Like it or not, UNCLOS arbitration is legally binding for China

International media have come to focus on Tuesday’s anticipated decision in the Philippines’ arbitration against China. 

Creating high performance through HRM

I am delighted to be invited to deliver the keynote address at this prestigious symposium and also excited to learn about the research findings that will be unveiled at the technical sessions to follow. 

Will Sri Lankan chicken ever cross the road to export market?

One has to admit that Sri Lanka’s chicken growers aren’t spring chicken at all. Within a single generation, they have made chicken the most readily available and economical source of non-plant protein in Sri Lanka, whereas it used to be considered a rare delicacy reserved for special occasions, just a few decades ago. 

Why sign new FTAs and economic partnerships when existing FTAs have outstanding issues?

The world around us is increasingly moving forward with regional and bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) as the multilateral trade liberalization process led by the WTO has come to a standstill.  

Can more services trade with India benefit Sri Lanka?

At present, trade in services accounts for more than 25 percent of global trade. As the World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations have come to a standstill, most countries attempt to engage in more services trade via regional and bilateral free trade agreements. Sri Lanka is already a signatory to a regional trade agreement by the name South Asia Trade in Services (SATIS) that came into operation in 2010.

Could debt forgiveness be the interim solution for world’s economic malaise?

There is a growing perception that the monetary policy is losing its power to solve the world’s economic problems. This may be misleading. What is probably true is that incremental policy easing is experiencing diminishing – and, possibly, negative - returns. Therefore, central banks – and governments - may need to get even more unconventional to reverse the tide. Japan appears to be closest to the tipping point in this regard,

Ceylon cinnamon – How it can change lives in Sri Lanka

The branding of Pure Ceylon cinnamon and promoting it in global markets was a masterstroke in giving the spice the pride of place it deserves, alongside another celebrated Pure Ceylon-branded and globally famous product - tea. Apart from clearly distinguishing the superiority of Ceylon cinnamon in export markets, the branding has helped shine the spotlight on the industry and its implications for local stakeholders. 

What Asia needs to know about Trump

Virtually every Asian academic, business leader, policymaker or taxi driver I have encountered in the last six months has, within minutes, pummelled me for answers to the Trump question.

Tea broker expresses cautious optimism over tea prices in 2nd half

The first quarter of the Sri Lankan tea industry wasn’t as resilient as in the same period in 2015. However, the industry could recover some of its lost momentum in the second half of this year due to shifts in global politics in addition to oil— the prized commodity majority of our tea importing countries depend on for their economic well-being— has seen a steady upward momentum in the first quarter of this year.

ComBank focuses on being ‘best to market’ rather than ‘first’: MD

What are the key milestones achieved during the last financial year? Commercial Bank once again affirmed its status as the largest private bank in Sri Lanka in 2015. Solid growth was achieved across all business lines and the asset base was further strengthened.

Is rise in VAT a tax on jobs?

In May 2015, the standard rate of value-added tax (VAT) jumped from 12 percent to 15 percent. The Sri Lankan economy will thus have to adjust to this higher rate but what are some of the possible macroeconomic consequences? everjobs spoke to University of Colombo Professor in Economics Sirimal Abeyratne recently about whether the rise in VAT is a tax on jobs. 

Ranil’s mantra for SL’s rapid and sustainable progress

For about nearly a decade the people saw the nation being steered forward by a set of vision statements proudly owned by our former president and chanted like a prayer by his officials.

Foresight and Innovation for sustainable human development

Be it the current, the previous, or the regimes before that, Sri Lanka has always aspired to do great thing. The island nation certainly does not fall short in thinking big and conceptualising ambitious goals but what could be highlighted as a possible challenge in realising such would be the lack of innovativeness in the efforts.

Have our entrepreneurs failed to compete in Indian market under Indo-Lanka FTA?

Making the best use of a free trade agreement (FTA) by penetrating another market needs skills and foresight. Sri Lankan entrepreneurs with such endowments have made their mark in India.  But entrepreneurs who rely on a protectionist umbrella with state patronage may not be successful in such market penetration. Being shielded from competition in the local market tends to make them shy away from taking risks in the foreign markets.

