Hmm…presume this was the modus operandi even in Sri Lanka for previous government to consider a tariff of usd 8.3 cents in Mannar at scale when it should have been 50 percent of this under a competitive tender

China and the very very distant rest

China is championing battery electric vehicle sales, having accounted for 57 percent of global BEV registrations in the first quarter of 2025. This successful level of adoption is largely due to the affordability of its cars.

Currently, the largest component of our foreign direct investment (FDI) comes from existing investors—under the BPM6 methodology, retained earnings of foreign firms already operating here are classified as FDI, making this the single biggest contributor. The lowest-hanging fruit

A particularly egregious abuse of these incentives is the practice of setting up trading firms within the Port City that merely act as conduits for import or export transactions conducted by firms located outside the zone. These entities often have minimal real operations or

Fiscal incentives can create significant distortions in the marketplace. A clear example is the treatment of Authorized Businesses (the business has to pay taxes) within the Colombo Port City, which are permitted to pay employees in foreign currency and enjoy full exemptions from

One of the most egregious tax concessions in recent memory was granted to the West Terminal project—on the eve of Sri Lanka's 17th IMF program. It was a textbook example of a double violation: the project was not subject to competitive tender, and yet it was awarded a 25-year tax

Sri Lanka’s past fiscal policy was disastrous, particularly the unchecked granting of tax incentives by the BOI without rigorous fiscal analysis or proper oversight. As noted in the IMF Governance Diagnostic Report, many of these incentives were issued without sign-off from the

Investing in better infrastructure funded by tax revenues is one way to improve economic returns. For example, constructing a pier or small terminal in the sheltered waters of Mannar would allow direct unloading of wind turbine blades—often over 65 meters in length—rather than

The Net Present Value (NPV) framework is a widely used tool in investment appraisal, grounded in the principle that investors seek returns commensurate with the risks they assume. The key inputs to the NPV model are expected cash inflows and outflows, their timing, and the degree

A UNIDO study conducted over a decade ago found that fiscal incentives were not a primary concern for investors. Instead, factors such as economic and political stability, market size, and access to infrastructure were far more influential in investment decisions. See image.

This is plain wrong - let me explain. IMF restrictions on tax exemptions stand in the way of attracting FDIs - Breaking News | Daily Mirror

This is happening 275 km away from Colombo. How can we plug into this opportunity. Historic port to future hub: Thoothukudi's giant leap for global reach

Liberia was founded by freed American slaves - that where its name comes from

We’ve also seen political appointees with no diplomatic credentials being sent as ambassadors—some of them outright embarrassments. Given that ambassadors are granted plenipotentiary powers to represent the state, shouldn’t their appointments be subject to approval by the

Anjani Sinha, Trump's pick for ambassador to Singapore, struggles at Sen... https://t.co/nsTA8vvjnI via @YouTube

Sticking with the IMF is not going to deprive the masses, continuing with policies that only favor a few 100 hundred families is what deprives relief from being given

The port city law should be immediately amended to stop all tax concessions. The joke of the century is the law allows registration of firms whose employees pay no taxes and can earn in forex provided they export. What a mockery - one can setup a trading company sell to it - the

To fund this increase in social spending all we have to do is sunset all existing tax concessions that are totally unjustifiable - for example 25 year tax holidays for port terminals - look at a map and see how well Sri Lanka is positioned geographically. This is our strategic

Our cash transfer program aswasuma is how relief is to be given to the masses. Last year due to capacity limitation on the part of the government the amount spent was below the minimum spend set by the IMF. This year we seem to be on target. Nevertheless cash transfer are still