Laughter is the best medicine …

In an out-of-the-box approach and instead of the run-of-the-mill repeat of stories that made the headlines in 2016, Business Times writer Alvin Sallay scans the year gone by through stories in the Business Times. His look at events in 2016 laced with sarcastic wit, humour and serious stuff had the Business Editor laughing all the way, while editing this copy. To our readers, enjoy! widely anticipated elevated monorail system and instead opts for a 42-km stretch of light rail to solve the heavy traffic congestion in Colombo. Reason – the light rail is cheaper to maintain and a more cost-effective option.

There was a lot of hot air from GSP+ to Google. GSP+ concessions will only be for seven years if we got it in 2016. This is because Sri Lanka is set to reach upper middle income country status (US$4000 per capita) by the end of 2016. Keep dreaming on all counts. Even the application for GSP+ is still pending. Google, meanwhile, launched its Google Loon balloon over the Central Province, but it emerges later that it is not a platform for free Wi-Fi. It will be free to a certain limit then you will have to reach into your pockets. Residents of Gampola, where the balloon landed, called the police fearful of an ‘Unidentified Flying Object’. They were right for the apparent anomaly they saw was sky-rocketing prices.

The ‘Police’ was also involved when ‘A Message in A Bottle’ landed on the desk of the Business Times - a unique invitation for an event promoting glass as an environmentally cleaner packaging material than plastics. “I’ll send an SOS to the World” sang Sting, an apt message these days. Talking of bottles, there was old wine in a new bottle, with the debate over whether the IndoLanka trade pact ETCA (Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement) would go the way of the former CEPA