Features
Settling into my job in London and helping Colombo in a delicate New Delhi assignment
(Excerpted from the memoirs of Lalith de Mel)
After completing what may be described as my probationary period, I was ready to settle down to what I hoped would be a long and successful career. My first task was to really understand how Corporate Headquarters worked and how the various roles all fitted together so that I could make a success of whatever role I was given.
The Main Board had three Group Directors, each managing a piece of overseas territory. There was a separate Director for the UK and a Director of Finance and the Chief Executive who reported to the Chairman. The Group Director was responsible for developing, in collaboration with the heads of the businesses, the strategy for each country and compiling a comprehensive business plan dealing with all aspects of the business such as manufacture, supply chain, marketing, finance and human resources. These plans were presented to the Main Board. It was the responsibility of the Group Director to implement the agreed plan and he reported on the progress to the Chief Executive.
The Group Director was responsible for the larger businesses and his Regional Director performed an identical function for the smaller countries that were his responsibility. He had to present the business plan to his Group Director (not to the Main Board) and was accountable to him for implementing the plan. He liaised directly with the heads of the relevant business.
Many things in a business plan do not work out exactly as intended in the agreed plan. A good part of the job was fixing problems, identifying the support that was helpful, and providing it. This led to meetings to discuss the issues and the solutions. In the participative style of management, a number of people had to be brought into the discussion process and life was a series of meetings at Corporate or in the businesses. All of this meant constant traveling.
Lalith’s first job was to take over the role from his predecessor as the Regional Director for the Indian subcontinent, Singapore and Malaysia. He would report to the Group Director responsible for the whole Overseas Group, Ted Wright.
Another role
When the Chairman or Chief Executive visited an overseas business, the Regional Director had to accompany him. My first such role was when Sir James Cleminson, the Chairman, and Lady Judy Cleminson visited the Indian business and the businesses in Singapore and Malaysia, which at the time were based on exports from the UK. My first task was to develop the programme. Draft programmes were proposed by the business and I would discuss it with the Chairman and send back the amendments required.
These were very detailed programmes, which include sightseeing and social activities such as cocktail parties and dinners. I had to prepare a succinct summary of the businesses’ performance and issues as well. I had to get him into a position to say things like ‘Why is your shoe polish market share down by one percent’? and `I am pleased that sales are up seven percent’. This left the locals in the business amazed at his in-depth knowledge of their business. They never knew that he had memorized these details from my crib sheet for him.
Lady Cleminson was well-known to be difficult. As we took off in the plane she said, ‘I don’t like this programme,’ and this went on right through the trip. Fortunately she was very interested and knowledgeable about horse racing in the UK and I was a keen follower of the sport. From the time this was discovered, she became a different person. There was an important two-year-old race coming up and we disagreed about the likely winner. This led to a five pound bet. I won the bet but forgot all about it. Then I received this letter from her with five pounds.
`Dear Lalith,
Just to prove how I pay my debts at once even though you were on a sure-fire winner anyway! So now you can re-invest it on him for the Derby next year at eight to one.
But really to thank you so much for being so patient on our quick visit to your neck of woods and also such a nice traveling companion for us to have. No worries with the constant change of plans, our diet and drinking habits, all seemed to go so smoothly and well due to your insight. Thank you very much for all you did for me and I hope the effort was worthwhile.
Best wishes,
udy Cleminson
As a thank you at the end of the trip they asked me to return to London from Singapore on Concorde with them.” Shortly after Ted Wright retired, the three Group Directors, in line with the corporate structure as described, came into being. He then reported to the Group Director responsible for Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Africa, USA and Canada.
Lalith became Regional Director for the Indian sub-continent, the whole of East Asia including Japan and China and performed a staff role for Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada. This was a very big role as his Group Director had a vast piece of territory as his responsibility. This was also an interesting opportunity since he had no experience of the American market and they had a very successful thriving business in the US. He was pleased to be able to have an involvement in the US business supporting his Group Director.
