Features
In search of the golden gecko
by Anslem de Silva
Very little is known of the golden gecko – or the two known species of genus Calodactylodes known to inhabit this planet. C aureus was first reported in 1870 by Colonel Richard Henry Beddom (1830 – 1911) from Andhra Pradesh in India. About 80 years later, one of Sri Lanka’s great herpetologists, PEP Deraniyagala (1900 – 1976) described another species of Calodactylodes from Sri Lanka in 1953.
Though this species, C. illingworthorum was recorded nearly half a century ago, hardly any information is available on its ecology, population, distribution and the threats it faces in nature. These two species of Calodactylodes are unique to herpetologists as they represent Gondwanan relicts.
New field
After completing a three-year study (from 1998 to 2000) in the upper montane cloud forests in the Horton Plains ecosystem, my team and I were interested in working in the dry zone lowland forests. We all felt that we needed a change to a warmer atmosphere. Working in the cold, misty and rainy weather at Horton Plains was not that conducive to comfort. Sometimes when we entered the forest at Horton Plains and walked about five miles, we were soaking wet for hours.
During an extensive literature survey of the tetrapod reptiles of Sri Lanka, I was amazed to note what little we knew of the two diverse vertebrate groups, namely amphibians and reptiles of our country. These two groups have the highest number of endemic species among the vertebrates in Sri Lanka.
My immediate attention, therefore, went to two reptiles, which were poorly known. One was the Sri Lanka golden gecko (Calodactylodes illingworthorum) known to some villagers and Veddhas as a species living in the environs of the fire savannahs and known as gal hung (rock gecko).
The other was the snake-eye lizard or panduru katussa in Sinhalese. One of the most elusive lizards, this reptile belongs to the family Lacertidae. The panduru katussa (Ophisops minor) looks a hybrid between a skink and agamid lizard. This was one of the fastest reptiles that I have observed in nearly 50 years of experience with the reptiles of Sri Lanka. It could run and hide in a fraction of a second.
On several occasions we just could not locate it though it crept into the undergrowth in front of our eyes. Now I had two specific targets, namely the Sri Lanka golden gecko and the snake-eye lizard on this trip. I was interested in studying one or both these reptiles, depending on whether I found them.
I was checking road maps and literature, and felt that Nilgala area would be our first target. Of course I knew that there would be more herpetological surprises in this little area of unexplored fire savannah forest.
The trip
Like any other weekend field trip we packed our field gear, including boots, field kits and provisions, the previous evening. I was up at the usual time I get up and start my work, which was at 3 am. By 3.45.am my driver, S. Dasanayaka and a field worker Vajira, adept at tree and rock climbing, joined me. Vajira was one of my team members of the first canopy study to have been conducted in the country, under the Zoological Survey of Sri Lanka, at Horton Plains National Park from January to December 2000.
Both of them live within a kilometre from my house in Welikanda, Dolosbage Road, Gampola. After my son Panduka and Vajira packed all our field gear and the provisions into the van, we left Gampola around 4 am on February 18, 2001. We hoped to reach Pitakumbura, a small hamlet situated approximately 17 km from Bibile along the Ampara road.
On our way we picked up Shantha Karunaratne from Geli Oya, a village situated between Gampola and Peradeniya. Shantha is my senior field research assistant in the Zoological Survey of Sri Lanka. He is a well-experienced young man with a wide knowledge of many forests, animals and plants.
The Randenigala road was closed for traffic from 6 pm to 6 am. We were the first to be at the security roadblock that morning when it opened. The road was constructed recently and very beautiful in its scenic appearance. On one side of the road are the Victoria, Randenigala and Rantembe resovoirs, while on the other is a sanctuary.
This road, being broad, flat, with little traffic and with a good surface, was ideal for fast drivers such as Dasanayaka. There was a small herd of wild elephants usually met with on this road, but we were not lucky that day, though we came across their fresh dung. Dasanayaka, in his early 40’s, was an experienced driver, who had been a member of our survey team for sometime. By 7.30 am we were at Bibile junction. We took the Bibile – Ampara road to reach Pitakumbura. From Bibile junction, it took him about half an hour to reach Pitakumbura.
When travelling about 10 km from Bibile, the change of vegetation to fire savannah was unmistakable. Though it appeared like a monoculture plantation commonly seen in upcountry areas, with ghastly-looking pine trees predominating, here it was definitely pleasing to the eye as three tree species dominated the picture. These were the aralu, bulu and nelli which are the three main basic ingredients used in the majority of ayurvedic medicinal preparations. The common belief among these very hospitable villagers was that these were the medicinal gardens of King Buddhadasa (340-368 AD).
While walking in this part of the dry zone forest we never failed to fill our pockets with mature nelli fruits. They were really good to quench the thirst when walking five to 10 km in the forest.
The high tannin content of these trees is capable of resisting fires. These are the only trees, therefore, that would survive annual fires in the savannah. One pastime of the householders of fire savanna villages was collecting fallen aralu fruits for medicinal purposes and leaves for beedi cigarettes. They dried the latter well and sold them to vendors who bought at eight rupees per kg.
