Features
COOKING WITH ANTON MOSIMANN
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
Working for Free
During my work at the Dorchester in Banqueting and Food & Beverage controls departments for over a year, I had never spoken with the celebrity chef of this iconic hotel in England – Anton Mosimann. He left his native Switzerland, when he had been appointed Maître Chef de Cuisines at the Dorchester Hotel in 1975 at the age of 29. Under Anton Mosimann’s leadership, the Dorchester kitchens reached unprecedented levels of gastronomic heights and reputation. Also, the Dorchester’s restaurant achieved a two-star rating in the prestigious Michelin Guide (the first hotel restaurant outside France to do so).
Anton Mosimann was simply a legend and his culinary art had been influenced by his experiences growing up on the family farm and in the restaurants operated by his parents in Switzerland. His diverse gastronomic experiences gained while working in Italy, Canada and Japan, prior to moving to England, also influenced his style. He was fond of Japanese styles of food garnishing. He had commenced publishing books sharing his unique culinary concepts. Mosiman was an inspiration to a generation of young chefs from around the world.
I had read a lot about him and was an admirer of this great chef. Towards the end of my work period at the Dorchester as a Banquet Waiter, I decided to talk with Mosimann for the first time. I gathered up my courage and went to his office to introduce myself. He said, “I have seen you in the banquets for some time. I also know that you came in first in the banquet service training program and were chosen to serve the Queen.”
I told Mosimann, “Before I leave the Dorchester in a few months’ time, I would love to work in your kitchens.” On his advice I met the Personnel Manager of the hotel, who informed me that there was a long line of culinary arts students waiting to get an opportunity to work under Mosimann. She then said, “If you include your name on the list now, you may get an opportunity to work under the chef in about two years’ time!
My career plan then was to work as a Food & Beverage Director of a large hotel and then progress to become the General Manager of a five-star, internationally branded hotel. Having worked as the Executive Chef of two hotels when I was in my early twenties, I was not going to work as an Executive Chef again. However, my gut feeling was that working two months with Mosimann would be a very useful experience for me.
That night, based on what I had read about him and what I had observed during my one year at the Dorchester, I wrote an article about Mosimann titled ‘Cuisine à la Mosimann’. That was the first article I ever wrote. The article was published a few years later in the trade magazine of the Chef’s Guild of Sri Lanka.
I went to see Mosimann again. When I showed my article to him, he said, “You are a good writer. You should become a biographer.” When I repeated my request to work in his kitchens, he was rather annoyed. “Sorry, I can’t help you now. You have to join the line and wait for your turn”, he attempted to conclude our discussion. “Mr. Mosimann, I really cannot wait for two years, as my student visa in the United Kingdom will expire in a few months. Please give me an opportunity to learn under you. I will work for free” I told him. “Free! Why?” when he asked, and offered me a chair in his office, I realized that it was the right time for me to close the sale. Timing is important to convince important people to say “Yes!”
The next day, I commenced working under Anton Mosimann as his Special Apprentice, but without any pay. A few of my close friends felt that I was out of my mind to work for free. My wife wondered how we would be able to pay our rent in London, when I was working for free. I told her, “I am sure that the time I will spend in working free for the most popular chef in England, would be an investment for our future.”
Special Apprenticeship
Quickly I managed to convince Mosimann that our work relationship would be mutually beneficial. He became fond of my hard work and dedication. He was always certain of the outcome of his decisions. Mosimann created a special program for me. I spent a week in each of the six specialized kitchens of the Dorchester. I also learnt many useful things other than cooking from Mosimann during that short period of time. Every morning, I spent two hours with Mosimann. First, I walked in the six kitchens with him, when he shook hands and greeted all 100 persons in his brigade. After that I attended a daily breakfast meeting with his team of Sous Chefs, when he announced special menus and gave directions to his deputies.
I then went to my specialized kitchen of the week. On some days, he gave me interesting, special assignments. Mosimann was a great motivator, delegator, food artist, writer, showman and public relations expert. He was shrewd but was also kind, gentle and friendly. He was unlike most of the other Continental European Executive Chefs leading five-star hotel kitchens and top restaurants in England at that time.Mosimann read people well.
One morning during our rounds, he noticed that a commis cook looked upset and asked, “What’s wrong, John?”. On hearing that John’s wife had cheated on him with his best friend, Mosimann offered to give two weeks full-paid leave to John. When John said that he had used all of his leave and he didn’t have any more paid leave, Mosimann called the Personnel Manager immediately, and approved two weeks special paid leave for John.
John nearly worshipped Mosimann and left quickly. I was most impressed with the Chef’s kindness. I asked Mosimann the reasons for his kind gesture. “John was very emotional and sad. I did not want him in my Kitchens until he solved his personal issues. I am very keen that all of the members of my brigade are in happy moods when they work here. Otherwise, they may make a mistake, which will affect our standards of quality, as well as my reputation!” Mosimann explained.
One morning, Mosimann asked me to coordinate photographs for his new book and help with the arrangements for a media briefing. That day I learnt that food photography was a different ball game! Nice looking, glossy dishes that were photographed well were not edible! When the media briefing commenced with around 20 top British journalists, one English lady asked a trick question, “Chef Mosimann, what is your frank opinion about English food?” Unlike now, in the early 1980s, English food did not have a good international reputation compared to the Continental European food. “English food is the best in the world!” Mosimann stood and announced in his Swiss German accent in the midst of cheers and flashing camara lights.
