Remarks by Mangala Samaraweera on the UNHRC Resolution on Sri Lanka
During the last few weeks, much has been talked about the Geneva resolution which was presented on March 23. I felt it as my duty to speak about this as the Minister of Foreign Affairs at that time when Sri Lanka along with the United States, United Kingdom and 40 other countries co-sponsored the 30/1 resolution on Sri Lanka.
If we are to go back to the beginning, it was on May 23, 2009, just a week after the conclusion of the deadly war with the LTTE, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, came to Sri Lanka on the invitation of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
By Thanzyl Thajudeen MCIM
Marketing is in the spotlight during this pandemic with the C-suite realizing its importance in connecting and bringing the various aspects of the business together and managing relationships with all key stakeholders. Marketers are leading brands through the pandemic, emerging even stronger and resilient than ever. From meaningful data, insights and repositioning, to revitalizing strategies, embracing innovation and cultivating a purpose-driven culture, the marketing team is playing a crucial role leading their brands and businesses during the COVID-19. Marketers need to break away from traditional segmentation approaches and adapt to a realistic needs based segmentation based on behaviors and emotions, and focus more of their investments in attractive segments whilst cutting cost and sustaining in lesser attractive segments. They should apply their marketing tools to quantify these products and segments performance, and ensure that the objectives set a
(c) Altair Sri Lanka
ALTAIR, the internationally acclaimed architectural icon, is on the cusp of completion. This breathtaking edifice which has
transformed the perception of Colombo from being a dreamy South Asian back
water to a pulsating cosmopolitan metropolis is the brainchild of the living
legend Moshe Safdie, creator of Marina Bay Sands and the Jewel in Singapore,
Tel Aviv’s Holocast Museum, Montreal’s Habitat 67,
Kauffman Centre Kansas, amongst others.
The soft opening of the common areas of ALTAIR was held last week under the auspicious of Hon. Dr. Nalaka Godahewa, State Minister of Urban Development, Coast Conservation, Waste Disposal
By Dr. Asanka Wijesinghe:
Raw turmeric
roots on the shelves of roadside vendors is a frequent sight nowadays. Thanks
to the import controls, turmeric now fetches a higher price domestically;
prices having soared by as much as 275% from Rs. 80 per kilo to Rs. 300 per kilo. The turmeric shortage, reports of
adulterated turmeric powder, the ceiling price, black-market sales, and
sensational stories of busting smuggling attempts are the manifestations of the
impact of import controls.
The recent waves
of import restrictions imposed by the Sri Lankan government have different
justifications such as boosting domestic production and avoiding re-exporting
substandard products and foreign exchange leakage. However, protectionism has
By Sangeeta Dey , Senior Education Specialist, World Bank & Shobhana Sosale , Senior Education Specialist , World Bank
Despite robust growth and reduced poverty, female labor force participation in Sri Lanka remains at a low 36 percent compared to 75 percent for men and below international standards.
This number stands in stark contrast with Sri Lanka’s human capital improvements for women, such as high female education levels and low total fertility rates. Leaving many women out of the workforce means that Sri Lanka loses about 20 percent of its gross domestic product on average.
Access to affordable Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) directly affects Sri Lanka’s labor force . A 2018 study found that having a child under five years of age reduced a Sri Lankan woman’s participation in the labor force by 7.4 percent compared with a woman who did not have a young child.