Features
British troops in Panadura and going to work in shorts
Excerpted from A Cabinet Secretary’s Memoirs by BP Peiris
The next incident I can remember is a matter of a two-line by-law sent by Davidson, Assistant Government Agent, Matara, which said “The part of the… D.R.C. road lying between the first and the second mile posts is hereby prohibited for lorry traffic over three tons in weight.” I amended the draft to read “No lorry weighing over three tons shall be driven over that portion of the… District Road Committee road which lies between the first and the second mile post on that road.” Davidson took offence at my correcting his draft and inquired why his draft had been amended.
I argued with Mervyn that “that portion” was better than the “part” and that generally my draft was better than Davidson’s. Mervyn agreed with me and wrote accordingly to Davidson. Soon afterwards, a four-paged letter was received from Davidson, citing Fowler’s Modern English Usage, and asking for a full report on the reasons for the amendments. Mervyn was angry. He wrote back to say that his assistant who revised the by-law was far too busy with drafting and had no time to be writing reports on the reasons for the amendments, and that he was not prepared to give a full report or any report other than the report he had already given stating that the draft was in due form as amended in red ink.
He added, that if Davidson would call by appointment at the Chambers of his assistant, the reasons would be orally explained to him. He also added, “You must not be so sensitive as to feel that when your draft is amended in this office, it is a reflection on your capacity to write good English.” Davidson never came to see me.
In 1936, three years after I joined the Public Service, came the Second World War with the necessary influx of allied troops and troop ships and all the evils always associated with war. There was rationing and a shortage of essential commodities, hoarding and black-marketing, rapid money-making by some, the downfall of others as a result of the appointment of the Custodian of Enemy Property, the return of pensioned prostitutes, the WRENS, WAAFS and their male counterparts, the blackout, uncertainty, tension…
It was all there for anyone who wished to see. The ordinary man’s feeling was that the order of the day was, as Charlie Chaplin said in his film “The Dictator”, Tightenden belten! A Commander-in-Chief assumed office, and the Governor became responsible only for the Civil Administration.
It was, as the newspapers said, a phoney war, but our Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Geoffrey Layton was getting the country prepared. Emergency Regulations, drafted by Mervyn and Villavarayan were being turned out of the Government Press faster than ham came sliced out of a machine. Then, one day, Ceylon woke up. On Easter Sunday, the Japanese air-arm dropped some bombs over the Fort of Colombo.
A few days later, they dropped a couple of bombs over Trincomalee. The damage was slight, but the people panicked. Most of those who could afford it left for the hills with their children. Those who could not, parked with friends out of the danger zone.
There was a British Volunteer Brigade stationed at Panadura. The Brigade was a mixed crowd consisting of surveyors, engine drivers, carpenters, London taxi drivers etc. The Officer Commanding, Major… was a King’s Counsel and a snob. There were also a Captain and Lieutenant, both decent men. I once invited the Captain, his junior officer and twenty men (I did not invite the snob) to my house for drinks and a singsong from six to nine p.m. They arrived sharp on time, marching in formation.
Following them came a military van with an enormous crate of N.A.A.F.I. beer. It was the first time that they had been invited by a householder in the town. I had a little gin and whisky and plenty of arrack. Everyone, including the officers, preferred the arrack, and the beer was untouched. With a shortage of servants, my guests had to help themselves, and I laid the drinks out in my small study which could accommodate comfortably only about six at a time. I accompanied each group in until they knew the ropes.
One of them, who looked a typical London taxi driver, saw a picture on my study wall and exclaimed, “Blimey! That’s Lincoln’s Inn.” I inquired whether he was a member of the Inn, and he said, “Lord, no Governor, I’m a taxi driver and know the place well.”
There was good singing and tap-dancing with hobnailed boots on my polished floor. The Captain looked worried and asked me whether his men were not spoiling my floor. I suggested that the boys be allowed to enjoy themselves. At a quarter to nine, the captain gave the order, “Last three songs.” When I inquired why he was bringing my party, which everybody was enjoying, to a sudden end, he said, “Your orders, Sir”.
I asked them to continue for another half-hour. At 9. 30 sharp, there were salutes from the men, handshakes from the two officers, and they were gone after one of the finest evenings I have had. They left for me the unused crate of beer. I remembered a Defence Regulation which penalized the possession, by private persons, of stores intended for the fighting forces.