In the multinational world, nothing ever runs smoothly for very long and no job ever evolves into a nice, routine Monday-to-Friday job. Major problems had arisen in the Australian business, which was a major contributor to Group profits. It was decided that his Group Director David Totton should relocate to Australia for some time. North America was moved to another Group Director, but he remained the link and continued to perform the staff role. John West, the Chief Executive, took over David Totton’s remaining responsibilities, Africa and both parts of Asia, and he provided the staff support role.
“I moved into an office next to his and due to location in effect became a PA as well to the Chief Executive. He did not work in a very structured fashion. He was a successful gut-feel entrepreneur. He very quickly grasped the essentials that mattered and ignored and was bored by the relatively trivial details. He would ask me to look at this, that and the other on issues that concerned him. I struggled to sift the chaff and master the art of just focusing on the core that mattered. It was a good learning experience.
There was one memorable incident. He wanted me to look at a project for acquisition. In due course I went to see him and narrated all the ratios and how they compared with our hurdle rates and took him through the potential risks. I saw him become increasingly irritated and I knew he disliked tedious detail, but I felt I had to take him through it. Finally in complete exasperation, he screamed, ‘Don’t confuse me with the bloody facts, just go and write a board paper.’
It was a great opportunity to get an insight into how the top Board worked, to see the inter-relationships between Board Directors, and to catch a glimpse of how big businesses really operated.
I had a long link with South Africa and it started with my role as a Regional Director supporting John West, the Chief Executive. Those were the days of apartheid. I did not understand why he decided to have me, a coloured person, as Regional Director for South Africa as in the normal course of business it would be necessary to visit the business. Perhaps it was his sense of humour as the Afrikaans were generally both glum and arrogant and so he may have found it amusing sending someone coloured who could give them instructions.
The main hotels were strictly white only. They had a rather ingenious way of dealing with black senior ministers of neighbouring countries who came for discussions. They were made honorary whites and so I too was made an honorary white when I visited South Africa and stayed in the white only hotels. But on a visit to the trade at a supermarket, if I needed the loo, I had to use the one for blacks!
In course of time, Mr. Totton returned to London. Life went back to what it had been before.
Delicate assignment in New Delhi for JRJ government
Whilst ruminating about my career in London, I had a telephone call from Lalith Athulathmudali, Minister for National Security in Sri Lanka.
I knew Lalith from school days, and when I was at Cambridge, he was at Oxford. He always spoke at a measured tempo with an Oxford accent. In June 1987, I received a call from Lalith speaking rapidly which was very unusual. I knew he was very agitated about something. He fired a series of questions. “Was Arun Singh employed by Reckitt and Colman in India, were you his boss, do you know him well, do you know he is the Indian Prime Minister’s closest friend and key advisor.”
I told him that I knew Arun Singh well as he had worked for Reckitt and Colman in India for many years as Head of Marketing. He reported to the CEO, Ranjit Sikand, who reported to me. He asked whether Arun, then in an exalted position, would see me if I wanted an appointment. I said I was sure he will. He wanted me to go and meet Arun Singh and convey an important message from the Government of Sri Lanka and wanted me to get on the next plane and come to Colombo.
Sir James Cleminson, Chairman of Reckitt & Colman PLC, UK, on a visit to India, Lalith is third from the right, on his left Ranjit Sikand, Managing Director of the Indian business
The problem was Sri Lanka had was no soft contacts to Rajiv Gandhi or his new key officials. No people who could get close and whisper a word in the ear or leave a thought for consideration. After his mother Indira Gandhi was assassinated, Rajiv Gandhi got catapulted into the Prime Minister slot, and appointed a young team of friends to the key positions. Arun Singh, his closest friend from school days became his principal advisor. Sri Lanka had no contacts with this group.
