Potential of microcredit as a source of finance for development of Sri Lankan biogas industry

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 608-620 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomáš Hes ◽  
Samuel Mintah ◽  
Haiyan Sulaiman ◽  
Tuan Arifeen ◽  
Petr Drbohlav ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Annual Cost ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Microfinance Institutions ◽  
Economic Justification ◽  
Biogas Plants ◽  
Contractual Agreement ◽  
National Technology

The study serves to clarify doubts on the potential of commercial microcredit as a strategic vehicle of implementing of small-scale biogas plants in Sri Lanka, as an alternative to subsidy-based process. The quantified sum of unsubsidized microloan interest born by the biogas users in a modeled situation of maximum potential of the biogas sector financed through microfinance institutions is compared with national technology savings on a macro level. The analysis concludes that an economic justification for the microfinance-fuelled implementation of small-scale biodigesters employing a market-based approach does exist. Annual savings on macroeconomic level surpass the annual cost expressed as a sum of unsubsidized interest. The study furthermore proposes a three-party credit contract, which prevents credit defaults caused by the lack of customary after-sales care by integrating the provision of service providers into a contractual agreement with both the user and the financing source, thus assuming part of credit responsibility.

scholarly journals THE EFFECT OF FERTILIZER SUBSIDY ON PADDY PRODUCTION OF SMALL SCALE FARMERS: SPECIAL REFERENCE IN POLONNARUWA DISTRICTIN SRI LANKA

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-44
Author(s):  
M B Ranathilaka ◽  
I.A.J Imbulana Arachchi
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Living Condition ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Paddy Farmers ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
Paddy Cultivation ◽  
Paddy Yield

Paddy cultivation is major part in rural agriculture sector in Sri Lanka. Majority of rural sector paddy farmers are small-scale producers. According to available data paddy production sector provides livelihood opportunities for large numbers of rural population, provide rice requirement of the nation, provide inputs to other industrial sector etc.To enhance small-scale farmers living condition as well as paddy production, Sri Lankan government promotes paddy farmers to use more fertilizer for their paddy cultivation activities. Therefore, Sri Lankan government provides subsidized fertilizer to enhance both paddy production and paddy yield per acre. Last few decades paddy production and paddy yield per acre data show continues increasing trend. At the same time government expenditure on fertilizer also becomes heavy burden to national budget. There are arguments for and against to fertilizer subsidy program and its practice. This study attempts to study the effect of fertilizer subsidy on paddy production and living condition of small-scale farmers in Polonnaruwa district in Sri Lanka. The data are used to estimate an econometric model to find the relationship between paddy productivity, fertilizer subsidy, agricultural infrastructure facilities and farmers education level. The data were collected from Bubula and Raja-elagama villages in Higurakgoda divisional secretariat in Polonnaruwa district. Structured questioner was used to collect the data from 150 farmers. The results show that there is significant relationship between paddy production and dependent variables named fertilizer subsidy, agricultural infrastructure facilities and farmers education level. Especially fertilizer subsidy and paddy productivity is significant at 5 per cent level and R2 was 0.68. This result shows that government main objective of fertilizer subsidy that improves paddy productivity has been fulfilled. At the same time, household income from paddy has also increased and it has affected their livelihoods. But poor agricultural infrastructural facilities have mitigated farmers’ income. Research results and some empirical evidence have concluded that it is important to find alternative methods to select suitable and needy farmers who are eligible to get fertilizer subsidy because conducting methods of distributing have made many kinds of effects on the efficiency of resource utilization, equity of income distribution as well as government budget. Agricultural infrastructure facilities are very important for making fertilizer subsidy programs more meaningful and to have a significant effect on enhancing paddy farmers’ living conditions.

Sustainability of Business Development Services: Evidence from the Sri Lankan Microfinance Sector

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (01) ◽  
pp. 81-91
Author(s):  
Ruwan Abeysekera
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Business Development ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Microfinance Institutions ◽  
Knowledge Domain ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Bank Regulations ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Study Methodology

This study explores the issues faced by Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) in Sri Lanka in sustaining their business development services (BDS) and the strategies that they use to overcome these issues. A multiple case study methodology was used in the study to conduct an in-depth examination of six microfinance institutions in Sri Lanka. The findings show that MFIs in Sri Lanka face issues such as lack of donor money, central bank regulations, and low client demand for BDS which hinder the financial sustainability of BDS in MFIs. MFIs therefore, employ several strategies to circumvent these issues, including the use of coupon systems, charging a fee from the client, obtaining commission from the buyers for market linkages, and linking credit to the BDS programme in order to sustain their BDS programmes. The findings are useful to microfinance practitioners, policy makers and contribute to the knowledge domain of microfinance.

scholarly journals A Behavioral Study on Leisure Shopping Purchasing in Supermarket Setup

2020 ◽  
pp. 41-51
Author(s):  
Nilanka Madushani ◽  
Shamini Howshigan
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Shopping Behavior ◽  
Retail Sector ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Behavioral Study ◽  
Buying Behavior ◽  
Promotional Activity ◽  
Retail Service ◽  
Leisure Shopping

