Category: Special Reports

April 07, 2007 (LBO) – John Exter can be regarded as one of the history makers in modern Sri Lanka.He lent his wisdom, intellect and experience, without any reservation, for the establishment of the Central Bank of Ceylon, the name of the Bank at that time. For those interested in monetary policy/negative effects of Keynesianism […]

Though Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe are thousands of miles apart and are on two separate continents, but our economic policies have so much in common with that country, that it is uncanny. Now things are so bad in Zimbabwe, that the country does not have forex to import security paper and ink to print notes. […]

Though Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe are thousands of miles apart and are on two separate continents, but our economic policies have so much in common with that country, that it is uncanny. The readers of this column are no strangers to Zimbabwe as we have tried to keep a regular update on what is happening […]

Mar. 31 (Dow Jones)–When inflation in Sri Lanka surged last year, the central bank went on an aggressive monetary tightening that saw 125 basis points added over 2005.Inflation has begun to slide since then, and the central bank appears to be preparing to shift to a looser policy, but analysts said it’s unlikely that the […]

Mar 18 (LBO) – Energy consultant Thilak Siyambalapitiya joins in the lively debate on the link between electricity usage and Sri Lanka’s decision to turn back the clock after ten-years. Hence the reasons to retain the present timing at GMT+6 are very strong indeed. There is absolutely no truth in the reported claim that school […]

Feb 18, (LBO) – Due ignorance about basic economics, the poor in South Asia are seeing economy-wide price rises, and resources that could be used to lift them out of poverty in the long term being squandered on consumption subsidies. In 2005 for example, the Sri Lanka’s largest petroleum utility, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation is […]

Chief Financial Officers or CFOs are in the dog house after the spectacular collapse of large US and European corporations in recent years.CFO�s have been hauled before courts to face criminal charges for falsifying financial statement. Jeremy Hope, a financial expert who addressed CIMA members in Colombo said CFO�s are seen as the last line […]

A chat with a peace advocate on what the current wave of attacks could mean for the peace process. A chat with a peace advocate on what the current wave of attacks could mean for the peace process. Thirty five people were killed in violence in two weeks in a serious undermining of the peace […]

Freer trade is increasingly seen as a means of achieving economic growth and alleviating poverty.But liberalizing agriculture is difficult in regions like South Asia where around 70 percent of its population depend on it for a living.Freer trade is increasingly seen as a means of achieving economic growth and alleviating poverty. But liberalizing agriculture is […]

A former employee of the Irish Industrial Development Agency (IDA), Aidan Walsh says a country’s investment promotion agency should be independent of politics and need only consult them when budget allocations are affected by an investment decision.A former employee of the Irish Industrial Development Agency (IDA), Aidan Walsh says a country’s investment promotion agency should […]

The plan to break the ceasefire and return to hostilities had been formed by LTTE in 2004, before the tsunami.The plan to break the ceasefire and return to hostilities had been formed by LTTE in 2004, before the tsunami. It is clear from the LTTE leader (VP)’s statement “….faced with the meaningless absurdity of living […]

Ceylon tea was renowned for its quality. Ceylon tea was renowned for its quality. But supplies exceeding demand, higher cost of production and middlemen margins have forced the tea industry to compete on price rather than on quality. Consumers preferring flavored and instant teas are also not helping the local tea industry that produces old […]