Patient waiting times in private hospitals: A growing concern

Patient waiting times, an important aspect of the patient experience, influences patient satisfaction to a significant extent. It is, however, an often overlooked component of t he patient encounter. In Sri Lanka, long waiting times at private healthcare providers is commonplace. A fundamental reason behind this is the doctorcentric approach of the healthcare delivery model, where hospitals in the private sector facilitate doctors rather than pat

Crisis in tea industry - Over to you minister

On behalf of the President and the members of the Ceylon Planters’ Society I wish to congratulate the newly appointed Plantations Industries Minister Lakshman Kiriella.

Sharing profit, knowledge and power: Worker-owned businesses

It has been said very recently that the Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) have renewed t heir call for alternative worker wage model in the face of unsustainable wage increases in the past. They also admit that the future wage increases cannot be stopped.

A reality check on Sri Lanka’s capital markets

In Sri Lanka, as politics is inseparable with day-to-day life, it holds true for the link between political developments and the capital markets. With 2015 presidential elections now in the past, initial euphoria regarding the new president and the fresh government had ended with the market performance becoming choppy. Reality has set in, the new government is in office for only 100 days and the main focus of the ruling party policymakers would b

Offshore Oil and Gas In Sri Lanka - The Way Forward

The history of oil exploration in Sri Lanka dates back to 1966 and up to 1984 , Soviet and western companies concentrated on land and shallow off shore areas of the Gulf of Mannar which is the southern extension of the Cauvery basin of the Bay of Bengal .

Fast-tracking your way up the corporate ladder: Best leaders always ask for more and more feedback

One of the most deadly points where failure in a team can take hold is in the feedback process. Successful leaders crave the data coming back from the field, as it provides not only real-time measurement of their progress but also a reality check on their strategy. But these leaders, being eternally optimists, also have the dangerous tendency to signal, often unconsciously, their dislike of bad news and their inner revulsion toward failure.

Resetting Indo-Lanka relations

With the inauguration of President Maithripala Sirisena on January 9 and the decision taken by t he newly appointed External Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera to undertake his first official overseas visit t o New Delhi, t here are indications that Indo-Lanka relations are eventually heading in the right direction.

Social Media Reigns In a Changed World Order

In what would go down in history as one of democracy’s toughest tests, Sri Lankans overwhelmingly stood up to be counted for the power of the ballot in the recently concluded presidential election. We, as a country, held the world’s attention for all the right reasons last week; little Sri Lanka shone as an example of how democracy works and how in the end, despite the hiccups, the power of the people triumphed over all adversity.

Decoding the oil price fall

The Hindu: Are falling oil prices good or bad for the global economy? And how do they work for India? Till recently these questions were no-brainers.Cheaper oil is obviously good for the global economy; for an energyintensive economy such as India’s, which also depends on imported oil for meeting four-fifths of its needs, a fall in oil price is like manna from heaven.Yet, the biggest fall in the stock market in five-and-a-half years last we

Fast-tracking your way up the corporate ladder: Keep a sharp eye on your non-negotiable winning goal

While we were reviewing about the winner’s mindset last week, we said that there are eight essential steps and techniques to achieve such a winner’s mindset. We discussed three of them: non-negotiable goal, focus and leverage of time. We continue from that point.

Pope Francis: Inspiring institutional and policy reforms

This article was written on the eve of the elections. By the time it is published the outcome would be known and the country will be looking forward to the papal visit. His Holiness Pope Francis has proved to be a remarkable pontiff. As an Argentinian, he is the first person from a developing country to grace this eminent position. His refreshing approach has undoubtedly been influenced by his Ministry in his homeland which would have given him f

Presidential Polland Missed Opportunities – My Reflections

I belong to a generation of Sri Lankans who witnessed many missed opportunities. Opportunities to stand proud as a nation, to grow politically and socially as a people, to prosper economically.

Tea marketing in Australia: New challenges for Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan government is expected to embark on a multi-million global campaign to promote Ceylon tea in key markets in the world, including Australia. The details of the campaign is still unknown but the country branding appears to be the major thrust of these campaigns taking advantage of the brand equity associated with Ceylon tea.

Oil price decline provides support to emerging market infrastructure development

The fall in global oil prices has been a boon in numerous ways to those emerging market countries that import energy and the re-pricing, should it continue into 2015, will provide an added boost to infrastructure development in these economies, thereby making for attractive investment opportunities in the new year.

Ceylon Chamber Outlines Economic Imperatives Post January 8

Since the end of the conflict in 2009, Sri Lanka has achieved economic growth above 7 percent on average and a relatively stable macro-economic position.Inflation and interest rates have been low, fiscal deficits have been steadily reduced, balances of payments have been stable, and investment ininfrastructure has increased. However, household incomes have not kept pace with GDP growth.As per the Household Income and Expenditure Survey of the Dep

Why Save our Planet?

