Browsing VR Insights by Title
Now showing items 14-33 of 73
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Economic mismanagement is a governance problem – it needs governance solutions
(Colombo: Verité Research, 2016-05-11)Elected officials and selected bureaucrats are given a huge amount of power to act on behalf of the public – modern democracies function on this basis: that citizens hand over their power to elected representatives. But ... -
Economic Reforms Cannot Ignore Sri Lanka’s Farmers
(Colombo: Verité Research, 2015-06-24)Historically and culturally Sri Lankan society idealises its farmer. Advertisements even for the recent 2015 presidential elections were replete with images of farms and farming communities. But economic policies and reforms ... -
The Economics of Media Freedom: is Sri Lanka on a virtuous or vicious cycle?
(Colombo: Verité Research, 2013-10)This article explains the economic importance of media freedom by considering three reasons: i) indicative reasons; ii) instrumental reasons; and iii) integral reasons. Media freedom is indicatively important because it ... -
Economics of the broken window is applicable to corruption
(Colombo: Verité Research, 2015-03-04)The Sirisena presidency and the UNP that championed it have been endorsed by the ballot with the hope that they will take action against the rampant corruption that was felt to be hurting the public welfare under the ... -
The Economy is Growing, but Where are the Jobs?
(Colombo: Verité Research, 2013-06-26)The Sri Lankan economy is reported to have grown by 6.4 percent in 2012. This was less than what was hoped, but still a robust level of growth. In 2010 and 2011 growth was an extremely healthy 8 percent and 8.2 percent. ... -
Education and Health in Budget 2016: Grand promises don’t bode well for governance
(Colombo: Verité Research, 2015-11-24)Governments make attractive promises when presenting the Budget. However, successive Budgets have shown that making promises is easier than keeping them. The extent to which the present government will be able to keep its ... -
Exchange rate management: politics trumps professionalism
(Colombo: Verité Research, 2016-01-26)Most people in a country don’t understand the intricacies of exchange rate management. Nevertheless, actions in this regard have significant implications for the economic stability, growth and overall success of the economy, ... -
Explaining the Mirage of GDP Growth Optimism
(Colombo: Verité Research, 2014-08)The government estimates that by 2015 per capita GDP will quadruple from what it was in 2004. But this is a mirage: real incomes will not even double in that period. The mirage is created by counting in US dollars and ... -
Export Competitiveness: Moving from USA towards Asia
(Colombo: Verité Research, 2015-05-06)Over 50 percent of Sri Lanka’s exports go to the USA and the West. While Sri Lanka’s total exports remain tilted towards the USA and the West, growth is tilting to the East, and more towards Asia. The consequence of the ... -
The Exporting Problem of SMEs: Finance is one solution
(Colombo: Verité Research, 2015-09)Since the turn of the century, not only have Sri Lankan exports declined as a share of its GDP, but also in terms of its global share. Sri Lanka had a larger global share of exports at Independence, than at present. There ... -
Exports to India – Putting the free back into the FTA
(Colombo: Verité Research, 2015-07)Sri Lanka’s history with bi-lateral trade agreements demonstrates the need for more careful negotiation. This Insight explains how the tariff benefits of the India Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA) have been outweighed ... -
Fixing NTBs between India and Sri Lanka
(Colombo: Verité Research, 2015-08)The Insight examines the issue of non-tarrif barriers (NTBs) faced by exporters of processed foods from Sri Lanka to India, in the context of ensuring compliance with standards and regulations. It concludes with proposing ... -
Fixing Sri Lanka’s Revenue Problem is a Priority
(Colombo: Verité Research, 2017-02-10)Taxes are the key source of government revenue. Normally, tax share as a percentage of GDP is expected to increase as per capita GDP rises. This Insight shows that in Sri Lanka, this is not the case; the country’s per ... -
Flawed rationale behind EPF re-entering the stock market = කොටස් වෙළඳපොලට සේවක අර්ථසාධක අරමුදල (සේ.අ.අ.) නැවත ඇතුල්වීම පිටුපස ඇති සාවද්ය තර්කය
(Colombo: Verité Research, 2019)At the end of 2018, the EPF resolved to re-enter the stock market despite substantial losses and allegations of mismanagement on EPF’s equity investments in the past. The EPF provides two reasons for the decision: (i) that ... -
Good Governance is Not Just for Politicians: Case for cigarette taxation=යහපාලනය දේශපාලකයන් සඳහා පමණක් නොවෙයි; දුම්වැටි බදුකරණයට නතු කිරීම
(Colombo: Verité Research, 2015-04-22)The Excise taxes on products such as cigarettes and alcohol are a significant source of government revenue. Understanding how these taxes should be adjusted in keeping with price increases and being diligent in implementing ... -
The Hidden Side of Cigarette Pricing
(Colombo: Verité Research, 2018-07)This insight examines how analysis of past tax and price data reveals two aspects of cigarette pricing that are hidden from media reporting. First, net-of-tax price grew at a faster rate than the tax per cigarette; second, ... -
Improving Sri Lanka’s Business Environment: It’s not so difficult
(2014-11)In his budget speech, Finance Minister, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said Sri Lanka “aims at gaining a ranking among the top 10 countries in Asia Pacific in the Doing Business Index (DBI).” This Insight finds constructive ... -
Is Blocking Websites Making Sri Lankan Telecom Share Prices Vulnerable?
(Colombo: Verité Research, 2014-07)If Sri Lankan Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are blocking news websites without due diligence, then their present and future share values are vulnerable. This Insight explains what ISPs should do to ensure minimum due ... -
Is the Right to Information Good for Business?
(Colombo: Verité Research, 2015-03)Prior to the enactment of the RTI Act in Sri Lanka in 2016, a debate had arisen on whether enacting a right to information (RTI) law could impede businesses. The main concern was that competitors could use the RTI process ... -
Justice in Slow Motion Corrodes Sri Lanka's Economy
(2013-07)The Insight discusses three aspects regarding the inherent lengthy delays in the Sri Lankan court system. First, delays in dispute resolution are costly—and not merely in legal fees, but in investments and initiatives ...