Analysis

President Ranil should ensure a basically well-off society!

By Prof. Samitha Hettige Sidelining of JR Jayawardena within the UNP came to a peak in early 1970s by the Senanayake camp. Many expected him to cross over to the SLFP which was running the country but JR never gave up (Ref memories of late ACS Hameed). In 1973 JR became the leader of the…

(0)Comments | July 21, 2022 11:32 am

Sri Lanka — On The Painful Path To Recovery

By Mark Mobius When Sri Lanka’s financial crisis started to deepen a few months ago, I decided to visit the country to observe first-hand the political and social developments. At the time, street demonstrations were still peaceful and power outages were few and far between, at least in the hotel I stayed at, where private…

(0)Comments | July 20, 2022 12:25 pm

Invest to progress, not to regress: bridging the infrastructure gaps in Sri Lanka

By:  Tiffahny Hoole and Janani Wanigaratne Sri Lanka is going through a crisis of a magnitude that has never been witnessed in its economic history. The country is in disarray as people wait in lines to purchase essentials. Official reserve assets have plummeted to a US Dollar 1920[1] million by May this year and the…

(0)Comments | July 19, 2022 3:09 pm

Sri Lanka’s Deepening Economic Crisis: The Plight of the Poor

By Lakshila Wanigasinghe Empty supermarket shelves, endless queues to buy essentials and overnight camping around fuel stations are now regular sights in Sri Lanka. As the economy continues to plummet with no viable short-term solutions in sight, levels of frustration among the citizens continue to rise. The country’s worst economic crisis since independence has battered…

(0)Comments | July 18, 2022 1:14 pm

“Kamsahamnida” Madam! Coracanas foolish but selfish, what about Sri Lankans?

By Prof. Samitha Hettige Botanists refer to “Kurukkan” or “Filler Millet” as “Eleusine coracana”. Some in SL refer to the late DM, DA and their Rajapaksa clan as the Kurahan clan because of the colour of the shawl they wear. Presidents Mahinda and Gotabaya managed to make their marks in SL history by leading the…

(0)Comments | July 14, 2022 9:59 am

Learning for Sri Lanka on SOE Reforms – Malaysia’s Khazanah Nasional Berhad

Introduction A super-holding company for managing State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) has been identified as a globally successful model for SOE management. This model allows the government to adopt a more arms-length approach to SOEs’ operational decision-making, relieving it of the direct responsibility of overseeing all SOEs dispersed across various industries, and redirect its budget and energy…

(0)Comments | July 7, 2022 2:21 pm

Sri Lanka’s Mounting Crisis – The road to economic recovery ahead is long, hard, and unavoidable

By Ravi Abeysuriya Talk to anyone waiting for days in a long queue to get a few litres of fuel for daily living, unable to cook food due to the lack of LP gas or forced to stay in the darkness due to the power cuts or unable to find critical medicine the same set…

(0)Comments | July 7, 2022 2:04 pm

NATO may be annoyed seeing China’s BRI. Should Sri Lankans be Spanish bulls?

By Prof. Samitha Hettige Leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) were in Madrid, Spain discussing challenges it faces in the new world order. Spain is famous for Bull fighting where a brave man uses a red cloth to confuse/annoy a bull. NATO seems to be like a confused bull running amok seeing the…

(0)Comments | July 4, 2022 11:46 am

Learning for Sri Lanka on SOE Reforms – Singapore’s Temasek Holdings

Introduction A super-holding company for managing State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) has been identified as a globally successful model for SOE management. This model allows the government to adopt a more arms-length approach to SOEs’ operational decision-making, relieving it of the direct responsibility of overseeing all the SOEs dispersed across various industries, and redirect its budget and…

(0)Comments | July 4, 2022 11:32 am

Business Sentiment – Index Free Falls to a 21 Year Low

Sri Lanka is suddenly fighting a new war with the index rolling back to wartime When 99 percent of business leaders fear for the investment climate and the national coffers are as empty as a starving person’s belly, and when the very bare necessities of life are not available and people are looking deprivation in…

(0)Comments | July 1, 2022 11:06 am