Category: Opinion
Thinking about investing in the Northern Province?
By Jekhan Aruliah A few years ago I was speaking with a main board director of one of Sri Lanka’s largest companies. I asked him, a Jaffna Tamil gentleman approaching retirement, why his company still had not invested in the North several years after the war had ended. What he said put simply is there […]
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 […]
Opinion: Digitalization is the way forward for Sri Lanka
By JUNKO NARIMATSU, Digital Development Specialist, World Bank; ANEESA MENDIS , Digital Development Consultant, World Bank , JAGATH SENEVIRATNA , Director – Monitoring and Evaluation for Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) In early 2020, when the COVID-19 lockdown began, Sri Lanka’s food supply chain was significantly disrupted leaving farmers and consumers […]
Pro Tip: How to Address Corona Virus Employment Gap on LinkedIn
By Chathurika Jayawardana, Founder, Career Kit First and foremost, be honest about it. Employers are aware that job loss during this pandemic is due to downsizing/retrenchment resulting from business loss. If you are productive during the time-off, it’s understood that there has not been a decline of career interest nor has there been a career […]
Opinion: Quality at the Supplier’s end – the crux of the Coconut Oil Crisis
By Alahendra Amaradasa Today, more than ever before, there has come to the fore the pressing need for ensuring quality of supplies at the supplier’s end to avert many national disasters. The country is facing crisis after crisis plunging itself and the economy into unprecedented depths due to this monumental quality blunder – not being […]
VIDEO: US Supreme Court rules in favor of Google over Oracle in copyright case of the century
Experts break down the significance of Google’s win in a major case surrounding its copying of Oracle code in the development of its Android operating system.
Opinion: Marketers should lead their organizations during pandemic
By Thanzyl Thajudeen MCIM Marketing is in the spotlight during this pandemic with the C-suite realizing its importance in connecting and bringing the various aspects of the business together and managing relationships with all key stakeholders. Marketers are leading brands through the pandemic, emerging even stronger and resilient than ever. From meaningful data, insights and […]
Opinion: Achieving Gender Equality: Quō Vādis, Sri Lanka?
What are some of the challenges women in Sri Lanka face from a gender equality standpoint and how can we tackle them? Below are the responses from researchers at the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS), Ashani Abayasekara, Kithmina Hewage, Harini Weerasekera, Chathurga Karunanayake and Tharindu Udayanga. Ashani Abayasekara The failure to translate […]
If Govt fails to manage UNHRC resolution properly economic consequences will be catastrophic
By Eran Wickramaratne M.P – Former State Minister of Finance This government is stumbling from one crisis to another. Poor economic management, dismal management of Covid-19, and now to disastrous management of foreign diplomatic relations. The vote on the Sri Lanka resolution at the UNHCR showed how few friends we have retained. The lowest point […]
Beyond Turmeric: How Import Controls are Impacting Sri Lanka’s Economy
By Dr. Asanka Wijesinghe: Raw turmeric roots on the shelves of roadside vendors is a frequent sight nowadays. Thanks to the import controls, turmeric now fetches a higher price domestically; prices having soared by as much as 275% from Rs. 80 per kilo to Rs. 300 per kilo. The turmeric shortage, reports of adulterated turmeric […]
Don’t listen to the aunties! Young people can find a great career in Tourism and Hospitality
By Jekhan Aruliah I first met Sinnaththurai Jeyakumar in 2020 at a particularly good dinner in Jetwing Jaffna’s elegant restaurant. We had eaten well, enjoyed a bottle of wine, and were feeling good. As we thanked our waiter, he asked if we would like to meet the chef. A moment later there he was. Smart, […]
Working remotely in the age of COVID: Who is left behind?
By Nisha Arunatilake and Chamini Thilanka The COVID-19 pandemic which was first reported in Sri Lanka in January 2020 has distressed the country’s labour market. According to the Department of Census and Statistics, with the onset of the pandemic, the labour force participation has decreased and the unemployment rate has increased, indicating reduced job openings. For example, the […]