Features
LIFE IN THE ‘NEW NORMAL’ ELECTRONIC SCENARIO
by Dr B. J. C. Perera
MBBS(Cey), DCH(Cey), DCH(Eng), MD(Paed), MRCP(UK), FRCP(Edin), FRCP(Lon), FRCPCH(UK), FSLCPaed, FCCP, Hony FRCPCH(UK), Hony. FCGP(SL)
Specialist Consultant Paediatrician and Honorary Senior Fellow, Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
This miserable and capricious coronavirus pandemic is going to be with us for a considerable time more, right into even the far and distant future. The world has had to change like never before, of course through sheer necessity. Buzz words like innovation, flexibility, collaborations, evolving situations, tackling security challenges, increasing productivity and growth of businesses, in addition to very many other newer terminologies, have suddenly sprung up as the operative nomenclature of many walks of life. Physical distancing, avoiding mass gatherings, masking and even double-masking, as well as hand-washing, are the public health mantras that have been promulgated to keep the blight at bay. All kinds of electronic portals are being used and not-in-person electronic pathways are tending to rule the roost. Schooling has been totally disrupted and online learning has been practically imposed on even very young school students. In fact, even university and higher education endeavours have shifted many a gear to go electronic. Scientific presentations, lectures, seminars and symposia are conducted, in many instances, from remote localities and even from many distant areas of the globe. The entire world has become a huge ‘village’ and to paraphrase something the great Bard William Shakespeare once wrote, ‘the world has become a performing stage with very many of us being actors in these dramatic scenarios’.
Now that the lines between schooling, universities, vocational training institutions, home and office are blurred like never before, it is perhaps getting harder to tell where your job ends and life begins. You spend the day toggling between tasks you are paid to do and other chores, especially family commitments, that you have to do. Your duties overlap from one minute to the next. You are often using the same phone, tablet, and the laptop, to do different kinds of work, whether that is a presentation for work, a new home-schooling programme you never could have ever even imagined just a year ago, or organizing your family’s most important documents.
In times of uncertainty, with many people juggling more responsibilities than ever, how do you keep the chaos at bay? More than anything, the electronic data have to be preserved, stored and made totally accessible from anywhere and at all times. Files have to be organised, filtered and stored in a kind of virtually fool-proof setting. You cannot totally trust your hard drives, in-built memory caches and even detachable storage devices. The safest is perhaps to store all data in an electronic cloud drive or drives through a digital home-base where you can organize, share, and access all your content in a safe, secure way. This is to ensure that you can feel on top of things, no matter which full-time job you are juggling.
Organise your files,
photos, and documents
Whether you are learning how to home-school your children, working from home, going international on some issues, managing the finances usefully through electronic portals or looking for a new job, now is a good time to take inventory of everything you will need to access in the coming months. You need to get intensely organised. When all your files, photos, videos, and documents are organized and usefully labelled in one place in the cloud, you never need to worry where they are. It is always most useful to organise different content types in . photos and traditional records, like Portable Document Format (PDF) files can live alongside cloud documents, like Google Docs, shortcuts to web pages, and much more. You could also break free from total dependence on your hard drives. With many cloud storage devices, you can download files locally when you want to use them, and return them to the cloud to save hard drive space when you are done with them. Undoubtedly, it is a superb way to save space on your hard drives, not clog them too much and even gain on the speed of access of data.
Many cloud storage devices allow the finding of files ever so quickly by keyword searches. Even in the case of images, one could save time getting to the images you need by JPG, JPEG, PNG, and GIF files. One could also save, organize, and share documents right from your phone. With some of the document scanner applications, one could quickly transform physical paper documents into digital files so that you could remove some clutter as well. It is also sometimes possible to access important data on the go, even when you do not have WiFi or a cell signal.
You need to stay
connected
When you are even isolated at home for weeks on end, it gets harder to feel connected and in control. But with many of the cloud drives, you get to decide who can access your shared content, and then also view who has seen what and when. Whether you want to send long videos, share folders, or collaborate on a project, these make it ever so easy.
Parents can record video of home-schooling sessions with a tool like Zoom and save them to folders they can share with other parents. As the content grows, having one well-organized place to access shared videos makes it less work for everyone. One could share files, folders and documents, with reasonably secure links and disseminate them from your phone, tablet, or computer. Every file you save to your cloud drives can be shared quickly with a simple link and accessed across devices, whether you use an iPhone, Android, Mac or PC. With shared links, you maintain control over the files you share. The recipients will be able to view or download a copy of the file. With appropriate precautions, you do not have to worry about them being edited, changed or even deleted, unless of course you wish to delegate those functions to the person that you are sharing with. In some systems, you could even impose an expiration date on shared files.
Feel secure
As you might have read in , now that more people are at home and online for more hours every day, there could be an increase in phishing scams and attempted hacking attacks. But with best-in-class security, multiple layers of protection, and advanced rollback features, of quite a few of the cloud repositories, safety of content could be ensured. Many applications are regularly tested for security vulnerabilities, and hardened to enhance security and protect against attacks. Many systems use two-step verification for an extra layer of security.
