Features
13 MORE EUROPEAN CITIES – PART “B” – Part 52
CONFESSIONS OF A GLOBAL GYPSY
By Dr. Chandana (Chandi) Jayawardena DPhil
President – Chandi J. Associates Inc. Consulting, Canada
Founder & Administrator – Global Hospitality Forum
chandij@sympatico.ca
Continuing from narrations of travels to six cities; Ostend, Brussels, Amsterdam, Hamburg,
Flensburg and Aabenraa on ‘13 More European cities – Part A’, published on last Sunday…
7.Essen
We reached Essen late in the evening. Our friend Marta Duchstein came to pick us up with her nephew. As her eyesight had deteriorated since we last saw her in Sri Lanka at Hotel Swanee two years previously, she had stopped driving. She was the most popular and respected long stay guest of the first hotel I managed. She was like a mother to all of us. During our two-day stay in her home, Martha was an excellent host. “Please relax, my friends, treat this as your own home. Chandi, wear a sarong as you do at your home in Colombo!” Martha ordered and I obeyed, making her laugh.
Essen was famous for coal mining and steel production. It had remained a small town until the onset of industrialization. The city then became one of Germany’s most important coal and steel centres. Essen, until the 1970s, attracted workers from all over West Germany. In 1982, it was the fifth-largest city in West Germany, but the population of around 650,000 was gradually declining, due to changes in the industries and economy.
Museum Folkwang with a major collection of 19th and 20th century art was a well-worth visit. The Deutsches Plakat Museum (German Poster Museum) with thousands of interesting posters from the fields of politics, business and culture, had the largest collection of its kind in Europe. After the usual three-hour city tour, we were able to get a quick impression of the history, architecture and culture of Essen.
8.Cologne
We reached Cologne (Köln) within an hour from Essen. There were around 80 trains per day between these two major German cities. One of my batchmates from the Ceylon Hotel School (CHS), Chris Isaac, picked us up from the station and took us to his house for a two-day stay.
Chris was working as an accountant for Hotel Köln InterContinental. In the evening, another CHS graduate living in Cologne, Nihal Mahawaduge, joined us for dinner. It was nice to meet their German wives and infant sons. As I had not seen Chris and Nihal since we graduated from CHS, seven years previously, I was very pleased to get up to date with them. We had a marathon chat after dinner with a lot of laughter, in the tradition of CHS hostel. We called it GK or ‘Gon Kaiya’ (Bull Chat).
The next day, we did a long tour of the city, with a population of nearly one million. Cologne, a 2,000-year-old city spanning the Rhine River is the region’s cultural hub. Over the centuries, Cologne had undergone occupations by the Roman, French and the British, and in between, had been a part of the German kingdom of Prussia.
Cologne has an impressive collection of 30 museums and hundreds of galleries. Exhibitions range from local, ancient Roman archaeological sites to contemporary graphics and sculpture. A landmark of High Gothic architecture located in the reconstructed old town, the twin-spired Cologne Cathedral is also known for its gilded, medieval reliquary and sweeping river views. The adjacent Museum Ludwig showcases 20th-century art, including many masterpieces by Picasso.
9.Luxembourg City
We left our friend’s home in Cologne to catch an early train to Luxembourg which was a four-hour journey. Having recently visited the Netherlands and Belgium, our visit to Luxembourg completed the three-country Benelux Union. With a population of only 365,000, Luxembourg is a small, land-locked country, surrounded by Belgium, France and West Germany. It is mostly rural with the dense Ardennes Forest and nature parks in the north, rocky terrain in the east and the Moselle River valley in the southeast.
Its capital, Luxembourg City, is famous for its fortified, medieval old town perched on sheer cliffs. It is one of the four official capitals of the European Union (together with Brussels, Frankfurt, and Strasbourg) and the seat of the Court of Justice or the highest judicial authority of the European Union. This was a short visit. We then had a long, eight-hour train ride to West Germany’s Munich.
10.Munich
It was close to midnight when we arrived in Munich (München). Our friends, Angelika and Gerhard were happy to see us. It had been two years since they last visited us in Sri Lanka. Angelika worked as a flight attendant for Lufthansa airline and Gerhard had a busy practice as a corporate lawyer. In 1982, Munich had a population of 1.3 million and was the second largest city in West Germany after Hamburg.
Next morning, Angelika played the role of our personal tour guide. Munich, Bavaria’s capital since 1506, is home to centuries-old buildings and numerous museums. During the 16th century, Munich was a centre of the German Counter-Reformation (the Catholic Revival) and the renaissance arts. The city is also famous for its annual Oktoberfest celebration and its beer halls, including the famed Hofbräuhaus – known as the world`s most famous tavern, founded in 1589. In the old town, central Marienplatz square contains landmarks such as the Neo-Gothic town hall.
After the Nazis took control in Germany in 1933, Munich was declared their ‘Capital of the Movement’. The city was heavily bombed during the Second World War, but it has restored most of its traditional cityscape. In 1949, when the post-war American occupation ended, there was a great increase in population and economic growth during the years of ‘economic miracle’.
