Features
AN OPPORTUNITY FROM A CRISIS – Part 24
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
Crisis Management in the Post Pandemic Era
Last week I chaired the eighth International Conference on Hospitality & Tourism Management (ICOHT 2021). Professor Suranga Silva of University of Colombo was my Co-Chair. We chose ‘Post Pandemic Tourism & Hospitality’ as the theme for this year’s conference. Some 105 scholars from over 20 countries made some thought-provoking presentations via Zoom. Apart from my welcome speech, I was involved in moderating a webinar on ‘Spiritual Tourism’ and a Worldwide Hospitality And Tourism Themes (WHATT) roundtable discussion with a dozen experts from different countries.
A key theme of discussion was re-building the tourism and hospitality industry after the pandemic. The importance of leaders’ ability to manage crises was discussed. The participating scholars agreed that crisis management should be well covered in syllabi of hospitality and tourism management educational programs. Increasing of global energy prices was seen as the tip of the iceberg of a series of new crises that may affect tourism and hospitality industry. Scarcity of hospitality trained labour was also identified as another crisis.
History shows that tourism always bounces back, but it will take a longer time in the post-pandemic era. Crisis management skills of managers, therefore will be essential in the ‘new’ tourism. Whilst appreciating that crisis management now has a new level of importance, it has to be noted that it always played a role in hotel management around the world.
A Crisis at Coral Gardens Hotel
In August, 1975, Bentota Beach Hotel became somewhat busier again. This was due to the mini tourist season resulting from the Kandy Perahera held on 10 days with over 100 elephants and more than 1,000 dancers. Some of the tourists who arrived in Sri Lanka to see the Perahera visited the west coast for a few days even though the sea was still rough. As the Trainee Executive Chef, I also became involved in helping the management team to plan for the next tourist season.
One day I heard some news about the sister hotel of Bentota Beach Hotel – Coral Gardens Hotel, which was located in the seaside town, Hikkaduwa, just 23 miles south of Bentota. Coral Gardens Hotel was one of the earliest hotels to open in the mid-1960s soon after Sri Lanka identified tourism as an industry with potential for economic growth and employment generation. The key attraction of this hotel was the nearby underwater garden famous for its corals and schools of beautifully colourful fish. The hotel operated the main glass-bottomed boat excursions for tourists visiting Hikkaduwa.
As Coral Gardens operated with a very small leadership team of just two managers (Manager and the Assistant Manager), Bentota Beach shared its Chief Accountant and the Maintenance Engineer with its sister hotel. Coral Gardens frequently faced problems with trade unions, and local fishermen and villagers who tried to sell handicrafts and corals to tourists. Therefore, although smaller than Bentota Beach, it was difficult to manage. A well-experienced hospitality manager – ‘Pappa’ Paranawithane was the fourth manager in four years to manage that property. He had suddenly retired and around the same time the Assistant Manager – Bobby Adams, resigned to accept a good offer to open the first hotel developed by John Keells/Walkers Tours Group – The Village, Habarana.
Meeting Bobby Adams
By then I had learnt that career building depends on relationships one fosters throughout one’s career journey. I met Bobby Adams for the first time in 1975, two weeks prior to his departure from the company. That was at Bentota Beach Manager’s (Malin Hapugoda) office, when Bobby came to say goodbye. A few days after that, on Bobby’s invitation, I visited him at Coral Gardens. He was a humble man who began as a dishwasher working his way through a hard life. For professional training he had done only a six-month craft course in Cookery at the Ceylon Hotel School while working as an Assistant Cook for Joe Wallace, then a well-known caterer in Sri Lanka (later Bobby’s father-in-law).
Bobby was also a rolling stone, but gathered lots of practical operational knowledge while changing jobs frequently. He was impressed that, just like him, I had worked at 10 establishments in a short span of four years in the hospitality industry. We compared our experiences in establishments where we both had worked at different times – Pegasus Reef Hotel, Windmill Restaurant and Havelock Tourinn. At the very youthful age of 25, he was now becoming a Hotel Manager. Three years later, he became the first-ever hotelier in Sri Lanka to become a director in charge of a hotel company in the corporate office (John Keells), surpassing all Ceylon Hotel School graduates of his age group.
Bobby Adams was the most ‘street-smart’ hotelier that I ever met. He was also a good story teller who often ‘spiced up’ the story in his favour. From the friendship I developed with him, I got a lot of practical tips. The main thing I learnt from him was how to create a positive image and make a name for myself as a hotelier.
A few years later, I worked under Bobby twice as one of his Hotel Managers and later as the General Manager for the largest and best two hotels in his corporate portfolio of seven hotels. When I was 27, I also became his deputy at John Keells head office. When I married in 1980, he was my bestman. Also in the same year, Bobby and I invested in a small boutique hotel in Matara – Beach Lodge, where we were partners and directors. I last met Bobby when he attended my 50th birthday party held at Mount Lavinia Hotel towards the end of 2003. A year after that, sadly, Bobby passed away at the age of 54.
