Publications Type

CSO Sustainability Index 2015 Sri Lanka

The Civil Society Organization Sustainability Index (CSOSI) has been used since 1997 to assess the sustainability of the CSO sector. The Index has expanded considerably since its inception – it went from covering 18 countries in the Europe and Eurasia Region, to covering over 60 countries in different regions around the world. By using standard indicators and collecting data each year, the CSOSI enables users to track developments and identify trends in the CSO sector over time while allowing for cross-country and cross-region comparison. It is used by CSO advocates, development partners, and academics to assess international and regional trends in the civil society sector and to identify common obstacles impeding the sector’s sustainability, such as the legal environment, organizational capacity, and financial viability. This is the second time Sri Lanka is participating in the index. Verité Research is the local implementing partner for this initiative.

CSO Sustainability Index 2015 for Asia

The Civil Society Organization Sustainability Index (CSOSI) has been used since 1997 to assess the sustainability of the CSO sector. The Index has expanded considerably since its inception – it went from covering 18 countries in the Europe and Eurasia Region, to covering over 60 countries in different regions around the world. By using standard indicators and collecting data each year, the CSOSI enables users to track developments and identify trends in the CSO sector over time while allowing for cross-country and cross-region comparison. It is used by CSO advocates, development partners, and academics to assess international and regional trends in the civil society sector and to identify common obstacles impeding the sector’s sustainability, such as the legal environment, organizational capacity, and financial viability. This is the second time Sri Lanka is participating in the index. Verité Research is the local implementing partner for this initiative.

Improving Trade with India: Mutual Recognition in Conformity Assessment

“In the context of growing bilateral relations with India, this study by Verité Research takes a look at the current status of Sri Lankan exports to India under the existing India – Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA). The study identifies Non-Tariff Barriers to be a critical factor in the lackluster performance of exports to India in recent years. The case of food exports serves to highlight how compliance with Indian standards and regulations forms one such significant barrier, due to India’s non-recognition of testing and certification conducted outside its borders. The proposed solution to this problem – a Mutual Recognition Agreement – is one that is easily implementablewhich will help exporters enjoy the full benefits of duty concessions offered by the ISFTA and if done right, will help build confidence in the benefits of further integration.”

Improving Trade with India: Mutual Recognition in Conformity Assessment (Tamil Edition)

“In the context of growing bilateral relations with India, this study by Verité Research takes a look at the current status of Sri Lankan exports to India under the existing India – Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA). The study identifies Non-Tariff Barriers to be a critical factor in the lackluster performance of exports to India in recent years. The case of food exports serves to highlight how compliance with Indian standards and regulations forms one such significant barrier, due to India’s non-recognition of testing and certification conducted outside its borders. The proposed solution to this problem – a Mutual Recognition Agreement – is one that is easily implementablewhich will help exporters enjoy the full benefits of duty concessions offered by the ISFTA and if done right, will help build confidence in the benefits of further integration.”

අපනයන ප‍්‍රවර්ධනය සදහා අපනයන මුල්‍යකරණ පහසුකම්වල කාර්යභාරය සහ අදාළත්වය

මෙම සියවස ආරම්භයේ සිට ශී‍්‍ර ලංකාවේ අපනයන එහි දළ දේශීය නිශ්පාදිතයේ ප‍්‍රතිශතයක් ලෙස පමණක් නොව ගෝලීය අපනයනවල ප‍්‍රතිශතයක් ලෙස ද, පහත වැටී තිබේ. නිදහස ලැබුණු වකවානුවේ දී, වර්තමානයට වඩා ඉහළ ගෝලීය වෙළදපොළ කොටසක් අත්කර ගැනීමට ශී‍්‍ර ලංකාවට හැකිව තිබුණි. මෙම අධ්‍යනය ශී‍්‍ර ලංකාව මෙතෙක් කල් මුහුණපා ඇති බාධක මැඩපැවැත්වීමට සහයෝගයක් ලබාදිය හැකි ප‍්‍රතිපත්ති යෝජනා හදුනාගැනීමට දරණ ප‍්‍රයත්නයකි.  

ඉලෙක්ට්‍රොනික අත්සන් සහිත ඉලෙක්ට්‍රොනික ලේඛන පිළිගැනීම

Maintaining Democratic Space in the Public Sphere: A Strategy for Sri Lankan Civil Society

Over the years, the nature and extent of civil society space has been determined by the policies and ideologies dominant in the political sphere. Accordingly, transitions of power have been accompanied by radical transformations of civil society space. In this context, a critical question arises: is it possible for CSOs advancing liberal and democratic ends to maintain their space notwithstanding political transitions? Verité’s recent study sought to identify the driving factors that determine the sustainability of democratic space within which CSOs operate in Sri Lanka, and present a strategic view on how this space can be sustainably maintained and expanded in the future, notwithstanding political transitions.

Expanding Exports: Relevance of Export Finance (Tamil Edition)

This study examines the status of the export finance market in Sri Lanka and identifies the key limitations that prevent export finance from playing a proactive role in promoting exports. It reveals that the access, availability and diversity of export finance in Sri Lanka is limited and the few export finance solutions that are available remain weak and under-utilised. Export finance solutions reduce the risks faced by exporters such as country and commercial risks, encourage diversification into developing country markets, helps SMEs manage short term cash flow issues and allows exporters to attract buyers by offering better payment terms. By doing so, export finance can help promote exports.

Expanding Exports : Relevance of Export Finance

This study examines the status of the export finance market in Sri Lanka and identifies the key limitations that prevent export finance from playing a proactive role in promoting exports. It reveals that the access, availability and diversity of export finance in Sri Lanka is limited and the few export finance solutions that are available remain weak and under-utilised. Export finance solutions reduce the risks faced by exporters such as country and commercial risks, encourage diversification into developing country markets, helps SMEs manage short term cash flow issues and allows exporters to attract buyers by offering better payment terms. By doing so, export finance can help promote exports.

Presidential election 2015

Anticipation of voter behaviour in the 2015 presidential election can be informed by the evolution of voter trends in previous elections. Analysis of election results in Uva over the last decade suggests that the war and war-victory created a deviation in voting patterns among UNP supporters. In the opportunities to vote in the early aftermath of the war-victory, a section of the UNP might have been persuaded to cast a ‘gratitude vote’ for the UFPA, especially President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The numbers suggest that in later elections the same voter might have decided to abstain (become a ‘sleeper’) thus making the UNP seem uncompetitive in electoral contests, even while the UPFAs’ vote share ebbed. The 2014 Provincial Council election in Uva signals a return from that deviation towards normal competitive politics.