Features
A wonderful beginning to a new life
THE POLICE TRAINING SCHOOL
by Senior Retired DIG Edward Gunawardene
In the year 1957 I sat two public examinations conducted by the Public Service Commission, the constitutionally created independent body for recruitment to the Public Service. My father gladly gave me the examination fee of Rs. 250/= to apply for the Ceylon Civil Service examination. But it was with reluctance that he gave me Rs. 150/= to sit the examination for the selection of Assistant Superintendents of Police.
Finding a job then did not appear to be a problem. By the time the results of the Police examination were announced I had received several letters of appointment to various jobs at staff level. The three that I remember are: Assistant Assessor of Income Tax, Assistant Superintendent of Surveys (Geological Survey) and Assistant Superintendent Government Stores.
However, with my coming first in the Police examination by ever 100 marks I had little choice. Everybody, especially my brothers, said “Take it”. The man I had beaten to second place ‘Brute’ Mahendran was a triple international having represented Ceylon in Athletics, Rugger and Boxing. I had only taken part in games. At the interview ‘Brute’ and I had been asked the same question, “Can you tell us where the game of Rugby originated?” The man who was playing rugger for Ceylon was not able to answer.
The Board of Interview appointed by the Public Service Commission for the Police examination was chaired by Gunasena de Zoysa, Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and External Affairs. The Minister was the Prime Minister himself, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike. The other members of the Board were Brigadier Anton Muttucumaru, the Army Commander, and C.C. Dissanayake, DIG, who was then acting as IGP.
When I walked in dressed in a white satin drill suit with the words ‘good morning’ in my mouth, the entire board looked at me. They were all smiles. Perhaps they were amused at this small but confident looking youngster. As soon as I sat down the Chairman spoke, “you have an excellent degree, a geography second”. Mr. Dissanayake looked at me and said, “I find that you have played rugger at Peradeniya, but you have not played rugger for your school.”
“St. Josephs is not a rugger playing school. Soccer is their game”, interjected the Army Commander who was an old Josephian.
After a short pause Dissanayake asked me where the game had originated. I replied that it began at Rugby, the famous British grammar school during a game of soccer. “What else do you know about this school?” was his next question. I then mentioned the name of Arnold, the famous principal, and explained to the Board that he is still remembered as a stern disciplinarian. That was the end of the interview. The final results showed that I had received 350 out of 400 marks.
It was on February 1, 1958 that I entered the Police Training School. Mahendran and David, the other two Probationary ASPs, accompanied me from Colombo. We were picked up at the Kalutara railway station by my friend Nehru Goonetillake and driven to the Training School. At that time Nehru had received his LLB degree from Peradeniya and was following lectures at the Law College in Colombo. His father P.F.A. Goonetilleke was a leading citizen of Kalutara. He was not only the Crown Proctor but also the President of the Kalutara Bodhi Trust. Over 50 years later, Nehru at the time of his premature death was not only a leading President’s Counsel but the President of the Kalutara Bodhi Trust.
As we stopped at the Training School gate a constable approached the car. When I told him that we were the new ASPs, he stood to attention and saluted smartly and directed us to a place called the Charge Room. As the three of us entered this room an officer shouted, “Charge Room, Attention!” Simultaneously, a young constable escorted us to an open area with seats of cement slabs where there were several persons in informal dress as well as police uniforms.
The most impressive of the lot was a handsome, middle aged, blue eyed gentlemen dressed in a white shirt and blue shorts. Smoking a pipe he looked very relaxed. “Here come the new Probs”, he told the others there. By ‘Probs’ he meant Probationary ASPs. He then walked up to the three of us and warmly shook our hands saying “Welcome to the Police, Gentlemen”. He introduced himself as Fred Brohier, Assistant Director of Training. He apologized for the absence of the Director, Stanley Senanayake who was attending the funeral of his sister, Mrs. Wanasundera.
With Brohier were three other ASPs Murugesupillai, Terry Wijesinghe and Van den Driesen. They were all introduced to us. Whilst these introductions and pleasantries were taking place there was also chatter behind. An oldish man in shorts was heard to remark (referring to me) “the short fellow looks a tough nut.” I later came to know that he was Inspector Suraweera of Monte Cristo fame. The story current at the time was that Suraweera had taken an armed police party to Monte Cristo estate to quell a riot; and the man leading the mob had dared to advance towards the police raising his sarong and exposing his person. Suraweera himself had opened fire, with a shot gun blasting the genitals of the mob leader! The latter had not succumbed to his injuries. The labour unrest on the estate ceased; and Suraweera had been commended by Sir Richard Aluvihare who was the IGP then.
Soon the Asst. Director commanded a mustacheod uniformed officer, “Major, take them round on a whirlwind tour of the school.” Boarding a hood less jeep we set off. “I am Sergeant Major Nallawansa. You see, like the IGP there is only one such officer in the police,” was how he introduced himself. He then suggested that we could go to our lodgings first, the SSM (Senior Staff Mess), do a change etc. before doing the full round of the school.