Chutta at Pitakumbura
At Pitakumbura, on the main highway to Ampara, we had to turn into Seruwa hamlet, where Nihal Laxshman, known as Chutta to us, our main contact in the area, lived with his wife and children. I came to know Chutta during my pilot visit to the area in search of this gecko and the lacertid. He was a unique character in his mid-thirties, healthy, energetic and humorous, with an exceptional knowledge of medicinal and other plants. He is in fact consulted by many local ayurvedic councils of the Bibile area on identification of medicinal plants. He and his youngest daughter greeted us.
We had to walk about a kilometre to reach his house in the hamlet. It was a well-kept dwelling built by Chutta himself. Added to his other attributes, he was also a good carpenter, mason, an agriculturalist and of course a hunter. He had his own paddy field, and to reach his house we had to pass through it along a small bund. Vajira carried the heavy load of field gear, and Shantha, Panduka and Dasanayaka shared various odd items including our breakfast bag and provisions.
We gave the day’s rations to Chutta’s wife, a good cook. We shared the bread and seeni sambol prepared by my wife early in the morning. We had brought bread from Gampola, as apparently it was not easily available or of poor quality in this remote part. Chutta gave us a bottle of treacle, which his wife had made from the coconut sap that Chutta and his eldest son tapped. After breakfast we were given a drink made from iramusu.
Immediately after breakfast we donned our field kits and set out to explore the savannah and the monsoon forests in search of the Gondwanan relict, the golden gecko. Chutta, an expert on the Bibile forest, led us to massive rock outcrops surrounded by thick, dry vegetation. We counted 10 species of timber trees, including ebony, teak, nedun and halmilla. We also noted 15 species of creepers and shrubs, mostly used in traditional medicine. Of course, all these were identified by Chutta, and I later received confirmation at the National Herbarium in Peradeniya.
Golden gecko
No sooner we came near the gigantic rocky outcrops, than we heard unusual calls. They were the extremely loud vocal distress or warning cries of the golden gecko. For a man who has been associating with reptiles and amphibians of Sri Lanka for 50 years, it was most rewarding to hear it for the first time. Cries by house geckos are not unfamiliar to Sri Lankans, even to those living in the metropolis. However, any lover of our jungle and its wildlife would love to hear the highly vocal call -of the golden gecko. Strangely, Deraniyagla did not record this aspect.
The caves are known to the villagers as gal ge or rock houses. Most of the boulders and outcrops, which we investigated had been early human dwellings. The drip ledge chiselled on top of the rock drains off rain and prevents it from seeping inside the cave. This is clear evidence that these had been inhabited several centuries ago.
For the first time, I saw a large golden gecko. It would have measured nearly a foot. Later I saw a few more. Incidentally, I have seen all the preserved type-specimens of Deraniyagla in the Colombo National Museum.
My attention was immediately drawn to another surprise finding. It was a communal egg-laying site with 52 eggs. Many species of geckos have such egg-laying sites. At this site, there were shells from previously laid egg collections. We estimated, from the number of egg-shells and their thickness, that this site would have been used for egg laying for several years.
Spotted giant gecko
As expected, another unusual finding awaited us. One of our team members yelled in excitement stating that a large gecko was seen. All gathered there with torches. Here it was, a monster gecko about two metres within the crack of the large boulder about three metres above ground. With the torchlight, it was not clear to what species it belonged.
However, it was definitely one of the biggest we had seen.
We immediately discussed a strategy to get it out, as we could hardly put our hands into the narrow crevice. With the help of a metre long iron rod, we gently induced it to come out after 10 to 15 minutes. After appearing at the surface, it immediately ran into a different crevice. This time the small-made Shantha crept under one boulder with a torch, while Vajira scaled the boulder and gently and gradually worked the gecko to go inside the cave Shantha has crept into. After another 10 minutes of manipulating, an excited yell from Shantha told us that he had caught it.
With great difficulty Shantha crept back with his prize in one hand, which he promptly handed over to me. I immediately identified it as Hemidactylus maculates hunae or the spotted giant gecko (davanta tit hung S). This is the largest gecko we have in Sri Lanka. This specimen measured 280 mm from the tip of head to that of tail. An interesting point was its girth at the middle of the body, which was about the thickness of two human thumbs We wrote down field notes about the animal, and without injuring it slowly released it back into the same crevice we discovered it in.
It was interesting to note that two of the largest geckos in the country live sympatrically in the fire savannah. This was further confirmed during subsequent fieldwork.
Chutta and Shantha, both being smaller made than I, crept between two boulders into a cave with the aid of touches. They were able to discover more golden geckos and another clutch of eggs. All of a sudden there was a big commotion when hundreds of bats, disturbed by Chutta and Shantha, started coming out of the opening where they had gone in.
