Category: Featured
SL appoints Presidential task force on economic revival and poverty eradication
Apr 23, 2020 (LBO) – President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed a Presidential Task Force in charge of Economic Revival and Poverty Eradication. It has been established under the powers vested in the President by the Constitution. The Task Force is responsible for reviving the economy and eradication of poverty while paying special attention to the […]
‘s three-wheelers
Thisali de Silva and Nisha Arunatilake Sri Lanka has been under curfew since mid-March to contain the spread of COVID-19. As a result, economic activities throughout the country have stalled. A recent IPS blog identified that non-agricultural, informal workers were highly affected by this pandemic. This blog illustrates how the ongoing curfew is impacting three […]
SriLankan Airlines special flights to bring back stranded in India, Pakistan and Nepal
Apr 21, 2020 (LBO) – SriLankan Airlines will operate special flights from India’s Amritsar, Coimbatore, Pakistan’s Karachi, Lahore and Nepal’s Kathmandu to bring home 433 Sri Lankan students who have been stranded overseas due to the prevailing travel restrictions imposed in view of the COVID 19 pandemic. These special flights are being operated as part […]
Opinion: COVID-19 and foreign exchange woes: Can Sri Lanka find a way out?
Bilesha Weeraratne Growing pressure on Sri Lanka’s scarce foreign exchange resources, due to the wide spread of COVID-19 across the globe, is now more real than ever before. To ease this pressure, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has taken many measures to attract as well as retain more foreign exchange in Sri Lanka. […]
Smoking cessation in Sri Lanka: A silver lining in COVID-19 crisis?
Chathurga Karunanayake As the deadly COVID-19 pandemic threatens the entire world, claiming thousands of lives and disrupting economic activities, it would be wise to look at the role smoking cessation could play in the response. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA), smokers are at a higher risk […]
Relief measures for tourist guides during COVID -19 outbreak
Apr 14, 2020 (LBO) – Due to the effect of COVID-19 on the tourism industry, the annual renewal of the guide license fee for the year 2021 will be waived for all tour guides. 1. As a relief measure, the annual fee for guide licenses of all four categories – National, Chauffeur, Area and Site […]
South Asia must ramp up COVID-19 action to protect people, revive economies
Apr 14, 2020 (LBO) – Amid the mounting human toll and global economic fallout triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, South Asian governments must ramp up action to curb the health emergency, protect their people, especially the poorest and most vulnerable, and set the stage now for fast economic recovery, says the World Bank in its […]
SL weak public finances will exacerbate economic shocks from COVID-19
By Fellows of the Advocata Institute Sri Lanka’s shaky public finances are about to receive another blow from the fallout of Covid-19. The most crucial aspect of a pandemic is always the human cost, but the spread of the virus has important repercussions for the economy. Studies indicate that pandemic impacts a country’s economy through […]
Sri Lanka : COVID -19 update
Apr 08, 2020 (LBO) – According to the World Health Organisation in Sri Lanka 180 people have tested positive with 38 people having recovered and 5 deaths reported. As cases start to climb in the South-East Asia Region, the Regional Director Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh held a virtual meeting with Health Ministers of the Region […]
COVID-19 prevention program proceeds with professional expertise: President
Apr 06, 2020 (LBO) – Presided by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a discussion took place at the Presidential Secretariat to review the progress of the COVID-19 prevention program and to decide on the steps needed to take this program forward. President of Government Medical Officers Association Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya analyzed the manner this virus had affected […]
Foreign Ministry acts on missions abroad to ensure welfare of citizens
Apr 06, 2020 (LBO) – The Ministry of Foreign Relations, sensitive to the concerns of the OSLs amidst the rapid spread of the COVID-19 and the inability to return to Sri Lanka, has held consultations over the past 2 days with its Heads of Missions based in 67 cities across the world, The meeting facilitated the […]
‘s Hatch and LAN gear up to launch first fintech accelerator
Apr 06, 2020 (LBO) – In April 2020, Hatch in partnership with Lankan Angel Network (LAN) and through the support of the Ford Foundation, will officially launch the first chapter of its start-up accelerator programme ‘HatchX’, establishing Sri Lanka’s first fintech accelerator. The programme’s strategic partner will be the Fintech Association of Sri Lanka (FASL). […]