Gautam Buddha International Airport to commence operations in mid-2020

Lumbini, the Mecca of Buddhist pilgrims, is a frequently visited pilgrimage site as it signifies the birthplace of Gautama Buddha. While the site attracts close to 1.5 million tourists all year round, just last year, it has been frequented by approximately 59,959 Sri Lankans. With an objective to make things more convenient, the government of Nepal in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is looking forward to commence operations at

Carlos Slim Helu proved firm and patient optimism always yields success

Carlos Slim Helu is a multi-billionaire investor and philanthropist. He has been given the title the wealthiest man in the world by the Forbes magazine numerous times and currently owns well over 200 businesses worldwide.

ICIMOD Nepal determined to assist ‘mountain people’ in HKH region

Accounting to 0.03 percent of the world’s land mass, Nepal is situated at a very important location, bordering India and China.

Helping Sri Lankan workers in South Korea to save better

Sunil has been employed in South Korea for the last three and a half years, working for a small and medium enterprise (SME) manufacturing automobile parts, in the industrial town of Ansan, in the outskirts of Seoul. He earns KRW 2.5 million or Rs.400,000 a month with overtime and night-shift allowances – a sizable income back in Sri Lanka. Having married a year ago, he came to Korea intending to earn as much as possible within a short time. He ho

Gotabaya’s opportunity to shine in Sri Lanka

In January this year, an iron curtain had descended to end Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s elusive dream to become the seventh president of Sri Lanka. Then several legal battles threatened to put the final full stop to his political ambition to be the president. To many it looked an impossible dream.

Expectations and impressions of a first-time visitor to Sri Lanka

‘Is it safe now?’ This is something I repeatedly heard from people when they found out that I really wanted to visit Sri Lanka, particularly after the Easter bombings. But I’d wanted to travel to Sri Lanka for years, ever since a traveller friend of mine told me of his adventures in this teardrop-shaped island, where he encountered the kindest people he’d ever come across before. So, a random attack was not going to change my mind.

MTI recommends effective approach to Ministerial Portfolio allocation

The decision to limit the Cabinet to 15 (and sans the entourage of deputies and state ministers), be it motivated by legislation or the new leadership, is certainly a step in the right direction.

Eliminating burden of state-owned enterprises on Sri Lankan people

No-one seems to know precisely how many business enterprises the government owns. Official government figures suggest 55 businesses, but these are only those which are considered to be strategic.

Li Ka-Shing: Hong Kong’s elusive billionaire has his rags-to-riches success story

Sir Li Ka-Shing was born in Chaozhou, China, in 1928, to Teochew parents. While Li was still at elementary school, Japan invaded China. Chaozhou was bombed; the family fled to Hong Kong, then a British colony.

President Ghani congratulates President Rajapaksa and calls for stronger Afghan-Lankan ties

President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani was one of the first leaders in the region to send a message of congratulations to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, following his recent electoral victory and assumption of official duties as the seventh Executive President of Sri Lanka.

A hospital and clean water: China on the charm offensive in Sri Lanka

(Polonnaruwa) REUTERS: Amid the lush paddy fields of central Sri Lanka, a large, state-of-the-art hospital rises between the cranes and cement mixers.

A new president heralds a return to stability and growth in Sri Lanka

The election of Gotabhaya Rajapaksa as President of Sri Lanka is expected to launch a new economic cycle for Sri Lanka. A victory margin of 10 percent reflects the confidence in him as an effective leader, who had already delivered peace by winning a 25-year-old civil war and transforming Colombo into one of South Asia’s most beautiful cities, to unleash a tourism boom.

Sri Lanka: Rajapaksa win heralds a new era

The emphatic win by former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the presidential elections held in Sri Lanka on November 16 could herald in a new era for the strategically-placed South Asian island that could be modelled on the successful economic path of the Asian Tigers such as Singapore.

Sri Lanka’s cinema experience redefined with India’s PVR

Colombo’s movie theatre experience just got a whole lot bigger and better with India’s largest and most premium film exhibition company, PVR Cinemas, having unveiled its newest facility at One Galle Face Mall.

Fourth Industrial Revolution and (unwarranted) pessimism over jobs

Ever since Homo erectus carved a piece of stone into a tool, the welfare of our species has been on the increase. Indeed, this technological breakthrough led first to the hand axe and eventually to the iPhone. We have found it convenient to organise the most dramatic period of change between these inventions into four industrial revolutions.

