Category: Watch Tower
Xebiro developing European tech in London, Colombo, and Jaffna
By Jekhan Aruliah COVID-19 lockdowns and remote working The COVID-19 pandemic, which had a devastating impact on health and on economies, is having a revolutionary impact on working and learning. Schools and universities were shoved unready from in-class to distance learning. Young people looking forward to a few years of unsupervised love and unhealthy food […]
Currency Board: A Solution to Sri Lanka’s Economic Crisis?
By Dr Asanka Wijesinghe: On 08 March, Sri Lanka devalued the rupee against the US dollar, entering into a floating exchange rate regime. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka had to abandon the pegged exchange rate as defending the rupee with dwindling reserves was impossible. The inter-bank exchange rate shot up once the banks were […]
Opinion: From Crisis to Inclusive Economic Growth in Sri Lanka
By FARIS HADAD-ZERVOS, World Bank Country Director for Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka & HANS TIMMER , Chief Economist, South Asia, World Bank: Sri Lanka has managed the health and safety aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic in a commendable way . The nation has been and continues to be swift in safeguarding the health of its […]
Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Economic Implications for Sri Lanka
By Asanka Wijesinghe: The Russian invasion of Ukraine deepens the existing global economic woes – persistent supply chain bottlenecks and associated rising inflation – clouding the prospects of a smooth global economic recovery from the pandemic. The West, led by the US and the EU, swiftly imposed strict economic sanctions, targetting Russian banks, oligarchs, political […]
Diaspora investment in Mullaitivu, Mullai Milk Processing Industries
By Jekhan Aruliah Mr S.Thavaseelan, known as Seelan, was born in Kayts a town at the Northern end of Jaffna’s Velanai Island. His father, who delivered letters for the Ceylon Post Office, died when Seelan was 4 years old. He left the young family with a government pension which his mother supplemented doing other jobs. […]
Pro-Poor Tourism: Can it Reduce Poverty in Sri Lanka?
By Kimuthu Kiringoda: “Tourism has been described as the world’s largest transfer of resources from rich to poor, dwarfing international aid.” – Salli Felton, CEO, Travel Foundation The tourism industry’s performance was hampered first by the Easter Sunday bomb explosions in 2019 and then the COVID-19 pandemic. Sri Lanka saw a decline in tourist arrivals from […]
Youth Migration: Challenges and Opportunities for Sri Lanka
By Thisuri Ekanayake A great deal of discussion is underway on what appears to be the latest wave of migration from Sri Lanka. These conversations focus on the desire of young people to migrate in search of greener pastures in the face of the soaring cost of living and uncertainty about the country’s future. While […]
Opinion: Why marketers need to be empathetic now than ever
By Thanzyl Thajudeen As leading marketers, we have lately been focusing much of our efforts towards data, digital and the metaverse. We have more channels, content, and technology we need today to reach our potential customers, but this has unfortunately led us to cultivate a mindset of treating them as mere numbers and transactions rather […]
Black, White & Grey Markets: Dynamics of Foreign Exchange & Remittances in Sri Lanka
By Bilesha Weeraratne: Written Ahead of International Migrants’ Day on December 18, 2021. Despite the pandemic and related difficulties in remitting, remittances to Sri Lanka had picked up by December 2020 to record year-over-year growth of 5.8 %, contrary to all expectations. The reasons for such a quick rebound include catching up on postponed remittances, […]
‘s Hambantota Port Plug and Play ‘Park in Park’ Manufacturing Facility
By Maya Majueran Industrial Zones Industrial Zones are geographically designated areas that are earmarked by the government for the production of industrial goods and services. These zones normally enjoy a unique legal and economic status to promote investment from firms that might not otherwise be attracted. The prime objective was to enhance foreign investment and […]
Wartime organic farming lessons for peacetime
By Jekhan Aruliah There is recent precedent in Sri Lanka for suddenly “going organic”. The Sri Lankan Civil War saw years of economic blockades and embargoes in the North. Some items were totally banned, others were provided in restricted quantities. From ladies’ sanitary pads to batteries to petrol and cement, chemical fertilisers and pesticides many […]
The Climb Ahead: Making the Case for Human Capital Investments in Sri Lanka
By Hartwig Schafer , Vice President, South Asia Region, World Bank “Sri Lankan children make a dangerous climb for online school,” read the headline of a recent article carried by Al Jazeera. The article, and many others like it, came out in response to a set of photographs making the rounds on social media. The […]