The UNCTAD, in the present context, should focus on addressing the increasing and diverse challenges faced by the developing world. “My delegation welcomes the theme of this conference, with its focus on addressing development led-globalisation towards sustainable and inclusive development paths.  While globalisation was an important and positive phenomenon, it should not be encouraged ...

This is a summary of HSBC’s Global Economics Quarterly for Q2 2012 The foundations are weak With the US stock market up around 30% from its lows last autumn, with eurozone periphery bond yields tumbling through much of the first quarter and with the green shoots of an economic spring emerging here and there, it ...

The Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka (MBSL) has created history by opening 16 branches and service centres in a day in different parts of the country as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations. MBSL said the move highlighted the presence of the bank serving the nation across the country and driving home its strength and ...

Professor Buddhadasa Hewavitharana felicitated The legendary Economics Guru of Peradeniya vintage for more than four decades, Emeritus Professor of Economics Buddhadasa Hewavitharana, was felicitated last week by the country’s top policy think-tank, Institute of Policy Studies or IPS and the Department of Economics and Statistics of the University of Peradeniya by releasing simultaneously tw...

Parliamentary accountability The Parliament, as the country’s foremost representative institution, has the sole authority over national resources and financial allocations and concurrently has a prominent role to play in fiscal responsibility, the budgetary process, economic development and effective transparent economic and financial management, with a view to assuring sustainable growth an...

The sports minister in Sri Lanka has vowed to continue bidding for more international sporting events despite the failure to secure 2018 Commonwealth Games in Hambantota. Sri Lanka lost to Australia’s Gold Coast in Saint Kitts last year, after a lengthy bidding process spending Rs. 880 million. But Sports Minister Mahindananada Aluthgamage told BBC Sinhala ...

While the government is fully capable of dealing with any pressures that come from Geneva, New York or Washington, it is the public servants and heads of corporations who should ensure good governance to improve the image of the country internationally, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Addressing a gathering of public servants, heads of state corporations, ...

nInternationally-renowned risk consultant David Roden in town Capital Alliance, a full-service investment bank will focus on highlighting to the industry this week on best practices in risk management for emerging markets. Concentrating on the industry’s financial institutions, CAL along with David Roden will spend two days in Sri Lanka, meeting with senior bank executives including ...

By Cheranka Mendis Even if the status of the world economy seems to have found a rather fragile equilibrium with Europe over the past six weeks, the world is no closer to being immune from the risks that have cropped up as a result of the European and USA led recession and changes in world ...

UAE businessmen are rushing to Sri Lanka as the country opens up its doors for competitive trade. More than 50 business personnel from Dubai and other emirates are camping in Sri Lankan to explore business opportunities. President Mahinda Rajapaksa inaugurated Expo 2012, where over 370 exporters are showcasing a wide array of goods and services. ...

By Cheranka Mendis Despite the risk of negative global conditions worsening the ground situation in Asian countries, rating service Standard & Poor’s believes that by and large the region will continue to grow, with most countries now building resilience to face and absorb shocks. Standard & Poor’s Rating Service South East Asia Managing Director Surinder ...

Arguably, the silver lining in the currency depreciation is that Sri Lanka’s exports will grow, or it seems to be that at first glance. Yet, deepening the gloom, there is increasing concern that import-dependent exports such as apparel will take a hit from the plummeting rupee, resulting in the US$ 12 billion target being left ...

Capital Alliance, a full-service investment bank will be hosting one of Asia’s foremost Investor Relations experts, Jonathan Zax, in Colombo this week. Zax’s investor relations efforts have been frequently recognised by the international financial community through top rankings in polls by Asiamoney, Finance Asia, Lafferty Group and Investor Relations Magazine. Last year, he received a...

NEW DELHI (Reuters): India’s businesses, already facing high interest rates and a global economic slowdown, worry that the finance ministry will ask them to shoulder a bigger tax burden in the budget set for release on Friday to trim the fiscal deficit. After a drubbing in recent state elections, the government has little room to ...

My column today is an attempt to focus our attention on a few less spoken or untold developments that may have a profound influence on how we carve our way through in creating a desirable social, economic and political future for mankind on this only planet of ours. While I will not specifically touch on ...

