Amindri Sinnathamby In a landmark moment for Sri Lanka, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya was appointed Prime Minister on 24 September. She is the first woman to hold the position in 24 years. Her appointment marks a significant step forward for women empowerment in the nation,...
Devinda de Silva This month, Sri Lankans will be casting their ballot for a new president. However, the 2024 Presidential election faces an unusual challenge. Conventionally, elections have featured two primary candidates contesting each other. In 2019, it was...
Avishka Jayaweera On 13 June 2024, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) published the Country Report on Sri Lanka following the second review under its Extended Fund Facility. The relevant staff report published under the review included a proposal to introduce a...
by Gehan Gunatilleke The recent arrest of the YouTuber Sepal Amarasinghe has drawn attention to Sri Lanka’s International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act. Amarasinghe is accused of making disparaging comments about the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy,...
Gehan Gunatilleke Parliament is about to debate the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution Bill this week. Among its features (both positive and negative), there appears to be one conspicuous gap: the ‘urgent’ Bill process is left untouched. One of the most egregious...
by Sakeena Razick The current economic crisis has resulted in severe shortages of vital medicines. Among demands for food, fuel, and power, is the clear public demand for a restoration of medical supplies within the country. But what if the problem runs much deeper...
By Ranil Angunawela and Malsirini de Silva The current shortage of various medicines in the market has thrown into sharp focus the regulatory regimes affecting the availability of medicines in Sri Lanka. It has also raised the issue of whether such a regulatory regime...
Gehan Gunatilleke I recently visited Berlin’s Stasi Museum, located in the former headquarters of the German Democratic Republic’s Ministry for State Security — the infamous ‘Stasi’. What struck me as I browsed through the installations was how central disinformation...
by Ranil Angunawela The Insurance Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (IRCSL) has banned with immediate effect the use, by insurers, of telecommunication service providers’ platforms in the promotion and sale of insurance products. The Direction (No. 4 of 2021) was...
by Gehan Gunatilleke Vaccines play a vital role in the battle against COVID-19. Countries that have vaccinated a majority of their population are doing better compared to their situation prior to vaccination. The rationale for swiftly and efficiently vaccinating a...
By Ranil Angunawela and Malsirini de Silva The COVID-19 pandemic and consequent public safety protocols have placed an enormous strain on individuals and the economy. State-imposed lockdowns have brought the economy to a virtual halt. Businesses have struggled to meet...
By Gehan Gunatilleke What is the only reasonable yardstick to assess any large-scale economic project in Sri Lanka? Simple: its benefit to the Sri Lankan people. Such public benefit should be the sole benchmark by which the proposed Colombo Port City project...
Ranil Angunawela Access to financial products is a fundamental necessity for any society that seeks to foster and develop a thriving middle class. Such access complements the fulfilment of basic socio-economic needs, such as access to health care, education and the...
Ranil Angunawela The recent spate of corporate scandals, both locally and internationally, have brought to the forefront the role played by Directors, with particular emphasis being placed on the rights and responsibilities owed by Directors to their various...
Gehan Gunatilleke Sri Lanka’s President issued a new set of Emergency Regulations on 22 April. This note explains the contents of Emergency Regulation 15, which concerns the ‘control of publications’, and certain other regulations relevant to publication.There are...