Features
Challenges faced by Arts and Humanities Graduates in University System of Sri Lanka
By M. W. Amarasiri de Silva.
(Emeritus Professor, University of Peradeniya and Adjunct Professor,
University of Pittsburgh, and Lecturer, UCSC, USA)
In the university system of Sri Lanka, the Arts and Humanities faculties have a significant presence, comprising the largest student population, surpassing 25% of the total annual intake. However, despite their substantial representation, Arts and Humanities graduates encounter substantial challenges in terms of employability. A staggering 75% of these graduates find themselves unemployed immediately after completing their education. This issue has led to the formation of trade unions specifically catering to the concerns of unemployed Arts and Humanities graduates, which have attracted a sizeable membership.
Arts and Humanities faculties within the Sri Lankan university system have emerged as the largest academic disciplines in terms of student enrolment. This dominance can be attributed to various factors, including historical significance, cultural values, and personal preferences among students.
In the school system, students who sit the GCE A/L examination and those who qualify for university entrance are largely arts and humanities students and mainly female students. The large number of arts and humanities students are coming from rural areas as most rural schools lack facilities for science education.
The arts and humanities graduates are considered not fit for employment in the private sector which value English language and IT skills for employment. The mismatch between the skills acquired during their education and the demands of the job market contributes to this issue. Many Arts and Humanities programmes tend to focus on theoretical and conceptual knowledge, often lacking practical skills and vocational training.
The downfall of the arts and humanities faculties reflects the downfall of the university system. Insufficient funding has been a factor throughout the decades that hindered development of the university system. Minimal facilities for the students, and teaching staff is due to the restrictions on funding provided for the universities. Currently, only 1.9 % of GDP is allocated to higher education in Sri Lanka (World Bank), whereas in India it is.2.9% in 2023. The % of GDP expenditure on education in the world was 14% in 2017 and 12.6% in 2020 (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
Sri Lanka has tied itself to the United Nations 2030 agenda for SD with the 17 SDGs. The fourth goal of SDGs, “Quality Education” aims to impart inclusive high-quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all by the year 2030. The vision of the Ministry of higher Education is Sri Lanka to be an international Centre of Excellence on Higher Education, with 10 laudable objectives including increasing student intake, making employable graduates.
The world ranking of Sri Lankan universities has deplorably declined. World university ranking of the Colombo University is 2172 and University of Peradeniya is 2249 (Website Department of Education). The world ranking of universities is typically done through a complex process that involves the evaluation of various factors and criteria. One of the most well-known university rankings is the QS World University Rankings, which provides insights into the performance of universities globally.
Generally, ranking organisations gather a wide range of data from universities. This data can include information about academic reputation, faculty qualifications, research output, student-to-faculty ratio, international diversity, citations per faculty, employer reputation, teaching quality, and more. Research output takes a prominent place. The quantity and impact of research publications are assessed. Metrics like citations per faculty member or per paper are used to measure the influence of a university’s research.
Some rankings consider a university’s ability to transfer knowledge and technology to the commercial sector through patents, licenses, and spin-off companies. Once data is collected, a weighted scoring system is often applied to assign numerical values to each criterion. The universities are then ranked based on their total scores. The number of international students and faculty, as well as collaborations with international institutions, are assessed to determine the global reach and impact of a university.
Suggestions to Improve Higher education in Sri Lanka
1.Vice chancellors in the universities should be appointed based on their administrative skills and other qualifications, and the application should be open to all. The system of selecting VCs from within the universities should be withheld. This way, qualified people can be attracted to hold VC positions, which is imperative for running the universities.
2.The transformation and evolution of higher education have become crucial in a globalised world, where universities need to adapt to emerging trends and demands, which are seen as essentials for economic development. One key strategy to foster academic growth and internationalisation is by granting universities greater independence. This can facilitate the forging of global connections, programme linkages with foreign institutions, and the removal of legal barriers to foreign collaboration. Universities should be made independent so that they can forge connections, link programmes with foreign universities. The legal barriers to such collaboration should be avoided.
3.Legal barriers often act as impediments to international collaborations for universities in Sri Lanka. By removing or minimising these barriers, universities can more effectively participate in collaborative research endeavours, facilitate faculty exchanges, and promote student mobility programmes with their foreign counterparts.
Over-reliance on government funding can curtail a university’s potential, underscoring the necessity of diversifying income streams. By securing a portion of their revenue from research grants, universities can channel resources into pioneering research, infrastructure development, and academic initiatives, fostering growth and spurring innovation.
Introducing incentives for professors who successfully secure research grants serve to enhance motivation and stimulate scholarly pursuits. In cases where a professor secures a research grant, a corresponding percentage of the grant should be added to their salary as a motivating factor. Notably, numerous universities in the USA have witnessed professors boosting their salaries by up to 40% through the acquisition of research grants. A percentage of the grant could be integrated into a professor’s salary, acknowledging their role in advancing knowledge and nurturing a research-driven culture.
4.Faculty Recruitment should be transparent. Many Sri Lankan Universities prefer to hire their own graduates, which is not nice. Open applications for faculty positions ensure that the university attracts the most qualified and diverse candidates, both internally and externally. This practice enhances academic rigor and brings fresh perspectives to the institution. Faculty positions should be filled after calling for open applications, so that qualified people outside the university community can apply for the positions.
This way more qualified academics can be attracted. Foreign nationals should also be allowed to apply for academic positions in the universities. Also, foreign scholars of repute should be given sabbatical positions in the departments to teach courses and do research.
