Category: Watch Tower
Building Sri Lankan food security and self sufficiency in Jaffna
By Jekhan Aruliah K.Suganthon was only 21 when he setup his first business back in 2003. With the Sri Lanka Civil War simmering in an uneasy ultimately unsuccessful ceasefire (2002-2006), he opened an outlet in Colombo’s Pettah market. From Pettah, famous for its streets densely packed with shops and market stalls, Suganthon started trading edible […]
Opinion: Sri Lanka is Back in Business
By Kamil Kuthubdeen As Asian economies grapple with the challenges of growing interest rates and diminishing export demand, Sri Lanka, in comparison, stands as a unique case. Amid the twin effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war, Sri Lanka emerges with a positive economic outlook. Tourism revenue and remittances from Sri Lankan overseas […]
Bridging Conservation and Livelihoods: Addressing the Human-Elephant Conflict in Sri Lanka
By Ruwan Samaraweera Written ahead of World Elephant Day, observed on 12 August 2023. Introduction On World Elephant Day, attention turns to the unique challenges faced by Sri Lanka in the realm of human-elephant conflict (HEC). HEC’s escalating toll paints a stark reality. Human communities endure property damage, crop loss, and tragic fatalities, amplifying poverty […]
Sri Lanka’s Debt Restructuring Roadmap: Following the Evidence
By Dr Dushni Weerakoon: Debt restructuring is fundamentally about allocating the associated economic costs to someone. The onus is typically on the debtor country to secure participation from its creditors, applying comparable treatment to all. As with all negotiations, the level and modalities of relief will always be subject to some degree of controversy. Sri […]
Has Sri Lanka’s Crisis-driven Import Controls Incentivised Import Substitution?
By Dr Asanka Wijesinghe and Nilupulee Rathnayake: In response to the economic crisis, Sri Lanka implemented import controls that expanded significantly by the end of 2022, accounting for approximately 30% of the country’s total import value (Figure 1). The controls affected various categories, including consumption goods (46%), intermediate goods (31%), and capital goods (24%). As […]
Diving Deep into the Blue- A case for a Marine Spatial Plan for Sustainable Blue Economy in Sri Lanka
Co-authored by Azusa Kubota, Resident Representative and Dr. Vagisha Gunasekera, Country Economist, UNDP in Sri Lanka What is the blue economy and why should we invest in it? Oceans, seas and coastal areas form an integral and essential component of the Earth’s ecosystem. They are vital to sustaining the livelihoods and food security of over […]
‘s Businesses
By Sajani Kaushalya Many businesses are rethinking their conventional working structures in light of the many changes taking place in the world. Employees now have the option to work both in an office setting and remotely thanks to the growing popularity of the hybrid workplace concept. This change has important effects on firms, workers, and […]
Bringing Swiss Precision to Killinochchi Agriculture
By Jekhan Aruliah I first met Kamilton Arumugam and Lieke Schroder by mistake. We met at my place in Jaffna about a project a mutual friend thought we had a mutual interest.We didn’t, but it was a lucky mistake. I met two rare people, Kamilton returning from Switzerland and Lieke coming from Holland, investing their […]
X-Press Pearl Disaster: From Flames to Prevention
By Ruwan Samaraweera: Sri Lanka’s ecological disaster related to the MV X-Press Pearl, a container ship carrying hazardous chemicals that caught fire off its coast on 20th May 2021, is back in the news as the country attempts to claim damages. The ecological disaster washed up tons of plastic pellets and other pollutants on the […]
‘s Innovations are Lagging Behind in Sri Lanka
By Dilani Hirimuthugodage “I do not intend to get a patent right for my invention as I do not want to disclose my research findings and methodologies to the public domain“, stated a female researcher who has discovered a solution for dengue fever. Like her, many female innovators are unwilling to obtain Intellectual Property (IP) […]
Battling Disease & Debt: Financing Non-Communicable Diseases Amidst Economic Crisis
By Sunimalee Madurawala: Introduction “The shortage of medicines will significantly impact medications for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). If NCD patients don’t receive their regular medication, their condition will worsen,” stated a Provincial Director of Health Services speaking on the implications of the economic crisis on NCDs. Over the last few decades, NCDs have emerged as a […]
Women’s Day, Strength and Knowledge through Togetherness
By Jekhan Aruliah “Every day is women’s day” snorted my female friend in Colombo irritably responding to my question over the phone from Jaffna whether she knew 8th March is “Women’s Day”. She is right. Mothers, sisters and daughters will tell you a woman’s day never ends. A woman deals with whatever comes as it […]