Category: Watch Tower
‘s Institute of Medical Sciences bringing medical careers and care to the Northern Province
By Jekhan Aruliah During the 2020 COVID-19 “Corona” Virus pandemic we really loved our health workers. We all loved them because COVID-19 hit everyone. Not through infection but through curfews. Businesses closing, shopping & socializing banned, incomes lost, economic hardship, and the stress of being locked in with our loved ones. Diseases are usually suffered […]
‘s future direction for raising debt in international markets
By Shamika Ramanayake: National debt and fiscal stability are two stretch-words often reverberating over during these pandemic/crisis times. As governments all around the world are pushing their boundaries to salvage national economies and avoid damaging spillover effects, especially on vulnerable sections such as small & medium business holders, entrepreneurs, labour markets, etc., such measures are […]
‘s battle against malnutrition amidst COVID
Priyanka Jayawardena Although, Sri Lanka performs well in most health indicators, child nutrition remains a major issue. According to the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) 2016, in Sri Lanka, more than 20% of children under five years are underweight. Unsurprisingly, malnutrition is especially prevalent among poor households. Successive governments have implemented several programmes to improve […]
Opinion: A new deal for Sri Lanka
By Mangala Samaraweera: The worst economic crisis since Independence is upon us. For some decades now the grim clouds of debt, waste and corruption have been gathering over our island. Now – as this fearsome storm of the Corona virus unleashes its fury – anguish and desperation, grief and sorrow, fear and rage, will engulf […]
COVID-19: out of chaos comes opportunity. But opportunity must be seized to become reality.
By Jekhan Aruliah Tinned fish to tin houses: in the weeks of the 2020 Corona curfews we frequently saw on television and on Facebook fish in metal tins donated to families in metal huts. The Covid-19 Crisis shone a stark light on the large segment of our population in Sri Lanka living in chronic dire […]
Opinion: Innovation in the Lockdown era — A frugal approach
By Shane Herath There’s an unprecedented level of uncertainty and even panic regarding the coronavirus pandemic and the impact it has on the industries that we operate in, and the world at large. Businesses worldwide are preparing for the worst — with the virus not showing any signs of slowing down — taking action to […]
Opinion: Do modern risk methods adept to recognize corporates’ defaults due to COVID-19
By Gayan Gunewardana, Bsc/MBA/CIMA/CGMA/AIB/FRM (Banking consultant & independent researcher – Middle East) The global “war” on COVID-19 pandemic and related economic impact most certainly could lead to a global recession. This will push further 500m people into extreme poverty as per estimates. Despite, the number of initiatives by governments in terms of new regulations and […]
COVID-19: Have global banks ascertained key industrial impacts, prior to offer solutions
By Gayan Gunewardana: The 2019 novel- Coronavirus (covid-19) outbreak, which originated in China has infected nearly 700,000 people globally till date. The impact has left businesses around the globe counting costs and more likely A global-recession would be a definite norm as per IMF’s projections. It’s a challenging task to gage the potential economic or […]
BBK Partnership, Jaffna’s accountants to the World
I first heard of the BBK Partnership Sri Lanka in 2015. I first spoke with its co-founder Anandan Arnold in 2018, and finally met him in March 2020 at a hospital in Manipay Jaffna. He was dressed rather informally for a Partner of London’s BBK Partnership of Chartered Accountants. Anandan (pictured below on the right) […]
Uki offers an alternate route from the Northern Province into the tech industry
By Jekhan Aruliah Does Sri Lanka need more university graduates? Sri Lanka has tens of thousands of unemployed graduates. Every now and then the government brings thousands more of them into the Public Service, further bloating an already bloated service. In December 2019 a government minister promised jobs for all 64,000 (his figures) unemployed graduates! […]
Opinion: Hayleys Fentons MD bullish on construction, renewables despite challenges
As an industry which relies on large scale investments to fund long-term projects, the construction sector is by nature, a business that relies on confidence, precision, and quality. One of the sector’s leading the charge on these fronts is Hayleys Fentons. Since its establishment in 1921 and acquisition, followed by the recent rebranding under the […]
Opinion: Act carefully or drown: 3 lessons from New Orleans for Sri Lanka
By Asmita Tiwari, Suranga Kahandawa, Masatsugu Takamatsu & Keiko Sakoda Our hearts sank as we looked at the Hurricane Katrina-affected house, now the Flooded House Museum in the City of New Orleans, United States. Our team from the World Bank was accompanying Sri Lankan officers visiting New Orleans in October 2019, to learn from the […]