Features
Gloom vs flicker; pensioners vs young entrepreneur activist
My title indicates I will write on two topics; both of which I feel compelled to deal with since they are of current interest and neither can be postponed for next Sunday.
The latest (disbelieved) government gimmick
Friends kept phoning me on some notice that had arrived in their WhatsApps – a facility I hardly use. I said I’d wait for a TV announcement or paper notice to respond. Neither forthcoming. Then the call to say a proposal is afoot to deduct Rs 600 from the monthly pensions of the over 70s and Rs 400 from younger pensioners, and to write fast if it was a refusal.
First cry: What nonsense! Second louder cry: Aha, they are on us oldies! Third scream: actually scrabbling around and scraping the barrel! Well the empty barrel is being mercilessly scraped in the government’s desperate search for money, even for near worthless SL rupees. Government pensioners were due to be paid Rs 600 or 400 less per month so the government could collect money. They wasted money and now we very poor souls, desperate with such meagre pensions, are to suffer further with a portion skimmed off. People are no longer slavish and silent; protests have been loud and clear. Hence the bitter pill of deprivation was sugar coated with the promise of health insurance in lieu of the deduction. Not even an Alziemers’ pensioner will bank on that tall tale. Unreadable small print will prevent any insurance claims; most would be dead and gone before any payment is reimbursed. Such is the trust in this government!; the regard for a government that overspent the last time it was in power and hardly curbed extravagant spending and robbing of State money. With a budget pending, the old, infirm, hardly managing to live off meager pensions are to be deprived of part of that pitta, on a never promise of insurance.
Thousands of NAY, Do Not Cut My Pension letters will be pouring to the Director General of Pensions. I hope the nays are registered. Pensioners are far too old and infirm to walk the streets in protest. There were cries for increase in pensions; ending of anomalies. And how have these been addressed? By the threat to slice off already paltry pensions!
Background to pensions
I spent much time surfing the Internet to get the history of the government pension scheme. Finally gathered some info from an ILO study and I quote from another.
“The Public Service Pension Scheme (PSPS) is a non-contributory benefit financed from general government revenues currently at a fiscal cost of 2% of GDP. It is provided to former civil servants… from age 55 (men) and 50 (women)… The pension is…. After 30 years service, not taxable, but is not indexed for inflation… (from: Tackling old age poverty, universal pension. Helpage International)
It was almost impossible to trace when the pension scheme started. The date 1946 surfaced, but pensions were paid much earlier. Hence I am certain the pension scheme for government servants was a British endowment to us. My mother’s income from what her father bequeathed was supplemented by the pension she received after my father died in the late 1930s.
However that may be, it is well known that say fifty and more years ago, government employment was sought after, even though carrying lesser salaries, due to the allure of a pension for life. The eligibility of a prospective groom rose in marriage proposals of those days if he was a government servant.
Talking of pensions unfailingly brings the spectre to mind of MPs receiving lifelong pensions after serving just five years, often having merely warmed seats sporadically in Parliament. Cut these pensions completely and save much is our advice. Charity begins at home. MPs are very rich after their terms of ‘serving’ the country in the legislature! So they can sacrifice their entire pensions to buoy the sinking country.
Speaking for the older pensioners, anyone can vouch they fully deserve pensions. Speaking as one myself, I categorically state we worked extremely diligently, competently and dedicatedly with not one iota of corruption.
Viable solution
A loud national shout is sent to the Minister of Finance busy with his budget, and the Treasury and CB: Why not get back to the country all the stolen wealth, the stashed away treasures, the illicit dollars hidden in safe banks, off shore accounts and invested in real estate – local and foreign; houses, hotels? Then, not only would local rupee expenses be comfortably met but foreign dollar debts repaid too. The Pandora Papers prove beyond doubt that the corrupt practice of stashing away ill-gotten gains was resorted to by Sri Lankans. So far revelations of corrupt doings in this land is just the very tip of the iceberg. More exposure of culprits will prove rampant corruption occurred, and continues to occur.
Glimmer of hope from a young Indian girl
Congratulations! Wonderful!! You give us hope, Vinisha Umashanker, Indian finalist of the Earthshot Prize who spoke excellently at the COP26 meeting with many world leaders present, including Boris Johnson, Joe Biden and Narendra Modi.
The Earthshot Prize was inaugurated by Prince William through his Duke of Cambridge Royal Foundation, to both reduce earth warming and so save the world in this eleventh hour, and to encourage young entrepreneurs. He has succeeded brilliantly, judging by just one of the five winners. He invited and introduced Vinisha Umashankar, 15, to address COP26 on the day clean technology and innovation were being discussed, which she did confidently and clearly. She gently lashed out at world leaders saying young people have “every reason to be angry at leaders who’ve made empty promises and failed to deliver… that we stop talking and start doing.” She echoes Greta Thunberg who was very much at Glasgow, but outside conference halls, protesting.
Five finalists won pounds sterling 1 m each as grants for further developing their innovations. Vinisha won for her self-designed solar-powered ironing cart, which is set to revolutionize charcoal powered street ironing that press clothes of millions of Indians each day. She innovated after learning of the devastating health effects of local ironing vendors and the wider impact on air quality across the country. Indian Vidyut Mohan was also among the chosen five who innovated for clean air through his invention named Takachar.
The British Royal family was outstanding in their commitment to reducing the devastation caused by climate change, mostly by emission of CO2 and methane. The Queen was prevented from inaugurating COP26 by doctors’ advice, but Prince Charles presented an excellent address and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – William and Catherine – were very much with the Earthshot winners, showing genuine sincerity and touching concern.
Punch
And what is my point in this double barreled article? There is a connection. Just as Vinisha strongly criticized world leaders, we dare criticize ours for bringing this wonderful country with such potential to a beggar state very much due to government extravagance and wide-spread corruption and worse: letting those who steal from the country go Scot free. Not only do they escape, doors are wide opened for escaping. Catch the b… thieving rogues and let us poor pensioners have our entire monthly dues. And maybe, maybe, our top leaders can emulate some Brit Royals in genuine interest and working for causes that benefit others, not themselves.