Fooshya.com: Covid-19 and Tourism: Can domestic travel address the slump in emerging markets?
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Dilshan Wirasekara, CEO, First Capital Holdings
Recovery prospects and external financing options From where can Sri Lanka secure external financing to fund the country’s Covid-19 mitigation and recovery strategies, and which industries are best placed to act as growth engines of the economy in the recovery phase? DILSHAN WIRASEKARA: It would be difficult for Sri Lanka to raise funds through sovereign bonds at current international…
Marc Barnett, CEO, iflix
On changing entertainment consumption patterns amid the Covid-19 pandemic As social-distancing measures lead to increased demand for home entertainment, what strategies can be employed to increase penetration in a sustainable manner? MARC BARNETT: This situation is bigger than our internal business metrics, and I think we have a responsibility and an opportunity to help people through a difficult…
OBG Global CEO survey 2020: Charting the risks and rewards faced by emerging markets
Oxford Business Group (OBG) began its CEO Survey in 2016 with the aim of giving our clients a handle on sentiment in the various markets we cover. Sentiment is of course intangible, but it is an all-important factor in the decisions business people and investors make when they weigh up their risk appetite. In turn, sentiment informs the level of confidence with which they view a market. It is also…
Robert Opp, Chief Digital Officer, UN Development Programme (UNDP)
On reaching sustainable development goals To what extent are sustainability goals tied to the success of a business? ROBERT OPP: Sustainability does not necessarily contrast with long-term profit; however, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have provided a global framework to address this significant challenge. The SDGs are different from anything I have seen in the past. There…
Michael Gorriz, Group Chief Information Officer, Standard Chartered
On how conventional banks are integrating digital solutions How would you assess the potential of digital banking to boost financial inclusion in developing economies? MICHEAL GORRIZ: In Africa, where Standard Chartered opened eight digital banks in 2018-19, the cost to serve is a crucial determining factor when offering banking services. A large part of the continent is underbanked primarily…
The unprecedented move designed to stimulate Sri Lanka’s economyOBGplus
As part of efforts to stimulate the economy, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka has taken the unprecedented step of ordering lenders to reduce their interest rates. On September 24 the institution’s Monetary Board, the country’s primary financial regulator, announced that all commercial banks were to reduce lending rates by a minimum of 200 basis points by October 15. In addition, as of November…