Early the next morning, there were two of the men on my doorstep saluting me and saying “Good morning, Sir. Captain’s orders, Sir. Sent us to clean and polish your floor, Sir.” My wife gave them a cup of tea instead.
In view of the necessity to tightenden belten in all respects, Governor Caldecott made an order prescribing a new dress for public servants—long trousers and shirt without a tie, or shorts and shirt; no coat need be worn. I avidly seized this opportunity of being able to come to work in the sensible dress and be comfortable during my daily journey by train from Panadura to Colombo and back. The day after the Governor’s order was given publicity in the press, I came to work in khaki shorts and an open shirt.
The lawyers were particular about their striped trouser and black coats and Hultsdorp was surprised to see me in the new attire. A few days later, Mervyn sent for me. When he saw me, there was a look of horror in his face. It was obvious that he did not approve of the dress prescribed by the Governor in a case where the public servant concerned was a lawyer. He mentioned the matter to Sir Robert Drayton, Legal Secretary, who had expressed the view, which Mervyn conveyed to me, that shorts were the last thing a lawyer ought to be seen in while at work. As the Legal Secretary could not countermand the Governor’s order, I continued to wear shorts for the duration of the war and, I am sure, incurred Drayton’s displeasure.
Drayton had been Legal Draftsman of Palestine and, soon after he assumed duties as Legal Secretary of Ceylon, Mervyn took all his assistants with him to listen to a talk by Drayton on legislative drafting. The talk was interesting and instructive. Sir Robert, who was a heavy smoker, passed his enormous cigarette case round the table. Smoking before a superior officer, if one was a smoker, was the normal practice in Hultsdorp. The Civil Servants never did it. For example, a Class 11 man never smoked in the presence of a Class I officer, and a Class I Officer would not have dared to smoke in the presence of the Chief Secretary.
This struck me forcibly during a conference at the Secretariat in wartime. Drayton, who was in the Colonial Legal Service had been transferred as Chief Secretary, a rather unusual appointment for a lawyer and a draftsman, and had been succeeded by Nihill. The Conference was about the territorial waters of Ceylon and was attended by Nihill and myself, top army, navy and air force officers and top civil servants. Drayton presided. Sir Robert had, at that time, given up smoking as he had some trouble in his throat. Nihill was a smoker but never appeared to have his own cigarettes.
After some time, I asked Drayton whether I had his permission to smoke, permission which was readily granted with apologies that he was sorry that he had none to offer. I lit up and Nihill promptly borrowed one from me and continued to do so during the conference. Not one Civil Servant smoked while he Chief Secretary was in the Chair. As we left the conference room one of the Civil Servants offered me a cigarette and lit one himself.
C. L. Wickremesinghe, then Land Commissioner and a Class I Civil Servant came one day to see Mervyn Fonseka over some draft legislation. Mervyn asked Harry Wendt, an Assistant, to come with the relevant file and Harry came with the file and his tin of cigarettes and, during the ensuing discussion, kept puffing away as he was a heavy smoker. It was a shock to the senior Civil Servant to learn that in Hultsdorp, an assistant was permitted to smoke in the presence of his Head, nay, that he indulged in this practice almost as a matter of right.
On another occasion when Percy de Silva, another assistant, was sent for when another very senior Civil Servant was present, he came with his cigarettes and matches, his pipe and his tin of tobacco and placed them all on the boss’s table. The news soon spread in Civil Service circles, of the utter indiscipline and disrespect for seniority prevailing in Hultsdorp.
In 1924, with the appointment of E. G. P. Jayatilleka to the Bench, the post of Attorney-General fell vacant. Governor Caldecott offered the vacancy to Mervyn. At this time, M. W. H. de Silva, a good friend of Mervyn’s and the older of the two, was Solicitor-General. M. W. H. told Mervyn that if he accepted, he would be appointed, and would thereby, by reason of age and precedence, shut M.W.H. out of future promotions. He requested Mervyn to stand down, which he did.
He informed the Governor that he was willing to accept the post of Solicitor-General under M. W. H. as Attorney – General Mervyn showed me the letter written to him by Caldecott in his own hand informing him that he would be appointed Solicitor-General (“under protest” underlined three times and followed by three exclamation marks). I am not aware of any other case in the public service where one man has stood down for another, on grounds of age and friendship, in the matter of appointment to such high office.
