Features
Sir Oliver Goonetilleke 1892-1978
(Excerpted from Selected Journalism by HAJ Hulugalle)
Sir Oliver Goonetilleke seems to have had an almost mystical faith in his destiny. On his first night in Queen’s House, he pondered not for the first time, some words of Marcus Aurelius which served as a kind of motto in his life: “Does ought befall you? It is good. It is part of the destiny of the universe ordained for you from the beginning. All that befalls you is part of the great web.”
It is true that he was always prepared to assist destiny in fulfilling his own ambitions; but there is no escape when the oracle says that a man is born to be a king. This is exactly what happened to Oliver Goonetilleke at his birth. A Buddhist priest by the name of Dhammarama, who happened to be around, made a quick calculation, and told the sceptical father, “Your son will be a king.”
When Sir Oliver was appointed Governor-General, his father, then in his middle nineties was heard to repeat over and over again, “Dhammarama, Dhammarama.” The old man saw his son, if not exactly a King as the astrologer had predicted, at any rate the representative of the Queen and head of the State.
Queen’s House was not the end of the journey. There is always a yearning, as in the case of Ulysses, to try something new; “some work of noble note may yet be done.”
Having had a father who lived to be 95 and a mother to 85, Sir Oliver, with his abstemious habits, may become the first centenarian among Ceylon’s famous men. He has gained many “firsts” in his career and even in his recreations. He gave Lester Pigott, the champion jockey, his first ride in a race.
There are three main aspects of this biography.* There is first the portrait of the man himself, a success story if ever “here was one in our modern annals. There is then the social, official and political scene in which the struggling postmaster’s son operated. Finally, there are the men (and women) whom he influenced and who influenced him.
*This article was published as a review of Oliver Goonetilleke: A Biography by Sir Charles Jeffries, Pall Mall Press, London 1969.
Although the Ceylon public is familiar with much of the ground covered by the book, there is a good deal of detail that is new and refreshing. Much of it no doubt has been supplied by Sir Oliver himself, who would not be human if he did not sometimes enjoy his own reflected image in the background of the stirring times through which he has lived.
A convenient starting point is the small son of the postmaster at Nuwara Eliya accompanying the postman on his rounds to collect flowers to be sent to his father’s friends in Colombo to adorn their weddings and festivals. Sir Charles Jeffries, always ready to point a moral and adorn a tale, says that -these flower-gathering expeditions gave him an early exercise in the art of tactful persuasion of which he was to become master.”
Oliver Goonetilleke was always determined to reach the top of the ladder, but it was a hard life that he had as a school boy, walking to school to save tram fares, growing vegetables to feed the boarders which the family took in to augment the domestic resources, just failing to win the Government university scholarship to England and missing a place in the Civil Service.
It is interesting to note that the subjects he offered for the London BA examination included Psychology and Logic. Those were days before Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. But these studies were not in vain for one who became a master negotiator. Sir John Kotelawala says in referring to their common war-time experiences that Sir Oliver displayed “a genius for handling men and finding a way out of every difficult situation in those critical days.”
Goonetilleke was never disheartened by failure. From the first he realized that the best and quickest way to advance his career was by becoming useful to, and using, those who had already reached eminence, or who were, in his opinion, on the threshold of greatness. He joined the Orient Club and frankly admits that he joined it mainly in order to find a place in the Ceylon sun for myself.
The elite of Ceylonese, manhood – at that time class distinctions were taken for granted -formed the membership of the Orient Club, and I was there working my way upwards in life.”
Racing was another rung for the ladder. Here he combined business with pleasure. Always a shrewd punter, he moved among some of the richest and most influential men in the country. F. G. Morley, the Colonial Auditor, conveniently retired and became Secretary of the Turf Club, to make way for Goonetilleke. Arthur Ephraums, hotel-owner and turfite, was his partner in land deals which was the base of his own fortune.
Other spheres of his activity were the YMCA (reference was once made by a reluctant admirer to his ‘YMCA smile’), and the Incorporated Board of Trustees of the Anglican Church. The fact that he became a lifelong teetotaller and non-smoker, Sir Charles Jeffries thinks, is probably due to the Methodist tradition in which he was educated at Wesley College. But he was always careful about his health and daily consumed quantities of orange juice. He was possibly the first Ceylonese to install air-conditioning in his bedroom and study.
Gradually he made his way “with his soft voice, ever-ready smile and gift of combining unanswerable logic with impeccable courtesy.” He was always kind to the under-dog and considerate to the wealthy and influential.
When the post of Auditor-General fell vacant, it is said that Sir Graeme Tyrrell, the Chief Secretary, was not in favour of appointing him. But he was not to be baulked. As Sir Charles Jeffries says: “Goonetilleke realised that for him this was the crucial point of his career. He was determined to leave no stone unturned to ensure that his name was at least put forward to the Colonial Office. “Throwing discretion to the winds, he appealed to his friends to use their influence in his favour. A deputation to the Governor, Sir Graeme Thomson, was hastily arranged, and in due course the Governor decided to recommend him for the post.”
He did an excellent job as Auditor-General and made that office his power-base during the 11 years he held it. His friendship with D. S. Senanayake drew him into the vortex of politics in which a lesser man would have floundered. Oliver Goonetilleke was the supreme odd-job man for any government. He kept the Public Service sweet, he wrote Budget speeches, he composed differences between dissenting Ministries and even managed to get Pandit Nehru to withdraw a sharp letter he had written to Sir John Kotelawala.
