Institutions remain the most important factor for strengthening productivity and the investment climate in a country. Good governance, rule of law, and socio-political stability are crucial determinants of long-run economic growth. As famously described by Douglas North, “Institutions are the rules of the game in a society; more formally, they are the humanly devised constraints […]

by Rajan Philips President Wickremesinghe has a charming or annoying way, depending on who is listening, of switching between flippancy and seriousness no matter what the occasion is. Addressing the Sri Lanka Economic Summit 2022, an annual event organized by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, with ‘Resetting from turmoil to opportunity’ as this year’s theme, […]

BY DR. Asoka Bandarage On September 1, 2022, debt-trapped Sri Lanka reached a preliminary agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a 48-month Extended Fund Facility of $2.9 billion, which hardly covers the country’s outstanding debt, nor its immediate survival needs. Nevertheless, IMF structural adjustment requires the country to meet its familiar debt restructuring […]

I am pleasantly surprised and marvel too most times I read the editorial in The Island. Why? Because they are so very apt on the most current issue in the land. The editor has the clever knack of hitting the nail right on the head and is fearless even when the nail represents a VVIP. […]

By Jehan Perera President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s warning that he is prepared to declare a state of national emergency and use the military to suppress any public protests for change of government would reflect the pressures he is under. The manner in which he has used the security forces to deal with the protest movement has […]

“Templeton Freedom Award has been won by Advocata Institute Sri Lanka. The CEO is our Dhana. It is with great pride I send this message to you to celebrate our dear friend Dhananath’s leadership victory of Advocata. Horekale and St Sebastian’s College man has really shown class.” That was Elmo Jayawardena’s email to me since […]

by Rajan Philips Ranil Wickremesinghe is the third President to sequester the finance portfolio instead of assigning it as an exclusive portfolio to a cabinet minister, but he is the first, perhaps after Ronnie de Mel, to prepare and author most or the entirety of the budget speech. He is also the first leader of […]

India and Indonesia think tanks – The Centre for Global Affairs and Public Policy (CGAPP) and Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF) respectively, held a discussion on “G20 and Global Dynamics” and recognized the impact of close bilateral cooperation. Indonesia

by Prof. Aruna Shanthaarchch (Department of Economics and Statistics Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka) Who are the Middle Class? The term, middle class, has been defined in a variety of ways. Historically, it was a social class characterised by intellectuals, who were neither capitalists nor

Leader of the 43 Brigade and SJBP MP Patali Champika Ranawaka has called on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to retire from politics.Speaking at a meeting in Colombo, on Thursday, Ranawaka said: “I request Mahinda Rajapaksa not to enter politics again or at least say he will do so. Many people have already left the country. […]

From the time we heard that Rishi Sunak was to be the next Prime Minister of Britain and read all the wondrous things about him, I wanted to know what Sashi Tharoor would have to say about this momentous-for-Indians turn of events in the biggest colonial country the world had seen. I had two friends […]

Bernard has over 30 years of experience in chief executive and senior management positions in diverse sectors