Changing face of Sri Lanka tourism

There is no doubt that tourism in Sri Lanka is currently growing in leaps and bounds, with the cumulative arrivals up to April 2014 amounting to 534,132, which is an overall growth of 27 percent year-on-year (YoY). Hence, it is quite possible that the arrivals to the......

Rubber industry needs a production improvement plan

Many factors have been influencing the natural rubber (NR) industry in the past quarter of a century. Growth in population and the development of world economy have enhanced the demand for goods and services, including rubber products.

India Modified: Any lessons for Sri Lanka?

Narendra Modi’s dramatic victory has given him a resounding mandate to pursue his pro-growth/pro-business agenda. He campaigned unreservedly on a strongly developmental platform. The results indicate that the majority of Indians want higher growth, lower inflation and less corruption.

Foreigners confident and continue buying at Colombo bourse

Month to date, May 2014 has been rather encouraging for the Colombo bourse with the All Share Price Index (ASPI) gaining 57 points (or 0.9 percent) while recording a healthy average daily turnover of Rs.1.4 billion.

John Keells net profit down 3% in FY13/14

The net profit of the premier blue chip John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH) for the year ended March 13, 2014 (FY13/14) fell 3 percent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs.11.7 billion. Last year’s profits were boosted by Rs.2 billion fair value gain, which had declined to Rs.470 million in FY13/14.

Why companies must invest in leadership

Effective leaders in organisations bring together both individuals and organisations to solve customer and organisational problems. But, there is a difference between leaders and leadership. Leaders refer to individuals who have unique capabilities to guide the behaviour of....

March exports jump 28.6%; trade gap narrows 15.5%

Sri Lanka’s March trade deficit contracted 15.5 percent year-on-year (YoY) to US $ 602.2 million amid higher export earnings and moderate import expenditure, the latest data released by the Central Bank showed.

Credit dilemma: monetary and financial system stability in Sri Lanka

February 2014 marked five consecutive years of single-digit rates of inflation in Sri Lanka – supposedly the longest spell in the country’s post-independence history. Quite rightly, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) can take its share of......

Project management can be demystified with today’s techniques

Now that a solid project plan is done, the team can begin executing the project against their assigned tasks. This is the stage where everyone actually starts doing the work.

Stock-picking strategies

When it comes to personal finance and the accumulation of wealth, a few subjects are more talked about than stocks. It’s easy to understand why: playing the stock market is thrilling. But on this financial roller-coaster ride, we all want to experience the ups without the downs.

From a bloated public service to higher productivity and incomes for public servants

Since the mid-60s, the public service has been subject to a high degree of politicization under successive regimes. During the 70s and 80s, the public service cadre and recruitment procedures went through many changes primarily to serve the partisan objectives.

Guarantee on pawning loans credit positive for banks: Moody’s

Moody’s Investor Services said the credit guarantee scheme on pawning loans proposed by the Central Bank (CB) would have a positive impact on banks’ credit ratings.

Natural rubber — Plans for the future

Natural rubber today accounts for something like a third of the world’s production of all rubbers and nearly 85 percent of the output comes from Southeast Asia. Technical and economic problems that have manifested themselves in the past in relation to production and marketing of.....

Socialist Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka - Is it socialist?

Presently there is a substantial discourse on whether the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is waning in its commitment to the institutions of democracy. This insight explores a different question, is it waning its commitments to social institutions?

Getting a project done in time: Managing people, time and results

In any organisation, only two aspects of work exist—on-going operations and projects. The on-going operations constitute an organisation’s repetitive activities, such as accounting, marketing, HR, production, etc. The projects are the unique, temporary endeavours with each having a specific beginning and end.

Economically neglected Vanni ‑ Tamil Tigers’ main stronghold

There were a number of mistakes made by the previous governments  during the 30- year old civil war fought in the North of Sri Lanka form 1978 that  ended in  2009.This war was  aggravated after the July 1983 riots where a  large  number of Tamils from all walks of life were killed and maimed or........

55 words or 10 phrases customers rarely hear!

As a student of hospitality, I was constantly reminded that in a well-run hotel, the ‘manager must be present’, available and in evidence. He or she should be out on the floor greeting guests and putting a face on hotel operations whilst staying connected, committed and.....

Rubber for latex and wood: a long-term option

It is unlikely that the rubber plantations, currently going through difficult times with profitability per hectare markedly eroded due to rapidly declining selling price of rubber and spiralling costs of production due to rising wages of tappers, will bounce back in the near future.

Inspirational quotes on investing in stock market

Are you an enthusiastic investor? Are you looking for a winning investment strategy? If yes, you will find today’s article useful. Today, we will be sharing with our readers some financial advice picked from the most successful investors and fund managers in the world.

Behavioural interviewing – Key to selecting winning team

The key to the success of the behavioural interview is in the preparation. Prior to conducting the interview, the recruiter will need to do some homework. Having a thorough understanding of the company culture and organisational environment is.....

Strategic Development Act: Is it a success or should it be reviewed?

All governments have attached high priority to foreign direct investment (FDI) since the 1970s. It is important to understand why this has been the case and pose the question whether the Strategic Development Act (SDA) contributes to creating an investor-friendly environment.

Need-based entrepreneurship – Turning ideas into business

Need-based entrepreneurship has always been around – for those who are savvy enough to understand the need and do something about it. There have been successful female entrepreneurs who have built and continue to build businesses on needs they themselves have experienced.

Economic freedom in Sri Lanka: Changes and consequences

The US-based Heritage Foundation (HF) has constructed a global index of economic freedom. Sri Lanka’s score has improved significantly post-war and declined a bit in 2014. The importance of the index has less to do with overall measures and scores, than the aspects that are......

Private investment to resolve problems of water scarcity in the world

It is easy to take a running tap for granted, but water scarcity is a serious problem in many parts of the world. It is believed that over one billion people worldwide do not have access to clean and safe drinking water, according to.....

Behavioural interviewing: Formulae for successful selection

People are the lifeblood of all organisations. Adding new people to an organisation is not unlike having a blood transfusion. If the new blood is not good match, the body will suffer and ultimately reject the transfusion. That is the risk of all organisations take when they recruit new people.

Are you capable of earning profits in stock market?

Positive sentiments during the post-war era attracted a large number of new investors to the capital market. Many investors were able to reach their financial goals while a few others did not earn profits as expected. Several factors would have attributed to the above stated.

Importance of reputation management is never lost

We live in an incredibly connected world that is wired 24/7. Information flows at a rate faster than the average individual can decipher fast enough. It helps to spread the word, such a connected world, when we are doing well or our businesses need a boost. In the same way, the world can get to know in the bat of an....

Evolution of hotel amenities

John R. Hendrie wrote in 2005, and, I quote, “It used to be so easy being a hotelier. Your guest wanted a good mattress, a clean bathroom, and perhaps easy access to a pool. And, room amenities were not a loss leader, for your prices reflected a recoup of the costs, minimal, as they were.

Mineral sands industry in Sri Lanka and value addition

The occurrence of mineral sands was discovered mainly in the northeast coast of Sri Lanka in 1904 during the period of the Principal Mineral Surveyor Dr. Ananda Coomaraswamy from the Colonial Office.

Changing face of financial reporting

Financial reporting is a language that companies (public or private, non profit organizations, state or local governments) use to communicate to users of financial statements about their financial position.