Features
A Reluctant Hero
by Chandra Arulpragasam
Italy in 1967 still had a heavy American military presence, dating back to World War II. I had been in Italy for less than a year and did not speak the language well. I must have been about 38-years old, but had a nagging backache, which I attributed to the violent physical sports of my youth. I had tried many cures, including visits to London hospitals; but to no avail.
I had heard of the thermal baths in Ischia (an island near Capri) that were supposed to be good for backaches. I decided to go there, since it involved only a two-and-a- half-hour boat ride from Naples. In Ischia, having booked myself into a small pensione, I bought a one-week pass to the major thermal bath on the island. It was a large complex with a big garden, several pools at varying heat-levels, enclosures for mud baths (the volcanic mud was said to be good for aches) and cubicles for massage. The main clients were elderly Germans, who kept coming to the terme every year at spring-time. I happened to be the only dark-skinned person there!
On my first morning, when I was going to the hot springs, a man in camouflage uniform leapt out of the bushes to salute me: I recoiled in surprise. He seemed to be an ex-military man with a clipped moustache, balding and a bit of a belly; he turned out to be the gardener. At the baths, I swam in the biggest pool and soaked in the thermal springs. I was then offered a soak in the volcanic mud, or just a plain massage. I opted for the latter. The masseur was highly amused at my insisting on a tiny towel to cover my nakedness.
I had been only a few months in Italy: I could understand Italian well but could hardly speak, responding only with a ‘si’’ or ‘no’ to any questions asked of me. The masseur (Gianni) kept on chatting to me in Italian, asking me many personal questions. All his questions were about my physical activities. He first asked me whether I flew planes – and how many planes I had shot down, going rat-a-tat-tat, to imitate a machine gun. When I answered that I had not shot down any planes, he seemed genuinely disappointed! He then asked me how many enemies I had killed in hand-to-hand combat. When I answered in the negative, he seemed even more disappointed. I too was disappointed that I had to answer ‘no’ to all his questions: for he was only trying to make conversation. His next question was whether I was a boxer – like Muhammad Ali. By this time, I realized that I was not living up to his expectations, so I said: “‘Sort of – but that was long ago”: I had boxed a bit in my youth. ‘Giorgio’, he called to the masseur next-door: ‘This guy is a famous boxer!’ Giorgio burst into my booth to admire this famous boxer, while I clutched desperately at my skimpy towel!
Gianni resumed his questioning, asking me whether I was an actor in films. Since I was answering ‘no’ to all his questions, I desperately wanted to say ‘yes’ to something: so I responded weakly, ‘Si’. ‘Stefano’, he shouted to the next cubicle, ‘This guy is a famous actor in films’. I coyly clutched at my tiny towel as Stefano burst into my cubicle. The latter asked: ‘Were you like zero, zero, sette – like 007, like James Bond’? This line of questioning was leading me into greater lies, but I nodded weakly. With a sly wink, he then asked me: ‘So you must have had many women, like 007’? Unable to speak the language and unwilling to disappoint him, I responded with a nonchalant shrug of my shoulders, which he took to mean ‘quite a few’. He called excitedly to Roberto next door, telling him breathlessly that I had slept with many, many women! Roberto asked ‘then you must be a good lover, no?’ I was cornered: with seeming modesty, I answered ‘Si’. They believed what they wanted to believe vicariously of me, what they wanted me vicariously to be: a boxer like Muhamed Ali, a film-star like James Bond, making love to many women, just like James Bond! I was beginning to believe my own yarns myself!
All this made me famous! Everyone treated me with new respect. When I came to the baths next morning, even the old soldier saluted me with new gusto! So for one week at the baths I was a hero, walking on clouds. I was brought back to earth only when I had to return to my cheap pensione!
After I returned to Rome, I often wondered about my stay in Ischia. Why had they asked me only about armed activities and only about my physical prowess? It all made sense only when I learned that there was an American air force base in Naples. They had hardly seen a dark-skinned person in their remote Ischia. They had actually mistaken me for an Afro-American airman from the American base in Naples. I had fitted their imagined stereotype of an Afro-American airman: and I had fuelled their fancy fantasies. I had been their hero – although for one week only!
A Would-be Italian Lover
I met Ruggeiro (Roger) when he parked his caravan (trailer) next to mine at a lake (Lago di Bracciano), about one hour’s drive from Rome. It was a fresh-water lake (reputedly 800 feet deep) formed in the basin of a volcano, long years ago. Ruggeiro was full of fun, seldom serious, with an impish grin on his face and a wild sense of humour: he was known for his racy stories and sense of fun. Ruggiero had a wife, but no children. He must have been about 38-years old (around 1975). He wore a skimpy bathing slip, had sparkling blue eyes which contrasted well with his tanned skin, while a curl on his forehead hid a receding hairline.
We would usually meet at the lake on weekends. What brought us together was that we both had sail-boats. Mine was an all-purpose boat which could also be sailed, while his was a professional sail-boat. Likewise, whereas I could sail only tentatively, he was a serious sailor. This did not deter him from trying his pranks on me. When I would set out hesitantly and with trepidation (I had never taken sailing lessons), he would ride the waves triumphantly, ramming my boat repeatedly and laughing uproariously – only to pass me a bottle of grappa (intoxicating drink from Italy). After I had taken a frightened gulp, he would bump my boat again – to get his bottle back for another drink. He would bump me repeatedly, either to give me the bottle or to take it back. This ‘game’ would go on and on, till we had finished the bottle! Needless to say, when we finally reached the shore, I could hardly get out of my boat and stagger home!