Asian country retail sector blooming fast. Sri Lankan retail association expected a revolution in the retail sector. Recently Sri Lanka retail sector has been facing huge challenges with technology changes. Customers are more engaging with technology so in this situation, they are more informed toward their purchasing. Retailers use many strategies and tactics to attract customers and enhancing market shares. Most of the retailers have used 4ps strategies (product, price, place, promotions). Apart from those traditional retail strategies, retailers adopt more innovative strategies for getting customers. Recently they have engaged with enhanced retailers display settings, in-store initiatives, online listening strategies with digital marketing, build retail navigation with buzz marketing, enhancing merchandising windows display, and recently most of the retailers using curbside also to explore new retail features to customers.in addition to that retailers maintain good sales staff, using leverage social media like Facebook, Instagram, SMS marketing, email marketing, and online contest and referral retailer marketing and influence retailers' strategies. Sri Lanka retail sector accounts for approx. 34% of the country’s GDP,14% of the employments, and over 250 million. Footfall per annum thus contributing positively toward the national economy. Sri Lankan was ranked 12th in the global retail development index (GRDI). The supermarkets' service providers face competition to attract customers and enhance their shopping behavior, to increase retail market share. Therefore, supermarket service providers should be conscious of the leisure shopping factors affecting shopping behavior. This study aims to investigate the behavioral study of leisure shopping factors (wide choice, Atmosphere, Convenience, Salespeople, Location, promotional activity, merchandising policies) on customers' shopping behavior with regards to the retail industry. The objective of this study is to identify the level, relationship, and impact of leisure shopping factors on customer shopping behavior. This study was based on the customer's perspectives and their experiences with retail service. Data were obtained from a sample of 150 customers, and convenience sampling was used. The descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analysis were used to analyses the data by using SPSS. The results revealed that leisure shopping factors have a significant impact enhance customer purchasing behavior. Same as, leisure shopping factors (wide choice, Atmosphere, Convenience, Salespeople, Location, promotional activity, merchandising policies) impact on customer buying behavior significantly through customer leisure shopping factors. The study contributes to existing Theoretical and practical knowledge by providing evidence regarding the relationship and impact between leisure shopping factors and customer buying behavior. The modern retail service providers, in Sri Lanka; it is growing rapidly with high competition between the service providers. Hence, this research has the potential to contribute to the overall modern retail service providers in terms of how to maintain long-term relationships between the service providers and their customers through the strategies of leisure shopping factors. 

scholarly journals High bycatch rates of manta and devil rays in the “small-scale” artisanal fisheries of Sri Lanka

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11994
Author(s):  
Daniel Fernando ◽  
Joshua D. Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Total Mortality ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Artisanal Fisheries ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Body Sizes ◽  
Catch Rates

Background Expanding fisheries in developing nations like Sri Lanka have a significant impact on threatened marine species such as elasmobranchs. Manta and devil (mobulid) rays have some of the most conservative life history strategies of any elasmobranch, and even low to moderate levels of bycatch from gillnet fisheries may lead to significant population declines. A lack of information on life history, demographics, population trends, and fisheries impacts hinders effective management measures for these species. Method We report on mobulid fishery landings over nine years between 2011 and 2020 across 38 landing sites in Sri Lanka. We collected data on catch numbers, body sizes, sex, and maturity status for five mobulid species. We used a Bayesian state-space model to estimate monthly country-wide catch rates and total annual landings of mobulid rays. We used catch curve analyses to estimate total mortality for Mobula mobular, and evaluated trends in recorded body sizes across the study period for M. mobular, M. birostris, M. tarapacana and M. thurstoni. Results We find that catch rates have declined an order of magnitude for all species across the study period, and that total annual captures of mobulid rays by the Sri Lankan artisanal fishing fleet exceed the estimated annual captures of mobulids in all global, industrial purse seine fisheries combined. Catch curve analyses suggest that M. mobular is being fished at rates far above the species’ intrinsic population growth rate, and the average sizes of all mobulids in the fishery except for M. birostris are declining. Collectively, these findings suggest overfishing of mobulid ray populations in the northern Indian Ocean by Sri Lankan artisanal fisheries. We recommend strengthening the management of these species through improved implementation of CITES, CMS, and regional fisheries management actions. In addition, we report on the demographic characteristics of mobulids landed in Sri Lanka and provide the first record of M. eregoodoo in the country.

