Features
An interlude in Sofia, doctorate, Indo-Lanka relations and Vijaya Kumaratunga
(Excerpted from volume ii of the Sarath Amunugama autobiography)
Following the successful Tashkent meeting, UNESCO geared up for its annual sessions to be held in Sofia in Bulgaria. This was a two week long meeting which was to map out the next two year programme for the institution. UNESCO’s International Programme for Development Communications (IPDC) had an important role to play and I was included in the large list of officials who were to move lock, stock and barrel to Sofia to manage the conference.
UNESCO also invited several Third World journalists to cover this meeting and I managed to nominate Gamini Wijetunga, editor of Desathiya’ to be a member of this group. He first came to Paris for a briefing and then accompanied me to Sofia to cover the General Conference.
The Bulgarians who had only recently asserted some independence from Russian domination went all out to make this event a great success. On the opening night they hosted a gala reception on the grounds of the Sofia museum. The museum was a fabulous place with many exhibits from the Greek and Roman civilizations which had covered much of Bulgaria’s Mediterranean territory. Famous Bulgarian wines and Russian Vodka flowed at this reception as the organizers wished to distance themselves from the drab Russian political culture which was now being assailed by the USSR leadership under Gorbachev.
Their new found commitment to freedom of action was so strong that they were lining up a female Bulgarian diplomat to succeed M’Bow when his term was over. Unhappy about the constant criticism from western media, M’Bow was not averse to being lionized by the USSR and the East European countries. In one of his adroit moves he asked me to visit GDR [East Germany] and repair the damage caused by an affair which could have come out of a spy novel.
A senior GDR official had been on the staff of UNESCO. He had been accused of spying for the West while being attached to our organization, by the GDR authorities. When he returned to his country for a holiday while being on the staff of UNESCO, he had been detained in East Berlin by his government. M’Bow took up the position that the relevant officer was a UNESCO/UN employee and could not be detained by a member state. Rather than accept this position, the GDR authorities remained adamant in detaining the officer.
M’Bow then had no alternative but to break off relations with the GDR. Since IPDC was relatively independent, I was asked to mediate. As soon as I landed in Tegel airport in East Berlin with my wife, who was also invited by the GDR, I sensed that they wanted to settle this matter and end the impasse. We were received with bouquets of flowers and much ceremony and driven to a state guest house where we had discussions about IPDC and UNESCO.
A visit had been arranged for us to see the sights of East Berlin which had been familiar to me from earlier visits as Director of Information of Sri Lanka. An unforgettable sight was the dilapidated Jewish synagogue which had been kept unrestored as a symbol of the `Kristalnacht’ in which the Jews of Berlin were attacked by the Nazis. We also visited the Pergammon Museum with its famous Egyptian collection. The impasse with the UNESCO official was resolved when he was allowed to come to Paris, resign his job and get back to Berlin.
Going against the grain of spy novels, he did not make a run for it from Paris but returned to East Germany to hold a position there. Maybe he was a double agent. From time-to-time UN agencies are rocked with allegations of spying by nationals planted there by secret agencies. It is an open secret that the UN in New York is riddled with spies from different camps and the New York Police Department is busy trailing such suspects. Not only are there spies but there are others who try to persuade officials from behind the iron curtain to defect or play a double game. The Chinese in my time were less subtle. My friend from Xinhua News Agency told me that they got all the information they want from the managers and cooks of the hundreds of Chinese restaurants which dot the city. Many of them are subsidized and our UNESCO friends from China would wine and dine us at the best Chinese restaurants in the city, which served exquisite dishes. French politicians and bureaucrats were also similarly entertained. They say that the best Chinese food outside of Shanghai can be found in Paris.
The long stay in Sophia helped me to explore the ancient city which had seen waves of cultural invasion including the Turks. The mix of cultures was seen by us in the Bulgarian cuisine which was an eclectic offering of Mediterranean, Western, Russian and Ottoman Turkish dishes. Due to the UNESCO `invasion’, Bulgarian restaurants and markets were doing good business. In the meanwhile Gamini Wijetunga had made contact with a large ` of Sri Lankan students who had come on scholarship to Universities in Sophia.
They were mostly from families which had links with the Lankan Communist Party and had been rewarded for the fidelity of their parents for the cause. These students were very helpful in taking us to small eateries which cooked delicious local meals. They also invited us to their University dorms and cooked rice and curry meals for us. But what surprised us was the vehemence with which the students complained of the old Communist regime.
This was seen even in East Germany among the young; even though GDR was the most orthodox of the Communist regimes. All this was to boil over in the coming years leading to the fall of the Soviet Union. Bulgaria too had been strongly in the Soviet camp due to its undisputed leader Dimitrov, the head of the Comintern, who defied the Nazis after being falsely accused in the Reichstag fire trial. He later became the leader of Bulgaria as a confidante of Stalin and later one of the geriatric leaders of the USSR. Today Bulgaria is a free state and very much in the western camp.
Doctorate
The break in Sofia helped me to revise my thesis which was to be submitted for a doctorate in Social Anthropology [Called Ethnology in the French system] to the University of France. I was fortunate in having two South Asia specialists, Jean-Claude Galay and Eric Meyer, as my supervisors. Since I was a senior student, it was a friendly interaction involving their reading chapters of my thesis and sharing a meal in a cafe or Jean-Claude’s apartment while talking about it.
It was plain sailing but for the fact that it had to be submitted in the French language. Following many foreign students, I wrote my thesis in English and had it translated into French. Once it was accepted, a day was fixed for the defence of the thesis at the EHESS (École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales – School of Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences) . According to French tradition it is a public event which is held after a notice is published in the newspapers. Accordingly my defence of the
thesis was held with the public accommodated in the hall.
