Patient waiting times, an important aspect of the patient experience, influences patient satisfaction to a significant extent. It is, however, an often overlooked component of t he patient encounter. In Sri Lanka, long waiting times at private health

On behalf of the President and the members of the Ceylon Planters’ Society I wish to congratulate the newly appointed Plantations Industries Minister Lakshman Kiriella.

It has been said very recently that the Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) have renewed t heir call for alternative worker wage model in the face of unsustainable wage increases in the past. They also admit that the future wage increases cannot be

In Sri Lanka, as politics is inseparable with day-to-day life, it holds true for the link between political developments and the capital markets. With 2015 presidential elections now in the past, initial euphoria regarding the new president and the f

The history of oil exploration in Sri Lanka dates back to 1966 and up to 1984 , Soviet and western companies concentrated on land and shallow off shore areas of the Gulf of Mannar which is the southern extension of the Cauvery basin of the Bay of Ben

One of the most deadly points where failure in a team can take hold is in the feedback process. Successful leaders crave the data coming back from the field, as it provides not only real-time measurement of their progress but also a reality check on

With the inauguration of President Maithripala Sirisena on January 9 and the decision taken by t he newly appointed External Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera to undertake his first official overseas visit t o New Delhi, t here are indications tha

In what would go down in history as one of democracy’s toughest tests, Sri Lankans overwhelmingly stood up to be counted for the power of the ballot in the recently concluded presidential election. We, as a country, held the world’s atten

The Hindu: Are falling oil prices good or bad for the global economy? And how do they work for India? Till recently these questions were no-brainers.Cheaper oil is obviously good for the global economy; for an energyintensive economy such as India&rs

While we were reviewing about the winner’s mindset last week, we said that there are eight essential steps and techniques to achieve such a winner’s mindset. We discussed three of them: non-negotiable goal, focus and leverage of time. We

This article was written on the eve of the elections. By the time it is published the outcome would be known and the country will be looking forward to the papal visit. His Holiness Pope Francis has proved to be a remarkable pontiff. As an Argentinia

I belong to a generation of Sri Lankans who witnessed many missed opportunities. Opportunities to stand proud as a nation, to grow politically and socially as a people, to prosper economically.

The Sri Lankan government is expected to embark on a multi-million global campaign to promote Ceylon tea in key markets in the world, including Australia. The details of the campaign is still unknown but the country branding appears to be the major t

The fall in global oil prices has been a boon in numerous ways to those emerging market countries that import energy and the re-pricing, should it continue into 2015, will provide an added boost to infrastructure development in these economies, there

Since the end of the conflict in 2009, Sri Lanka has achieved economic growth above 7 percent on average and a relatively stable macro-economic position.Inflation and interest rates have been low, fiscal deficits have been steadily reduced, balances

“S pread the word about conservation” screamed the headline of an article I came across recently. The writer of this article urges the reader to let as many people know, in whatever manner, to think about the earth.

In the past few weeks, we were reviewing the leverage points for leaders at work. We emphasised the need to lead the process and set standards for the right goals and to lead the design process to create the appropriate metrics. There is one more lev

Regional plantation companies (RPCs) are now making concerted efforts to protect the environment and preserve biodiversity in RPCmanaged estates, while several pioneering plantation companies have gone as far as to integrate biodiversity management t

Another year has come. We have fresh ideas, new and old plans we have been shelving for years sometimes. Is this the year when we will finally choose the path to go on our own – or is it?

As in many developing countries, fertilizer subsidies represent a major component of agricultural policy in Sri Lanka. This is particularly true of the paddy sector. With rice being the staple food in Sri Lanka, successive governments have provided s

Metrics, the numbers and measurements that help you run your business are among the most crucial tools business leaders have at their disposal. They show you where you’ve been, and they help you set goals for where you want to go. They point a

When one looks at the impact of low natural rubber (NR) prices on profitability, two aspects emerge. On the one hand, it appears to be a simple topic but on the other, immensely complex, covering global geo-politics- the rural poor in the developi

Aprominent economist in his recent weekly column in the Sunday Times newspaper, has observed the following. There has been an economic resurgence since the end of the war in 2009 (7.3 percent growth i n GDP this year). However the following critic

In the first part of t his article, I have discussed the ten key proposals appearing in the section 2 (‘A Developed Economy’) of the recently released election manifesto of the Presidential Candidate of the common opposition, Maithripa

It is a comprehensive document; in fact, the most extensive opposition elections manifesto for some time. Ranil Wickramasinghe’s 2005 manifesto was not more than 20 pages. Sarath Fonseka’s two-page 2010 manifesto was worse. It hardly h

So far in this series of articles, we have reviewed a business model for high-performance, zero-mistakes execution, the HRO. We saw that great leaders make a profound difference in moments of crisis, in periods of intense change, in the early stag

Agentleman was given an application form to apply for a loyalty card at a supermarket. It was a three-page booklet written in small text. He simply didn’t have the time to read all of it and was directed by the salesman to sign it as it enta

Female migrant workers make a vital contribution to the Sri Lankan economy, mainly through remittances. However, this economic gain often comes at a heavy social cost on the children they leave behind. This article, written to coincide with the In

As of December 12, 2014, the All Share Price Index (ASPI) is still up 21 percent year-to-date despite losing around 4 percent from the all-time second highest peak of 7,548 index points reached on November18, 2014.

The revitalized Hingurana Sugar Factory managed under Gal Oya Plantations (Pvt) Ltd, a subsidiary of the LOLC Group has recorded the highest ever sugar production of 19,960 metric ton for the year 2014/15 through successful sugar cane cultivation