Features
A TIMELY OFFER – Part 33
CONFESSIONS OF A GLOBAL GYPSY
By Dr. Chandana (Chandi) Jayawardena DPhil
President – Chandi J. Associates Inc. Consulting, Canada
Founder & Administrator – Global Hospitality Forum
chandij@sympatico.ca
A Tour with Walkers Tours
Walkers Tours & Travels (Ceylon) Limited, popularly known as Walkers Tours was the largest inbound tour company in Sri Lanka in 1970s. They represented three of the largest European tour operators from West Germany, Sweden and Switzerland, who were actively promoting tourism in Sri Lanka. In late August, 1977, Walkers Tours decided to organize a one-week coach tour around Sri Lanka for representatives from all hotels in Sri Lanka providing rooms to their clients. As the Assistant Manager and Executive Chef, I represented Coral Gardens Hotel on this tour. It turned out to be a fun-filled thank you tour. It was great public relations by Walkers Tours with their local industry partners.
Most members of the top team of Walkers Tours, joined this trip. They included Sri Lankan travel trade legends such as Mr. Norman Impett and Mr. Neville Arnolda. They were both senior Directors of Walkers Tours, and appeared to have a lot of authority and power to operate independent of their new owners – John Keells Group. I also got to know more about prominent younger members of Walkers Tours family, such as Ms. Bobby Jordan and Ms. Jansi Ponniah, who join the trip. They both were very efficient, dynamic and well-connected with the hotel industry.
The highlight of the tour was spending a couple of days at their then flag ship hotel – The Village, Habarana. By then, Walkers Tours (John Keells group) which had a few hotel management agreements, was managing Hotel Swanee, and taking over the management of Hotel Ceysands. They were in the early stages of planning a hotel in Kandy which was called Kandy Walkinn (which years later opened as Hotel Citadel). Encouraged with the unprecedented success of The Village as the leading round-trip hotel in Sri Lanka, they were also thinking of building another large hotel on their 40-acre land in Habarana.
My friend Bobby Adams, the Hotel Opening Manager of the Village, was very happy to see me again. Both of us sat at the ‘Don Martin’s’ bar and had a long chat over a couple of drinks. We were served house special cocktails created by veteran barman, Don Martin. He was a legend at the famous Galle Face Hotel where he had worked for many decades before joining Bobby at the Village.
The clever hotelier that Bobby was, he had named the bar to honour Don Martin, who worked very hard just as if he was the owner of the bar. He was an amazingly knowledgeable barman and also a humble man. Bobby explained his other innovative initiatives at the Village. After that, Bobby encouraged me to join Walkers Tours/John Keells Group. He predicted that this group would become the largest and greatest hotel operator in Sri Lanka. Bobby’s prediction was correct.
During the tour, I also met a coach load of young hotel executives, supervisors and front office employees of different hotels. With these interactions, I better understood different cultures of hotel companies. For example, through Yasmine Vitol, a young and bubbly lady working at the front desk of Hotel Palm Gardens, I learnt a lot on how Confifi group of hotels operated. Both of us sat in the front seat next to the driver throughout the tour and we became friends. We stayed in touch for some time after that tour.
An Offer from Walkers Tours
The day after the trip when I returned to the Coral Gardens Hotel, Captain D. A Wickramasinghe (Captain Wicks), called me. He was the gentleman I had met a couple of times with his wife and their beautiful teenage daughter. He said that, “I now work at the corporate office of John Keells/Walkers Tours Group, and I need to meet with you to discuss something very important.” We met the next day. He explained that Walkers Tours had taken over the Hotel Ceysands management from the owners – Ceylinco Group. The original hotel manager (a gentleman with a Navy background) now reported to Captain Wicks who functioned as the General Manager of Ceysands. He was operating from head office with weekly visits to the hotel.
Captain Wicks said that he hired a good Executive Chef – Terrence Hopman (Hoppy) who had gained some valuable experience as the Senior Executive Chef for the Non-Aligned Summit of heads of State and Government in 1976. I said, “I know Hoppy well. He was two years my senior at the Ceylon Hotel School. What do you want from me?” He offered me the post of Food & Beverage Manager and Executive Chef with an impressive package and a 40% increase of my current salary at the Coral Gardens Hotel.
It was a good offer, but I was confused. “Why do you need two Executive Chefs?” I asked him. He then explained that Hoppy was having some serious back pains resulting from a past injury and needed six months to fully recover. “When Hoppy returns, I will reshuffle the duties of the management team of seven professionals, in consultation with the team”, he said. After a pause, Captain Wicks said, “Chandana, we are expecting 100% occupancy from November 1 for six months. We need a good professional like you to join us at least by October 1, to organize the kitchen, restaurant and bars within a month.”
As I deliberately did not show an overly enthusiastic reaction, he continued, “Walkers Tours plan to re-open Ceysands with a bang, but the Hotel Manager and I do not have any knowledge about food and beverage management. Please join our team. You will report to me directly. Your future will be very bright with the John Keells Group.” Captain Wicks continued trying to convince me. “Let me think about it. I will give you a final word within two days.” I ended the discussion keeping my options open.
Compared to Major Siri Samarakoon, the Manager of Coral Gardens Hotel, Captain Wicks appeared to be a much gentler and refined executive. I did some inquiries and found that Captain Wicks underwent his military officer training for two years at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK before being commissioned. His batch mates in Sandhurst included the Crown Prince of Jordan (who later became King Hussein I). Captain Wicks was a good sportsman and had represented Sandhurst in tennis. During his military career he had worked as the Adjutant to the previous Army Commander, Major General Richard Udugama. After leaving the army, Captain Wicks had worked for Yahala Group which owned five boutique hotels around Sri Lanka and later became the General Manager of one of the largest security companies in Sri Lanka.
