Buying a condominium: Getting increasingly popular in cities across the world

If this home ownership style is properly followed and developed, affordable homes at different levels will continue to create vibrant and healthy communities and cities across the country.

Bonanza to James Packer from casinos

Casinos are not the playgrounds for the rich and the dashing anymore. The era when it was gentlemen in black tie and ladies in evening dress and glistening jewels is over.

Is your staff ignoring low hanging fruit?

The basic logic argues there are only three ways to improve a company’s bottom line. Increase revenue, reduce costs, or both. Imagine attending a meeting where fresh strategies intended to resolve or improve the company’s bottom line are discussed.

Regional infrastructure connectivity: What, how and when?

“Good roads, canals, and navigable rivers, by diminishing the expense of carriage, put the remote parts of the country more nearly upon a level with those of the neighborhood of the town. They are upon that, the greatest of all improvements.”

Some of the world’s best software created by local companies: Microsoft Country Manager

A product of the early stage development of Sri Lanka’s ICT Industry, Microsoft’s new Country Manager for Sri Lanka, Imran Vilcassim started his career with Microsoft a decade ago as a technology engineer.

Daughters of Indian billionaires who have chosen to give it away

While it assures you that you will lack nothing in life, it also seems to place an extra burden of social responsibility on your shoulders. Understandable of course – when you are the daughter of a billionaire who has a doting father and a fortune to inherit.

Condominium fees: what owners should know

The complex documentation of a condominium project should be clearly understood by the purchaser. First-time condo buyers are sometimes confused by the monthly maintenance fee that condo buildings charge.

Budget 2014: It’s not just about numbers

The Appropriation Bill was tabled in Parliament earlier this month and debates on Budget 2014 will dominate Parliament from now till the year’s end. But the value of these debates to the country will depend on the integrity of consultation and information reflected in the Budget documents and related reporting.

CHOGM, ideal platform to exhibit country’s progress: SLBA

The Sri Lanka Banks’ Association (SLBA) is highly optimistic on the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting (CHOGM) as it is confident the event will bring an array of opportunities for not only the banking sector, but for the entire business community.

Let’s celebrate November-The World Quality Month

Japan was the first to declare a nationwide “Quality Month” in November in the 1960s as part of its drive to excel in quality. The initiative was taken by the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers (JUSE).

Bhutan looks to become world’s first 100% organic country

Bhutan is renowned for espousing Gross National Happiness but now the isolated Himalayan nation is also looking to become known as a world leader in organic farming.  “We are nearly all Buddhists.

Graphite and mineral sands exploration by foreign companies– Legal implications

Two recent news items in the local print and electronic media on exploration activities by foreign companies prompted me to write this article to highlight the legal implications involved under the Mines and.....

Behind the scenes of hotel housekeeping

Have you ever arrived at your hotel early and huffed and puffed because your room wasn’t ready? There’s a good reason for that:....

How to select a condominium and to protect one’s investment

Buying a condominium can be a confusing process. Many people do not know what a condominium is or the legal structure and responsibilities that are involved in owning one.

Can Singapore Chinthanaya work for Sri Lanka?

On April 13, 2013, the Central Bank launched its Annual Report for 2012. The governor’s speech exploded in the news over the attention he drew to avoiding the ‘middle income trap’.

IPS LAUNCHES ‘STATE OF THE ECONOMY 2013’ TODAY Sri Lanka braces for new challenges amid economic tra

The Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS), apex think tank on socio-economic policy issues has been publishing the State of the Economy report since 1992 with a complementary theme selected each year. 

Beating climate change impact with preparedness

Extreme floods and storms are becoming more frequent: Their incidence rose five fold globally in the last decade compared with the 1970s. Asia is at the sharp end of this trend, which has alarming consequences for human welfare and enormous implications for policy makers.

From crisis to sustenance : You need more than setting your marketing objectives to maximize your pr

Developing and implementing a marketing plan is not enough to reach marketing objectives. Marketing plans and strategies are required to be monitored, evaluated and adapted to meet the changing market environment, needs and opportunities. Marketing control ensures performance improvement by minimizing

Investing in stock market - Investment risk, an essential evil

We tend to think of ‘risk’ in predominantly negative terms, as something to be avoided or a threat that we hope won’t materialize. However, in the investment world, risk is inseparable from performance and rather than being desirable or undesirable, risk is simply necessary.

Dying to work? Why health and safety in workplace an important economic issue

This week, another 10 workers in Bangladesh lost their lives in a deadly fire at a garment factory, another in a series of incident ranging from building collapses to fires that have claimed over 1,500 lives in the past year alone. This has brought new attention to working conditions in the garment industry in Bangladesh and has got everyone from policymakers and industrialists to human rights organisations and Western clothing brands very con

Why some billionaires believe money should not be left to kids

There was such a wonderful response from many readers to last week’s column and so much interest generated in passing on good values to the next generation that I thought it would be good to touch on a related topic. 

Hospitality industry cyber-crime risks

If you lose your hotel key or key card, most hotels are reluctant to hand you a new one without some proof of who you are. If you called to find out which room your sister is staying, no hotel should disclose this either, even if you are family.

IPCC scientists warn of human cause for global warming

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the UN Environment   Programme (UNEP) for the purpose of assessing  scientific....

A path to end poverty

At this moment, more than a billion people live on less than US $ 1.25 a day. That is a stain on our moral conscience. We must help lift people out of poverty without delay, without prejudice, no matter the circumstance, no matter the locale.

Growing rubber in non-traditional areas need effective institutional support

Growing rubber in non-traditional areas need effective institutional support Strategic initiatives identified to reach the national targets in rubber production are, increasing productivity and extent under rubber cultivation.

Beyond your pension: What should be done?

Life expectancy has reached 74.9 years in Sri Lanka today. This reflects the considerable successes the country has achieved in its social development during the post – independence era.

Need for national plantation production policy

Various sources have come out with plantation crops viz Tea and Rubber production/ productivity figures over the last several years. However, more recently the accuracy of such figures has been disputed, mainly by the plantation companies. Whatever it may be, the plantation industry needs a national plantation crop policy to boost its production/ productivity by about 25 – 30 percent over a 5- year period and remain competitive in the globa

Harnessing tourism potential through targeted strategies

The dynamics of the Sri Lankan economy have changed enormously in the last decade. Particularly after ending the prolonged terrorism conflict, the growth outlook in Sri Lanka has been impressive with massive reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts being carried out.

Balancing of financial leverage across Asia is vital

As emerging economies endure another episode of financial-market stress and volatility, it is appropriate to consider whether and how they might foster more stable conditions. External factors such as global growth and Fed policy matter and are beyond developing countries’ control; but this is not new. The interesting question is, are emerging economies now unusually vulnerable to global forces because their structural resilience has weake

Is the eco-system of Sri Lankan economy unfriendly to women?

Singapore’s Ex-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yu is a controversial figure. He is praised for having guided the grand economic transition of Singapore, and is still questioned for undemocratic practices in safeguarding his vote bank over a long period.