The lunch
I had several questions regarding the golden geckos for which I wanted to find the answers. These included what they feed on, their activities in the night and their young. By about 4.30 in the evening we returned to Chutta’s home. He hurriedly climbed a coconut tree in front of his house and brought down a fresh pot of coconut toddy containing about four bottles. As a rule I never take liquor. during fieldwork, but I was tempted to break my principles. It was such a refreshing drink in the dry zone, specially when one has walked several kilometres, and become hungry too.
Our lunch consisted of rice, a mallum which is an oriental curry made from a leafy vegetable, sweet gourd (wattakka S) and dried fish. The rice came from Chutta’s paddy field, which he had cultivated with a fine, high quality grain known as samba in Sinhalese. Mallum was made from fresh, tender thelatiya leaves. Being a mallum fan, I have tried virtually hundreds of different leaves. In fact, once I grew two acres of Bangkok kankun as a commercial venture.
The thelatiya is a large creeper that grows on the boulders and rock caves where the gal hung lives. Chutta’s wife never failed to cook it for us when we visited Pitakumbura for our studies. Each of us always had two helpings of this preparation. After our lunch, Chutta brought us some papaw as a dessert. Papaw was very cheap at Pitakumbura, being Rs. 5 a large fruit.
We rested till 6 pm and then refreshed ourselves with a cup of herbal tea. We again proceeded to the boulders where geckos were found. We heard a little different call made by the geckos. Subsequent field tips confirmed that around 6.30 to 7 pm they call aloud several times and from around 7.30 to 8.30 pm they are active and go in search of food. By about 6.15 pm the five of us took our positions encircling one boulder which had a good population of geckos. Motionless and leaning against the rocks we waited patiently, armed with our torches only. We heard a slightly different call at dusk and the geckos were extra active.
I saw one large gecko coming with quick successive movements towards me. It slowed for a moment. I was quiet and motionless. It stopped just a few inches in front of me, and ran up again. I too was excited and followed this particular gecko, scaling and climbing over a large boulder, which I would have hesitated to do during the day. When I spotted my gecko, I again remained motionless. I noticed it at once looked towards the top edge of the boulder where various creepers had run. Reward came at once when it raised its two front limbs and promptly caught a flying insect with its mouth. Though I could not identify this insect, this observation was exceptionally interesting. After some time it got lost among the creepers.
Around nine pm we all met at the bottom of the boulders and discussed our findings. Nearly all had observed the geckos going into the vegetation, but only I had observed the capture of an insect.
We climbed the rock, which was about eight metres high. The top was flat with a surface of about 40 metres by 10 metres. One side gradually merged into the thick jungle which had a scattering of elephant dung and droppings of other animals.
Before climbing to the top we searched virtually every nook and corner of the boulder system and found to our surprise that not a single gecko was seen. If we searched during the daytime we would certainly have observed a minimum of 10 to 15. We would also have heard several distress or warning cries. This suggests that all had left the boulder and gone into the surrounding vegetation that was virtually a part of the boulder ecosystem.
Karu and Chutta had observed two geckos on top of one of the surfaces of the boulder between 11 pm and midnight. However, around 5.30 and 6.30 in the morning the geckos started coming back to the boulder after their foraging spree in the night. We also observed two spotted giant geckos, including the biggest one we saw during the day. However, we were disappointed that the snake-eye lizard kept out of our view on this trip.
We all went to the stream for a dip. It was about three kilometres from Chutta’s house. After a few hours of sleep at the house, he served hot rice and pol sambol, which is an oriental dish made by mixing scraped coconut, chilli powder, Maldive fish and lime. What a tasty meal it proved in this utterly remote place!
When we again started walking a few kilometres the next day, we came across a marshy place. Karu at once observed an unusually white small flower. A similar one, pink in appearance, which was binara was very familiar to us at Horton Plains. Since this flower was white, Karu collected a sample to hand over to the National Herbarium at Peradeniya. We were later informed that it was a new species, and already it had been sent to various authorities for further investigations. Incidentally, during our wanderings in the fire savannahs, Chutta took us to many rock caves destroyed by treasure hunters.
We were back at Chutta’s home around at five pm. As usual we were given coconut toddy, followed by a tasty village meal cooked by his wife. My favourite daily requirement being mallum or cooked leaves, I always made it a point to request our host to prepare one from any type of edible leaves that grew wild in that area.
At Pitakumbura my favourite turned out to be a mallum prepared from the leaves of thelatiya, which we came across while climbing large boulders. These creepers with their luscious, tender, lemon-green leaves were common. On one of my earlier visits I inquired from Chutta what was the identity of this creeper. At once he gave its Sinhalese name and told me that it is one of the best for mallum. Being a mallum addict, every time we visited Pitakumbura Chutta’s wife never failed to prepare this dish. After the enjoyable meal we returned home via Mahiyangana.
In conclusion, I may mention that a conservation and awareness programme of the golden gecko involving the villagers in the area is being planned with the assistance of international agencies and relevant government departments.
(Excerpted from Jungle Journeys in Sri Lanka edited by CG Uragoda)
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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