Features
From Mt. Lavinia to Colombo Fort and then to London in six years
74 not out – a personal memoir
Gamini Fonseka,
FCA, FCMA, JDIPMA(UK)
I was born four weeks after we won our Independence. In my infant days I did not know anything about life except that my father provided the family with everything we needed. We lived in Panadura. Later on I came to know that even a single rupee then had some value against dollars and sterling. My father used to take me for walks carrying me in his arms until we reached the Panadura bridge. I remember stopping at an ice cream parlor just opposite Panadura bus stand. My father was a Cooperative Inspector in the Public Service and was very proud of it.
When I reached school-going age, I was sent to St. Thomas’ Prep in Kollupitiya. We were a bunch of kids who played all types of sports, my favourite being cricket. There were very rich boys in our crowd and others who came from the middle class. There were Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers, and other races. We did not have any racial animosities or rivalries among us.
Three years later my bouncing baby sister joined our family. I slightly remember 1952 where there was a Hartal which led to some deaths. My father used to tell me that the cause of this Hartal was the rice ration. I did not understand this as my mother ensured that there was a plate of rice for lunch every day while breakfast was kiribath or string hoppers. Lunch/dinner was always rice and curry.
As I was an ardent cricket fan, my father took me to my first Royal-Thomian which was played at the Oval. I remember this game as P.I Peiris captained St. Thomas’. Later on in life I met Peiris as he was the Deputy Chairman of Richard Peiris and Company where we (the accountancy practice I worked for) were involved in a major restructuring exercise. The next year the Thomian team was led by BAR Weerasinghe who later qualified as a Chartered Accountant in the UK. After his return from the UK he became a manager at Turquand Young (TY) where I was articled. I slowly came to learn something about the politics and the economy of then Ceylon.
In 1956 there was a Revolution in our Island with Mr. SWRD Bandaranaike coming into power on a Sinhala Only platform which I personally think was a curse on our nation. The old left at that time had, I think, a ‘no contest’ arrangement with SWRD but were not invited to join his government which had won enough seats of its own. The left leaders had returned to Sri Lanka after their education in England, NM Perera at the London School of Economics, and others elsewhere.
They were brilliant politicians who were never able to come to power on their own. SWRD fulfilled his promise of Sinhala Only triggering an exodus of Ceylon Tamils to far away countries such as Canada and USA and to our regional neighbors mainly Singapore and Malaysia. Our Burgher buddies immigrated to Australia. These people were welcomed with open arms by their adopted countries. Gradually the suddhas who ran the plantations, mainly tea and rubber, returned either to England or Scotland. Some went to Kenya which was opening virgin lands for tea plantations.
Unfortunately, SWRD was gunned down by a monk in his palatial home in Colombo-7. I was then a student at S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia, that wonderful school by the sea. My father had by then built a house of our own at Templers Road Mt. Lavinia. I still remember that the land and house cost him Rs. 29,000. He funded this with savings from his monthly salary and a housing loan which he was entitled to as a public servant.
In 1957 a baby boy also joined our family. I remember waiting for his arrival at Durdan’s Hospital then headed by a doctor who subsequently immigrated to Australia. This particular boy was the pet of the family given the age difference between him, my sister and myself.
Thereafter, there were absolute chaos in the Island with governments changing hands like nobody’s business. Ultimately, we got a stable government under the leadership of Sirimavo Bandaranaike who was also tied to some left parties. She ruled the island for a period of seven years from 1970-77. In December 1963 I sat for my GCE O/L and after the exam we were free birds playing cricket morning, noon and evening. It was a great fun time for me personally but in January 1964 I met with a cricket accident which resulted in my deciding to do accountancy instead of law. I was Articled at Turquand Young (TY) and I left STC to join the corporate world.
TY was located at No. 59, Queens Street right opposite Central Bank. I can still remember what my father told me when he left me at the staircase at the entrance of TY on my first day there. He said,” Gamma you are now entering a new world which is the corporate world. This world will have so many jealousies, backstabbing, and other evils which you were not used to at college. However, always keep your head up, whatever obstacles you are faced with.” These words guided me throughout my life.
