Women in night and shift work in Sri Lanka: Policies to facilitate more participation

Labour markets are undergoing rapid changes, while technological advances, income growth and urbanisation are transforming lifestyles. Traditionally, most employees worked regular work hours, from morning to evening and went home to be with their families. But, with lifestyle changes, people do not spend as much time at home. Such behaviour is making inroads into labour markets, as businesses stay open late to provide services.

NCE encourages Lankan exporters to fill current void in int’l value chains

Production disruptions in China have adversely affected international value chains that have been increasingly dependent on inputs from China, in recent years. Where Sri Lanka is concerned, China is an important source for raw materials and other inputs for manufactured exports.

Is China’s Belt Road Initiative start of a new Cold War?

Whilst there has been much commentary around the Belt Road Initiative (BRI) and its geopolitical intentions, not much has been said about the way the Digital Silk Road is seen as being essential to deliver the BRI outcomes.

Why we drink our own champagne

Both service providers as well as their customers rely on technology to help their operations and business growth. Technology can be used to break down regional barriers and to enhance the ability to operate as one global team. Many service providers have acknowledged the need to modernise business operations and get onto the latest solutions.

February tourist arrivals hit by coronavirus

Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka sharply declined by 17.7 percent Year-on-Year (YoY) in February to 207,507 mainly driven by a record decline in arrivals from China due to COVID -19 outbreak while the arrivals from other key markets also dropped fuelled by virus fears with India, Australia and Eastern Europe being exceptions.

Tourism— ‘Mother of all crises’ around the corner?

Sri Lanka tourism, just raising its head after last year’s 21/4 terrorist attacks, is now facing what could possibly be the worst evert crisis to hit world tourism ever- The New coronavirus epidemic ( CoVid-19).

China’s virus shutdown will hurt growth abroad

Many affluent Chinese fearful of being infected by the coronavirus and being quarantined by the state are staying home. Many companies and countries around the world are linked to the Chinese economy, which is likely to have far-reaching consequences as a result.

European Commission’s palm oil conundrum

With the new regulatory changes now taking place on the basis of the European Union’s (EU) Renewable Energy Directive (RED) II of 2018, Indonesia and Malaysia are trying to come to terms with the implications for their global palm oil market strategy and domestic production.

One size doesn’t fit all when designing a better world for women in business

We live in a world full of possibilities but they’re not always open to everyone. While the number of women entrepreneurs worldwide has grown over time, women looking to start businesses still struggle to obtain adequate resourcing – funding, logistics and industry knowledge.

Charting Sri Lanka’s aging population

In a few decades, nearly a fourth of the people in Sri Lanka will be over 60 with the vulnerable 80-year-old and above population increasing quickly.

Ceylon Tea - In search of ‘unique selling proposition’

Coca-Cola was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1886, exactly 19 years after James Taylor planted tea in Loolecondura estate, Deltota in Kandy district.

Oil palm: Reality versus public and political opinions

Your Excellency, The media recently reported about an overwhelming public demand for banning of oil palm cultivation at a gathering you attended recently in the South and you connived to do so. However, if I got you right, you had a proviso in your statement and that was to ‘do so if this crop is damaging the environment’.

False narrative of demonising fiscal deficits – Whose interests does it serve?

As the cacophony of noise predicting economic implosion from the bloated fiscal deficit and public debt pile up is getting louder every day, it is important to put the things into correct perspective for the benefit of everyone.

Tea industry overview – January to December 2019

Sri Lanka tea industry witnessed a ‘mediocre’ year with decline in production, averages and a growth in exports in comparison to year 2018. The industry’s export revenue depicted a growth from year 2018 backed by a weakened rupee.

Overseas expansion- another growth prospect we are actively pursuing

‘Mirror Business S&P SL20 Insights’ is conducted in collaboration with the Colombo Stock Exchange as an investor relations initiative. The interview series encourages S&P SL20 companies to talk on the developments of their respective industries and growth prospects. Following are excerpts from an interview with Access Engineering PLC Managing Director Christopher Joshua where he talked about the firm’s financial performance, industry challenges a

Best Buy CEO proved bricks and mortar retailers can prosper with online retailing

Hubert Joly (born August 11, 1959) is a businessman, currently serving as Executive Chairman of Best Buy. He was the former President, CEO and Director of Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT). It is a privately held international conglomerate in the hotel, travel and restaurant franchise industries, employing more than 175,000 people in more than 160 countries and territories.

