IUU fishing in Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar

A recent headline in a Sri Lankan weekly newspaper titled “Tamil Nadu  Exports Fish Robbed from Sri Lanka” prompted me to highlight the legal  implications  of such activity generally referred to as IUU (Illegal Unreported and or Unregulated) Fishing and......

Sri Lanka tourism now needs to look beyond 2016

The Sri Lanka Tourism Strategy for the period 2011 to 2016, launched in November 2011, aims to welcome 2.5 million arrivals by 2016. Not much is known on how the goal of reaching 2.5 million arrivals is to be achieved.

China wants narrow Sino-Lanka US $ 2.4bn trade gap

Immediate action must be taken to narrow the US $ 2.4 billion gap in Sino-Lanka trade, according...

A comment on ‘New Educational Policies and Proposals’

Despite impressive performance in access to education, issues of quality of education, access to higher levels of education and relevance of education has challenged the education sector in the recent past.

The HR challenge in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is more popular than ever as a tourist destination, meaning there is an urgent need for more well-trained and qualified managers. A bitter civil war from 1983 to 2009 affected tourism in Sri Lanka resulting in low demand, low prices and a reputation as a cheap destination.

Revival of graphite mining in Sri Lanka – A critical review

The graphite mining industry in Sri Lanka dates back to 200 years with its boom periods during the First and Second World Wars when approximately 35,000 metric tons of natural graphite per annum, were exported. During this period, nearly 6000 shallow workings, pits and small scale mines were in operation.

IRSG’s sustainability plan for rubber

It has been reported by The Wall Street Journal that is it the Southeast Asian region that the International Rubber Study Group (IRSG) is embarking on an ambitious initiative to draw up a plan for the rubber industry, much like what the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil did in the tropical oil seed industry.

Tackling Plutocracy through major policy shifts

“Technology is advancing in leaps and bounds—and so is ‘economic inequality’, says writer Chrystia Freeland, in an impassioned talk, she charts the rise of a new class of plutocrats

In policy debut, India CB chief prescribes bitter pill

REUTERS - India’s Central Bank governor Raghuram Rajan may raise policy rates again after shocking markets by increasing them in only his first meeting, signaling he is willing to risk prolonging what is already the lowest economic growth in years in order to quash persistent inflation.

Significance of an Indian-American winning Miss America crown

For the first time in history of the pageant, Nina Davuluri, an Indian-American won the Miss America crown. In an age when beauty contests are scorned at by feminists as degrading, the news somehow sparked a fierce Internet discussion.

Status of Sri Lankan NR-based industry

The Sri Lankan rubber products manufacturing industry is composed of about 4,530 manufacturing organizations of small, medium and large-scale entities. Nearly 70-80 percent of the local rubber production is used by these domestic industries.

Economics of media freedom: Is Sri Lanka on a virtuous or vicious cycle?

Is media and press freedom a matter of economics? The answer is a resounding yes. But it may be important to explain why. There are at least three reasons. We can describe them as indicative, instrumental and integral.

Is Apple’s iPhone still the star it once was?

I can still remember the fanfare when the first few iPhones came along - I wasn’t even an Apple...

Price gamble and missed opportunities

With the end of hostiles, a golden opportunity was missed by the Sri Lankan tourism sector by hiking prices of accommodation by 200-300 percent, forgetting the ordinary hotelier in the process.

Does picking the right partner matter for women in reaching the top?

Finding and marrying the right partner, as we all know, is relevant for every aspect of life. Whether career...

Quality eye care, our mantra: Country Head-Vasan Healthcare

Vasan Eye Care Hospital, the world’s largest network of eye care hospitals that comes under the wings of India’s flagship Vasan Healthcare Group commenced operations in Sri Lanka this year, bringing the next-generation of super-specialisation in ophthalmology.

Is nine-to-five routine becoming a relic of the past?

Back when the Internet was not around and entrepreneurship did not garner the same level of respect it does today, a traditional climb up the ladder was the expected path – for women and men.

Are diaspora workers source of Lanka’s growth?

Post-war Sri Lanka has been looking prosperous (with high GDP growth numbers) because it was throwing a grand party for itself; first by the public on imported consumer goods, then by the state on construction materials.

Unlocking ASEAN potential

In its fascination with all things China, much of the world seems to have overlooked one of the great trading opportunities of the post-crisis global economy: The potential of Southeast Asia. 

Universal recipe will secure prosperity for all

The recent Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises Summit in Madang had job creation and growth as its worthy goal. Although Papua New Guinea (PNG) has grown rapidly over the past decade, this has not translated into jobs in the non-resource sector and unemployment is worryingly high.

Indispensable role in family, an obstacle for career women

Over the years, women have come closer to perfecting the art of having it all. Yet, we are told time and...

When is a confirmed hotel reservation not confirmed?

It could be upsetting to find that the hotel you’ve made a reservation with, has sold your room to ‘someone else’, as Linda and Michael Morgan found out in 2010.

Why the food security bill matters to developing Asia

For all the controversy around it, the breathtaking scope of India’s food security scheme for nearly two-thirds of the population sends a powerful message across developing Asia.

Development banks and post-crisis blues in investment finance

International long-term private finance to developing countries has changed dramatically in the wake of the global financial crisis. Caught in “post-crisis blues”, as my World Bank colleagues Jeff Chelsky,

Potential of carbon trading from rubber plantations

Recently a training workshop was held in Colombo under the auspices of the International Rubber Research...

Time to reduce borrowings in Sri Lankan enterprises

Sri Lankan enterprises – especially SMEs use a comparatively high level of bank borrowings to fund investments. This is partly due to low level of domestic savings and inefficiency in the capital market. 

Activist investors – Why companies fear billionaire takeovers

A century ago, their tribe, engaged in less complicated businesses than power-packed takeovers, was known as robber barons. Today, the billionaires whom Wall Street admires for their ability to generate money on money, are apparently fanged with takeover poison spewing from them and companies have come to fear the activist investors for just what they can do to peel off a company, layer by layer, unravel years of brand building to uncover what th

Reducing trade deficit: Is the government jousting with toothpicks?

Sri Lanka has high trade deficits. And, instead of shrinking, they are increasing over the years. The current government policy, based on import substitution, will not be able to solve this serious problem.

The U.S.housing market’s road to recovery

By Jarkko Turunen A year ago, we were very concerned about lingering weakness in the U.S. housing market, which we saw as a major obstacle to the economic recovery. But what a difference a year makes! As our latest report on the U.S. economy points out, the housing market recovery has been stronger than expected, and is providing a significant boost to private domestic demand and economic growth.

Time for paradigm shift in export expansion and diversification

After the disastrous consequences of the anti-export-bias and import substitution polices, Sri Lanka, since 1978, has implemented many strategies and programmes to promote export oriented industries and agriculture. Nevertheless the country’s export performance during the four decades that have ensued has been disappointing.