When Mosimann was asked to justify his statement about English food, he said that, “English food is natural. You do not drown the natural flavours with too much seasoning, wine and long cooking times, like what we often do on the continent. My next book is titled ‘Cuisine Naturelle’. Its main characteristic is that it does not include such ingredients as butter, cream and alcohol. The focus is concentrated even more on the flavour of the individual, fresh ingredients. The dishes are only lightly cooked. In nouvelle cuisine and also cuisine naturelle, the main emphasis is put on the presentation of the dishes.” His second book, Cuisine Naturelle, published in 1985, was an international best-seller.
“Chandi, tomorrow, don’t come to the kitchen in the morning. Meet me at the Billingsgate Fish Market at 5:00 am”, Mosimann directed me. Just after I arrived at this famous fish market, Mosimann, as well as a few journalists and photographers appeared, dressed appropriately for a cool autumn morning. The whole visit was cleverly choreographed.
Chef Mosimann personally buying fresh fish for his ‘Menu Surprise’ concept received much publicity in the British media. Many diners paid high prices to book tables without any idea of the items on that menu. Mosimann decided on the menu based on the fresh ingredients available in the markets on the same day. Every dish was a surprise to the diners, until white-glowed waiters gently lifted the silver dish covers. This concept was not an ideal adventure to a vegetarian!
Having heard that Mosimann had never tasted a Sri Lankan meal, I offered to cook an 11-item Sri Lankan buffet menu for Mosimann and his team of senior chefs, on my last day at the Dorchester kitchens. The General Manager and the Food & Beverage Manager also attended the special lunch in the kitchen. They loved the Sri Lankan meal that I had prepared. They all autographed a copy of Mosimann’s first book which he presented to me. Mosimann also gave me a great reference letter.
Breaking the Glass Ceiling
I gained valuable experience in three departments within the Dorchester between 1983 and 1985. When I went to invite a fellow Ceylon Hotel School (CHS) graduate, Wilfred Weragoda (who was the Food & Beverage Controller of the Dorchester) to the Sri Lankan buffet that I had prepared, Wilfred was pleasantly surprised.
“Chandana, until you came to the Dorchester no one has ever cooked a Sri Lankan meal before today, in that great kitchen. You are also the first Sri Lankan to work in that kitchen. You have broken the glass ceiling!” Wilfred said with a proud smile. Wilfred, six years my senior at CHS, was the first ever Sri Lankan to hold a management position at the Dorchester. “Wilfred, actually you were the one who broke the glass ceiling and you were the person who arranged for me to get into the Dorchester” I thanked Wilfred for his genuine support.
In 1984, apart from doing good work in their motherland, none of the Sri Lankan Chefs were internationally known for culinary arts. Thirty-eight years later, the situation has changed dramatically for chefs of Sri Lankan origin. Today, many Sri Lankans have made names as great culinary masters, celebrity chefs and award-winning executive chefs, pastry chefs and culinary artists. Today, around the world they excel in Australia, Canada, Japan, the Middle East, the United Kingdom, etc.
In 1995, a young Sri Lankan chef left Hotel Taj Samudra in Colombo, to move to England. He managed to join the Dorchester at the lowest level, as a commis in the kitchen. Fifteen years later he re-joined the Dorchester. Sri Lankan, Mario Perera fulfilled his childhood dream by taking on the highly coveted role of the Dorchester’s Executive Chef in 2020.
Return on the Investment
Most of what I learnt from Mosimann in 1984 was useful in my career, particularly when I worked as a Food & Beverage Director in five-star hotels. The real return on the investment of that unpaid apprenticeship happened 10 years later, in London.
In 1994, I was facing the final interview to join Trust House Forte Hotels (THF) as an internationally mobile General Manager. The Vice President who did the final interview said at the end of the interview, “Mr. Jayawardena, you are well qualified, well experienced and very much focused on employee and customer satisfaction. However, I am looking for a person who is more focused on bottom-line profits.”
From that comment, I realized that I would not get hired. THF had spent some money flying me from Colombo to London especially for my interviews, and providing me with complimentary full-board accommodation at the Cumberland Hotel for three days. I was happy to visit my favourite city in the world, although I
felt that was not getting my dream job. I said, “Mr. Giannuzzi, I fully agree with your analysis. Yes, I am more focused on employee and customer satisfaction, but I have also done well in optimizing profits in the previous five hotels that I have managed. I have some testimonials from my previous employers indicating that. Would you like to see those?”
He went through my folder of testimonials quickly without much interest. Mr. Giannuzzi stopped flipping pages when he saw the reference letter given to me by Mosimann. He read it twice and asked me, “How did you get a chance to work as a Special Apprentice under such a great professional?” I told him my story. Mr. Giannuzzi was impressed with my determination, and nodded his head with a smile. I was immediately hired as the General Manager of two THF hotels in South America. Sometimes, one has to follow the gut feeling, irrespective of advice given by well-wishers.
That experience in 1984 at the best British hotel with Chef Anton Mosimann became very useful to me once again in 2012, when I did an additional job for my then Employer – George Brown College. As the Academic Chair of the largest Chef School in Canada, I led a team of 24 Chef Professors and 1,600 Culinary Arts students. My team was impressed that I was trained by one of the greatest Chefs of our time. Thank you, Chef Anton Mosimann!
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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