The crisis
Lalith Athulathmudali explained the crisis. The heartland of the LTTE was Jaffna and they were surrounded by the Sri Lankan Army and there was a blockade of Jaffna. Food from outside was not getting through and the artillery fire was also causing some civilian casualties.
There was panic in Jaffna, agitation in Tamil Nadu and political pressure on the government of Rajiv Gandhi to intervene and get the blockade lifted. India had sent a message through their diplomatic channels volunteering to mediate. Sri Lanka had promptly rebuffed their overtures (A dangerous approach, with India much larger and more powerful in every way, and with the second largest standing Army in the world).
The Indian reaction to the rebuff was to send an unarmed flotilla of naval boats laden with food. They were blocked by the Sri Lankan Navy and had to turn back. The Indian response was immediate. They sent cargo planes with food but this time accompanied by Mirage fighter jets. The planes performed their mission, this time unopposed by the Sri Lankan military and dropped the food by parachutes into Jaffna. Sri Lanka had protested vehemently but India had refused to rule out further air drops.
The threat of invasion
India brushing off our protests caused panic in the high echelons of the government, and rumours of an Indian invasion were swirling around. The President and his key advisor, the National Security Minister who was Lalith Athilathmudali, feared that India on the pretext of protecting the Tamils may use the opportunity to invade and occupy Jaffna and eventually make it a new province of India just like they did with Goa.
The briefing
I arrived from London and went straight to Lalith’s residence and told him that Arun Singh had agreed to meet with me in Delhi. We then went to the presidential secretariat. After a brief chat with the Foreign Minister Hameed met the President J.R. Jayewardene, and Lalith Athulathmudali for a briefing session, on what to tell the Indians, on how to respond to their questions, and on how to end the session depending on the Indians’ attitude to our submissions.
The briefing comprehensively covered five strands. That LTTE was a terrorist organization. They did not represent the Tamil people who were living peacefully in all parts of the country. The Government was firmly committed to ensuring the well-being of the Tamils and all minorities. India being a valued and trusted friend, and importantly on how to deliver the punch line of Sri Lanka welcoming India’s help and collaboration in solving the terrorist problem.
In Delhi
I was not looking forward to the challenge of sitting across a desk and being questioned by a battery of Indian officials. I rang Arun Singh when I got to Delhi and he said “Let’s meet tomorrow at 10.30”. I asked where, and he said to come home, and added it will be just you and me. I was relieved. I went to Arun’s house which was next door to the Prime Minister’s residence and as I went in, I noticed a gate in the wall between the two houses. Nina, his wife who I knew well, greeted me and wanted me to stay for lunch. Both Arun and his wife are from princely Indian families. Arun is the second son of a Maharaja. They come from a background of gracious living and polite behaviour. Arun is very intelligent but soft spoken and always polite.
We sat in his sitting room and had a very long discussion. Arun with his forensic skill probed the Sri Lanka Government’s attitude and commitment to the well-being of the Tamil people and the way in which their concerns will be addressed. I was glad that I had been extremely well, briefed by Lalith and the President.
The end
By the time we sat down for lunch 1 felt the vibes were good. We chit chatted about old friends and at the end he said he will speak to the Prime Minister in the afternoon, asked me to come the next day and said the Prime Minister may want to meet me.
The next day he greeted me with a broad smile, and said it was not necessary to meet the PM. Arun said a message had been sent through the External Affairs Ministry and added that the Sri Lankan government will be pleased. I asked what it said and he said he could not tell me and that it was couched in formal diplomatic language.
I rang Lalith. They had got the message and were very pleased. A threat of invasion had faded away. I was warmly congratulated on completing the mission successfully. Then it was back to Colombo, a de-briefing session with Lalith and the President and then on a plane and back to my day job in London.
The Indo-Sri Lanka Accord was signed that July when Rajiv Gandhi visited Sri Lanka. Arun Singh was Defence Minister when he retired from politics. I met him a year ago when he visited London.”
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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