Features
For children, by children, about children
Virtual arts festival that examines pandemic’s effects on children
By Sajitha Prematunge
The Children in Lockdown Arts Festival 2021, to be held from November 26 to 28, 2021, live on Zoom, and livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube in parallel, will bring together artists, children, and adults to reflect on the treatment and experiences of children in Sri Lanka during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Festival is the culmination of a six-month programme curated by Stages Theatre Group (STG) and supported by Kindernothilfe (KNH), through which 20 artworks, addressing the challenges faced by children during the pandemic, were commissioned. They include theatre performances, art installations, puppet shows, short-film screenings, and artist talks.
On the guidance of Festival Director Piumi Wijesundara, the festival will unfold under six themes, vulnerable children, digital wellbeing, health and wellbeing, families, schooling and abuse during the pandemic, and each segment will have a viewing of related artwork and an artiste talk, including child artistes, followed by a panel discussion. The Festival will also provide a platform for communities to meet, discuss, debate, and communicate on the issues faced by children during the pandemic, through talks, panel discussions, workshops, and forums led by children, adults, artists, and professionals working with children. The purpose of the Children in Lockdown Arts Festival is to bring together children, artists, educators, families, and communities to understand and creatively address the impact of the pandemic on children in Sri Lanka.
Freedom to work
“As a theatre company, STG always believes that artists should be commissioned and be given the freedom to work,” said Curator Ruwanthie de Chickera. She pointed out that there aren’t many commissioning programmes in Sri Lanka and artistes have to struggle to fund their own projects. “Or artists are told what to do too often. There is a lot of meddling and micromanaging by patrons. We wanted to let artistes exercise their own individuality, offer them freedom and responsibility, with regard to their artform.” But with the pandemic, doing productions was next to impossible. STG found this the ideal situation to curate a festival on behalf of artists who were going through a rough time due to the pandemic. “There was no money, opportunity or motivation for artists to work because of the pandemic,” said De Chickera. The German organisation KNH was more than happy to provide funding.
De Chickera is an artistic director and founder member of STG, an ensemble theatre company producing socially and politically conscious original Theatre. She works with students, teachers, and schools to help strengthen and introduce creative processes into formal and informal learning. Her co-curator, Malith Hegoda is a filmmaker who began his career as a photographer and a publicist for theatre and film. His directorial debut feature won awards locally and was officially selected for several international film festivals, including the prestigious BFI London Film Festival in 2014. Between De Chickera’s experience in live performance and Hegoda’s experience in film, they were able to cover a vast area in terms of artistic skill. Out of 80 applicants, 20 works of art were selected for the festival. The festival was curated to represent artists of different capacities and experience, to allow children also to participate. In fact, six of the 20 artworks commissioned were proposed by child artists. The open-source art exhibition features the artworks of over 140 children and is curated by two child artists: Acsah Kulasingham and Amani Naeemullah. In order to ensure maximum accessibility to and participation of children and communities, island-wide, all digital interactive sessions will be facilitated in Sinhala, Tamil, English, and Sign Language.
Pressing issues of children
De Chickera said that the objective of the festival was to address the most pressing issues for children, one of the most vulnerable groups and perhaps the most overlooked during the pandemic. “The public is oblivious of the impact the pandemic has on children. Staying at home, away from school, is just the tip of the iceberg,” said De Chickera. She said that, from the turbulence of family life, the digital world they’ve suddenly been thrust into, bereavement, domestic violence to addiction, all contribute to the suffering of children. “Even children with special needs, children seeking asylum and children from the estate sector are represented in the festival. If the needs of the general population of children are neglected, then the public is most certainly oblivious to the needs of these children. In fact, some of the suicides over the past two years is directly connected to the pandemic.” De Chickera blames the Education Ministry for failing the children. “At a time when most of the children didn’t have access to education, the Ministry was not considerate enough to postpone any of the examinations.”
On a lighter vein, Mahadenamuththa and his cohorts are attempting a zoom rehearsal and everything is falling apart. Puwak Badilli’s grandsons and granddaughters are bawling their eyes out; Polbemooni’s husband, Polbemoona, complains that his dinner is late; Usiamma, from the North, has to climb on to the roof to get better reception and complains that she can’t dance on the roof for fear of falling. Rabbada Ayya’s wife has declared strike action, so he is forced to take part in the Zoom rehearsal while doing laundry. The play, ‘Mahadenamuththayi Coronawayi’ (Mahadanamuththa and Corona), another highlight of the festival, sheds light on how the pandemic has thrown the work-life balance off kilter.
‘Mahadenamuththayi Coronawayi’ is the brainchild of Sulochana Dissanayake, Founder and Artistic Director of Power of Play, a company that specialises in performing arts for communication, reconciliation and development, with a special focus on theatre and puppetry. Flanked by rod puppets Rama, Sita, Ravana and Hanuman, Dissanayake said that Power of Play’s goal is to drive home the fact that our folklore and traditional arts are still relevant in the 21st century. “In fact, we can solve most of our existing issues with a pointer or two from Mahadenamuththa and Andare stories. Power of Play is based on this very concept.” Dissanayake has a bachelor in theatre and economics from the UK. She later travelled to South Africa and Indonesia on a Watson Fellowship by IBM Corporation. In Indonesia, she was introduced to rod puppets.
