Category: Watch Tower
Opinion: Investing in an increasingly uncertain world
By Alexis Calla As savers and investors, most of us concern ourselves with the short-term. And these days, the short-term concerns have been keeping us quite busy. The impact of Britain’s momentous decision to leave the European Union, the testy US Presidential elections, major central banks’ seemingly incessant policy manoeuvres to forestall an economic hard […]
Opinion: MRT vs LRT shows lack of Vision by Sri Lanka’s Urban Planners
By Lancelot Reports on Lanka Business Online indicate that Sri Lanka has decided to choose Light Rail Transit over a Monorail system, and that Japan has confirmed the funding. To a person with some vision, this seems like a choice between dumb and dumber. The world is moving in a different direction. Car sharing, ride […]
Opinion: Sri Lanka Dept Of Immigration And Emigration Is A National Disgrace
By Lancelot Being a Sri Lankan who has lived abroad, I have made several dozen trips to the Department of Immigration and Emigration over the past decade. I have been to the department for Passports, Visas, Dual Citizenship, and to help a friend navigate the process once or twice. A few days ago, I did […]
Opinion: Is it time to close the Dehiwela Zoo?
Jul 05, 2016 (LBO) – I long for a Sri Lanka where our animals enjoy the same freedom and protection from fear and harm as people do, and are respected and revered. Over the years, concerned citizens of Sri Lanka, organizations, visitors to the Zoo, and the media have highlighted issues of suffering and inadequate […]
Opinion: Key success factors of adopting Electronic Payments
By Channa de Silva If a country is to achieve the vision of financial inclusivity, such is the case in Sri Lanka, establishment and adoption of electronic modes of payment is of paramount importance. Financial inclusivity is the delivery of financial services at affordable costs to sections of disadvantaged and low-income segments of the society, as […]
Opinion: Tax strategies to tackle shadow economy
By Rajul Awasthi Tax administrations in developing countries are increasingly concerned about the persistent problem of loss of tax revenues to the shadow economy, and they often deploy a range of strategies to plug tax leaks and augment revenues. The erosion of the tax base prevents governments from collecting the revenue it needs to provide essential […]
Opinion: Time for a better capitalism
By Henry Blodget Over the past few decades, the US economy has undergone a profound change. This change has helped rich Americans get richer. But it has also contributed to growing income inequality and the decline of the middle class. And, in so doing, it has fueled populist anger across the political spectrum and slowed […]
Opinion: Sri Lanka’s Efficiency Enhancers Lagging
By Arosha Jayasundera It is revealing to see how Sri Lanka fares in the global business sector. According to the World Competitiveness Index, Sri Lanka ranks halfway — 73rd overall out of 144 countries, and we have moved down in ranking since 2011. There are 12 pillars which contribute to this ranking, and the ‘efficiency […]
Opinion: Could debt forgiveness be interim solution for economic malaise?
By Steve Brice There is a growing perception that monetary policy is losing its power to solve the world’s economic problems. This may be misleading. What is probably true is that incremental policy easing is experiencing diminishing – and, possibly, negative – returns. Therefore, central banks – and governments – may need to get even […]
Blog: Integrating social media into marketing strategy
By Dinesh Jebamani Evolution of Social media and growth in mobile internet has resulted in the need for marketing strategies to change. The images below shows the growth of social media channels and messaging apps, and the huge potential to reach your target audience, create brand awareness, engage and generate leads for conversion. If you […]
Opinion: Blockchain, Cryptoeconomics, and the Disintermediation of Trust
By Chami Akmeemana and Evan Stubbs As the technology that creates a distributed ledger, blockchain is creating significant waves of disruption in industries, processes and business models revolving around the centralization of trust. This is far broader than just crypto currencies; this technology offers the potential to create autonomous corporations, change the nature of […]
Opinion: Sri Lankan Airlines, to sour or to soar?
By J. Lorenz May 16, 2016 (LBO)- During the 2005 -2015 period Sri Lanka’s privatisation programme came to a halt, and there was a wave of expansion in state businesses. State owned enterprises grew from 107 SOEs in 2009 to 245 SOEs in 2014. At the same time the number employed grew from 140,500 to […]