Category: Special Reports

Oct 01, 2010 (LBO) – A citizen’s group in Sri Lanka has outlined harsh lessons from the island’s post independent history and suggested ways to a regain lost liberties by re-establishing rule of law. The submission of the ‘Friday Forum’ group was made to a state-appointed ‘Lessons Learnt & Reconciliation Commission’ (LLRC) which is looking […]

June 28, 2010 (LBO) – In the past four decades, whenever a political party or alliance secured a substantial majority of seats in parliament, that group of politicians has claimed the right to foist a new constitution on the people of this country. Constitution-making is not the prerogative, or indeed a legitimate function, of a […]

June 14, 2010 (LBO) – The recent protests in Colombo by a vocal group of businesses have brought to the fore the issue of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and its merits and demerits in the Sri Lankan context. Any independent observer will agree that the debate has got shrouded in emotion, and at times, […]

May 27, 2010 (LBO) – Education is an issue which many of us think we know how to fix, but, nobody is giving us the reigns. Lucky Minister Bandula Gunawardna the education ministry has fallen on his lap. Unlucky Minister BG – expectations about the ministry are high but there is no way that they […]

Apr 21, 2010 (LBO) – Dr Harsha de Silva has been an exemplary policy intellectual. He had the greatest impact in contributing to the shifting of the frame for discussing inflation in Sri Lanka from the misguided focus on imported inflation to one that correctly places the actions of the Central Bank and the now […]

Apr 10, 2010 (LBO) – What makes a nation a nation is above all the justice that prevails within that nation. It is justice that creates the bond between the people. Justice connects one with the other. Justice among the people is the one thing that is common to all in a nation if it […]

Mar 13, 2010 (LBO) – Banking is one sector which undergoes rapid change and transformation. Hence, what we have today as banks is completely different from what we had as banks yesterday. Similarly, banks tomorrow will be completely different from banks today. By incorporating ICT in their production models, banks have been able to successfully […]

Mar 05, 2010 (LBO) – Accounting principals have been the same for almost 500 years, but the role of the accountant has evolved from a book keeper and today’s finance managers should play a more active role in steering the business, a senior accounting professional said. “Ever since Italian monk Pacioli came up with double […]

Jan 10, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan university education despite being available only to the brightest students ranks well below its peers in Asia although academics vow to improve syllabi and facilities to climb the rankings. Academics said the universities have to pay to get the rankings done by various independent organizations. The best known […]

Jan 09, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s former chief justice Sarath Silva, a controversial figure who locked horns with the executive in the last stages of his term says the island’s constitution has been hit by a “litany of violations.” In an interview with Namini Wijedasa of Labmimanews newspaper he speaks on the 17th amendment […]

Dec 05, 2009 (LBO) – A good policy should carry with it six qualifications. The policy should be simple, consistent, efficient, cost-effective, free from unintended consequences and sustainable.Hence, any policy thrust that is to be pursued should satisfy these qualifications. This applies to the policy on microfinance as well. Policies are implemented by numerous branches […]

Dec 01, 2009 (LBO) – First, we need to understand that debt markets broadly require three enabling factors, the need (or demand) for debt capital, a source (or supply) of debt capital, and the accompanying intermediary infrastructure that is required to put the two together. As far as the private sector corporate debt market is […]