Coming back to our political situation Mrs. B called for a General Election in 1965 and was defeated at the polls. The Dudley Senanayake government which followed introduced the Poya day calendar, an arrangement under which we were on holiday when the rest of the world was at work. We lost track of the Monday to Friday week and thought in terms of P1 to P5 and pre Poya and Poya. I thought that this was a ridiculous way of doing business. We suffered this ordeal for five years. Senanayake’s agriculture policies brought us close to self-sufficiency in rice. I respected him for his honesty and integrity and gentlemanly qualities which we are taught at our School by the Sea.
Dudley was routed at the General Election of 1970 where Mrs. B together with her Marxist and leftist allies came into power on a socialist platform. She suffered a youth-revolt in April 1971 when so many young people sacrificed their lives to no purpose and anarchy prevailed. With this uprising Mrs. Bandaranaike was pushed leftwards from middle ground and the land reforms and the infamous Acquisition of Business Undertakings Act was passed creating several Government Owned Business Undertakings (GOBUs).
In 1970 I qualified as a Charted Accountant at the age of nearly 21 years (exactly 20 years, 11 months and three weeks). I was able to cut short my articles by one year thanks to my GCE ‘A’ level qualification. Thereafter in November 1971 I was sent to London for six-months at our London office. It was a novel experience to me as from Mount Lavinia I came to Colombo Fort and thereafter went to London within a period of six years. All my uncles, aunts, grandfather etc. came to see me off at the airport and I flew to Madras and then to Bombay for an overnight stay and early next morning boarded an Aeroflot flight to London via Moscow.
It was freezing cold when I landed at Heathrow. Fortunately my mother had arranged for one of her closest friends living in London to meet me at the airport and I stayed with them initially until I found my own accommodation.
It was fun living in London all by myself. The apartment I occupied was very close to the River Thames, and it was freezing cold outside at that time of the year. The landlord showed me how to insert coins into the gas meter to make the room warmer and more comfortable. They gave me my meals for the first week. He and his wife worked as civil servants for the British Government. The landlord took me to TY’s Coleman Street office where I had to meet the Office Manager, Mr. Pinfold who briefed me on office procedures and told me to meet Mr. Turner Green, who had worked in our Colombo office and moved later to the London office. He was one of the finest gentlemen I have met in my long career in accountancy. We had a chat for about an hour; he authorized an advance payment of my salary to be claimed from Mr. Pinfold.
I remember my first audit which was WM Coopers Wine Merchants in North London. I was in charge of the audit and my deputy was a raw articled clerk who had just joined TY. He was later posted to Hong Kong and covered the firm’s entire Far East practice as the Managing Partner.
It was a long ride by London Underground and then overground train to the furthest point on the northern line. Mr. Pinfold told me that I could claim the travel expenses up and down for which he gave me a reimbursement claim form. We had a fantastic time during this audit as we were provided with a buffet lunch and plenty of wine. I enjoyed the desserts, especially the trifle dessert.
The only communication I had with my family in Mt. Lavinia was through letters which I wrote very regularly especially to my parents. I went most days to have my dinner at the Ceylon Students Center which was very near Hyde Park. I read the newspapers from Ceylon on these visits so that I was up to date with what was happening in the political scene back at home. It was then Springtime and soon in late May it was Summertime in London.
Throughout my stay in London, I was most concerned with the Ceylon scene. My assignment in the London office was over by end June. Once I was free, I took a coach tour to Europe which cost me £79. My work colleague, a Malaysian of Indian origin and I, toured Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, and France returning to Victoria Station in London. My friend had completed his Chartered Accountancy exams in the London office and was returning home. We had a wonderful time traveling together.
I was back in Colombo in early August 1972 and within 10 days of arrival became engaged to my wife of 49 years. I came into a tightly closed economy and saw for myself the benefits and the disadvantages of such a setup. Even though the plantations were controlled mainly by the suddhas, there were many of our Ceylon planters who took great pride in their work as did the Agency Houses and Broking Firms.
(To be continued next week)
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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