Securing South Asia through regional economic integration

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Chamber of Commerce recently hosted a conference on ‘Regional Economic Integration: A Catalyst for Socioeconomic Prosperity in South Asia’. I welcomed this timely forum.

STAMPEDE, SDGs Tech Accelerator established to prevent future inequality

Technological innovation has become our today, tomorrow and future. It is seen to have an irreversible impact on all spheres across the board from medical science to banking and all in-between. The most concerning is the use of technology to develop weapons. But, is there a way to use and define technology for a better future for humanity? The people behind STAMPEDE, SDGs Tech Accelerator think so.

EU fosters sustainable development in Sri Lanka through GSP Plus

Sri Lanka was readmitted as a beneficiary of the European Union (EU) Generalised Scheme of Preferences in mid-May 2017 with the new GSP Plus enabling duty free access to the EU market, constituting 28 countries, on 66 percent of the EU tariff lines for over 6,000 local products.

Narayana Murthy – Indian IT genius, kept his head in sky and feet firmly on ground

Nagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy (born August 20, 1946) is an Indian IT industrialist and co-founder of Infosys, a multinational corporation providing business consulting, technology, engineering and outsourcing services. Murthy studied electrical engineering at the National Institute of Engineering, University of Mysore and MTech at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.

Ban on tobacco cultivation: A blessing in disguise for Sri Lankan farmers

While the topic of tobacco control is mentioned in some of the main presidential candidates’ manifestos, it is uncertain whether they will honour the commitment made in 2017 to ban tobacco cultivation by the end of 2020.

President frowns on promise to give free fertilizer

Some days ago, at some gathering in Matale, President Maithripala Sirisena has raised concerns to assertions of Sajith Premadasa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa promising free fertilizers to farmers.

SL’s slide in Global Entrepreneurship Index – A challenge for next political regime

As Sri Lanka heads to elect a government led by a new president, the main political parties have come up with economic agendas to outdo each other, in addition to promising to do a better job than the current political regime. Developing entrepreneurship is embedded in these agendas in various forms.

International travel and migration in Fourth Industrial Revolution

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is changing today’s world. Globally, 64 percent of all migrant travellers have migrated for employment. However, traditional models of employment are increasingly replaced by new developments associated with the 4IR technologies. This height of technological advancements in some aspects is creating inadvertent challenges.

Thoughts on upcoming presidential election

The race has begun. Both contenders are running neck-and-neck. If there is a photo finish, it might complicate matters. Whoever wins, would face an arduous task of managing the national debt.

Dialog Finance to raise Rs.701mn via rights issue

Dialog Finance PLC, the finance subsidiary of Dialog Axiata PLC yesterday disclosed plans to raise little over Rs.701 million through a rights issue.

Global ERP player IFS says investing more in Sri Lanka

Following is an interview Mirror Business conducted with Stephen Keys, Regional President of IFS’ business in APJ, ME&A during IFS World Conference 2019 concluded in Boston, USA, recently. He spoke about a number of things including IFS’ role in Sri Lanka as the second largest IT industry employer and the CSR activities of the ERP giant. Stephen is responsible for growing IFS’ presence across the region, which involves building a strong customer

The future of Sri Lanka’s education in fourth Industrial Revolution

The profound impacts that an emerging fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) will have on the future employment landscape underscore the crucial role of education and skills in preparing a workforce that can meet the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s labour markets.

Gender equality in the workplace, really?

I have been intentional about reducing my posts during my time on sabbatical. However when the news broke that the EY US firm had training that instructed women on how to act, dress and behave (around their male counterparts) I couldn’t hold my silence. This is a reflective piece that talks about what we can learn from the recent events, and how organizations and individuals can move forward from it.

Leading battle against climate change: The energy sector response

Climate change coupled with global warming have dramatic repercussions on almost every sector. Melting ice caps, the rise of global sea levels at an unprecedented rate of 3.2 millimeters a year, along with the rise in temperatures are affecting biodiversity, species and habitats everywhere.

Sri Lankan higher education system needs specific reforms: UGC Chief

Following is the keynote speech delivered by University Grants Commission Chairman Prof. Mohan de Silva at the International Higher Education Conference jointly organised by CMA Sri Lanka, CPM Sri Lanka and Association of Management Development Institutions in South Asia (AMDISA) in Colombo recently.