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Home » ColumnsBudget 2014: Import substitution may derail economic growth
On the eve of his departure, Dr. Koshy Mathai, the IMF Representative, warned that an import substitution strategy could hurt the country’s economic development. He advised the Government to pursue policies that do not discriminate against exports by giving greater incentives to import substitution compared to export promotion and thereby creating a bias against exports. [...]
The bitter cost of bringing the genie out of the bottle
Do those who vehemently and oftentimes quite hysterically rise to the defence of this Government’s self-aggrandizing post-war policies, pause to ask themselves as to why we are now witnessing extreme intolerance directed at the minorities which was not seen even when the North and East war was at its fiercest? Perhaps some reasoned and calm [...]
UPFA focuses on Geneva; UNP on common front for polls
The United States, which moved two successive resolutions against Sri Lanka at the Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva and the UPFA Government are both busy over the upcoming sessions of the UN body in March next year. The US interest, amidst reports of a third resolution, came in the form of a visit last [...]
D.M PM: The time to stay or go?
My Dear Di Moo, I thought I must write to you because, all of a sudden, you seem to be in the news, more so than even Mahinda maama. That all this is because of some silly little container of heroin that was imported to the country makes it still more fascinating. Di Moo, if you [...]
Debate on media: Story does not fit the headline
Usually a Parliamentary debate on the state of the media would have the Government on the back foot. But at the Committee Stage debate of the Ministry of Mass Media and Information last Wednesday, there were more opposition members questioning the crediblity of certain sections of the media while government members had to come to [...]
Lanka pays British MP £ 3,412 to attend Business Forum
A Democratic Unionist Party Member of Parliament in the British House of Commons has declared that he was paid around Sterling Pounds 3,412 to attend the Commonwealth Business Forum in Colombo. The event was held ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting last month. Parliamentarians in the UK are required by statute to declare foreign [...]
PM must come clean on ‘grease yaka’
These are definitely not the best of times for the 82-year-old Prime Minister Disanayaka Mudiyanselage Jayaratne. At the stage of life when other men of his age are placidly reflecting on the impermanence and fleeting nature of existence and the futility of pursuing worldly wealth’s baubles; and meditating on how great empires rise only to [...]