In summer, the Italians would usually take their families to the seaside. One early summer’s day, I asked Ruggeiro whether he would be going to the beach. He responded with a knowing wink that he would be sending his wife to the beach with her sister and mother. I asked him whether he would be going too. ‘No, no’, he replied with a sly grin, ‘I will be staying in Rome: I will wait for the girls from Europe to come flocking for Italian lovers: they will leave their knickers behind in the Alps’, rubbing his palms together with glee! I noted that he had removed his wedding ring in anticipation; but its removal had left a thin, white, exposed band on his otherwise tanned skin. When asked whether this would not give him away, he replied with a wink and grin: ‘There’s nothing that a bit of shoe polish cannot accomplish!’
Babes in the Wood
At a long weekend around 1980, the few Sri Lankan families in Rome decided to have a picnic. We decided to go to the Pineta d’Ostia with its forest of pine trees, covering many square miles before reaching the sea in Ostia. It was a lonely spot in those days: my kids and I used to pack our bikes in our old station wagon and go to these woods to cycle for miles in these beautiful pine forests, which had good tarred roads, despite its loneliness. We had chosen an idyllic spot for our picnic, a clearing in the woods surrounded by trees and greenery. Our picnic lunch was a relaxed affair, lasting the whole morning and extending well into the afternoon. Much good food was eaten and much wine drunk.
The kids were playing in the clearing near us. But when we were clearing up to leave, we realized with consternation that two of our children had wandered off: Anjali, our daughter (aged five years) and a friend’s child, Gitanjali (Jayasundera) aged six. Searching in the vicinity with no results, we sent out systematic search-parties – but with no success. Becoming really worried, we thought of going to the police; but dismissed the idea because there was no police station close by. Hence, we merely intensified our search, sending out search parties in all directions.
Fortunately for us, the two children had been picked up by a police car that was cruising by in these woods. They were taken to the nearest police station, where they were questioned by the kind and concerned police men. They enquired where the children’s parents were. The children, thinking that this was all a joke made up a story that they did not know our whereabouts. The police then asked them how long they had been lost. The children fantasized that they had been roaming the forests for three whole days. The policemen asked them how they had survived for so long – to which the kids replied that they had survived by eating grass! This was too much for the policemen! They put the children in the squad car and went around the forests searching for their parents. Luckily they found us – though in deep distress. They gave us a good scolding for our carelessness, but smilingly admonished us not to send out our children to eat grass!
Migrants’ Tales
The first wave of migrants from Sri Lanka comprised professionals (doctors and engineers) who migrated to English-speaking countries where their (English) professional skills were recognized and valued. The second wave consisted of unemployed labour going into the non-English speaking countries – Italy, France and Germany – for manual or semi-skilled jobs, where language skills did not matter much. Usually the latter type of migration is spear-headed by the adventurers, often the ‘ne’er do wells’ who have nothing to lose; to the contrary, those with secure jobs would be afraid of undertaking such a risk at all!
Our story is about an adventurer who took the risk of migrating to Italy in the early days. He obtained a job as cook and major-domo to a rich bachelor. He had never cooked in his life. In those days (1975), Sri Lankan men never cooked at all: he was able to bungle through with the help of his indulgent employer. A month passed by – and he was still holding his job. He was keen to boast to the folks at home how well he had done in Italy. So he told friend to take a photograph. But before the photo, he arranged the pose and moved the furniture accordingly! He lay on his employer’s bed; he pulled the TV behind the bed, so that it would show in the photo. No one in his village owned a TV in those days. He pulled the two phones in the house beside his bed. Dressed in his employer’s best shirt, suit and shoes, and seeming to give important instructions over the phone, a cigarette dangling from his lips, he asked his friend to take the photograph. Needless to say, when the photo made the rounds in the village, not only was his reputation redeemed, but all the young men were jumping up and down to go to Italy!
Finally, a sad story comes to mind. By this time (around 1985), immigration to Italy had increased to a flood. Middlemen and brokers had entered the fray, promising everything from a passage to Italy to a forged visa, in return for an enormous fee. Desperately poor rural families mortgaged or sold their homes in order to finance their passage to Italy. This story is about one set of migrants who were able to find the large sums of money demanded by their agent. They were told to find their way to Hambantota where they were clandestinely loaded into a boat at night. They sailed for many days from Lanka’s shores, crossing many fishing vessels and ocean liners on their way, while some of the passengers were violently seasick.
After sailing for about a week, they at last sighted land-lights in the distance; they were told that they had reached Italy. They would land secretly at night on a thinly wooded shore; they were told to lie low for the night and to work their way to the nearest town in the morning. When morning came, they crept into the closest town in twos and threes, as instructed…… Only to find that they had landed in Hambantota – the very town from which they had departed! They had literally been taken for a ride! To add to their dismay, they had to face the shame of their village, the blame of their families and the demands of their creditors!
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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