COLUMNSUNP tug-o-war – again
The UNP is embroiled more in a classic battle of wills between its Leadership and the de facto leader of its reformist movement, Sajith Premadasa. Premadasa’s reappointment as Deputy Leader did not transpire on Monday during the Working Committee meeting, with the UNP Leader unsure still as to whether he wants to reappoint the Hambantota MP as his lieutenant.
Apathy in the aftermath
A return to the status quo seems inevitable in the impeachment aftermath. A new administration at Hulftsdorp, a dormant Opposition, and a disengaged people look towards the challenges facing Sri Lanka in 2013, the bulk of them perceived to be from across its borders, while the true enemy – apathy in the face of arrogant power – lies within
The old world is dying away, and the new world struggles to come forth: now is the time of monsters – Antonio Gramsci
One week after its installation, the new order at Hulftsdorp is making sweeping changes to the administration of the country’s apex court house.
Of what use is per capita nominal GDP which includes inflation?
Chandra Jayarane has urged professional economists to respond to a statement by S.B Dissanayake in a Sunday paper that in 10 years the per capita income under President Mahinda Rajapaksa would top US$ 10,000.
Here is what he said: “This story noted below appearing in the Front Page of the Sunday Observer today, meant to fool us and all along with all the citizens of Sri Lanka and make us venerate with ‘Sadhu Sadhu’ and hands above our heads, the Development Strategy that unfolds in the horizon.”
Next two years will continue to be challenging: UNESCAP
World Economic Situation report for 2013 shows world economy has continued to weaken in 2012; many developed countries in deep recession
UNESCAP has released its World Economic Situation report for 2013, showing that the world economy has continued to weaken in 2012 with many of the developed countries in deep recession. The spiralling effect of this situation is seen in emerging economies with reduced exports and greater volatility in capital flows and commodity prices.
ETA Melco Elevator Training Centre another milestone
ETA Melco Engineering Ltd., which is a joint venture with Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, established in Sri Lanka in 1983, and the first elevator company in Sri Lanka to be awarded with ISO 9001:2008 certification, is conducting courses for NVQ III level certification in the field of elevator engineering with a fully-fledged Training Centre, in collaboration with National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA).
Whither exports?
It has been observed that the value of exports made during the year 2012 has drawn backward economy wise as compared to that of the previous year. It is rather unfortunate to have suffered a decrease in exports that would affect the economy of the country in spite of a profitable increase in favour of building the economy as it is the desired will of the nation.
‘The Guns, thank God, the Guns’
In the Officers’ Mess of Pakistan’s famed Frontier Force Regiment (the Piffers), at the Regimental Centre, located at Abbotabad near the Khyber Pass (the cantonment town at which US SEALS found and killed Osama bin Laden – remember?) on the border with Afghanistan, there is a huge mural, done in the days of the British Raj, showing a team of Mules pulling a huge Howitzer Canon into a battle field in the swirling dust, with a group of Madrassi sappers of the Madras Artillery hanging on to the Canon for dear life, with a young British officer of the British Indian Army in the lead.
Tony Greig, the marketer
I still remember going for the Sri Lanka vs England cricket fixture with my father when I was around 10 years old, where I happened to meet a giant of a man who was well over six-and-a-half feet tall. I got his signature. It read Tony Greig.
$ 4,000 and beyond; we need to ramp up our skills base
Overall, the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals have strengthened over time. The country has set itself a target of doubling the per capita income to US$ 4,000 by 2016.
One area that Sri Lanka can make some headway in the short term to achieve this goal is by promoting Sri Lanka as a favourable destination for business services outsourcing. The global out sourcing market is currently worth over US$ 400 billion, with India exporting some US$ 50 plus billion worth and China $ 30 billion, while Sri Lanka’s share was just over US$ 60+ million.
Tailoring Taylor for today
Frederick Winslow Taylor is widely regarded as the father of scientific management. I come across him every year in the teaching during the first term of our MBA program. He devised a system called scientific management, a form of industrial engineering that established the organisation of work as in Ford’s assembly line. Is scientific management relevant today? Are the key concepts of it applicable to the modern day workplace? Is there any specific application for Sri Lankan workforce? Today’s column will shed light into these aspects.
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