sufficiency with new production facility

The efforts to increase domestic and foreign investment in Sri Lanka’s pharmaceuticals industry is set to boost output and broaden the sector’s product range, bringing the country closer to the government’s goal of self-sufficiency in medical production.In early January, State Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Corporation (SPMC) announced it was joining forces with Malaysian investment firm Pharma Zone to develop a dedicated industr

Time for political change of a higher order

The backbiting and enduring state of chaos over the past three months within our corridors of power points to what should be a watershed year for Sri Lankan voters and even business. Our country’s multifaceted leadership has been entirely immersed in ensuring their political permanence that the country and its economy have come to a protracted standstill.

Emerging economies must make most of digital revolution

Sri Lanka aims to be a rich country by the next decade by transforming this beautiful island nation into the hub of the Indian Ocean, added with a knowledge-based highly competitive economy. 

Personalised messages are fine as long as they wouldn’t ‘freak out’ consumers

We continue with the content management, which we discussed in detail last week. Today, we will concentrate on another important aspect of content management – personalized content.

Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement and what it means for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka and Singapore signed the Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA) on January 23, 2018. This is a comprehensive free trade agreement which covers goods, services, e-commerce, telecommunications, foreign direct investment, intellectual property and public procurement.

Learning to tackle digital challenges

Digital transformation has generated a fierce debate among policymakers, economists and business leaders about the societal impact it would make, specifically on jobs. According to a global survey, about 80 percent of current jobs globally are tipped to get transformed in the coming years.