Category: Opinion

November 22, 2006 (LBO) – The Colombo-Habarana Road is a military supply route. Those driving on it are likely to come across slow moving convoys of army containers guarded by soldiers going North and buses carrying soldiers and sailors going South on home leave. Yet, the recent rains washed away parts of this road between […]

November 15, 2006 (LBO) – At a recent discussion on comparative rankings of economic performance, an esteemed economist decried the tendency of Sri Lankans to see the glass as half-empty; to think that Sri Lanka was in bad shape and getting worse. “Development will come only when we pump up our self-esteem and think of […]

October 23, 2006 (LBO) – Recently the government imposed tougher import conditions on non-essential items: http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/sri-lanka-slaps-limits-on-non-essential-imports-to-curb-credit-growth/ Luxury goods according to the Government of Sri Lanka Palm Oil Chocolates Bread, pastry, cakes, biscuits and other bakers’ wares Beer Wine, vermouth and other fermented beverages Spirits, liqueurs and other spirituous beverages Perfumes and toilet waters Beauty or […]

October 16, 2006 (LBO) – “While the JVP supports a vibrant free market economy to generate growth, we are completely against an unbridled, uncontrolled open economy, which in the long run would cause immense harm to our economy. We believe in an economic model based on the successful models of India and China.” (Somawansa Amarasinghe’s […]

August 28, 2006 (LBO) – In a discussion of two pieces of trade-related legislation now before Parliament, a JVP MP stated that they served the interests of the World Terrorist Organization as he described the WTO (World Trade Organization). It is not surprising that his venom was directed at the WTO and the concepts free […]

August 7, 2006 (LBO) – Generic is cheap and utilitarian. Brand is expensive and status conferring. That’s the common wisdom. But those in the new, hot field of country/place branding say that “every country is a brand, either by default or design.” What is implied is that there are good brands as well as bad. […]

July 25, 2006 (LBO) – The 2004 tsunami was a shock. One out of 500 Sri Lankans died in the short space of three and a half hours when walls of water hit them without even one minute of official warning. We all agreed then that things could not go on the way they had. […]