Buddhism, sustainability and Sri Lanka

Today, sustainability is fast becoming a very relevant and essential aspect of our lives. This has come about as a response to the high degree of consumerism that prevails in the world today and the resulting large use of fast depleting natural resources, giving rise to global warming and climate change.

Experts suggest blue ocean strategy for Ceylon Tea

Strategy experts suggest that Sri Lanka’s tea industry should consider adopting the blue ocean strategy for profitably and sustainability.

Sustainable mobility in Sri Lanka

Managing the mobility of people and goods is one of the toughest environmental and social challenges that countries face. Sri Lanka is facing a rapid rise in road congestion and air pollution. With escalating numbers of new vehicles being registered and 70 percent of air pollution being attributed to motor vehicles, it is clear that we need to adopt a long-term perspective, which focuses on sustainable mobility.

Environmental sustainability, carbon neutrality— The Star way

Aspiring to have a net zero carbon footprint requires a transition towards a low carbon economy, which is easier said than done. While the move necessitates in-depth analysis, changing energy resources and industrial processes, amongst other areas of focus, a key aspect that needs emphasis is change management.

Toxin-free agriculture: Politicians should get the facts right

Some days ago, the media reported that the Agriculture and Mahaweli Development Minister addressing a farmers’ meeting in Embilipitiya had remarked that according to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report, Sri Lanka is the country consuming the highest amount of toxins (agrochemicals) in the world. As this is a statement that would shock the public, it is critically important that we examine the actual reported statistics.

Microsoft’s CEO looks to a future beyond Windows, iOS and Android

Satya Nadella is an Indian-American business executive. He is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Microsoft, succeeding Steve Ballmer in 2014. Before becoming CEO, he was Executive Vice President of Microsoft’s cloud and enterprise group, responsible for building and running the company’s computing platforms.

Coronavirus outbreak: East wind drives tourism headwinds

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared the 2019 novel-Coronavirus (COVID-19) a global health emergency.

Will we reap the Uber whirlwind?

If there was any fear that artificial intelligence (AI) was going to take over our jobs then this would probably be one reason not to worry too much about it. And that is when we look at the services, Uber the taxi-hailing company offers.

Coronavirus epidemic and China’s slowdown: Economic impact on Sri Lanka

On January 28, 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) as a global emergency. The new virus emerged in Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province in China but has now spread to at least 27 other countries, including Sri Lanka. At this stage, it is difficult to know the exact impact of the virus but the human cost is significant.

Economic growth through fragmentation and global value chain

Global Value Chain will continue to enhance economic growth, create better job opportunities, and shrink poverty in the developing countries to a greater extent.

Sri Lanka’s potential to become leading international leisure and sports venue

In the newspapers recently, under the headline Travel / Tourism read “President calls for new strategy to turn tourism into US$ 10 billion Industry by 2025”. It is encouraging to note that both the Tourism Minister and the Chairperson of Sri Lanka Tourism conveying positive signals regarding achieving this target.

Girls in STEM: How is Sri Lanka faring?

Sri Lanka is well recognised as a leader in gender-equal education in the developing world; the World Bank statistics show that the primary and secondary school enrolments and completion rates are similar for girls and boys, while girls have higher enrolment and retention rates in upper secondary and tertiary education.

European Union Ambassador advocates a more open trade policy at NCE AGM

Denis Chaibi, the new Ambassador of the European Union (EU) Delegation in Sri Lanka, who was the chief guest at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the National Chamber of Exporters (NCE), held recently at Galadari, Colombo, was warmly welcomed by the chamber.

Letter to the Editor Why berate these heroic civil society activists?

I was highly saddened and extremely perturbed over the news that two of our civil society activists were threatened with death for moving the courts questioning the eligibility of presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa to contest the forthcoming presidential election. I was so disturbed because of the simple reason that it was amply proved that the case in itself was not without substance or any validity because of the following reasons.