The Role of Government in Mal-governed States
What role should citizens expect a government to play in public life? The theoretical case for state intervention in the economy in the public finance discourse is based on an unstated assumption:…
Author: Ravi Ratnasabapathy
Combatting the Cult of ISIS
It now seems clear that the attacks on Easter Sunday were carried out by local radicals, under the aegis of foreign fundamentalists. The problem is contained in that there is little support…
Sri Lanka’s political system: A Failure of Governance
This essay examines failures of governance in Sri Lanka. Although discussed within the context of State Owned Enterprises (SOE), they affect many other aspects of public life. The weaknesses in the governance…
Questions of Freedom: Problems in Sri Lanka’s Constitution, Laws and Institutions
Citizens of Sri Lanka should heed this warning to the framers of the US constitution. The Sri Lankan Presidency was, until recently, a fixed executive, not dependent or answerable to parliament and…
The re-nationalisation of SriLankan Airlines and the follies of State enterprise
A couple of weeks ago, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe announced that the debts of SriLankan Airlines, amounting to a mammoth US$ 3.2 billion, will have to borne by the taxpayer. He said…