The Asia Foundation

This publication is intended to serve as a guide to clarify services provided by the Provincial Councils in Sri Lanka. It provides a detailed outline of the legalities, eligibility, fees, application process, timeline and resources available...

This publication is intended to serve as a guide to clarify services provided by the Provincial Councils in Sri Lanka. It provides a detailed outline of the legalities, eligibility, fees, application process, timeline and resources available for a broad range of Council services. The results of a survey sponsored by The Asia Foundation indicated that information of this type was not readily available to the public in a simple and comprehensive manner. This Guide Book seeks to clarify step-by-step what is involved in the payment of turnover tax, or the process of admitting a child to a home for children, for example. It seeks to inform members of the public and business community about the services, authority, and responsibilities of Provincial Councils and their role in improving the conditions for economic growth and creating an enabling environment for small and medium enterprises to flourish in every Provincial Council area of Sri Lanka. The guide book is available in English, Sinhala and Tamil.

(Sinhala) This publication is intended to serve as a guide to clarify services provided by the Provincial Councils in Sri Lanka. It provides a detailed outline of the legalities, eligibility, fees, application process, timeline and resources...

(Sinhala) This publication is intended to serve as a guide to clarify services provided by the Provincial Councils in Sri Lanka. It provides a detailed outline of the legalities, eligibility, fees, application process, timeline and resources available for a broad range of Council services. The results of a survey sponsored by The Asia Foundation indicated that information of this type was not readily available to the public in a simple and comprehensive manner. This Guide Book seeks to clarify step-by-step what is involved in the payment of turnover tax, or the process of admitting a child to a home for children, for example. It seeks to inform members of the public and business community about the services, authority, and responsibilities of Provincial Councils and their role in improving the conditions for economic growth and creating an enabling environment for small and medium enterprises to flourish in every Provincial Council area of Sri Lanka. The guide book is available in English, Sinhala and Tamil.

(Tamil) This publication is intended to serve as a guide to clarify services provided by the Provincial Councils in Sri Lanka. It provides a detailed outline of the legalities, eligibility, fees, application process, timeline and resources...

(Tamil) This publication is intended to serve as a guide to clarify services provided by the Provincial Councils in Sri Lanka. It provides a detailed outline of the legalities, eligibility, fees, application process, timeline and resources available for a broad range of Council services. The results of a survey sponsored by The Asia Foundation indicated that information of this type was not readily available to the public in a simple and comprehensive manner. This Guide Book seeks to clarify step-by-step what is involved in the payment of turnover tax, or the process of admitting a child to a home for children, for example. It seeks to inform members of the public and business community about the services, authority, and responsibilities of Provincial Councils and their role in improving the conditions for economic growth and creating an enabling environment for small and medium enterprises to flourish in every Provincial Council area of Sri Lanka. The guide book is available in English, Sinhala and Tamil.

This study is an assessment of local economic governance and the enabling environment for private enterprise in Sri Lanka's Eastern Province. Good economic governance is of paramount importance to the creation of a dynamic economic environment...

This study is an assessment of local economic governance and the enabling environment for private enterprise in Sri Lanka's Eastern Province. Good economic governance is of paramount importance to the creation of a dynamic economic environment and sustained growth. For Sri Lanka's Eastern Province, which has been affected by civil war for over two decades, the creation of such an environment is critical to its recovery. The Asia Foundation's (The Foundation's) approach to fostering effective economic governance in Asia is grounded in recognition of the private sector as the engine for economic growth. However, private sector activity is often constrained by a wide range of institutional obstacles. To address the constraints to private sector growth, the Foundation has developed specialized tools to measure the quality of local economic governance in a country and to engage with both public and private sector actors on policy reform.

From March to April 2008, The Asia Foundation conducted a qualitative assessment of local economic governance in Sri Lanka's Eastern Province. This Policy Brief presents the assessment's main findings and resulting policy implications. Local...

From March to April 2008, The Asia Foundation conducted a qualitative assessment of local economic governance in Sri Lanka's Eastern Province. This Policy Brief presents the assessment's main findings and resulting policy implications. Local economic policies and the conduct of local government officials shape the enabling environment for private sector dynamism and sustained economic growth. In Sri Lanka's Eastern Province, which has been affected by civil war for over two decades, economic growth is particularly critical to its recovery. The overall purpose of this assessment was therefore to provide local government officials, the business community, and the general public with relevant information about major impediments in the business environment in the Eastern Province as a starting point for policy discussions and reform.

Speech by The Asia Foundation's President and CEO, Doug Bereuter, presented at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs & East Asia Institute Workshop: "Implications of the Financial Crisis on American, Chinese, South Korean, and Japanese...

Speech by The Asia Foundation's President and CEO, Doug Bereuter, presented at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs & East Asia Institute Workshop: "Implications of the Financial Crisis on American, Chinese, South Korean, and Japanese Soft Power in East Asia" in Chicago, Illinois on October 23, 2009.

The Asia Foundation's Books for Asia program is seeking law books from American law firms, legal libraries, and legal publishers. This list illustrates examples of the types of books that will be most useful to donate to libraries of...

The Asia Foundation's Books for Asia program is seeking law books from American law firms, legal libraries, and legal publishers. This list illustrates examples of the types of books that will be most useful to donate to libraries of institutions involved in legal reform in 18 countries, from Afghanistan to Vietnam.

The Government of Timor-Leste faces many challenges in providing access to justice for its citizens. Individuals’ attempts to exercise fundamental rights through traditional dispute resolution mechanisms or through the nascent formal...

The Government of Timor-Leste faces many challenges in providing access to justice for its citizens. Individuals’ attempts to exercise fundamental rights through traditional dispute resolution mechanisms or through the nascent formal justice sector often fail due to limited financial resources, low awareness of options, and geographic isolation. Through the USAID funded Access to Justice Program, The Asia Foundation aims to bridge those gaps for vulnerable groups by funding pro bono legal aid services; supporting enhanced mediation services; increasing expertise to meet the particular justice needs of women; and increasing awareness of laws and legal procedures vital to securing livelihoods for vulnerable groups.

A key threat to Mongolia’s economic growth and democratic governance is corruption. As mineral wealth accrues and the government works to regulate the industry, the potential for corruption increases. Corruption is pervasive in...

A key threat to Mongolia’s economic growth and democratic governance is corruption. As mineral wealth accrues and the government works to regulate the industry, the potential for corruption increases. Corruption is pervasive in Mongolia. A rapid transition to democracy and a market economy created huge demands on a bureaucracy that lacks the resources and checks,and balances to prevent corruption.

In Mongolia, trafficking in persons for commercial and sexual exploitation is on the rise, though relatively few cases have been tried, and fewer perpetrators convicted. Law enforcement and judicial officials face daunting challenges in...

In Mongolia, trafficking in persons for commercial and sexual exploitation is on the rise, though relatively few cases have been tried, and fewer perpetrators convicted. Law enforcement and judicial officials face daunting challenges in their efforts to investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate human trafficking cases. Though Mongolian anti-trafficking statutes were significantly strengthened in early 2008, weaknesses remain in the interpretation and implementation of the legal code.