Features
Expanding and developing Wilpattu National Park, its many attractions
Excerpted from the authorized biography of Thilo Hoffmann by Douglas. B. Ranasinghe
Wilpattu is the largest National Park of Sri Lanka, with extensive parts in both the North Western and North Central Provinces. A large section of the present Park was established as a Game Sanctuary in 1909, and became the Wilpattu National Park in 1938.
Along its periphery were several Intermediate Zones and Sanctuaries, with a lower status of protection. By the mid 1960s Thilo strongly held the view that these were outdated and had to be incorporated into the respective National Parks, if they were not to be lost as conservation areas. Though they were effective buffer zones, in the eyes of most people they served only the interests of the small shooting fraternity.
Through the WNPS, as its Secretary, Thilo managed to convince the authorities, and in 1967 most Intermediate Zones, including those of Wilpattu South and Wilpattu East, were incorporated into the adjacent National Parks. Also absorbed into National Parks were most of the protected areas with the status of Sanctuary which bordered on them, as these had allowed free access.
Thilo believed that the large and very important Wilpattu West Sanctuary, bordering the sea on its further side, had to be amalgamated with the Park. During his term as President, the Society took up the idea and steadily agitated for it. The area could not be incorporated at first due to the presence in it of a few privately owned blocks of land, at Pomparippu, Kumburavi, Pallakandel and Vellamundel.
By the competent efforts of the then Director of the Wildlife Department, Mr S. D. Saparamadu, land in exchange was found at Vanativillu which satisfied the owners. (See also p.99.) Thilo’s proposal was thus put into effect. It has been described as one of the most important measures since the establishment of National Reserves.
This permitted the completion of Wilpattu National Park, by the relevant Gazette notification, dated December 9, 1973. Today, the total area of the park is 1,309 square km with a sea frontage of 48 km.
During that decade and the next Thilo proposed the extension of the Park into the sea to include Portugal and Dutch Bays and the Karaitivu Islands. This measure would have protected a valuable marine habitat, as well as the threatened sea animal, the dugong, now practically extinct in Sri Lankan waters.
This entire area has a very fragile ecosystem, which is unable to survive the massive human interference and touristic development which has recently been planned for it. Its protection should be strengthened, not weakened.The best known features of the Park are the villus, which contribute much to its beauty. Forty-four have been identified, of which 27 may be called small lakes. Thilo explains:
“The villus in Wilpattu are very shallow depressions of the land in which surface run-off water collects. Most of them have a natural overflow. For example, these flows are visible between Timbirivila and Borupanvila, and from Kumbukvila to Kokkari Villu. The only villus with no such overflow are Lunuvila and Kokkari, and at Dematavila it occurs only in very wet seasons.
“Rainwater, which when it falls is similar to distilled water, collects from the soil during run-off mineral salts containing calcium, potassium, sodium, etc. and carries the dissolved salts into the villus. During the drought much of the water evaporates. This occurs year after year. In the few villus which have no overflow the water becomes increasingly salty. In the others during the rainy season the surplus water washes out the excess minerals.
“Some time ago a foreign team of researchers wrote a paper on Wilpattu, in which they said that villus are caused by groundwater seepage, and that they are groundwater lakes. This wrong statement has entered the international literature.
“Just near Panikkar Villu there is a 40-foot-deep well, which in 1976 had only a handful of water collected in a depression at its bottom; we used it for drinking and washing during our weekend visits. At the villu there was yet some open water surrounded by deep mud. This shows that the water in the villu has no connection with groundwater. Villus are not more than two feet deep. Their bottoms are covered with a thick layer of soft mud, over an impermeable layer of clay, which prevents percolation in either direction.”
Thilo has a special liking for this Park, which he knows intimately. He was much concerned in 1976 when an unprecedented drought struck it. In consultation with the Wildlife Department the Society worked out an action plan to mitigate the effects. Again, Thilo explains:
“The drought at Wilpattu caused most of the villus to dry out completely. The large Kokkari Villu was reduced to a small pond with a fringe of deep black mud. I realized later that animals, especially sambhur, did not so much die from lack of water but from drinking toxic salt water when only the salty villus Kokkari and Lunuvila still held any water. Other animals died getting stuck in the deep mud which surrounded the drying-out villus.
“During any drought elephants and bears dig their own waterholes, elephants with the help of their trunks and bears by digging with their forepaws. Other animals such as barking and mouse deer, mongooses, etc. make use of these holes. Elephants can dig down to 2-3 feet. Bear dig to 4-5 feet down in sandy soils. But in 1976 the drought was so severe that the water table had gone down well below these levels.
“Therefore, we dug a number of water holes and managed to get water at seven to eight feet in sandy areas, e.g. near Manikapola Uttu. Holes were also dug by us at Dangaha and Etambagaha Uraniyas and at Kina Uttu which had gone dry. Water bowlers were brought up from Colombo and filled at Kala Oya. We then regularly filled oil drums cut in half lengthwise and buried all over the park in the dried-up villus. A. Baur and Co. Ltd contributed generously towards this project. Every Friday evening after work I drove up to Wilpattu and returned to office on Monday mornings. On Saturdays and Sundays we worked hard to provide relief I submitted a written report on each visit.”