SriLankan Chairman says being first PPP, they have to get it right

By Shabiya Ali Ahlam As far as one can remember, losses are what followed SriLankan Airlines. Keen on changing its fate, the unity government after much deliberation has now decided to hunt for a suitable partner for the airline, which is currently not so attractive due to its pile of debts and continuous losses.  While the government calls the shots, it is the heads of the entity that must go ahead with the execution. And the tough task fal

The four global forces breaking all the trends

The world economy’s operating system is being rewritten.  In this exclusive excerpt from the new book No Ordinary Disruption, its authors explain the trends reshaping the world and why leaders must adjust to a new reality.

From preserving ecosystems to building airports, Asia needs to work together

In an increasingly fragile, interconnected world, where humanitarian and development needs are a burden on budgets, cooperation is a buzzword. The scale of the challenges facing humanity, and the scope of ambitions to leave no one behind under the new global development roadmap, have placed collaboration in the spotlight. This holds true for regional development as well as humanitarian initiatives.

FDI key to future of South Asian regional integration

Recent decades have witnessed a growing trend towards regional economic integration. As of February 2016, some 625 notifications of regional trade agreements had been received by the WTO and of these, 419 were in force. But South Asia is still lagging behind. It remains the least integrated region in the world.

Economic mismanagement is a governance problem – It needs governance solutions

Elected officials and selected bureaucrats are given a huge amount of power to act on behalf of the public – modern democracies function on this basis: that citizens hand over their power to elected representatives. But how can the citizens then protect themselves against those individuals misusing that power? This is the perennial problem of governance

Is India the key beneficiary of India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement?

In the current debate on India-Sri Lanka trade, it is often said that the trade deficit between India and Sri Lanka has widened over the years in India’s favour and thus India is the major beneficiary of the India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which came into operation in the year 2000. It is true that the trade deficit between the two countries has increased over the years but does that really mean that India was the major benefici

Sri Lanka’s delicate balancing act

Sri Laka’s former pro-Chinese ‘strongman’ President Mahinda Rajapaksa was voted out of office in January 2015.

Railway electrification: Why hesitate?

Ask any audience to raise their hands, if they support the renewed thrust for railways in Sri Lanka to be electrified and modernized; all of them are most likely to raise both their hands.

Asia’s next growth frontier

The steady state in the Asian region is growth and dynamism that requires continuous structural change and adjustment. 

China, India tussle for influence as Sri Lanka seeks investment

CNBC: Situated almost in the middle of the Indian Ocean, there is no escaping Sri Lanka’s centrality. The country lies just a few nautical miles away from the super-busy east-west shipping route, through which an estimated 60,000 ships pass every year, carrying two-thirds of the world’s oil and half of all container shipments.

When the TPP and One Belt, One Road meet

After years of talks, negotiators concluded an agreement on the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in October 2015. Since China is excluded from the TPP, one would expect antagonism rather than symbiosis between the Washington-advocated trade package and Beijing’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) strategy. But closer scrutiny suggests that the TPP and OBOR may be converging by design and destiny.

The need to face the facts in Asia

The Obama administration has never plainly acknowledged that it faces a major challenge from China to the US-led order in Asia, and it has therefore never clearly explained its strategy to deal with that challenge. Because it has never been clearly explained, the strategy has never been carefully scrutinised to see whether it has a credible chance of working. Instead it has slowly become accepted as orthodoxy among the US foreign and strategic po

Sri Lanka’s continental shelf: Let’s safeguard our national interests before it is too late

In the recent past several articles have been published in the local press with regard to the objections by Bangladesh to Sri Lanka’s claim of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from its coast baseline made to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS). The Dhaka Tribune dated April 15 quoting a senior official of the Foreign Ministry has pointed out that as Sri Lanka’s claim overlaps the

Good governance activist writes to Monetary Board demanding bond info

Good governance activist and former Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chairman Chandra Jayaratne has requested the Monetary Board of Sri Lanka information pertaining to the treasury bond issues carried out by the Central Bank this year.

Fiscal policy realignment key for high and sustainable growth: ADB

Growth was marginally lower in 2015 while the current account deficit improved slightly and inflation moderated. Meanwhile, the budget deficit widened and foreign exchange reserves dropped sharply.  The government will have to work to realign fiscal policy toward putting the country on a high and sustainable growth track. 

EDB Chief calls for collective approach to revive exports

Sri Lanka has been known all over the world for its tea, rubber, coconut and as of late for its apparel and information communication technology (ICT). But due to the grim global situation and increased competitor activity, the country’s export sector has moved towards a negative growth trajectory. While the dampened growth in Sri Lanka’s key export markets and competition are not the only causes for the lag, the challenges on the gro