Having done my research about my potential new superior, I went to meet Hoppy in Colombo. I did not want to accept his position without checking with my friend first. Hoppy was in a bad way. He said that I should accept the offer, as he was unsure as to how long it would take him to fully recover. He was happy that I had consulted him and further said that, “Captain Wicks is a good man. Since I became ill, he regularly visited me at home, even personally bringing my salary, home.”
The next day I signed my letter of appointment to join the largest group of companies in Sri Lanka – John Keells. I gave a month notice to Major, who wished me luck, but did not ask any questions. I felt sad to leave Coral Gardens where I learnt the ropes of management, but at the same time felt happy with the new offer and future career opportunities. I had an eventful two years in Hikkaduwa where I learnt the good, the bad and the ugly of hotel management.
Evolvement of Coral Gardens
A few years after my departure, the owning company of Coral Gardens decided to change the hotel and its management, after a series of unusual and alarming episodes. I heard that Major Siri Samarakoon eventually met his Waterloo there. Malin Hapugoda (Hapu) was promoted as the Director/General Manager of Coral Gardens in addition to his duties managing its two sister hotels.
By early 1980s, all the old buildings of Coral Gardens Hotel were demolished to build a brand new four-star 150-room hotel designed by a French company. Hapu handled the new hotel project and offered me the post of Hotel Opening Manager for the new hotel which opened in 1985. Around the same time, I was offered the post of General Manager of the two largest hotels of the John Keells Group – The Lodge and the Village Habarana, which I accepted instead.
The uniquely vibrant (Coral Gardens) hotel continues its glory today. After recent refurbishing done by John Keells Group it was rebranded as Hikka Tranz by Cinnamon. This hotel is standing tall as a remarkable landmark of the Sri Lankan hospitality after decades of challenges, changes and rebranding. The location chosen hundred years ago for a small rest house in the Ceylon continues to be unique.
I am reminded of one of the most famous quotes to come out of the business world that was proclaimed by the Founder of the Hilton Hotel Corporation, Conrad Hilton. “The key to success is: Location, Location, Location”. Although at times, the local fishermen and beach boys were somewhat intrusive, the location of Coral Gardens Hotel/Hikka Tranz by Cinnamon, protected by the famous coral reef is breath-takingly beautiful.
Arriving at Ceysands
During my short ride from Coral Gardens to Hotel Ceysands, I was happy to pass my previous work place where I lived for a year – Bentota Beach Hotel. Passing the bridge over River Bentota was somewhat nostalgic for me. Many a times I had walked on the beach from a rocky point at the end of Bentota right to the river mouth, passing many hotels, notably Bentota Beach and Ceysands.
Situated between the Indian Ocean and the Bentota River, Hotel Ceysands always had a special appeal. All guests, employees, food and beverages and all other hotel supplies had to be taken by boat from the land-side bank to the sea-side bank of the river. This posed a logistical challenge and a costly operation. The apartment first aassigned to me was on the employee side of the hotel.
After I placed my belongings there, I was taken to the guest-side of the hotel in a boat operated by an ex-Navy man. “I am Mendis, Sir. I am in charge of the 12 Ceysands boats, all boatmen as well as the boat maintenance staff whom I recruited from the Navy – mainly Petty Officer who served under me” he said. Later I realized that he was one of the seven executives of the hotel.
Mendis took the boat alongside a bigger boat with the Ceysands logo. “That’s the pride of my fleet – Ceysands Pontoon which can carry 60 tourists for evening serenades on the river with music, dancing and a lot of booze!” Mendis explained. When reaching the hotel, he gradually slowed the boat to avoid bumping the pier hard. After a smooth docking he told me, “Both of us have the two apartments on the land side. As the only executives on that side of the river, we are expected to keep an eye on the staff quarters to ensure strict discipline and timely operation of the staff canteen” he said.
“Another expectation was to support the guards at the security post who ensure that no locals enter the hotel premises” Mendis continued. “Here we go again, Chandana! Action follows you!” I thought for myself, while learning the safest way to get off the boat during low tide. With his back injury, I realized how difficult it would have been for Hoppy to get in and out of boats twice daily during low tide.
“Welcome to Hotel Ceysands!” I was warmly greeted by Captain Wicks. He then Introduced me to Alan Silva who was the Hotel Manager. After serving the Navy, Alan had gained some experience in security management at Ceylinco, the owners of Hotel Ceysands. He was relatively new to hotel management. He was a pleasant and friendly gentleman. After a brief chat and some tea, Captain Wicks said, “OK, Chandana, let me show you around and hand over your departments. You have a totally free hand to re-organize your departments as you wish within a month.” “Yes, Captain. Let’s go!” I joined him for the quick introductory round.
Captain Wicks ushered me around and showed me the kitchen, restaurant, three bars, cellar and stores, meanwhile introducing the senior supervisors. He was polite to the employees but did not speak very much with them. I felt that he was well-respected by the team. I was excited to take charge and run these departments as soon as possible after our quick round. I realized that I would have a very busy month prior to the arrival of the first group of tourists on November 1, 1977, when Ceysands re-opened under the new management of Walkers Tours.
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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