Virtual production
‘Mahadenamuththayi Coronawayi’ was supposed to be a live show. Ironically, due to the pandemic and resulting health regulation, they had to settle for a virtual production. Its focus was on the pandemic’s effects on families, across all age groups. “And also how phoney the concept of working from home is. We are expected to carry on as if nothing has changed, one has to look perfect on-screen, with the appropriate background, when in reality everything is going haywire.” Because you are working from home while forced to deal with everything from bawling children, pets, high-pitched chirping of squirrels to the choon-pan version of Beethoven’s 1810 classic Für Elise. As a wife, mother of two very young children and an entrepreneur, Dissanayake knows first-hand how stressful working from home can be. “I have performed internationally and have done extensive tours across the country, but I can’t manage one zoom workshop flawlessly.”
It is this mismatch between reality and expectations that Dissanayake hopes to highlight in her adapted version of Mahadenamuththa. Dissanayake has introduced a more equitable and race and gender-equal, albeit modernized, concept of Mahadenamuththa. “The satire factor of the Mahadenamuththa stories play a major role in the current context,” said Dissanayake. “Traditionally satire was used to expose social issues.” In the new Power of Play version, Mahadenamuththa has come to realise that contemporary issues cannot be solved with the help of men. So, the modern ‘golayas’ (apprentices) are Muslim, Tamil, Burgher men and women, the descendants of Mahadenamuththa’s original golayas.
“Theatre artistes are one of the most affected groups by the pandemic because theatres are closed and even when they weren’t, people were reluctant to expose themselves at public events. So any form of collaboration was welcome,” said Dissanayake. She said that what appeals to her most about the Children in Lockdown Festival is that it is the first united effort to shed light on the realities, of a diverse cross section of communities, during the pandemic. “The festival features creative works from children, teenagers, women, men, both rural and urban communities, married and single people. The LGBT community is also represented. This diversity is unique to the festival,” said Dissanayake. “It will be interesting to note, through the various performances, workshops and discussions, how challenging the pandemic has been irrespective of one’s socio-economic, ethnic or religious background.”
Creative work
With a PhD in robotics, academic Maleen Jayasuriya also dabbles in creative work. His group of concerned citizens, the ‘Digital Wellbeing Initiative’, is anxious about technology related issues. He elaborated that smartphones are pretty cheap and just about anyone can afford one and apps are coming out of the woodwork. Smart tech, such as Virtual Reality, has revolutionised the field so much so that they have rendered the usual safeguard ineffectual. “Because the field is moving at such breakneck speed policy is unable to catch up. Because of the generation gap parents have not been able to address these issues either and even schools have all but neglected digital wellbeing,” said Jayasuriya. He pointed out that the pandemic was the tipping point. The Digital Wellbeing Initiative’s project featured in the festival, #RECONNECTUS, which also happens to be their maiden project, brings these issues into focus.
“The best way to resolve digital wellbeing issues is to raise awareness early on. Kids these days are smarter than we give them credit for, they are more aware than we were at their age.”
Jayasuriya reiterated the importance of making kids understand basic information such as how algorithms and addiction work, how it affects one’s well being, all of which were discussed during the workshops that lead to the project. Another issue discussed is how to tackle misinformation. He explained that the main product of social media is data gathered from users, which is sold to advertising companies, who are their actual customers. “Users are not the actual customers of social media platforms, the advertising companies are. They don’t have your best interest at heart.”
Jayasuriya pointed out that social media bypasses gatekeepers such as journalists, scientists and academics, as opposed to traditional media such as newspapers or journals. According to him such conditions are ripe for misinformation. “As such, the young generation has to be taught necessary skills such as journalistic and research skills because they interface directly with these new technologies.”
Next on their list were cyberbullying and privacy. “Cyberbullying affects one’s self-esteem and there are considerable threats to personal information. Once personal information is in the public domain, there is no taking it back. Consequently, it is vital for the younger generation to be aware of these concerns.”
The end result of the workshops was a set of Public Service Announcement (PSA) videos, a digital wellbeing campaign researched, created, and performed by children. In all 21 kids with various artistic inclinations took part in the project. Aptly titled #RECONNECTUS, it signifies the younger generations’ need to connect with technology in a healthier way. “One of our guiding philosophies is that this technology is not inherently harmful. It can be a tool, as long as we can balance the negatives and accentuate the positives.”
‘quaranTEEN’ is a solo performance by 19-year-old Leeth Singhage, wherein a teenager stuck with the bleakness of university applications, on-line life, and poor judgement, investigates how others navigate the pandemic. It is based on interviews conducted with teenagers on their experiences of the lockdown.
“From a policy perspective, if our collective efforts can snowball into some kind of tangible change that could affect policy, that’s a huge achievement in itself,” said Jayasuriya. Dissanayake said that there is a strong connection between art and mental wellbeing. “Art is an outlet for stress. It has huge potential to regulate emotions. Therefore we must find creative outlets that are COVID-19 safe, to release all those pent up energies. Art allows one to pull oneself out of the constant state of negativity.” Dissanayake suggested that people make the festival a family affair. De Chickera believes that the three-day, not to mention free of charge, festival would surely rekindle a sense of community if more people participated.
Official festival webpages:
https://www.stages.lk/curation
https://www.stages.lk/arts-festival
https://fb.me/e/1SSyIyKWT
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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