“S pread the word about conservation” screamed the headline of an article I came across recently. The writer of this article urges the reader to let as many people know, in whatever manner, to think about the earth.

A Team with Winner’s Mindset will Inspire Peak Business Performance

In the past few weeks, we were reviewing the leverage points for leaders at work. We emphasised the need to lead the process and set standards for the right goals and to lead the design process to create the appropriate metrics. There is one more leverage point which needs to be analysed. That is to maintain a winner’s mind-set.

Plantation companies make significant headway in biodiversity integration

Regional plantation companies (RPCs) are now making concerted efforts to protect the environment and preserve biodiversity in RPCmanaged estates, while several pioneering plantation companies have gone as far as to integrate biodiversity management to their business operations.While many RPCs have already subscribed to global standards such as Rainforest Alliance and Forest Stewardship Council certification, some have even gone significantly beyo

Planning to go on your own in 2015?

Another year has come. We have fresh ideas, new and old plans we have been shelving for years sometimes. Is this the year when we will finally choose the path to go on our own – or is it?

Key determinants of Sri Lanka’s fertilizer subsidy: Some research findings for policymakers

As in many developing countries, fertilizer subsidies represent a major component of agricultural policy in Sri Lanka. This is particularly true of the paddy sector. With rice being the staple food in Sri Lanka, successive governments have provided significant fertilizer subsidies for paddy with the primary aim of increasing the paddy production. Since 2005, the fertilizer subsidy has accounted for 2-2.5 percent of total government expenditure an

Metrics: You Will Get What You Inspect, Not What You Expect

Metrics, the numbers and measurements that help you run your business are among the most crucial tools business leaders have at their disposal. They show you where you’ve been, and they help you set goals for where you want to go. They point a finger at what’s going right, and what’s not. They help you make decisions about hiring, purchasing, and other uses of resources. But like any tool, metrics can be misused, and they often

How sustainable are current natural rubber prices?

When one looks at the impact of low natural rubber (NR) prices on profitability, two aspects emerge. On the one hand, it appears to be a simple topic but on the other, immensely complex, covering global geo-politics- the rural poor in the developing world and huge tyre consumers.

Does Common Opposition Have What It Takes?

Aprominent economist in his recent weekly column in the Sunday Times newspaper, has observed the following. There has been an economic resurgence since the end of the war in 2009 (7.3 percent growth i n GDP this year). However the following critical issues surface to block development. Foreign indebtedness (see Table 3 below) which had increased substantially. Large public debt component Increased debt servicing costs Large trade deficits Inad

Economic Policies Of ‘Maithri Palanaya’: Hopes And Doubts (Part Ii)

In the first part of t his article, I have discussed the ten key proposals appearing in the section 2 (‘A Developed Economy’) of the recently released election manifesto of the Presidential Candidate of the common opposition, Maithripala Sirisena.

Economic Policies Of ‘Maithri Palanaya’: Hopes And Doubts

It is a comprehensive document; in fact, the most extensive opposition elections manifesto for some time. Ranil Wickramasinghe’s 2005 manifesto was not more than 20 pages. Sarath Fonseka’s two-page 2010 manifesto was worse. It hardly had anything on economy. Compared to those, this is far detailed and longer (11 sections and 64 pages). It covers all important areas.

Effective leadership skills will dramatically impact business results

So far in this series of articles, we have reviewed a business model for high-performance, zero-mistakes execution, the HRO. We saw that great leaders make a profound difference in moments of crisis, in periods of intense change, in the early stages of an effort, in reinvigorating an initiative that has stalled. These are moments that call for extraordinary leadership, under what we would call extraordinary circumstances. There is a lot of att

Be a Vigilant Investor

Agentleman was given an application form to apply for a loyalty card at a supermarket. It was a three-page booklet written in small text. He simply didn’t have the time to read all of it and was directed by the salesman to sign it as it entailed general information. He even offered to fill the form on behalf of the gentleman. Having taken the salesman’s words for granted, the gentleman signed on the dotted line.

Restrictions On Female Migrant Workers Discriminatory Or Improving Family Wellbeing?

Female migrant workers make a vital contribution to the Sri Lankan economy, mainly through remittances. However, this economic gain often comes at a heavy social cost on the children they leave behind. This article, written to coincide with the International Migrants Day, is aimed at highlighting the discriminatory nature of the recent restriction on labour migration of mothers.

Oil Price Crash Could Be A Double-edged Sword

As of December 12, 2014, the All Share Price Index (ASPI) is still up 21 percent year-to-date despite losing around 4 percent from the all-time second highest peak of 7,548 index points reached on November18, 2014.

Hingurana Sugar Factory Gets New Lease Of Life Under New MGT

The revitalized Hingurana Sugar Factory managed under Gal Oya Plantations (Pvt) Ltd, a subsidiary of the LOLC Group has recorded the highest ever sugar production of 19,960 metric ton for the year 2014/15 through successful sugar cane cultivation spanning 3,440 ha of land.