Category: Featured
PET collector’s journey amidst a raging pandemic
How Mahesh creates his livelihood around plastic, impacts of COVID-19 and waste segregation in Sri Lanka The importance of recycling is highlighted globally because waste has a negative effect on the natural environment. In some capacity, recycling also gives society an excellent reason to play a supporting role in keeping our planet clean. Recycling also […]
Interview: Union Assurance will continue to grow through distribution channel expansions
Union Assurance was awarded Life Insurance Company of the Year at Business Leader Awards ceremony held in India recently affirming its leadership in the country’s fast-growing insurance industry. Speaking to Lanka Business Online exclusively regarding the company’s recent win Senath Jayatilake, chief distribution officer says UA’s vision is to transform the life insurance industry in […]
Are we getting the Colombo Port City Financial Centre right?
By H. Dabarera and KD Vimanga. Background The Colombo Port City commission bill is to be debated in parliament this week. Over the last few weeks, Sri Lankans have contemplated if the proposed Colombo Port City is the messiah that will rescue the country’s economy or whether it is another Trojan Horse that will throw […]
Financial results of Sampath Bank for Q1 of 2021
The Bank recorded a Profit before tax (PBT) of Rs 6.1 Bn in 1Q 2021 compared to Rs 3 Bn in 1Q 2020, denoting a growth of 101%, while Profit after tax (PAT) increased by 83% to Rs 4.6 Bn from Rs 2.5 Bn recorded in the first quarter of 2020. Resilient performance of all […]
Widespread informality likely to slow recovery from COVID-19 in developing economies
A strikingly large percentage of workers and firms operate outside the line of sight of governments in emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs)—a challenge that is likely to hold back the recovery in these economies unless governments adopt a comprehensive set of policies to address the drawbacks of the informal sector, a new World Bank […]
Presidential task force for a green socio-economy
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed a Presidential Task Force to transform Sri Lanka’s economy into a green socio-economy with sustainable solutions to climate change. The Task Force has been named as the “Presidential Task Force on Creating a Green Sri Lanka with Sustainable Solutions to Climate Change”. The Task Force, chaired by Basil Rajapaksa, the […]
Sri Lanka secures USD 500Mn concessional financing from Republic of Korea
In order to further strengthen the economic cooperation between two countries, the Government of Republic of Korea has agreed to provide concessional loans from the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) of the Export Import Bank of Korea (KEximbank). Accordingly, the Government of Republic of Korea and Government of Sri Lanka have agreed to sign a […]
Healthcare professional bodies make urgent recommendations to avoid COVID disaster
In a letter to the President, the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA), the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA), the Association of Medical Specialists (AMS), together with the SLMA Intercollegiate Committee (SMIC) has made several recommendations in a bid to minimize COVID infections and deaths in the near future. “We wish to emphasise that all healthcare […]
World Bank strengthens engagement in Sri Lanka
The World Bank today launched public consultations to update its Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD) in Sri Lanka. This online platform will enable the Bank to engage with the Sri Lankan public and development partners and seek their views on the most pressing development opportunities and challenges for the country. The SCD is a country-specific report […]
Expedite import procedures,administering vaccines … – President instructs
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed the relevant officials to expedite both the import procedures and administering COVID-19 vaccines to the public. During a discussion held with the COVID-19 Committee today (07), which meets daily at the Presidential Secretariat, the President emphasized that the maximum number of COVID-19 shots should be given within a short period […]
Dependents of war heroes to receive Cabinet approved benefits from April 27
Steps will be taken to provide Cabinet approved relief to the dependents of war heroes, who got killed or disabled due to terrorist activities with effect from April 2021. The war heroes sacrificed their lives or became disabled to safeguard the freedom and independence of the nation for all communities in the country. Therefore, it […]
UK and Sri Lanka lead on ‘Nitrogen for Climate and Green Recovery’
The British High Commission in Colombo and the Government of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka this week held a virtual event “Nitrogen for Climate and Green Recovery”, held on 27 – 29 April 2021, in Colombo. The event launched the #Nitrogen4NetZero initiative, to widen engagement on sustainable nitrogen management in this crucial year for climate action. #Nitrogen4NetZero […]