Is the consumer the king? Today the consumer is celebrating World Consumer Day, organised by Consumer International, to show power and strength by flexing muscles of worldwide consumer organisations. People say the consumer is powerful and he is the king and kingmaker. Traders say the consumer is always right. It may be so in other ...

In its first CEO Forum for the year 2012, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) featured top Australian expert Westpac Banking Corporation Head of Risk-Reward Edmund Bosworth who explored in detail the post global financial crisis scenario facing the world

Reuters: The Congress party’s drubbing in assembly elections proved beyond doubt that its populist politics failed to resonate with voters, and yet investors and consumers alike are bracing for more of the same from the besieged ruling party.  Hemmed in by maverick allies and the fallout from a slew of corruption scandals, the Congress party-led ...

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) will hold a one day workshop on the implementation of an integrated risk management framework on Tuesday, 6 March at the Galadari Hotel. Titled ‘Developing and Installing an Integrated Risk Management Framework’ it will be conducted by a top Australian risk management expert. Edmund ...

By Cassandra Mascarenhas Rewarding the most transparent and accountable business entities in Sri Lanka’s corporate sector, the annual ACCA Sustainability Reporting Awards 2011 crowned John Keells Holdings, Aitken Spence Hotels Holdings and HDFC Bank as winners in the large, medium and small sectors respectively yesterday. Janashakthi Insurance was also felicitated for conforming to reporting...

The theme of World Consumer Day this year, 15 March 2012, is very opportune, interesting and timely. It is our money, our rights – campaigning for real choice in financial services. There is a doubt whether your money is really yours because it is managed by others. Your money is managed by the Central Bank ...

Colombo International Tea Convention discusses trade and marketing of the beverage By Cheranka Mendis Nestled in the dynamic Asian region with a hot beverage to its name, Sri Lanka could benefit well from becoming a ‘tea hub’ in the future, Commonwealth Secretariat Economic Affairs Division Former Director Indrajit Coomaraswamy said. Addressing the Colombo International Tea ...

before it, such as global crisis, European debt crisis, financial crisis, real estate crisis or a ...

Reuters: Sri Lanka and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) meet this week amid a standoff over the Central Bank’s defence of the rupee currency, which has cost $ 2.6 billion in foreign exchange reserves since July – the same amount the global lender has pledged to loan. Bucking all its Asian peers, Sri Lanka has ...

Regulatory pressure mounted further over the course of 2011 – bad news for financial services firms, but good news for the consultancies to which they turned for help. Ernst and Young topped the Operational Risk and Regulation consultancy rankings again in 2011 (http://www.risk.net/operational-risk-and-regulation/feature/2135016/orr-consultancy-rankings-2011), and the New York-based head of ...

The Sri Lanka Tea Board, the apex authority of the tea industry in Sri Lanka, will be hosting the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) 20th Session of the Inter-Governmental Group (IGG) on tea from 30 January to 1 February 2012 in Colombo. At the 19th session held in May 2010 in New Delhi, Sri ...

Sri Lanka businesses and their leaders are optimistic of prospects for 2012 whilst they are also confident the country will progress in the New Year according to key findings of a CEOs survey done by MTI Market Research. “Despite concerns about the global economic outlook, Sri Lankan businesses seem confident that the local economy and ...

Facing the short-term economic challengesThe macroeconomic imbalances Sri Lanka has achieved a growth rate of 8.3% last year and inflation fell to 4.9% year-on-year in December 2011. These are noteworthy achievements at a time when the global economic landscape has been hostile with a slowdown in the US and a crisis in Europe; key markets ...

A pioneering Sri Lankan finance company, Alliance Finance has increased its profit after tax by a phenomenal 406% during the six months ended September 2011 compared with September 2010. Alliance Finance AGM – Deposits Champa Nakandala said that the company has witnessed a significant growth last year on all fronts with its deposit base reaching ...

The newly elected president of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has once again has predicted that at least five years will be needed to resolve its financial crisis. Upali Dharmadasa, who was elected uncontested on 03 January, said the SLC will get a considerable amount of income from future tours