Most of those who turned up were South Asia specialists with a few well-wishers like Ananda Guruge, Jacques Renault and his wife. On the high table was the jury which comprised the Chairman from College de France, Collette Caillart of the Sorbonne, Eric Mayer of the CNRS and Jean Claude Galay who was my supervisor- I made a brief presentation in French giving a summary of my thesis. Then the Board, especially the Chairman asked a series of questions which I easily answered because I knew the subject better than him, followed by Caillart and Eric Meyer who bowled a few full tosses at me.
Then the discussion was opened to the house and I easily answered the questions directed at me. In the French system after a short break the jury delivers its verdict. We remained in the hall and the jury returned after a while and announced that I had successfully completed the requirements for a doctorate and signed the book to attest to that effect. After the usual congratulations we retired to a nearby pub to celebrate. That night my wife had arranged a dinner at our home to thank our friends, Ananda Guruge, Eric Meyer, Manu Ginige, Jacques Renault, Navaz and many others who were treated to a rice and curry dinner.
A few days later I called over at the EHEESS to collect my certificate. One of my objectives in coming to Paris was now satisfactorily concluded. But I continued to keep up with Eric and Jean-Claude for quite some time. Jean’Claude went to Cambridge, Eric retired and Louis Dumont died at a ripe old age to be celebrated by the world of social science as one of the great scholars of our time.
Indo-Lanka Relations
In the latter part of Indira Gandhi’s ‘reign’, relations between India and Sri Lanka went from bad to worse. This period was marked by the rise of the LTTE and the elimination of all those Tamils, including Tamil militants, who did not join them. The LTTE argued that Tamil ‘traitors’ had to be eliminated before they took on the Sinhala forces. Sabaratnam, the EPRLF leader and his whole central committee was gunned down in Chennai and in Jaffna.
While it may not have been the official line of the Indian Government, RAW which had a history of going ‘rogue’ against the Indian establishment, was strengthening the LTTE. At the same time they were introducing ‘moles’ into the LTTE exploiting caste differences. Initially LTTE was seen as a `Karaiyar’ (Karawe) outfit just as the JVP leadership was dominated by its Sinhala Karawe members. It was the sea that gave the LTTE the edge as it could cross over to the southern tip of India by boat when pressed by the army in the North. Velvettiturai was a staging post for the LTTE which could travel to South India and back with impunity. VVT was the home town of Prabhakaran.
Another of JRJ’s miscalculations was his belief that the USA would take his side and balance his relationship with India. He sent his close associate Ernest Corea as Ambassador to the US to cement the relationship. But the US stance was that we should settle this problem with India’s assistance. President Reagan sent his personal envoy General Vernon Walters to Colombo with that message. Walters repeated that advice at an impromptu press conference held on the tarmac in Katunayake en route to New Delhi.
In Delhi he warned the Indian policy makers not to miltarize the conflict. The US facilitated a meeting with the Israelis to help modernize the SL army and also recommended the use of British mercenaries. This was negotiated by Ravi, JRJ’s son who had taken on the role of security advisor much to the relief of the father who had a troubled relationship with him. I was told that JRJ had a secret meeting with Israeli leader Yiztak Rabin in the Hotel Crillon in Paris during a State visit to France.
But the LTTE was on the offensive and I was present with Gamini Dissanayake and the President in the President’s lodge in Kandy when Generals Attygalle, Ranatunga and Seneviratne wanted talks to begin with India and the LTTE as the military situation was grave. Though JRJ did not give it much thought the US-Pakistan-Israel axis troubled India and undercut his attempts to woo her.
Vijaya’s Visit To Paris
While being pushed to the wall in the North, JRJ’s dealings with the Opposition also took an unfavourable turn. The strong showing of the Kobbekaduwa campaign came as shock to him and he responded by calling his opponents Naxalites and imprisoning them. Some of the radicals – Vasudeva and the JVP, went underground creating further problems. The impression that JRJ was using these tactics to get revenge and cripple the legitimate democratic opposition gained ground. His venom was particularly directed at Vijaya Kumaratunga who was the live wire of the Kobbekaduwa campaign.
He was arrested and detained in the magazine prison under inhuman conditions. Vijaya’s candidacy to enter Parliament for the Mahara constituency, a part of JRJs old Kelaniya seat, was thwarted by the use of force. It was all getting very personal and bitter, and JRJ was fast losing his popularity. After many appeals Vijaya was released and his wife Chandrika arranged for him to recuperate with a holiday in France. She had many friends there and Manu Ginige who acted as a coordinator told me that we should spend some time with Vijaya.
I was happy to oblige as we had many common friends in the Sinhala film industry. We first met for dinner in the house of one of Chandrika’s friends who was now a rich stockbroker. Through Vijaya was the chief guest he was withdrawn and was recovering from the effects of his unfair detention. He was missing his wife and children and was spending time with the children of his host rather than engaging in a conversation with them. He seemed spaced out and uncomfortable.
The following day he called me at UNESCO and suggested having lunch as he was missing rice and curry. Manu Ginige had found a restaurant which specialized in ‘Paella’, a popular Spanish food with a lot of rice and meats which we all enjoyed eating. Vijaya was very reflective that day and spoke very little. He was keen to get back to Sri Lanka where he was to be a key player in the anti-UNP resistance. However he was the leader of the left who kept a line at communication to the Tamil leaders as a strong supporter of devolution of power to the north and east even when it was an unpopular proposal at that time.
He became a chief target of the JVP which assassinated him in cold blood. Had he lived he would have been elected President which would have changed much at Sri Lanka’s subsequent history. His name must be added to Premadasa, Gamini and Lalith who would have each enhanced the Presidency had they lived. It was Sri Lanka’s tragic fate that it lost its leaders to violence and be succeeded by others who did not have their charisma and competence.
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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