Cloud storage is gradually replacing on-premise options. The benefits of cloud storage include:-
Access from multiple
locations.
Once the data is in the cloud, it can be accessed from anywhere.
Expand or contract as needed.
Cloud storage capacity can be increased or decreased depending on the needs of the customer, avoiding paying for unused storage.
Downtime protection. If one cloud server goes down, another can handle user requests. This avoids downtime.
Better performance.
Cloud storage enables distribution of user requests across multiple servers, which reduces the load on each server for faster response.
Saves money.
Managing storage in-house can require specialized hardware, software, and other resources. Cloud storage can be cheaper.
Using cloud storage, merchants can store images, videos, and user-generated content, as examples. Many cloud storage providers offer limited free plans. Cloud storage vendors can accommodate files and data, though not all do both. Many providers also offer Europe-based storage to help comply with .
The cloud storage service providers offer free limited space and larger for-payment facilities depending on the requirements for storage of data. The capacity ranges from Gigabytes (GB) to Terabytes (TB). The following is a short list of both free and for-pay Cloud Storage Sites that one could use:-
Dropbox
is one of the oldest cloud storage services. It maintains all customer files in one location, thereby enabling any device to access them anytime and from anywhere. It offers 2GB of free storage and paid plans of 1TB and 2TB of storage. At the last count, for around US$20 a month, it offers unlimited storage for businesses on a per-user payment basis.
Google Drive
offers centralized storage for any type of file. It offers 15GB of free storage for three Google products: Photos, Gmail, and Drive.
Paid plans include those for 100GB and 1TB of storage.
Google is upgrading the data service to a new product called . It will offer storage as well as access to Google experts.
Box enables secure access, sharing, and management of content from anywhere. It offers 10GB of free storage that can be increased to 100GB for an extra payment. The unlimited storage business plan costs around US$15 a month for three to ten users. `
Mega is a global cloud storage platform based in New Zealand. It offers 50GB of free storage. Paid accounts include 200GB, 1TB, 2TB and 8TB.
Microsoft OneDrive offers standard cloud storage features such as accessing files from any device, offline access by syncing files to a device, and backup and disaster recovery. It offers 5GB of storage for free and several other higher storage capacity facilities for payment.
Apple iCloud comes with every Apple device and offers 5GB of free storage. Paid plans start from 50GB to 200GB of storage.
Nextcloud is an open-source, self-hosted file sharing platform. This enables users to start their own file sharing service by setting up a private cloud environment. Nextcloud offers multiple support plans starting at around 1900 Euros per year for 50 users.
SpiderOak offers file sharing and collaboration as part of its cloud storage platform. Its cloud backup service maintains versions of all files, even deleted files. The service comes with a free 21-day trial. Businesses with a minimum of 500 users can sign up for the enterprise backup service.
IDrive is a cloud backup provider that works across multiple devices such as computers, tablets, smartphones etc., to store files in one location. It offers a 5GB free plan and multiple paid plans for personal and business use, from 2TB to 5TB.
pCloud offers centralized cloud storage. Its lifetime storage plans require a one-time payment: 500GB for around US$175 one-time payment and 2TB for a higher payment.
MediaFire stores photos, documents, videos, and other files in a single place to enable access from anywhere. MediaFire offers 10GB of free storage and has paid plans for 1TB to 100TB of storage capacity for monthly payments.
Tresorit offers enhanced security for storing files in the cloud. Plans include 200GB and going up to 1000GB for monthly payments.
Egnyte enables enterprise file storage and sharing. Its paid plans for up to three employees offers 1TB of storage and Business Plans for 5 to 25 employees for 5TB of storage capacity.
SugarSync enables automatic access and sharing of any kind of file. It offers only paid plans for a range of 100GB to 1TB.
Storegate is a cloud storage service based in Europe. It offers paid plans of capacity ranging from 100GB. The Business plans range from 500GB to 1000GB for monthly payments.
OpenDrive offers unlimited cloud storage, backup, and content management. The free plan includes 5GB of space. Paid Business Plans start from 500GB. OpenDrive’s unlimited plan, for monthly payments, is the lowest price per gigabyte across all vendors on this list.
Jungle Disk offers secure backup and storage. Only paid plans are available and monthly payments depend on the security features. JungleDisk’s questionnaire helps determine your security needs to find the right plan, with the right features.
Carbonite is an online cloud backup service. It offers plans based on the number of computers that require backup. Prices range from monthly charges for one computer to higher amounts for multiple computers and servers.
FlipDrive offers centralized cloud storage for all types of files. Its free plan includes 10GB of storage. Paid plans include 25GB to 250 GB of storage for monthly payments.
FilesAnywhere is a cloud storage provider that offers monthly payment plans and Business Plans ranging from 100GB to 2TB of storage capacity.
ElephantDrive is a cloud backup service for users requiring the backup of large volumes of data. Personal monthly payment plans start from 1000GB and Business Plans going up to 2000GB. They also offer a 2GB “free forever” plan.
ADrive is a cloud storage provider whose plans start at monthly payments for 100GB for individuals. Business plans start from 200GB.
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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