The SSM had many rooms including a spacious dining room and lobby with a regulation size billiard table. Most of the rooms were occupied by a new batch of trainee Sub-Inspectors of Police. A few rooms were also occupied by staffers. Alex Abeysekera and Terry Amarasekera were two of them. The three of us were allocated rooms in different areas of the building. After lunch we were met by Inspector Ekanayake, the Chief Lecturer. He explained to us the daily routine of training. For three young men just out of University it was a rigid program indeed. However before long we began to enjoy the healthy mix of physical exercises, parades, lectures on law, criminal investigation, Police role in the maintenance of public order etc. More than even Mahendran and David, I took a special liking to the riding of motor cycles and horses. A probationary ASP had to be competent in the riding horses for confirmation in the rank of ASP.
On my second day at the Police Training School (PTS) Feb. 2, 1958, whilst taking part in Physical Training exercises dressed in blue shorts and white shirts, my colleagues and I were intrigued to see a handsome gentleman dressed in riding trousers and polo shirt riding a chestnut coloured horse on the perimeter of the parade ground. Sub-Inspector Somapala who was the P.T. instructor was quick to announce to us that the gentleman on horseback was the Director, Stanley Senanayake. That moment I thought that I had selected a great job.
That same evening at about 7′ O’Clock the three of us were picked up from our lodgings and driven to the Director’s residence for dinner. As we entered the verandah we were warmly greeted by Stanley Senanayake and his charming wife, Maya. From the moment we met this couple I realized that life in the police will be pleasant and rewarding. We were indeed fortunate that Stanley and Maya were at the helm during our stint at the Training School.
Stanley had been an outstanding student at the University, and had chosen to join the Police as an ASP prior to graduation. Maya was an honours graduate. She was the daughter of P. de S. Kularatne. Even before joining the Police, Stanley had earned recognition as a handsome sportsman and an accomplished horseman. In fact in 1948 during the independence celebrations I had seen him and Sydney de Zoysa act as Dutugemunu and Elara in that epic Pageant of Lanka enacted at the Colombo racecourse.
Others present at this dinner were Fred Brohier, Terry Wijesinghe, Murugesupillai and their wives. From the following morning for more than a week continuously we were shuttling to Colombo and back with the Asst. Director, Fred Brohier. He had to get our uniforms ready as a matter of priority. Orders for the tailoring of uniforms were placed at Millers, Fort. This up-market department store, owned and managed by Englishmen, was the traditional uniform maker for senior Police officers. Several types of uniforms had to be turned out:
Ceremonial White Uniform consisting of tunic, long trousers and cross-belt. A white pith helmet with a spike and large silver badge and a ceremonial sword accompanied this uniform.
Ceremonial Riding Uniform The difference was that instead of white trousers dark blue serge pantaloons and riding boots with ceremonial spurs were worn.
No. I Khaki Uniform – White shirt with black tie, khaki long trousers, tunic coat and Sam Browne belt.
The Normal Working Uniform consisted of a light khaki tunic and long trousers.
The riding boots had to be specially made. This was an expert job undertaken by a boot maker on Hospital Street in Fort.
The Headgear – The white pith helmet, braided peak cap and a felt slouch hat with a broad puggaree; the crossbelt and Sam Browne belt; and insignia, epaulets, nickel plated buttons and officer’s baton had to be obtained from the Inspector-General’s stores at Police Headquarters.
After equipping the three young ASPS with their uniforms, Brohier had to perform a traditional task of a different but pleasant nature. This was by appointment to introduce the three of us to the Governor General, Prime Minister, the Chief Justice, the Army Commander and the IGP. Of all these meetings the meeting with the Prime Minister, SWRD Bandranaike, turned out to be the most informal.
He was completely relaxed. He asked only one question from each of us, “Who is your father? What is he doing?” He was pleased at our frank and forthright replies. When I told him that my father was the Assistant Manager of the Fountain Cafe, his immediate response was, “I am sure, I’ve met him”. Fountain Cafe was Colombo’s leading restaurant. My father who had been there since its inception, had befriended even Caldecott, Sir Geoffrey Layton and Oliver Goonetillake. As a schoolboy I have seen leading jockeys Fordyce and Cook talking to him. Bandaranaike was certainly more pleased at meeting and conversing with three young graduates of the University of Ceylon rather than three new ASPs.
I was to meet this great man twice in 1959 before his cruel assassination in September the same year. Whilst attached to Colombo Division for practical training I once accompanied the Supdt. of Police Colombo, H.K. Van den Driesen to the Prime Minister’s Office. Van den Driesen had to brief the Prime Minister on the labour unrest that was prevalent in the Port at the time. My final meeting with him was when he had to officially open the new Kelani bridge. I was the only Senior Officer present. It was not a grand show. Mr. Premaratne, the Director of Public Works was present with a few officials together with the workers who had taken part in the construction. The Prime Minister had to cut a ribbon that had been strung across the bridge. Mr. Premaratne received him with a sheaf of betel while another official offered him a pair of scissors on a silver tray. The Prime Minister took the scissors, paused a while and handed them over to one of the workers to do the honours. Once the ribbon was cut, the Prime Minister himself led the applause. At the time of his assassination I was the ASP, Batticaloa.
(Continued next week)
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