The city became world famous when it hosted the 1972 Summer Olympics, and co-hosted the 1974 FIFA World Cup games. Like many people around the world, I was shocked in 1972 by the bloody massacres during the Summer Olympics carried out by eight members of a Palestinian terrorist group. Therefore, I insisted that Angelika kindly included 1972 Olympic grounds in our tour itinerary. After spending a memorable two nights with our friends in Munich, we took a train to Austria.
11.Vienna
The train journey between Munich and Vienna was four hours. Our dear friends, Biggi and Wolfgang Fernau had taken three days off to host us. Biggi was a beauty consultant for the Estée Lauder Companies and Wolfgang was an engineer running his own one-man lucrative business specializing in repairs to historic buildings. They both managed to have a good balance of work and leisure. They were world travellers and inspired me to do the same. Because of our friendship with them and the rich history and culture, Vienna soon became one of our favourite cities in the world. In 1982, 1985 and 1990 we spent three great holidays in Vienna. Biggi and Wolfgang stayed in our houses in Colombo and London on four occasions.
In 1982, out of the total Austrian population of 7.5 million, 20% or 1.5 million lived in Vienna. Life in Vienna is immersed in culture and the arts. It has a strong heritage for producing exceptional classical music and theatre. The city is associated with some of the most monumental characters of the world of classical music and visual art: Mozart, Beethoven and Klimt, to name but a few. About infamous Viennese, Adolf Hitler who was born in Austria-Hungary, had spent a few years in Vienna before moving to Germany in 1913. Hitler, who was a painter, had produced hundreds of works and sold his paintings and postcards to try to earn a living during his Vienna years.
Vienna has incredible museums and music venues, including the Vienna State Opera House, where thousands of visitors flock each year to be entertained by world-class musical performances. Another key feature contributing to the city’s well-being is the coffee culture. Viennese coffee houses are institutions, loved by locals and tourists alike for providing a space to discuss the day’s events in a relaxed and quaint environment. Frequented by intellectuals, artists and philosophers during the 19th century, they have developed a reputation for being cultural hubs where great minds gather and share concepts, ideas and creations.
Our most impressive stop in Vienna was visiting Schönbrunn (meaning ‘beautiful spring’) Palace. This 1,441-room palace is one of the most important architectural, cultural, and historical monuments in Austria. It was the main summer residence of the Habsburg Austrian dynasty, which was once one of the most prominent royal houses of Europe. The history of the palace and its vast gardens spans over 300 years, reflecting the changing tastes, interests, and aspirations of successive Habsburg monarchs. It has been a major tourist attraction since the mid-1950s.
12.Salzburg
After three full days of activities and fun, we left Vienna. Biggi and Wolfgang made us promise that our next trip should be for at least a week, a promise we happily kept. We spent two and half hours travelling by train from Vienna to the fourth-largest city in Austria, Salzburg. We both were big fans of ‘Sound of Music’, which became the most popular movie of all time in the world in 1965. As most scenes of this classic movie based on Broadway play Rodgers and Hammerstein, were filmed in Salzburg, we decided to spend a day in this beautiful, small city of 140,000 residents. In addition to the Sound of Music tour, the other main attraction of Salzburg was being the city of Mozart.
Our next train trip was from Salzburg to Paris. By then, we were convinced that travelling by train was a great way to experience Europe, but we had never spent a full night in a train before. We took a slow, night train and slept in berths with shower and room service. We arrived in Paris in the morning after nearly a 12-hour train ride. As we had a little extra time, we decided that Paris was worth a third visit during this trip. We did some walking in areas we missed during the last visit two months previously. Paris looked even more romantic in the spring compared to the winter.
13.Boulogne Sur Mer
The train from Paris to Boulogne-sur-Mer took over three hours. This small waterfront city had a population of around 50,000. As an ancient town, it was the major Roman port for trade and communication with its Province of Britain. Boulogne-sur-Mer is a city, known as a major fishing port, on the north coast of France. It had a huge aquarium with thousands of marine species. In the fortified old town, the Castle Museum was within a 13th-century chateau. After a seafood dinner in a rustic waterfront restaurant, we left for Calais to catch our short ferry to Dover and then a train to London. The next day, we flew from London to Colombo.
Ending the three-month trip to 12 Countries
Returning to Sri Lanka after three months ended my third overseas trip which was the longest. We timed our return just before the biggest annual celebration and family get together in Sri Lanka, the traditional New Year on April 13, 1982. In spite of being very tired, we were eager to share our adventurous, travel stories in detail with our families.
Jokingly, we made a big ‘END’ sign with postcards collected from most of the 51 cities I visited in 12 European countries during the memorable winter of 1982. The trip was certainly fun, but needed lots of planning. Travelling with Sri Lankan passports, it meant that visas were required for most of the countries. Therefore, to overcome difficulties, I had to plan well in advance to obtain visas from various embassies in Colombo and London.
Replicating something my father did after his many international trips, I mounted a world map in our study, and marked the 17 countries I had visited up to that point. As a reminder to myself, on the back of that world map, I wrote ’83 more to reach my target of 100 countries! ? Chandi J. 1982-4-12’. Forty years later, I am still slightly short of reaching that ambitious global travel target I set for myself when I was a young man with limited resources in Sri Lanka.
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