Exploring a New Opportunity
“Chandana, come out of the kitchen and join me to go to Hikkaduwa for something very important”, Indrapala Munasinghe (Muna), the Assistant Manager of Bentota Beach Hotel told me while I was getting ready for lunch service one day. Muna was five years my senior at the Ceylon Hotel School and was subsequently trained in France on a hotel operations scholarship. On our way, Muna told me that he was offered the position of the Manager of the Coral Gardens Hotel. Up to that point the kitchen department there was jointly managed by a Kitchen Clerk and a Head Cook. Muna had convinced the board of directors that the hotel needed a professionally trained Executive Chef. That suggestion had been accepted and in spite of my young age, I was his choice for the job. Thank you, Muna!
While we were driven to Hikkaduwa by one of the hotel drivers, I negotiated with Muna that my salary will be increased by 50% to Rs. 750 a month and that I will be promoted as the Assistant Manager and Executive Chef if I perform well during my first six months. We shook hands and that was the deal. Exactly six years later, Muna and I both joined the Ceylon Hotel School as Senior Lecturers on October 1, 1981.
Just before reaching Hikkaduwa, I was surprised when Muna stopped in Godagama to meet two tough business people from the area – Lesley and Dudley. Then we went to their seaside inn – Beach Cabins in Hikkaduwa which was a small rustic place with six rooms attracting diving enthusiasts travelling on shoe-string budgets. I soon realised that Lesley was the boss of the town. He was well-built and strong and owned a few fishing boats and employed many villagers to do the fishing for him. He was also the best deep-sea diver in the area. After a couple of rounds of arrack and devilled beef, we shook hands and proceeded towards Coral Gardens Hotel. Lesley was pleased that Muna and I came to get his blessings prior to commencing work in his territory. We had his assurance that none of the local fishermen will create any trouble for us.
While we were approaching the hotel, Muna explained to me that “It is always better to do Public Relations (PR) with the people who matter well in advance, prior to any problems arising.” I was convinced that Muna was correct. I used this concept in my later career whenever I worked in an area that was particularly hostile to hotels seen as rich and selfish institutions by poor fishermen and villagers struggling to make ends meet. We walked around the hotel, looked at the office we were to share from the following week and adjoining apartments within the hotel provided to the Manager and his Assistant. Bobby Adams was packing to leave for Habarana to lead The Village Hotel opening project.
When Bobby showed me the kitchen, I was disappointed. It was outdated in terms of equipment and layout compared to the Bentota Beach kitchen. It was also behind time in terms of menus, operational procedures, production processes, buffet presentations and kitchen uniforms. Some of the members of the kitchen brigade were surprised to be told by Bobby that I would be in charge of the kitchen in one week’s time as the first Executive Chef of their hotel. Looking around, I guessed that most cooks were in their forties. I was only 21.
Career Mentoring by Malin Hapugoda
When we returned to Bentota Beach that evening, I began packing and saying goodbye to my colleagues. I had a motivating meeting with the Hotel Manager – Malin Hapugoda (Hapu). He told me to consider all those shortcomings I noticed at Coral Gardens as my opportunities to make a significant improvement to products and services. He also told me that as Coral Gardens will have only two managers, Muna and I have to be aligned properly to achieve common goals, revenues and profits while managing the demanding unions with a lot of tact and patience.
On my last day at Bentota Beach where I spent only one year, I felt that Hapu saw some greater potential in me. Four years later, as the manager of neighbouring Hotel Swanee, I became closer to Hapu, with whom I served on an association committee as office bearers. Four years later, in 1983, the day before I left Sri Lanka for graduate studies in the UK, the phone rang and it was Hapu. He wished me luck and checked when I will be back in Sri Lanka. When I told him that it will be most likely in 1985, Hapu said, “Call me the day you return and I will have a job for you.” That was as the first manager of a 150-room four-star hotel in Hikkaduwa which Hapu was in charge of developing at that time.
Around 2006, Hapu called me in Canada. By then he had become the Managing Director of the only Sri Lankan hotel chain operating hotels in four countries – Aitken Spence Hotels. This time, he offered me the post of Chief Executive Office, Aitken Spence Hotels in Oman, in charge of five hotels. Although I would have loved to work with Hapu again, due to my commitments in Canada I could not accept that lucrative offer.
Finally, in 2014, forty years after working as a junior member of his management team at Bentota Beach Hotel, I did a short consulting assignment for him. Hapu was then in charge of 27 hotels. I designed and delivered a team building session for his senior team of Vice Presidents and General Managers of Heritance and Aitken Spence Hotel Group. I felt deeply honoured when Hapu sat through all my training sessions with his team in their corporate office in Colombo. To me, Hapu is the most accomplished hotelier Sri Lanka has ever produced. I am proud to say that he is my friend.
Muna and I left Bentota Beach on October 1, 1975 and took over the management of Coral Gardens.
(Next week, unexpected challenges as Coral Gardens Hotel’s first Executive Chef at age 21)
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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