Last week my phone beeped and the text message read ‘The Chairperson of the Security and Exchange Commission Indrani Sugathadasa had resigned citing reasons of values and principles for her resignation’. My mind went back to the time when this lady when she was the Board Director at EDB. Whenever tough decisions had be taken ...

By Cheranka Mendis Sunquick Sri Lanka, the much loved super concentrated fruit quash will today bring home the prestigious Co-Ro Best country award also known as the Global Sunquick best awards. The award is an annual presentation by the brand owners of Sunquick, Co-Ro Food A/S, a Danish Company awarded for the country that marks ...

President Mahinda Rajapaksa presents development-oriented fiscal programme for 2012 and medium-term policy framework with support for almost all key segments of society and economy In their initial takes, overall welcome tone from private sector, though a few express concerns on select proposals

BANGKOK (Reuters): Thailand’s worst floods in 50 years have hit tourism at the start of the high season, but the country has recovered quickly in the recent past from all sorts of scourges and some tour operators are hopeful a recovery might start next month. Floodwater in some areas of the capital, Bangkok, and other ...

Arguably the world’s most powerful leader, Barak Obama, underscored that the Eurozone crisis is “scaring the world”. It comes as no surprise then that his Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner heads the international clamour for more action to solve the burgeoning sovereign debt problem that has dominated financial markets in recent times. George Osborne, Britain’s current ...

More inflows into service, capital, financial accounts, says CB Rupee was under pressure due to heavy imports in Aug., Sept. Currency dealers wary on rupee stability By Shihar Aneez Reuters: Pressure on Sri Lanka’s rupee currency will recede in coming months due to increasing inflows into the country’s service, capital and financial accounts, the Central ...

Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Chairman Dr. Priyath B. Wickrama made an exclusive presentation at the International Port Security Conference in the Netherlands on 28 September 2011. Expressing views delivering the keynote address at the International Port Security 2011 conference on the subject of the past successes of securing Sri Lankan ports and the predicted ...

Introduction Growth has stalled in the global economy. Stock markets have plummeted. Risk appetite has declined and there has been a flow of resources to safe havens. The IMF has stated that the world economy has entered its most dangerous phase since the financial crisis of 2008. The ammunition

In its march towards development, Sri Lanka is still seeking the assistance of bilateral and multilateral organisations as well as greater input from foreign investors, Governor of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund for Sri Lanka, Senior Minister for International Monetary Cooperation Dr. Sarath Amunugama said in a statement to the IMF. Given ...

With the World Bank announcing that the world economy is teetering on “a new danger zone,” it is of paramount importance for governments and financial power-houses to restore confidence through concrete policies and systematic financial planning. This is the order of the day

EXPATRIATE Sri Lankans on international assignments often cite several reasons for leaving the home country. Generally, factors such as wages, employment, professional development, children’s education, socioeconomic and political conditions drive skilled people to migrate. The priority given to each issue typically depends firstly on the skill and profession of the migrant and secondly on h...

The policy changes, reforms and modernisation since Budget 2011 appears to have been the context of a presentation made to the Joint Apparel Association Forum in July 2011 by the “leading light” in finance, planning, treasury management and economic development. Sri Lanka background 2000-’10 The presentation articulates the background issues experienced from 2000 to 2010. ...

Last week I received an invite for an ‘Inventors Day Celebration’ in one of the leading schools in the country and the master in charge shared a thought that I felt was a cutting edge idea. Apparently, every one of us is an inventor in some part of our daily life. The issue is that ...

Time.com: Aboard the Man Gyong Bong, fresh coffee is served, along with dried fish and local beer. Karaoke parties pep the night life. That said, turn on a faucet and there’s usually no water – and cabins are more like dormitories. Welcome to North Korea’s first cruise ship. If all goes according to the plans ...

The country’s private sector yesterday hailed the Government’s decision to lift the emergency saying it was a positive signal to the world. Premier private sector lobby group the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce in a statement said, “After many decades of conflict, the lifting of the emergency is a clear indication of return to normalcy and ...

Sri Lanka may have to adopt a flexible exchange rate if it’s to meet the IMF target of a US$ 135 million balance of payments (BoP) surplus by the year end. IMF Resident Representative Dr. Koshy Mathai speaking on the economy in an interactive seminar on Thursday said that with the rise in imports there ...

by Darini Rajasingham Senanayake On 4 February, Sri Lanka celebrated its 63rd birthday. After nearly three decades of armed conflict, it is now one of Southasia’s calmest and fastest-growing countries. Its social indicators, apart from the northeast zone, remain the...

by M.D. Nalapat That old habits die hard is clear from the way in which the functionaries of the European Union seek to influence the developing economies on the best way to manage their nations. And woe betide those leaders...

The consumer will have to bear the brunt of a possible wave of price increases in the new year, just a few days away, with electricity prices billed to go up by 8%, followed by gas and milk food price hikes as well, coupled with the cascading effects of such increases on the rest of ...

By Dr.Laksiri Fernando (Text of DA Rajapaksa Memorial Address) National development is not merely about the economy but the economy is central. It entails economic, social, political, cultural and even moral aspects. The contribution of the North and the East

By Ravinatha Pandukabhaya Aryasinha Ananda College Old Boys' Association Olcott Oration 2010...

The International Monetary Fund says economic conditions have shown remarkable progress with low inflation, which is expected to remain in single digits for the year, strong external balances, a high rate of remittance inflows, comfortable levels of gross reserves and rapidly improving tourism prospects. In a comprehensive report on the 2.6 billion US Dollar stand-by-arrangement ...

by S. Venkat Narayan Sri Lankan Minister for External Affairs Gamini Lakshman Peiris says the Tamils at home and abroad are responding favourably to the sincere efforts President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government has been making to improve their lot since the...

(“International Day for the Eradication of Poverty” falls on 17th October and it has been observed every year since 1993. The theme for 2010 is ‘From Poverty to Decent Work: bridging the gap. This article talks about current status of...

By K. Ratnayake Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse’s trip to New York and speech at the UN General Assembly last week had two main purposes: to cover up for war crimes committed during the country’s civil war and to appeal...

Winning the Peace by Ross Tuttle After 30 years of war, Sri Lanka's Tamil community is finally connected again with the outside world. But life under occupation has its own tensions -- and renewed conflict is always a possibility. JAFFNA,...

The International Monetary Fund is optimistic that Sri Lanka will be one of the World’s high fliers in terms of growth in the coming quarters. Sri Lanka’s economy advanced by 8.5 percent during the second quarter of this year based on the success recorded in several sectors of the economy

By Srilal Miththapala Just over a year ago, I penned an article entitled “Sri Lanka Tourism — Quo Vadis” where I raised the issues and challenges Sri Lanka was facing in developing its tourism industry. Of course, that was during the latter stages of the war, and now after the ending of the war, there ...

A visiting International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission in Sri Lanka to review its programme in the country expressed satisfaction over the progress of the Sri Lankan economy. The mission said today (23) that it could make the necessary recommendation to release the next tranche of US$ 200 million

By Roel Raymond The three day official visit of Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa to the Ukraine from June 30 to July 2 has widened bilateral relations and made way for higher levels of understanding and  cooperation in sectors relating to trade, economy, tourism and human resources