Verité in the News

    High protection betrays uncompetitiveness of Sri Lankan industry
    by |10 October 2018|Verité in the News
    ECONOMYNEXT - Prohibitive import tariffs that protect domestic industry from competition are an indication of the inefficiency of local companies, Subhashini Abeysinghe, Research Director at think-tank Verité Research said. Higher import taxes signal higher domestic prices compared to import prices,...
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    Sri Lanka needs to generate public support for trade reform
    by |09 October 2018|Verité in the News
    ECONOMYNEXT - Sri Lanka needs to convince the public about the benefits of trade so they could prod politicians to make the reforms to reduce living costs and companies more competitive, panelists at a World Bank forum said. The general...
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    Corrupt bureaucrats, uncompetitive local industries blocking trade liberalisation
    by |09 October 2018|Verité in the News
    By Nishel Fernando The largely uncompetitive local industries and corrupt bureaucrats are exploiting the public perception to delay trade liberalisation and the necessary reforms for their personal gains, as the government and academics have so far failed to engage the...
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    Digitisation and transparency
    by |02 October 2018|Verité in the News
    As the Government moves to increase transparency through a wider digitisation strategy it is important that this measure is linked to crucial economic frameworks such as the Budget process. Budget 2019 is currently being formulated by the Finance Ministry and...
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    Rethinking the rupee crisis 
    by |27 September 2018|Verité in the News
    The call by the Government to reduce imports as an effort to counter the impact of Sri Lanka’s fast depreciating rupee was met with disdain by many members of the public. This is largely because an import contraction is seen...
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    Right to Information: A journey from secrecy to openness
    by |25 September 2018|Verité in the News
    BY AANYA WIPULASENA AND RAJITHA JAGODA ARACHCHI Eighteen months in operation, Sri Lanka’s Right to Information law is empowering citizens all over the island – from newsrooms to tiny village hamlets. Bolstered by a powerful and public-oriented Commission set up...
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    Sri Lanka’s RTI report card: fair, but can be better
    by |25 September 2018|Verité in the News
    The International Day for the Universal Access to Information (also known as the World Right to Know Day) is observed every year on September 28. This provides Sri Lanka an opportunity to take stock of how its Right to Information...
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    The battle against homophobia in Sri Lanka
    by |25 September 2018|Verité in the News
    BY AANYA WIPULASENA As LGBT communities in India celebrate the decriminalisation of same-sex relationships in the world’s largest democracy, the grim reality is that Sri Lanka has a long way to go, and news-creators and opinion shapers may be part...
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    Online Govt. trade portal set to fail if structural problems go unchecked: Leading researcher
    by |25 September 2018|Verité in the News
    By Madushka Balasuriya In July this year, Sri Lanka made one of the most progressive steps in its trade history when it launched the Sri Lanka Trade Information Portal (SLTIP). An initiative by the Department of Commerce, in collaboration with...
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    Sri Lanka’s regulations, multiple state agencies blocking progress
    by |18 September 2018|Verité in the News
    ECONOMYNEXT - Sri Lanka's multiple ministries and agencies and regulations is making it difficult to implement policy and red tape was hindering trade and investment, and reform are required to unlock growth, officials said. "Sri Lanka compared to other emerging...
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