Category: Opinion
Opinion: X-Press Pearl Disaster & Imperative for Regional Maritime Cooperation
By Githmi Rabel On 20 May 2021, Sri Lanka’s worst-ever marine disaster occurred when a fire erupted on the Singapore-registered MV X-Press Pearl container ship just 18 km Northwest of Colombo. While the long-term cost is yet to be determined, the negative impact on industries such as fisheries and tourism, and people who rely on […]
Opinion: Unleashing the ‘Billion Dollar’ potential of Sri Lanka’s rubber industry
By Manoj Udugampola At a time Sri Lanka is in much need of increasing its foreign exchange reserves, the vast untapped potential of the country’s rubber exports industry requires due attention. To place the rubber sector’s foreign exchange earning potential in context, the Export Development Board (EDB) had earlier set a target of USD 4.4 […]
Employer-supported Childcare: A Solution to Labour Shortages?
By Amanda Balasooriya Kanthi is a 33-year-old working mother who resides in Kuliyapitiya. Her two-year-old daughter is enrolled at a private crèche located eight km away from her home. Distance apart, Kanthi is not satisfied with the quality of the childcare and finds it expensive. With no other choice, she drops off her toddler at […]
Opinion: Plastic waste, a goldmine when responsibly disposed and managed
By Mangala Bandara, director of ‘Go Recycling Hub.’ Most developing countries across the globe face the issue of proper waste management, and Sri Lanka is no exception. Each person in Sri Lankan generates around 0.64 kgs of waste daily leading to 4.8 million metric tons of solid waste collected annually, where irresponsible disposal of plastic […]
Opinion: SOE Reforms; the Impetus for Post Pandemic Economic Revival
By Imesha Dissanayake State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) have many definitions to it, often entailing a definition of a legal entity engaged in a commercial activity that has majority control or ownership by the country’s Government through direct or indirect means. However, because of the complex and diverse landscape of SOEs around the world, there is no […]
Opinion: Positive happenings in Sri Lanka in 2021
By Asela Atukorala Sri Lanka is unfortunately in a sad state right now with its biggest problem being the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is also the X-Press Pearl ship tragedy which is causing a serious marine environmental disaster as well as the floods and landslides. As a comfort to these difficult times, […]
COVID-19 and Sri Lanka’s External Sector: Challenges and Policy Choices
By Tharindu Udayanga: The COVID-19 pandemic exerted significant downward pressure on global trade as well as the global economy at large. Unprecedented declines in merchandise trade, foreign direct investment (FDI) flows, tourism and cross-border migration have all been hallmarks of the economic fallout. As a result, growth expectations for countries worldwide dimmed. Nonetheless, thanks in […]
The key to Invest Forums is the ‘bottom-line’ conversion: MTI Consulting
Whilst commending the recently concluded ‘Sri Lanka Invest Forum 2021’, MTI Consulting has highlighted the need to diligently track and progress every single interest indicated and convert them to ‘bottom-line’ impact. “Sri Lanka’s initiative to hold this forum is very timely – given that nations and corporations around the world are trying to figures out […]
Opinion: Moving business and human rights agenda forward in SL in crisis times
By Myanthi Peiris, Business and Human Rights Specialist, UNDP Sri Lanka The COVID-19 pandemic brought about unprecedented social and economic challenges, and behind staggering data of contracting economies, people’s lives and livelihoods are on the line. According to the World Bank, in Sri Lanka over 500,000 people are expected to have fallen into poverty as […]
Determined enforcement & reliable information – SL’s need of the hour in IP protection call
By Sudath Perera, Managing Partner, Sudath Perera Associates Pursuant to the World Anti-Counterfeiting Day, which fell on 8th June 2021, we are reminded of the severe impact and threat of counterfeit and pirated products on our lives and the economy. The World Anti-Counterfeiting Day was established by the Global Anti-Counterfeiting Group (GACG) to address the […]
Mitigating Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 Education Crisis: Priority Areas for Action
By Ashani Abayasekara and Thisali de Silva The year 2020 saw close to 1.6 billion students from over 180 countries being kept out of schools for extended periods of time, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite commendable efforts by many countries to put in place alternative remote learning strategies and corrective measures, learning losses […]
Trade in the Pandemic Era: A One-year Assessment
By Dr. Asanka Wijesinghe On the front page of The New York Times’ March 27 edition, a staggering chart illustrated COVID-19-induced unemployment level in the US. The front page will certainly join the club of the most creative front pages, but it was an alarming attestation of the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Many […]