Features
Cancellation of the light rail between Fort and Malabe – Some alternative options to reduce traffic
By Dr Janaka Ratnasiri
(Continued from yesterday)
If the Cabinet wishes to cancel the project for other reasons, it certainly has the right to do so, but should say so directly without giving invalid justifications putting the blame on environmental issues. This will naturally undermine the credibility of the Cabinet. Needless to say, it will make foreign governments losing trust in and respect for Sri Lanka which certainly will not do any good for the country.
It may be recalled that the vision of some of our past leaders was to make Colombo another Singapore with high rise buildings scattered all over. Having an LRT was a part of this vision as such urban rail systems are common in other countries including India. The Ministry of Megapolis was established for the purpose of converting Colombo into a mega-city.
With this mandate given to the Minister-in-charge, naturally he had to initiate this LRT project to emulate other cities, which the present Government is not willing to support. Hence, it is far better to tell the Japanese Government that the present government has other priorities and does not wish to pursue the project rather than cancel it giving flimsy excuses.
For example, many parts of the city get inundated whenever the city receives heavy rainfall as witnessed recently. This is despite the government spending many billions of rupees to improve the drainage around the city, but with little success. As described by the writer in his article appearing in the Island of 21.07.2020, a master plan study on flood protection in the city undertaken by JICA at great cost ended up in cleaning canals around Borelesgamuwa and Rattanapitiya but nothing in the city! Hence, there is much more to be done to solve this problem after understanding the issues properly.
REDUCE WORKERS COMING TO THE CITY FOR WORK
With the cancellation of the LRT system, the government will have to look for alternative ways and means of reducing the traffic heading to the city. Such traffic will comprise people coming for work, attend to business matters, purchasing goods as well as those passing through from the South to the North and vice-versa.
During President J R Jayewardena’s tenure, both the Parliament as well as several administrative complexes were brought to Battaramulla with a view to easing traffic heading towards the city. But many of the commercial premises are still located in the city and they may be encouraged to have branch offices in suburbs where customers could get their services without travelling to the city. Today, on-line transactions are becoming popular and people should be encouraged to use such services as most people today are in possession of smart hand-phones through which such services could be obtained.
During the curfew which was imposed island-wide for several months because of the COVID 19 issue, all the offices both in the public and private sectors were closed down and the staff were asked to work on-line at home without having to be present physically in the offices except for a few to attend to urgent business. This brought down drastically the number of people travelling to the city for work.
This practice could continue wherever possible making it optional for the staff to attend the offices only once or twice a week. It is economical for the government to provide concessionary loans to the staff who do not possess IT facilities at home enabling them to attend to their office work from home. This however needs self-discipline among the work force and the government will have to introduce new mechanism to monitor the work being done from home. By implementing these proposals, the number of people coming to the city daily could be significantly reduced.
MAKING FORT AREA ACCESSIBLE TO EXISTING HIGHWAYS
With the construction of the Outer Colombo Highway linking the Southern Expressway with Kadawatha and Kerawalapitiya, traffic from the South heading for North or Kandy and vice-versa could do so without entering the city, again reducing the city-bound traffic. An elevated highway is being planned from the New Kelani Bridge (NKB) to Rajagiriya with a later extension to Athurugiriya Exit of the Southern Highway. It also has a spur to Dematagoda. These could be used by motorists travelling on highways to enter the city.
Another highway is being planned from Orugodawatta Junction of the NKB ending up at Galle Face to take Fort-bound traffic. This highway going past Kotahena will have an access to the Port and it will be mostly container traffic heading towards Colombo Port that will be using this highway. With the increasing number of 5/7 star tourist hotels recently built or under construction in Fort, Slave Island and Kollupitiya areas, a considerable amount of tourist traffic is also expected from the airport to this area of the city. Also, there will be many local passengers coming along Negombo Road and Kandy Road heading towards Fort. Instead of building an elevated light rail system for them, an extension to the existing highway as proposed could be built.
The writer proposed to the Road Development Authority (RDA) an alternative trace for a new highway linking the NKB with Fort, when public comments were invited for the new elevated highway, but without receiving any response. The NKB could be extended with a highway built on pillars over St. Sebastian Canal commencing from the Orugodawatte Junction up to Panchikawatta. It could then be diverted parallel to the Panckikawatte Road and cross the Maradana Road and the railway lines on pillars and terminating on Wljeyawardane Mawata. Exits could be provided for traffic moving along this link both towards Fort and Darley Road.
By this means, traffic coming from the Airport Highway as well as from Kandy Road could have access to Fort within the shortest possible time. Even the traffic coming in the Southern Highway could reach Fort using this link after coming along the proposed elevated highway via Rajagiriya from Athurugiriya exit. Motorists and buses from Malabe, Battaramulla and Rajagiriya could use this highway to reach Fort making the LRT train redundant.
REDUCE THE NUMBER OF BUSES COMING TO THE CITY
Currently, all the long-distance buses coming to Colombo have their destination as Pettah. This needs not be so, as it increases congestion in Pettah and also creates a problem for the private buses to find parking space to wait until they get their turn for the return trip. The long-distance buses coming from the North and East along Negombo Road and Kandy Road could terminate their travel at a bus stand built at a suitable location north of the Kelani Bridge.
Similarly, buses coming from the South and SE along the Galle Road, Horana Road, High Level Road and Low-Level Road could terminate their travel at a bus stand built at a suitable location south of the city. A shuttle service could link these two bus stands which are routed through different points in the city such as Pettah, Fort, Slave Island, Town Hall, Maradana, Kollupitiya, Bambalapitiya, Thimbirigasyaya etc. This shuttle service should run continuously at short intervals in both clockwise and anti-clockwise directions through these locations. A traveler reaching the city could use this shuttle service to get to any place within the city.
Ideally, such a circular shuttle service could be provided by an elevated LRT system operating within the city only rather than in radial routes as proposed in the current project. This service will, however, benefit only the bus travelers because with the availability of highways island-wide, the motorists will continue to use them. But it will solve the parking problem for private buses plying on long-distance routes waiting for their turn.
The other option is to re-introduce the trolley bus service which provided a very good service in the fifties and early sixties. It was an electrically operated system with power supplied by overhead lines and managed by the Colombo Municipal Council. Regrettably, it was closed down as a solution to an industrial dispute with the workers and the buses sold for scrap. If properly designed and managed, a trolly bus service could serve as a shuttle service, which will be cheaper to introduce and manage than an LRT system.
CONCLUSION
The decision of the Cabinet to cancel the LRT project may be desirable when there are alternative means to reduce traffic heading for Fort area. However, it is important that the Cabinet divulges the real reasons for taking such a decision without hiding behind environment issues.
The government should also give priority to implement projects that would reduce inflow of traffic to the city such as on-line working and on-line transactions and on-line purchases. Priority should also be given to complete the planned and on-going projects to build highways that would divert traffic coming to the city.
The government should also give serious thought to terminate long-distance buses before entering the city and run an efficient shuttle service for the benefit of travelers coming in these buses to get to different locations in the city and as a link between the two terminals.
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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