Dr C. G. Uragoda in his book Wildlife Conservation in Sri Lanka (1994) writes:
“With the help of bowsers and tractors some 60,000 gallons of water were made available to animals in August, September and early October when fortunately the rain came. ‘The President Mr. Hoffmann personally supervised this major undertaking, spending almost every weekend in the Park.”
An interesting feature was the discovery at two places far apart, Nelum Wila and Mana Wila, of the remnants of many golden palm-civets. They are mainly nocturnal and thus rarely seen; they had been killed by leopards.
Thilo also noted that spotted deer can stand extreme droughts. In the Western sector of the Park these animals were in fine condition despite the total lack of water for weeks and miles around. Obviously they obtained sufficient water from the early morning moisture condensed on grasses and leaves.
During droughts elephants and buffaloes move to permanent sources of water, such as rivers.
Buffaloes were quite numerous in Wilpattu. The existence in Sri Lanka of the true wild buffalo is controversial; most are feral. Farmers in jungle areas would allow their animals to freely roam in the forests and open spaces, where they would mingle and mate with the wild stock.
They had wooden bells tied to their necks so that they could be found again. These were made of hollowed out blocks of the very hard and dark red palu wood (rarely also satin and other hard woods) with clappers of deer horn and the owner’s initials or brand marks carved in them. During the recent lengthy periods of abandonment of the Park the buffaloes of Wilpattu were nearly exterminated.
For decades, peril from man has threatened the Park. An ancient Dutch track, very rarely used, traversed the coastal section of the Wilpattu complex between the rivers Kala Oya in the south and Modaragam Aru in the north. This is an area of special importance. It provides a link to the sea for the rest of the Park, and is the abode of the elephants of Wilpattu.
In 1961 there was a proposal by the Army to rebuild the road. This would have severely affected the entire Wilpattu National Park. As a result of representations made by the Society the proposal was dropped. In 1982 a new wide Army road was built further west from Elavankulam to Mail Villu. The Society protested against it successfully.
The author learnt of the following detail not through Thilo but another person present on the occasion. This is an example of information forgotten or modestly omitted by him: see Chapter XI. The Society’s then President, Dr Ranjen Fernando and Thilo, its last, were called to a meeting of the Defence chiefs by President J. R. Jayewardene. The Army Commander spoke of the desirability of the road.
Thilo believed, then and afterwards, that a coastal road beween Mannar and Puttalam would help the LTTE more than the Army. With the President’s permission he put one question to the General: “Who controls the road between Mannar and Wilpattu?” The answer was: “The LTTE.” Jayewardene immediately ordered that the road through Wilpattu be abandoned.
In March 1985 Thilo and Mae drove to Wilpattu – as often before. When they did this they never neglected to pay homage to God Aiyanar in the customary manner. Mae insisted on it. The Deity’s domain is the northern jungles which are entered on crossing the bridge over the Deduru Oya north of Chilaw. By smashing a coconut at the little shrine here and by placing a freshly broken twig in the fork of a tree the God’s protection is solicited.
On two fateful days they were the only visitors in the Park. The first evening, Thilo saw and photographed on the beach at Karuwalakuda a group of men with fishing boats and nets. The episode is described in the Foreword to this book (page xi).
It was an LTTE killer squad, led by a man called Victor, which had come from Mannar by boat. During the night they moved through the Kala Oya estuary to Elavankulam where they hijacked the early morning bus. Driving through Puttalam the armed group reached Anuradhapura around 6 a.m. There they massacred a large number of civilians including Buddhist monks. They then sped back to Nochchiyagama, and across the Park to Pukulam in its northwestern corner, where around noon the same boats waited to take them back to Mannar, then in Tiger hands.
Within Wilpattu they murdered in cold blood over 20 staff and labourers. Range Assistant H. H. Bandara and Bungalow Keeper Tennakoon were forced to guide them, and both then shot dead on the beach.
The Hoffmanns were staying at the Talawila bungalow. Around lunch time on the second day the news of the massacres and the presence of the Tigers in Wilpattu reached it by radio. The staff and some Park workers there panicked, and pleaded that they should all flee in the Land Rover to Aliyawadiya, on the Kala Oya, many miles south.
After a difficult journey over long-abandoned jungle tracks, which Thilo fortunately knew, via Galge Viharaya and Makalanmaduwa, they reached their goal in the evening. They crossed the river, and found shelter for the night at the Kala Oya Hotel (now no more). A curfew had been declared in the District.
The following morning Thilo went back, now via the main road, to Talawila, to retrieve some overlooked items. At the Hunuwilagama entrance to the Park he had to await the arrival, 24 hours after the events described, of army and police personnel, and then he followed their convoy as far as the centre of the Park.
Mae was convinced that God Aiyanar had protected them.
(To be continued)
During the years that followed, the Park was closed and abandoned. Animals in it were slaughtered, especially buffaloes, wild pig, sambhur and deer. All the visitors’ and staff bungalows were ransacked and largely destroyed by roaming poachers, criminals and timber thieves.
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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