Features
Ensure economic growth to improve quality of life
By Lacille de Silva
Sri Lankans, since the 1970s, have not been fortunate to have visionary leaders. They were misfits. Their laws are unjust and unacceptable. Their measures are always cruel and inhumane. They do not respect the Constitution and other laws. History proves that if the leaders desire comforts, love power and prestige they are unable to deliver lasting happiness to the nation.
After ending the brutal war, we were reborn. Why did Lankan rulers fail to achieve economic progress there onwards? They too lacked integrity, vision and accountability. They were narrow-minded and acquisitive. The ensuing culture they created is a toxic process. Power has become addictive to them. Why should probity, ethics and good governance apply for both elected and appointed personnel engaged in the service to the citizens?
Nowhere else in the world do senior cabinet ministers doze off in Parliament in the government benches in the front row. It was particularly important, since it happened, while the Head of State was delivering the policy statement as well, in Parliament at its first meeting, after a parliamentary election. It is true that the President runs the government with the support of the Cabinet Ministers. Such ministers therefore do not challenge the poor behaviour of others. This reflects the actual status of affairs of the government.
They have misused legitimate authority given to them to their advantage. Such sordid rulers have collectively subverted laws and the key state institutions such as Parliament, the judiciary etc., for decades. They cannot comprehend that good administration in every area of the government is vital to keep the people happy and their good name.
Our Constitution (Article 12 (1) stipulates that “All persons are equal before the law and are entitled to the equal protection of the law”. The famous proverb tells “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when the wicked bear the rule, the people mourn”. We should be happy the Constitution takes great pains to ensure justice for all. And to protect everybody from misrule by double-dealer type big-time operators.
They have destroyed the opposition in Parliament. A strong opposition is vital for running a healthy democracy. Such destructive leaders craftily extended beyond their self-interests to biasedly build a motivated and inspired team of acolytes. They are also equally bellicose and self-centred.
At the time we became independent, we had the second-highest per capita income in Asia, excellent literacy rates, improved healthcare, strong economy etc. Sri Lanka now ranks almost at the bottom in global comparisons.
The most venerable Ajahn Brahm, who is the Chief Monk of the Bodhinyana Buddhist Monastery in Perth Australia had said that “the oldest multinational corporation in the world is the Buddhist Sangha”. According to him, Buddhism has been a positive inspiration for many world leaders. He had said that British Statesman and wartime Prime Minister was one of them. He had also quoted Buddha and said: “Good virtuous leaders lead by example”.
Ajahn Brahm had said in a keynote address to the United Nations in 2007 – “The ideal form of governance is that leaders should embrace self-sacrifice and not self-interest. Leaders should lead without any concern for material reward. Their only reward would be in the happiness of service”. He had also quoted what President John F. Kennedy had said to inspire children and adults and to show the importance of civic action and public service – “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for the country”. Sadly, Lankan politicians think differently.
It is the assertion that rulers are constituted by the people for the common good. Our leaders should pledge to commit themselves to refrain from abusing their public positions at the expense of the people, to honestly address the vice of corruption. They should, thereafter, concentrate on how to create a better country for future generations. If they are determined to fulfil their constitutional obligations responsibly and strive hard to win and sustain public trust, it is nothing impossible. They should have the strength of character to correct their wrong-doing.
Government is a trust and the officers of the government, both elected and appointed are trustees. They are entrusted with the powers to make decisions for the benefit of the people. The question of representative roles was conceived by Burke (1968), who argued that representatives should serve as trustees of the interests of those elected them – “virtual representatives”- rather than serving as delegates. If so, how did corruption swallow up the whole country to the detriment of the countrymen? It is the main obstacle to achieve good governance and sustainable development.
They have collectively inflicted misery on every citizen. They are only keen in the pursuit of their prosperity. They are subject to manipulations from superpowers as well. And by crooked godfathers behind ostensible governments. It is a flawed system. The extravagant leaders have only favoured immediate gratifications. It had motivated public officials and even the citizens. Everybody now goes for easy money instead of productive activities.
Entitlements such as infrastructure, education, health care, etc have been curtailed to the citizens. Water, electricity etc are overcharged. The citizens pay bribes to get their legitimate services. Corruption undermines good governance, democracy, and the country’s competitiveness and revenue base.
They use various strategies to gain power. Idi Amin in Uganda won the hearts of the people by expelling British and attacking Western Imperialism. In the 1970s, Sri Lankan leaders criticised the Soulbury Constitution. They had campaigned that the plantations owned by the British should be nationalised. A home-grown Constitution was the only remedy to develop the country according to them.
JRJ did the same thing in 1977. It is a serious flaw in their characters. Nobody wants to correct the shortcomings. This, therefore, is an imbecile system. It does not take you forward. Corruption has become the modus operandi of kleptocrats. It benefits only a handful. It lowers and destroys the quality of lives of millions of others. Nevertheless, we cannot expect every leader to possess the wisdom of Lincoln or Mandela’s large-heartedness. But the need of the hour is true statesmanship.
We need leaders who will chase behind to achieve common goals. We have to ensure a ‘fair go for all’ without any further delay. This could only be done by achieving the SDGs that cut across and integrate economic, social, and environmental dimensions of development, which incorporate the 5Ps (People, Prosperity, Planet, Peace, and Partnerships).