One could dwell indefinitely on Oliver Goonetilleke, the man. But space must be found for his achievements in the larger field. During the war years he was a tower of strength to the Government and kept both Sir Andrew Caldecott and Sir Geoffrey Layton, Governor and Commander-in-Chief, in their respective anomalous positions satisfied.
“At official banquets His Excellency the Governor was served first with the soup while His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief was served first with the next course, fish. And I always arranged for the national anthem to be played by a Service band when His Excellency the Governor arrived at a function. This was, of course, after His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief had been ceremoniously received before the arrival of the Governor !”
There was of course the famous occasion when one night the Commander-in-Chief rang to say: “Goone! You’re running a damn bad show!” On the night when General Wavell was to stay at the Admiral’s residence there was no water in the bathroom taps. And it was ‘Goone’s’ job to lay on the fire brigade to ensure that the overhead tanks were kept full.
Sir Oliver Goonetilleke played a vital role in the negotiations over independence and on many an occasion his wisdom and common sense saved the situation. In September 1945, the British Government published the Soulbury Report, followed in October by a statement of what it had decided to do about it. Mr. D. S. Senanayake’s first reaction was to reject the terms offered and defy perfidious Albion to do its worst. Sir Oliver thought otherwise. The Lake House newspapers had decided to support the Ministers and leading articles to this effect had been prepared. On the night before they appeared, Sir Oliver made a last appeal.
Sir Charles Jeffries writes, no doubt on the authority of Sir Oliver: “His arguments prevailed, and it was agreed to go at once to see his old chief D. R. Wijewardene, the head of the newspaper group. The official chauffeurs had been sent home and taxis were scarce: so it was in two rickshaws that Senanayake and Goonetilleke rode in the dark to see their newspaper-magnate friend and tell him of the new policy. After long discussions he too was brought to agree with the more moderate cause.”
When Ceylon became independent, Sir Oliver went to London as the first High Commissioner. He had the honour of a visit to Ceylon House by the King and Queen during a reception for Mr. D.S. Senanayake. He was blamed for buying an expensive carpet, but it transpires that he bought a property for the Ceylon Government in Grosvenor Square for ten thousand pounds sterling and sold it for fifty thousand pounds sterling.
There was always the possibility of his becoming a property tycoon like Charles Clore or Maxwell Joseph, had Sir Oliver timed his exit from Queen’s House better. “Indeed, although the profit on this deal was handsome enough.” comments Sir Charles on the Grosvenor Square sale, “he could reflect in later life that, if his government had the sense to hold on to the house, it could have sold for half a million in a few year’s time.”
Sir Oliver reached the pinnacle of his career at the age of 62. The eight years of his occupancy could not have been more stirring. D.S. Senanayake, D.B. Jayatilaka and D.R. Wijewardene were all dead and he was the surviving elder statesman. There was none to go for counsel or restraining influence.
Sir John Kotelawala lost the election in 1956. Sir Oliver is reported to have said: “Prime Minister, I am talking to you not only as Governor-General but as one who has known you all your life. The duly constituted umpire – the ballot box – has given a verdict. I may even agree with the view that the verdict was unfair, but it is still the umpire’s verdict.” Sir John did not allow Sir Oliver to finish. “You are right,” he said. “Here is my resignation.” He had in fact brought it with him.
S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, when he was Prime Minister, lunched with the Governor-General on Wednesdays, as his predecessors had done. “He would pull out his notes” (Sir Oliver says), and tell me about his worries, of the communal religious groups which were badgering him in regard to appointments in the administrative service, the armed services and the police, and of his fears concerning those who might obstruct the peaceful transition to socialism on which he had set his heart.” There were even occasions when he requested the Governor-General to use his good offices to settle strikes.
Sir Oliver was at his best as a firm and dedicated administrator during the troubles of 1958. He was then the virtual ruler of the island and displayed unusual courage and sagacity. No one else could have handled the situation better.
After Bandaranaike’s tragic death and the short government of Dudley Senanayake, “a new and formidable figure now appeared on the political scene.” The widow needed the help and advice of the veteran statesman, (`Mahadanamutta’ he used to be called by D.R. Wijewardene) as much as her husband had done. During the strikes in the port of Colombo, the commercial banks and the Ceylon Transport Board, the Governor-General was at her residence at 6 o’clock every morning.
As Sir Charles says, he enjoyed playing the political game with whatever pieces happened to be on the board from time to time. He enjoyed the prestige and glamour of office. He was entertaining not only heads of state, but rich friends like Krupp, Rothschilds, Rockefellers and Maharanis. Yuri Gagarin was his guest, and he quizzed Chou En-lai who confessed that the main question before China was the longevity of Chiang Kai-shek.
Sir Oliver was in daily touch with Mrs. Bandaranaike on the telephone. Then came the alleged coup d’etat early in 1962. In the documents in the case were included a statement by one of the accused that the Governor-General along with Dudley Senanayake and Sir John Kotelawala had tacitly approved of the plan, and that orders were coming ‘right from the top.’ Sir Oliver offered to submit to any investigation.
“Meanwhile,” concludes Sir Charles Jeffries, “the Prime Minister without any reference to him, had advised the Queen to replace him as Governor-General by a prominent Kandyan lawyer, Mr. W. Gopallawa, who had served as Ceylon ambassador in the United States. On March 1, 1962, Sir Oliver vacated Queen’s House to become a private citizen. A week later he left Ceylon. He was in his 70th year and had completed over 40 years of unbroken public service.”
He might justly say with Othello; I have done the State some service and they know it.”
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
