Category: Opinion
Understanding Informal Remittances During a Crisis: Experience from Sri Lanka
By Dr Bilesha Weeraratne, Piyumi Ranadewa and Manisha Weeraddana: Introduction Remittances carry vast economic implications for recipient countries at both macro and micro levels. The choice to send remittances through formal channels such as banks, registered money transfer operators, and online platforms, as opposed to informal avenues like Hawala/Undiyal operators or family networks, plays a […]
Navigating the Pharma Landscape in Sri Lanka: A Personal Reflection
By Dr Sayuru Samarasundera: Taking paracetamol when you are having a headache or bandaging your child’s scrap when the child got hurt while playing does not feel like a big deal. However, imagine you have to pay a premium price for a paracetamol pill or a cotton bandage roll and are financially unable to afford […]
Opinion: Sri Lanka opens the door to economic reform
By Dushni Weerakoon, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka The direction of Sri Lanka’s post-civil war socio-political and economic development took a pivotal turn in 2015 with the election of a new president in January and, seven months later, a new government to parliament. In the absence of an overall parliamentary majority for any […]
Opinion: 2016 – adapt to a changing landscape
By Steve Brice, Chief Investment Strategist, Standard Chartered 2015 was an incredibly challenging year for investors with equities, bonds and commodities in most areas seeing negative returns and heightened volatility. 2016 is expected to be just as difficult. Adapting to the changing environment will be vital, but overall we expect global equity markets to generate […]
Opinion: Keeping to agenda for change is key, says Jehan Perera
By Jehan Perera The role that civil society played in the change of government that occurred in January at the presidential elections, and which was reaffirmed at the general elections of August, was celebrated at two events held last week. One was on World Anti Corruption Day which fell on December 9. This event was […]
Op-Ed on Sri Lanka Budget – Is Sri Lanka’s Fiscal House in Order?
(Todd Schneider is the head of IMF’s staff missions to Sri Lanka) By Todd Schneider Constructing a good budget is like building a good house. The foundation needs to be solid, high-quality materials make a big difference to durability, and careful craftsmanship will bring both stability and confidence to weather future storms. Similarly, budgets needed […]
Australia to transfer refugees from Nauru to Cambodia
Apr 17, 2015 (LBO) – A charter flight will carry the first group of asylum seekers from Nauru to Cambodia next Monday, under an agreement entered into between Australia and Cambodia, Media reports said.Whether Sri Lankans are among the first group of refugees who will be transferred from Nauru to Cambodia is not known yet, […]
Visa On Arrival? Not really
Apr 16, 2015 (LBO) – There is much enthusiasm about the “visa on arrival” facility India has offered to the Sri Lankan traveler.“Visa-on-arrival” usually means you show a blank page of your passport to the Immigration officer to stamp the visa, but this will not be the case for Sri Lankans arriving on Indian shores […]