This requires a collaborative and effective response at an unprecedented scale from all traditional and non-traditional actors. If so, we have to change the way we operate at present. We must be more systematic and catalytic.
Forty-two per cent of our population live on less than two dollars a day. Poverty is a punishment for those penniless people. They are paying for others’ sins. Numerous businesses, including professionals too practising privately, tend to hide and not to disclose their actual income, to avoid taxation.
As a result, the income generated by many businesses, professionals etc exists outside the official economy. This has paved the way for the existence of a rapidly growing parallel black money economy. It has grave and disastrous consequences.
The watchdog institutions that should scrutinize government performance need to be further strengthened. The Auditor-General must be given surcharge powers. The Yahapalana government withdrew ‘surcharge power provision’ at the final hour. Special Anti Corruption bodies such as CIABOC should also be permitted to go after powerful politicians. We expect the President to strengthen ethical values to re-create a well-performing bureaucracy.
Why is corruption cancerous? It has the ability rapidly and insidiously to infiltrate and destroy the organs of the state. It had strengthened – bad leadership, politics of the belly, greed and selfishness, clientelism, patronage, nepotism, weak institutions, lack of accountability and transparency, weak ethical values, weak judicial system etc. etc
The destruction caused is inexcusable. They have sold our valuable assets under numerous pretexts. The exploitation is deep-rooted in the bureaucratic and political institutions. The theft of government financial resources too is another serious form of corruption. The government has failed to prioritize its commitment to improving Public Financial Management, which involves a set of responsibilities. The Auditor-General has reported serious shortcomings in revenue management, accounting, monitoring, evaluation areas etc.
Politicians at the national, provincial and local level have become filthy rich overnight. We have heard of instances where customs, inland revenue officers, and many others, pocketing out government revenue with the collision of the payer. We have also heard of ‘ghost workers’ being paid.
Corruption, therefore, thrives in our country. Without ‘political will’ at the highest level nothing can be done to reduce corruption. It fuels injustice, inequality, and deprivation. It also has a disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable. It increases costs and reduces trust in government. It has led to violent extremism and conflict. With its negative effects upon political and economic development, it has serious repercussions on national institutions. Constitutionally, the elected representatives are accountable to people through the Parliament. In reality, it does not happen. It is like a spider web. Only the weak get caught.
The World Bank in a report had highlighted “Corruption and corrupt leaders both deepen poverty and make it difficult for ordinary people to get ahead as a result of their efforts”. It has been proved that it is the biggest obstacle for development. Its consequences are always borne by the most vulnerable sections and particularly the poor.
All that we need is a passionate leader. He should foster the trust and confidence of the people. He should be capable of curbing corruption by promoting ethics and integrity among both elected and appointed officials. He should also be an ardent supporter of good governance. However, on the political side, politicians who have enriched themselves through corrupt practices will not surrender their positions of advantage willingly. We know of donations from foreign sources for election campaigns. which have become a controversial issue as well. Similar donations have been banned in several developed countries. Shouldn’t the government think of such reforms as well?
Why did we forget debt is a double-edged sword? When it has been imprudently used, the results we face currently are disastrous. Excessive debt has impaired the government’s ability to deliver its essential services to its citizens. It is amidst the onset of the Corona pandemic and the deepest economic debacle globally. The Government should not any longer delay the necessary reforms.
By 1960, Korea had borrowed 25 billion dollars internationally for industrialisation. The rulers there had invested all those borrowings prudently. Dollars had worked wonders in Korea. China and other sources granted loans for our leaders. We have recklessly borrowed twice the amount and more, at much higher commercial rates as well. Subsequently, the last government handed over the port of Hambantota to China on a 99-year lease together with 15,000 acres of lands.
President should initiate reforms, restructuring, and rebuilding to improve the quality of lives of our distressed people. Another important issue at hand is the need to expedite matters concerning the large number of corruption cases that had been pushed under the carpet. There have been no significant convictions for graft despite widespread evidence of pervasive corruption.
President should direct the relevant authorities to initiate expeditious legal action regarding the 2015 Central Bank fraud committed allegedly with the help of politicians like Ranil Wickremesinghe. Steps should be thereafter taken to recover stolen assets. All these evidence had been amply revealed at the investigations in the Presidential Commission how RW implanted Arjuna Mahendran, who has recently changed his name to Harjan Alexander. We need the culture of impunity to end and a culture of accountability introduced.
The President should manage the ongoing superpower tensions to the best advantage of the countrymen. And secure our birthright freedoms for all our people. The shocking truth is that the country has been devastated by the two governments that ran governance after ending the war. They have pushed
GOSL to go bankrupt. Our external debt is staggering. Yet, we continue to borrow furthermore externally to repay debts. This is unbelievable. The debt service burden for 2020 exceeds $ 4.8 billion.
This requires that the President engage diplomacy – be highly strategic and tactical, based on pragmatic choices without sacrificing the future of our children any further. Sri Lanka is a textbook case of bad governance. People live in poverty having destroyed everything by incompetent leaders. How do we know whether illicit syndicates too are also linked to a wide range of problems such as law-enforcements, including international criminal interests? Everything possible should be done to give a better deal ASAP.
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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