The Role of Music and Allied Arts in Public Writings on Cultural Diversity: “People of Sri Lanka”

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 93-100
Author(s):  
Gisa Jähnichen
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
South Asia ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Culturally Different ◽  
The World ◽  
Official Languages ◽  
The Way

The Sri Lankan Ministry of National Coexistence, Dialogue, and Official Languages published the work “People of Sri Lanka” in 2017. In this comprehensive publication, 21 invited Sri Lankan scholars introduced 19 different people’s groups to public readers in English, mainly targeted at a growing number of foreign visitors in need of understanding the cultural diversity Sri Lanka has to offer. This paper will observe the presentation of these different groups of people, the role music and allied arts play in this context. Considering the non-scholarly design of the publication, a discussion of the role of music and allied arts has to be supplemented through additional analyses based on sources mentioned by the 21 participating scholars and their fragmented application of available knowledge. In result, this paper might help improve the way facts about groups of people, the way of grouping people, and the way of presenting these groupings are displayed to the world beyond South Asia. This fieldwork and literature guided investigation should also lead to suggestions for ethical principles in teaching and presenting of culturally different music practices within Sri Lanka, thus adding an example for other case studies.

Blood Pressure values of Sri Lankan Tamils in Jaffna District, Sri Lanka

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 66-71
Author(s):  
Balasubramaniam M ◽  
◽  
Sivapalan K ◽  
Tharsha J ◽  
Sivatharushan V ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Sri Lankan Tamils

scholarly journals Comparison of LPWAN Technologies: Cost Structure and Scalability

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Istiak Hossain ◽  
Jan I. Markendahl
Keyword(s):  
Communication Technology ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Cost Structure ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Area Network ◽  
Wide Area Network ◽  
Generic Framework ◽  
Cost Efficient ◽  
The Cost

AbstractSmall-scale commercial rollouts of Cellular-IoT (C-IoT) networks have started globally since last year. However, among the plethora of low power wide area network (LPWAN) technologies, the cost-effectiveness of C-IoT is not certain for IoT service providers, small and greenfield operators. Today, there is no known public framework for the feasibility analysis of IoT communication technologies. Hence, this paper first presents a generic framework to assess the cost structure of cellular and non-cellular LPWAN technologies. Then, we applied the framework in eight deployment scenarios to analyze the prospect of LPWAN technologies like Sigfox, LoRaWAN, NB-IoT, LTE-M, and EC-GSM. We consider the inter-technology interference impact on LoRaWAN and Sigfox scalability. Our results validate that a large rollout with a single technology is not cost-efficient. Also, our analysis suggests the rollout possibility of an IoT communication Technology may not be linear to cost-efficiency.

scholarly journals Sri Lanka: Physical Reconstruction and Economic Development as Conflict Prevention Factors

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (69) ◽  
pp. 55-76
Author(s):  
Boženko Đevoić
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
External Pressure ◽  
Power Sharing ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Conflict Prevention ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Postconflict Reconstruction ◽  
Post Conflict ◽  
The Government

ABSTRACT This article gives an overview of the 26 year long ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka and examines physical reconstruction and economic development as measures of conflict prevention and postconflict reconstruction. During the years of conflict, the Sri Lankan government performed some conflict prevention measures, but most of them caused counter effects, such as the attempt to provide “demilitarization”, which actually increased militarization on both sides, and “political power sharing” that was never honestly executed. Efforts in post-conflict physical reconstruction and economic development, especially after 2009, demonstrate their positive capacity as well as their conflict sensitivity. Although the Sri Lankan government initially had to be forced by international donors to include conflict sensitivity in its projects, more recently this has changed. The government now practices more conflict sensitivity in its planning and execution of physical reconstruction and economic development projects without external pressure.

Grasping at Straws: Judicial Review of Legislation in Sri Lanka

ICL Journal ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-306
Author(s):  
Danushka S Medawatte
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Transitional Justice ◽  
Judicial Review ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Executive Power ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Legal Literature ◽  
Justice Process ◽  
Provincial Councils ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIn this paper, I attempt to examine the evolution of judicial review of legislation in Sri Lanka with a view to better understanding how it has impacted the democratic fabric and constitutional matrix of Sri Lanka. The impact that judicial review of legislation has had on rights jurisprudence, enhancement of democracy, prevention of persecution against selected groups are analysed in this paper in relation to the Ceylon Constitutional Order in Council of 1946 (‘Soulbury’ Constitution) and the two autochthonous constitutions of Sri Lanka of 1972 and 1978. The first part of the paper comprises of a descriptive analysis of judicial review of legislation under the three Constitutions. This is expected to perform a gap filling function in respect of the lacuna that exists in Sri Lankan legal literature in relation to the assessment of the trends pertaining to judicial review of legislation in Sri Lanka. In the second part of the paper, I have analysed decided cases of Sri Lanka to explore how the judiciary has responded to legislative and executive power, and has given up or maintained judicial independence. In this respect, I have also attempted to explore whether the judiciary has unduly engaged in restraint thereby impeding its own independence. The third part of the paper evaluates the differences in technique and stance the judiciary has adopted when reviewing draft enactments of the national legislature and when reviewing draft or enacted statutes of Provincial Councils. From a comparative constitutional perspective, this assessment is expected to provide the background that is essential in understanding the island nation’s current constitutional discourse, transitional justice process, and its approach to human rights.

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