Category: Opinion
Opinion: Beating the economic downturn – a PwC perspective
By PwC Sri Lanka Sri Lanka is facing economic headwinds with a slowdown in GDP growth rate, depreciation of the rupee, changes in weather patterns, policy reforms and weak investor sentiment amidst the slow recovery from the recent unfortunate events on 4/21. Despite the difficult and volatile economic backdrop, opportunities exist to create business and […]
Opinion: Where is regulatory energy focused?
By Dinesh Perera The Central Bank has been taking out all its regulatory energy[i] on the Non-Bank Financial Institutions. The current 25 percent cap on ownership targets only the NBFI sector. The earlier guise to this regulatory movement was the need to be compliant with BASEL 3. However, the not so subtle true purpose of […]
Yarl Geek Challenge and Arima Technologies Bringing Silicon Valley to Jaffna
By Jekhan Aruliah “That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”, a much used saying originating from the 19th Century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. While perhaps over-dramatic and often not true, this does apply to the Yarl Geek Challenge (YGC). YGC is a competition I have observed and in a small way supported over the […]
Opinion: The increasing need to invest along expressway network
By PwC Sri Lanka The Nexus between Property and Road Development in Sri Lanka Post war Sri Lanka has seen a dramatic revival to its infrastructure growth. Over the past decade, high rises, new cities and modern road networks have become an increasingly common sight not just in the commercial capital of Colombo, but throughout […]
Opinion: Understanding social media and conflict
By Samidh Chakrabarti, Director of Product Management, Civic Integrity; and Rosa Birch, Director of Strategic Response, Facebook At Facebook, a dedicated, multidisciplinary team is focused on understanding the historical, political and technological contexts of countries in conflict. Today we’re sharing an update on their work to remove hate speech, reduce misinformation and polarization, and inform […]
Opinion: Credit to Coomaraswamy – Sri Lanka is economically stable despite political/security challenges
June 24, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is set to tap the credit markets for the second time this year. A sovereign bond is to be floated at interest rates that are even more attractive than the recent US$2.5bn issuance in March. Timing is good. Interest rates in the United States have sharply dropped in […]
Opinion: How Facebook fights false news
By Ankhi Das, Head of Public Policy – South Asia, Facebook Facebook was built to connect people and give them the power to build community. Around the world, we’ve seen Facebook used to bridge language, cultural and socioeconomic barriers, and give small business owners new economic opportunities. But we also know that connecting people can […]
Opinion: The demise of Ranil Wickremesinghe is highly exaggerated
May 25 2019 (LBO) – Over five years ago, residents of Colombo were regularly treated to a political satire based on the character Chaminda Pusswedilla. New editions of play were done on an almost annual basis, regularly attracting audiences that included almost every VIP in the country. Pusswedilla was a character loosely modelled after Sri […]
Fishing For Sustainable Profits in the Northern Province
By Jekhan Aruliah I have so often heard from well meaning cash rich Diaspora that they can’t find sensible investment opportunities in the North. As the Good Book says, “seek and ye shall find”. For example, look at the Northern fisheries industry. It may surprise you to hear that the Northern Province has about 40%* […]
‘t let children’s future be ruined by getting caught up in a racial conflict
By Harsha de Silva, PhD, M.P(Minister of Economic Reform and Public Distribution) Recovering from a terror attack is easy, recovering from a racial conflict isn’t As an economist, I’ve spent most of my career exploring ways in which Sri Lanka can be developed and modernized to meet its full potential. I’ve expressed my views on […]
HappyMarket.lk Helping Small Entrepreneurs Bust the Sales Barrier
By Jekhan Aruliah If your objective is to make money you’d better be sure you know how to sell. If you need to feed and house and educate your family. Or you need to impress your colleagues with the latest baubles, gadgets and fancy cars. Whether you are coding apps, handmaking ornaments, cultivating mangoes, or […]
‘s Easter Sunday terror
April 28, 2019 (LBO) – A nation is in mourning. One week ago today, on Easter Sunday April 21, 2019, Sri Lanka was hit by one of the most sinister acts of terrorism the world has ever seen. Over 250 people have died, and hundreds were injured in three bombs hitting Colombo’s most prominent hotels, […]