Columns
Home » ColumnsFirst to dive, first served: China hosts thanksgiving reception for Lanka
The Chinese Embassy in Colombo hosted a reception on Tuesday at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo, appreciating Sri Lanka’s efforts on the recent rescue mission of its capsized fishing vessel. Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong hosted the event which saw some 300 guests including senior officials and foreign diplomats taking part. The Chinese fishing boat capsized [...]
‘Why should SMEs suffer due to bad decisions of politicians?’
SJB champions their cause while Industries Minister assures Govt. will do all it can to develop sector By Sandun Jayawardana The need to find solutions to issues faced by Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) owing to the country’s economic crisis was discussed at length in Parliament following an adjournment motion moved by the main [...]
Politics a fertile ground for hate speech lies
My dear Dr. Shafi, I thought I must write to you when I heard that you had recently recommenced work at the same hospital where you worked before, after you were officially ‘reinstated’ some time ago. I am not sure whether we should say ‘congratulations’ or hang our heads in shame about what happened to [...]
The daunting challenge of restructuring foreign and domestic debt
The restructuring of the country’s foreign and domestic debt is critical for the nation’s economic recovery. The reduction of the foreign debt by US$ 17 billion by the end of September is a condition for the IMF’s Extended Finance Facility (EFF). This is a serious challenge. Domestic debt Some are of the view that foreign [...]
Brace, brace for a tsunami of bad laws soon to engulf Sri Lanka
When a collective of Sri Lanka’s Cabinet Ministers and their servile acolytes in the legal profession or administrative service sat down in sub-committee to prepare the draft Broadcasting Regulatory Commission Bill, was it their intention to deliberately infringe the 1997 Supreme Court ruling on constitutional imperatives in every conceivable shape and form? A hideously problematic [...]
Communal parties detrimental to national unity and reconciliation
One of the biggest challenges faced by the country after the defeat of the LTTE in 2009 was the need to unite the different communities through a process of national reconciliation. Unfortunately the Mahinda Rajapaksa government did not have such a vision and hardly did anything to heal the wounds caused by the conflict. Instead [...]
The long and short arm of selective law enforcement
Different strokes for some different folk can demean Rule of Law Two weeks ago a Government MP was nabbed at BIA attempting to walk through the customs zone with a haul of undeclared gold stashed in his bag. The gold was valued at Rs. 75 million and a 10 percent fine of Rs 7.5 million [...]
More draft laws, more comic opera ahead
Last week when reference was made to a Pohottuwa MP’s slicing denigration of our cabinet of ministers — or some of them to be accurate—this column said it would refrain from any further comment on that particular issue. To put it in perspective, Ampara MP Wimalaweera Dissanayake finally felt that he should vent his spleen [...]
Facing a multitude of economic and political challenges
Ahead of release of second tranche, IMF takes up delay in presenting new Central Bank Act SJB launches campaign demanding cost-of-living relief on the basis of rupee’s appreciation; JVP to continue protests demanding elections to local councils Move to regulate broadcasting services stirs controversy; Supreme Court sees several clauses of Anti-Corruption law inconsistent with Constitution [...]
Read More