Today we live in the dawn of a new era, a new age of consciousness. Like the first light casting its godly rays nurturing the planet with its mystical energy… so are we in this dawn, energised by a majestic flame, giving us new visions and ins

In one day from today, the Sri Lankan exporters would once again be able to export over 6,000 products duty free to the European Union (EU) countries, giving a much-needed boost to the export sector.

Mainstream economics is under heavy pressure. Consistently wrong policies and forecasts have damaged the field dubbed ‘the dismal science’. But what do critics propose should supersede the prevailing neo-Keynesian and neoclassical schools

In Beijing on Sunday, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted a global summit on his Belt and Road Initiative under the aegis of the National Development Reform Commission’s (NDRC) China Centre for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE), NDRC&rsq

There are many reasons to be optimistic about the development prospects of Asia and the Pacific. If economic growth follows the recent trajectories, the average per capita income could rise sixfold by 2050. Asia’s share of global gross domestic

It is well known that the tea industry was the foundation on which the modern economy of Sri Lanka was developed. Even today, one and a half centuries since the beginning of this industry in Sri Lanka, tea exports generate the foreign exchange earnin

It goes without saying that company leaders wear many hats and play many a role in leading the strategic direction of a company. In this complex and ever-changing business environment, effective leaders need to fulfil their roles in ways that will pr

Hong Kong is not just another transit point or a business centre but it is a fascinating travel destination with so many attractions including luxury hotels, delicious cuisine and a wide variety of entertainment options to cater to all your travel ne

The world-renowned human resources (HR) guru Professor Dave Ulrich speaking to a group of board executives said that every board is responsible for governing its firm in the best interest of the shareholders and other stakeholders. They are responsib

We live on a parched planet. Farmers till arid pastureland and policymakers fret over empty reservoirs, dry rivers and thirsty cities. And that only scratches the surface – literally – of the world’s water problem. Subterranean aqui

This month, what is likely to be this year’s biggest international summit will convene in Beijing to discuss the world’s most ambitious project. China’s Belt and Road Initiative aims to redefine the global economy of the 21st centur

Asia’s high economic growth rates and huge infrastructure demand, which the recent ADB report Meeting Asia’s Infrastructure Needs estimated at US $ 26 trillion until 2030, offers immense potential for increased private sector participatio

Geopolitics has always posed a tricky challenge for investors. In the perennial tussle between greed and fear, heightened concerns about a likely geopolitical event often leads investors to turn defensive or even ‘flee’ the markets.

The significance of foreign direct investment (FDI) to an economy such as Sri Lanka’s cannot be overstated. Its correlation with economic growth is well established. Typically, the benefits to the recipient economy include a reduction in budget

Since the November 2016 announcement that demonetised 86 percent of India’s currency in circulation, Rs.5,400 crore (US $ 837 million) of undisclosed income has been detected. Critics will surely latch on to this rather measly figure to declare

This series of articles is written directed at managers and senior executives who aspire to become leaders one fine day. So, we decided to talk about managers in the following four weeks – what they should know, what they should do and the four

Too much too soon can be a bad thing – if there are any lessons for the would-be and existing entrepreneurs to learn today, it is from achievements as well as failures. The case of one ambitious young entrepreneur whose net worth came down to n

The tea industry is one of the key pillars of Sri Lanka’s economy. But for some time Sri Lanka’s tea cup has been in a storm and a new recipe for revival and sustenance is imperative at this point of time.

When I was in my late 30s, studying economics in the US, I came across ‘Aid, Policies, and Growth’, a journal article published in 2000 in the American Economic Review by Craig Burnside and David Dollar. This seminal paper investigated th

The GSP+ going through is no doubt a big victory for Sri Lanka, given the many challenges the government has been facing in the last few months and the negativity surrounding it. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe needs to be congratulated for his e

The Sri Lankan economy appears to be enmeshed in a growing debt overhang. The latest figures released in the Central Bank annual report 2016 indicate that the total general government external debt has grown by 10 percent in 2016 to US $ 27.2 billion

With the rapidly increasing urbanization and higher purchasing power to consume more, every country in the world has to face the ever increasing problem of garbage disposal. 

Lack of foreign direct investment (FDI) is highlighted as a major cause of the slow pace of development in the capital-starved Sri Lankan economy. 

FORBES: As regional powers like China, Russia, Japan, and India vie for political and economic position throughout the eastern realms of Eurasia, many of the less powerful countries caught in the middle are employing what could be called a ‘mul

The Indian Ocean is the third largest water-body on planet earth. There are two billion people living in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). This ocean has played a strategically significant role in the history. Its strategic significance has now become e

The aim of Sustainable Development Goal 1 (SDG 1) is to eradicate extreme poverty and to reduce all forms and dimensions of poverty, at least by half, by the year 2030. As such, this article looks at the status of poverty in Sri Lanka, based on diffe

The first 100 days of the US President Donald Trump’s administration revealed the complexity of a head of state’s task. 

April 26 marks the World Intellectual Property (IP) Day. This year, the 16th IP Day focused on the theme of ‘Innovation – improving lives’, which aims to explore how innovation makes lives healthier, safer and more comfortable. 

International trade is in trouble after the global financial crisis and, with the new Trump administration, the world faces a protectionist onslaught. As a result, there are three ways that international trade can go from here — one considerabl

The success of the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) relatively new results-based lending instrument hinges on accurate validation of outcome and output indicators. But this process can delay the programme if it is not conducted expediently.