5.The faculty promotion scheme’s point system requires a revision to prioritise research and publications better. Although the current promotion criteria commendably assign higher scores for faculty-published books, there exists a notable absence of a robust monitoring and evaluation mechanism. Instances abound where applicants hastily produce a book, printing a limited quantity—around 25 copies, for example—solely to secure 15 points for promotion consideration.
Such individually generated works often bypass evaluation committees composed of subject matter experts in the respective field. To address this, I propose the establishment of discipline-specific committees consisting of seasoned faculty members within the corresponding subject areas. Their role would involve reviewing book proposals before publication, ensuring that only approved proposals proceed to the publishing phase. Furthermore, the university grants commission should allocate research and book publishing grants to faculty members to facilitate the creation of textbooks and research publications in book format.
6.The prevailing trend within the university system is to allocate less time for senior faculty towards teaching, in contrast to junior faculty members who handle a significant teaching workload across multiple courses. These junior faculty members function as teachers and tutors, dedicating approximately 5-7 hours daily to these tasks. However, this system is flawed in several respects. To begin with, the senior staff members, who possess a greater depth of knowledge and experience, should ideally be better equipped to deliver courses of higher quality than their junior counterparts.
Secondly, the current teaching approach displays a marked imbalance, disproportionately favouring the junior faculty. This disparity ought to be rectified. There should be a move towards a more equitable distribution of the teaching workload, ensuring fairness among faculty members.
7.University housing facilities should be improved / set up for foreign nationals to stay, as they bring foreign exchange. Many universities in Europe and the USA have study programs in identified developing countries, as they feel that the students in such universities should get foreign exposure in developing country settings. The program should be given a prominent place in the university system with hostel and housing facilities for foreign nationals. These programs foster cross-cultural understanding.
When I was the head of sociology, a Danish university wanted to send their anthropology/sociology students comprising 30 persons for one semester to get fieldwork exposure in the war-torn areas of Sri Lanka. They were prepared to pay a tuition of $1500 a month per student.
Once the contract is signed, they agreed to send batches of students for training in fieldwork every year. This facility if it happened would have provided $45,000 or Sri Lanka rupees 14,482,350 every year. One of the important requirements was good hostel facilities with air conditioning and good bathroom facilities. As Peradeniya did not have those facilities, we lost that opportunity.
8.Introducing a community studies program, specifically within the sociology and anthropology programs at universities in Sri Lanka, entails engaging arts and humanities students in an exploration of the challenges faced by rural communities. This initiative involves a participatory approach that actively involves the communities themselves. By doing so, the program can leverage the distinct perspectives and innovative solutions the village residents possess concerning their issues. In the United States, universities have established enduring Community Studies programmes within their arts and humanities departments.
These programes adopt a social justice perspective and concentrate on addressing societal problems by integrating classroom learning and extensive field studies. Enrolled students collaborate closely with both non-governmental and governmental organisations, actively contributing to resolving community-centric issues.
Consequently, these initiatives have effectively addressed the identified challenges and generated employment avenues for graduates in social sciences. By embracing a similar strategy in Sri Lanka, the proposed community studies programme has the potential to cultivate a more comprehensive and solution-driven approach to prevailing societal predicaments. This approach would prove advantageous for the students and the communities they engage with, promoting mutual growth and development.
9.Introduction of a Programme to Engage High School Students in GCE A/L Classes with Hands-On University Experience: In an endeavour to foster a stronger connection between high school students enrolled in GCE A/L classes and the university environment, a pioneering initiative need to be introduced. Drawing inspiration from the acclaimed Science Internship Program (SIP) at UCSC in the USA, this endeavour aims to not only entice students but also bridge the educational representation gap within society.
The SIP, a dynamic science internship programme, serves as a model for attracting students from less represented segments of society to pursue higher education. This program extends an invitation to high school students, encouraging them to partake in a comprehensive 10-week programme facilitated by esteemed professors and subject specialists. The core focus lies in imparting research skills, ultimately guiding participants to undertake research projects.
These research projects, nurtured under the guidance of seasoned experts, culminate in a noteworthy conference presentation. Impressively, some students seize this opportunity to showcase their talents, yielding exceptional projects that have the potential to result in publishable papers. These papers often find their way into student journals or esteemed academic publications.
This initiative is not solely about nurturing academic growth; it’s about nurturing the spark of curiosity and igniting the flame of interest in university-level education and research. By immersing themselves in a hands-on university experience, these high school students not only gain a taste of the academic realm but also cultivate a genuine interest in furthering their education within a university setting.
This innovative programme envisions a future where the minds of school students are captivated by the allure of university education and the world of research. Through internships that stimulate their academic potential, these students gradually develop a profound inclination to pursue higher education and contribute to the realms of research and academia. The UGC ought to earmark funds for a SIP or STEM + Arts and Humanities programme with comparable characteristics, encompassing all universities in Sri Lanka, to rekindle the widespread enthusiasm for university education.
10. It is a widely recognised reality that students hailing from rural areas often encounter educational setbacks. The disparity in educational opportunities between rural and urban regions can be largely attributed to the absence of high-quality schools and competent teachers in rural locales. There exists a prevailing inclination among teachers to seek employment in urban settings. Addressing this issue necessitates a multifaceted approach, encompassing both the enhancement of rural schools and the comprehensive training of educators through teacher’s colleges strategically established in rural areas.
Furthermore, alongside these endeavours, it is imperative to identify promising students from rural backgrounds and offer them support by enrolling them in well-established schools. This support could be extended through a bursary programme akin to the Mahapola programme, which caters to the needs of rural students. This multifaceted approach is instrumental in not only narrowing the educational gap between rural and urban areas but also providing deserving students with the opportunities they rightfully deserve.I trust that both the Minister of Higher Education and the Minister of Education (schools) will attentively consider the recommendations presented in this article.
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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