Mervyn was accordingly appointed Solicitor-General and took silk. He had been admitted as an advocate in 1928 and, five years later, was appointed Legal Draftsman. His knowledge of the law and devotion to duty were so greatly appreciated that he was appointed to act as Legal Secretary when Drayton moved over as Chief Secretary. He died in 1946 at the early age of forty-nine.
His Excellency the Governor made the following minute:
“His Excellency the Governor desires to place on record his deep regret at the death of Mr J. Mervyn Fonseka, OBE., K.C., Solicitor-General. Mr Fonseka’s services under the Ceylon Government extended over a period of 19 years and was characterized by able and conscientious devotion to duty. At the time of his death, he held the highly important office of Solicitor-General in the Island of Ceylon and had performed the duties of that office with marked ability. His death is deplored by his colleagues and by his numerous friends throughout the Island.”
In the Supreme Court, tributes were paid to him. Basnayake, the Attorney-General, addressing the Judges, said that Mr Fonseka’s early death had removed from their ranks an outstanding personality and created a void which could not be filled. Like many distinguished members of the Bar, Mr Fonseka had shown great promise both in his academic and professional studies. There was no prize which was worthy, no distinction which was coveted, that he did not win for himself. The profession of teaching attracted him first, but that was only for a time till he qualified for the Bar with its glittering rewards.
Early in his professional career, he entered the service of the Crown. His rise was rapid. He successfully held the offices of Crown. Counsel, Assistant to the Attorney-General, Assistant Legal Draftsman, Legal Draftsman, Acting Legal Secretary, Solicitor-General and Acting Attorney-General. Had death not intervened, and so suddenly and so early removed him, he would undoubtedly have attained the highest judicial office in the Island.
The Attorney-General continued: Mr Fonseka had a lofty sense of duty and intense loyalty. His burning zeal for work was the despair of his colleagues who strained every nerve at times to keep pace with him. In the field of drafting, he excelled. The care with which draft legislation was prepared, the precision and perfection of his work, were known to every legislator since the reforms. He organized and reared a new department, the destinies of which he guided for eight years.
Those eight years were the busiest and most strenuous of the 24 of his professional life. He had made a worthy and lasting contribution to legislative drafting in this Island. Not only had he improved the standard and style of Ceylon enactments but he had also trained a band of brilliant young men in the technique of legislative drafting. His work in that sphere would remain a monument to him more permanent than marble or bronze.
In the period of the war, he toiled night and day to meet the imperious demands for urgently needed legislation. Although His Majesty did not fail to recognize his work, the stress of labours made itself felt and, since 1943, each succeeding year indicated that he had over-strained his constitution. Mr Fonseka’s outside interests had a wide and varied range. Music, literature, the classics, radio, chronometers were but a few. His love for music was great and his home became the Mecca of music-lovers. Mervyn Fonseka is no more, but the high ideals which he cherished and practised will serve as an inspiration for generations to come.
Sir John Howard, Chief Justice replied: Mr Fonseka’s record of achievements spoke for itself. He had a wide and extensive knowledge of every branch and every system of law. In the application of that knowledge, he did not adopt any ultra legalistic pedantry, but brought to bear a common sense point of view. Apart from Mr Fonseka’s legal knowledge, he was a brilliant scholar and a very well-read man.
It was sad to reflect at a time like this, when Ceylon was about to embark on a new order, that by Mervyn’s death, she would be deprived of one of her most brilliant sons at an early age and one so well fitted to guide her future destinies.
At a time like this, when Mervyn has passed to the other side, I prefer myself to dwell not so much on his record of achievements but on Mervyn as a colleague and a friend. For several years I was associated with him when I was Legal Draftsman. During that time, I incurred a debt of gratitude which can never be paid. He was a most loyal and devoted colleague. I think myself, that if he had devoted a little less time to his work, if he had been a less devoted public servant and given more care to his physical health, it is possible that he would have been with us today and going on from height to height till he reached that pinnacle to which the legal people can rise in Ceylon.
All his Assistants loved him and we carried the coffin to his grave. It would be impertinence on my part to add to what the Attorney-General and the Chief Justice said. Suffice it to say that if I have been efficient as a public servant, my efficiency has been due to the very thorough training I received under Choksy and Mervyn. He will always be in my memory.
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 . )
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