International Chamber of Commerce Chairman Paul Polman speaking at a top-level UN summit last week noted that a US $ 5 trillion trade financing capacity will be needed in 2021, to restore global commerce to its pre-COVID-19 trend.

Sri Lanka ticks all the boxes of an irresistible tourism destination but repeated uncertainties have kept the island nation off the itineraries of its target audience on and off, for decades.

The start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in China last December sent ripples across the global economy but it certainly took time to realise that even the strongest industries would receive a painful hit from the club.

Even though Sri Lanka’s economy has opened up, businesses are still recovering from the dual shock of the locally imposed curfew as well as the global fallback from the coronavirus. A vast majority of Sri Lankan businesses are in need of support if

Outgoing World Bank Country Director for the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka Idah Z. Pswarayi-Riddihough speaks about the highlights of her four years in Colombo. She also shares her thoughts on the opportunities she sees for Sri Lanka and wishes the p

The 27th anniversary of the establishment of Regional Plantation Companies fell on June 23.

The prolonged curfew and lockdown measures introduced to contain the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerability of Sri Lanka’s food system.

Giving solutions to economic problems is a task which should receive a high priority to resolve socio-economic problems of the public. Giving a higher income to the hands of the people would resolve most of the problems in the society.

Many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) complain about lack of access to finance, lack of government support, insufficient customer preference for local products and services and so on. While these may be true, these are not the only reasons s

A harmonised set of industry-wide health and safety protocols are necessary for travel and tourism to recover.

The current economic slowdown in South Asia comes against the backdrop of a global public health crisis that has halted economic activities across many economies in the region and beyond. Growth in South Asia is expected to average 2-3 percent in 202

Given the stark choice between saving lives with no certainty vs saving livelihoods with some certainty, Sri Lanka, like some other countries, opted for the former and acted early. Would this wreak havoc in the Sri Lankan economy?

Lockdowns across the world have caused trade and travel to grind to a halt. The demand for oil has plunged and the prices have crashed; futures for West Texas Intermediate, a grade of oil, briefly turned negative, touching a low of minus US $ 40.32.

Now that Sri Lanka has achieved a notable success in containing the danger posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to the health of the nation, the time has come for a concerted and decisive focus on reviving the economy. This is particularly timely, now that

Sri Lanka’s tea industry that has been in existence for over 150 years has certainly captured the world with its rich aroma. However, it continues to follow its old ways and that has led to a slowdown.

Advertising is the meaningful connecting bridge of brands and consumers! Building familiarity, awareness, increase sales and brand building are some of the key responsibilities of advertising. Even in an era when the media landscape is getting fragme

Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, Chief of Defense Staff, Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, and Head of the National Operational Center for Prevention of COVID -19 addressed the monthly committee meeting of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce on ‘The s

Although Sri Lanka performs well in most health indicators, child nutrition remains a major issue. According to the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) 2016, in Sri Lanka, more than 20 percent of children under five years, are underweight.

The plantations industry continues to offer employment to about 140,000 directly employed and to almost 1.5 million dependents during the countrywide shut down, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19-related lockdowns and the continuing need to follow social distancing rules even once the lockdowns are lifted, mean that we will not be going back anytime soon to what it was like in the pre-pandemic days. For businesses, this means an

We implemented a proper methodology to defeat the threat of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Our next requirement is to win the economy by following an appropriate similar mechanism to overcome economic problems.

Sri Lanka has reported 1730 cases of COVID-19 as of June 3. The authorities and the medical staff have responded effectively to the crisis and need to say on course. The effort is being acknowledged in the region as an example. The challenge from now

Exports play an important role in a country’s economy as they influence the level of growth, employment and balance of payments. For Sri Lanka, the focus on exports is now more important than ever, as the island nation looks to bring in foreign cur

Tourism is probably the worst affected industry from the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sri Lanka is yet to feel the economic and social impact of the unprecedented global lockdown and travel restrictions, which are likely to remain until the thi

Acting Chinese Ambassador in Sri Lanka Hu Wei in this interview says he is confident of a bright future for China-Sri Lanka relations and says certain western politicians are attempting to make China the scapegoat for their negligence. As of 2019, th

The Sri Lankan government is facing a budget and revenue crisis triggered by the mitigation measures taken to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

Small and Medium Scale Enterprises make up a large part of Sri Lanka’s economy, accounting for 80 percent of all businesses.

COVID-19 is creating a great deal of disruption in the market. Technology itself, which was seen as the great saviour for most companies, is having a reverse effect on some, which were founded on a tech base.

The susceptibility of smokers to contract COVID-19 has been recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other medical authorities. In Sri Lanka, concerned parties have called for a temporary ban of cigarette sales as a measure to contain th

Sri Lanka has emerged as the ‘shining star’ in the efforts to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the global economic recession has started impacting the country at all levels.