Sri Laka’s former pro-Chinese ‘strongman’ President Mahinda Rajapaksa was voted out of office in January 2015.

Ask any audience to raise their hands, if they support the renewed thrust for railways in Sri Lanka to be electrified and modernized; all of them are most likely to raise both their hands.

The steady state in the Asian region is growth and dynamism that requires continuous structural change and adjustment. 

CNBC: Situated almost in the middle of the Indian Ocean, there is no escaping Sri Lanka’s centrality. The country lies just a few nautical miles away from the super-busy east-west shipping route, through which an estimated 60,000 ships pass eve

After years of talks, negotiators concluded an agreement on the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in October 2015. Since China is excluded from the TPP, one would expect antagonism rather than symbiosis between the Washington-advocated trade pac

The Obama administration has never plainly acknowledged that it faces a major challenge from China to the US-led order in Asia, and it has therefore never clearly explained its strategy to deal with that challenge. Because it has never been clearly e

In the recent past several articles have been published in the local press with regard to the objections by Bangladesh to Sri Lanka’s claim of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from its coast baseline made to the United Nations Co

Good governance activist and former Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chairman Chandra Jayaratne has requested the Monetary Board of Sri Lanka information pertaining to the treasury bond issues carried out by the Central Bank this year.

Growth was marginally lower in 2015 while the current account deficit improved slightly and inflation moderated. Meanwhile, the budget deficit widened and foreign exchange reserves dropped sharply.  The government will have to work to realign fi

Sri Lanka has been known all over the world for its tea, rubber, coconut and as of late for its apparel and information communication technology (ICT). But due to the grim global situation and increased competitor activity, the country’s export

After a turbulent 2015, China’s major stock exchanges took another hit in January. Chinese authorities have in the past clumsily tried to stop the free fall in markets with various degrees of success. But for China to avoid a middle-income trap

The clean- and safe-energy revolution is not imminent. In fact, according to the information compiled by ‘Looking Ahead: The 50 Global Trends That Matter’, an annual compendium of data and graphics on subjects ranging from economics to de

There is no doubt that China’s ongoing growth slowdown has had far-reaching effects on the global economy. But its role in the sharp fall in commodity prices that has occurred since 2014 – an outcome that has been devastating for commodit

March 22 marks the World Water Day 2016 under the theme ‘Water and jobs’. The theme focuses on how enough quantity and quality of water can change workers’ lives and livelihoods - and even transform societies and economies. In this

In recent years, Southeast Asia has experienced what are, if viewed in historical perspective, three ‘miracles’: economic growth, the disappearance of mass atrocities, and efforts to promote regional peace and community building. 

Global growth has been tepid since the global financial crisis broke out almost 10 years ago, having declined from an average of 4.5 percent during the five years preceding the crisis to 3.5 percent over the past five years. Both advanced economies a

By Jonathan Woetzel, Anu Madgavkar, Kweilin Ellingrud, Eric Labaye, Sandrine Devillard, Eric Kutcher, James Manyika, Richard Dobbs, and Mekala Krishnan A new McKinsey Global Institute report finds that $12 trillion could be added to global GDP by 202

Accompanied by the rise in per capita incomes and overall improvements in living standards, supermarkets are increasingly accounting for a growing share of grocery trade in many developing countries around the world. 

Banks have made dramatic changes to risk management in the past decade—and the pace of change shows no signs of slowing. Here are five initiatives to help them stay ahead.

Back around the turn of the century, the great industrial revolution changed the way we all look and live. We recall, in the old days in Sri Lanka, laundry operation was predominantly done in shops and separate areas by family members and thus, creat

A fate, ending in death, a rite of passage for the animal kingdom’s gentle giants – elephants. All for the callous want to harvest ivory.

Telling CEOs these days that leadership drives performance is a bit like saying that oxygen is necessary to breathe. 

Supervising Members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) have the ability to bring out the best in the trainees and make them inspirational leaders who possess the right attitude and balance to life, helping them enjo

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde warned that the global financial safety net — the international resources and institutions designated to fight economic crises and prevent contagion — has become too fr

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has consistently supported the expansion of Sri Lanka’s trade interests through signing mutually beneficial and well-designed trade agreements and this has been clearly articulated in its ‘10 Principles&rsqu

The Asian financial crisis of 1997–98 was a huge turning point in Asia. Asia’s confidence in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the US leadership to help through global institutions in a time of crisis was seriously shaken. The dis

Tea sector wage negotiations have been in deadlock now for 10 months. There are political reasons for this situation, but also an overarching economic one: global tea prices have declined – as it periodically happens – and the industry is

REUTERS: It doesn’t look like much, but a boxy wooden vintage Swedish footstool isn’t just a place to rest your weary feet after cross-country skiing. It is the latest competition to hedge funds or high end real estate. And that means it

Capital markets have the potential to be powerful engines of economic growth in developing nations. An efficient stock market provides the public with investment opportunities and mobilizes their savings for productive corporate financing. Yet, devel

By Shabiya Ali Ahlam In today’s world, almost all organisations are fraught with changes and challenges thanks to the ever changing global economic environment. The challenges include the constantly evolving technology and marketplaces, diversi