Features
Invitation to a beggar’s daughter’s wedding
Short story
by Rukmini Attygalle
Andoris my beggar friend from the previous story and I developed a friendship based on mutual respect. Andoris plied his trade mainly in and around the Colpetty market. He was a man of many parts. Apart from being a very good actor (a distinct advantage for one practicing his profession), he was both cunning and resourceful. Except for the fact that his body was extremely thin, there was nothing physically wrong with him.
He was however ‘double jointed’ – an ability to bend the limbs at the joints to a much greater degree than is normally possible. He used his agility to perfect advantage. At certain times he would sit on the pavement outside the market with his knees together straight in front him and flat on the ground, with his lower legs and feet sticking out on either side. As the average human torso could not normally maintain this posture, people naturally assumed that the man was deformed. He enhanced this supposed deformity by bending one hand inwards till his thumb touched his lower arm – another impossible feat for the average person.
Regular fits of coughing and gasping for breath, were additional embellishments to his act. “May you reach Nirvana by helping a poor man,” was the chorus with which he filled the gaps in the coughing fits. He never ever verbally claimed that he was in any way disabled. If others thought so – well that was their prerogative! Their undoing too!
By mid-afternoon Andoris found that it was more lucrative to abandon his seated posture and go into the market-square to act as a porter cum hailer of taxis. He seemed to change miraculously from the pathetic deformed figure prone to breathing difficulties to a man-of-action. The agility with which he pranced about on his thin stick-like legs never failed to amaze me. Veins bulged out of his upper arms as he lifted heavy shopping bags, and he seemed very much happier doing this than his morning work.
I think he felt it was a more respectable form of activity to earn a living. As the saying goes, ‘beggars cannot be choosers’, he had to earn his way through life using every possible resource available to him and if he had to turn himself into a pathetic cripple in order to achieve this – so be it! After all he not only had to support himself but a family as well.
Since Andoris and I became friends, he never failed to greet me with a beaming smile. Although I was aware of his prowess in acting, I could see the unmistakable stamp of sincerity in that smile. In fact, if he saw me even when he was in his ‘deformed mode’ he would still greet me with the most, cheery smile, not at all in keeping with the image he was trying to project. Often, he would abandon his ‘deformed mode’ and follow me into the market-square, not only to become my porter but also my friend and adviser.
He knew each and every stall in that market, and also what the best bargains of the day were.
“The best mangoes are in the stall next to the butcher’s,” or, “I did not see any decent drumsticks today. They all look dry and over matured but the snake gourd in the front stall is good and the price also is cheap,” he would advise as we entered the market square.
He was too cunning to proffer such advice within earshot of the stallholders, for he could not afford to antagonize anyone. In fact, his work depended on people’s goodwill. So, if I was about to make a foolish purchase, and Andoris was not in a position to warn me verbally, he would break into a cough or clear his throat meaningfully. He always volunteered advice in a friendly and concerned manner. I appreciated his advice and guidance very much.
I was also often touched by his observations, which showed genuine concern.
“How is your foot, Nona? It must be better now because you are not limping anymore.” I was surprised that he had even noticed. “You must be careful when you walk on these pavements, Nona, because they are so uneven.”
Although he addressed me as ‘Nona’ his attitude was not ingratiating. It was more a manner of speaking. He was always respectful, of course, in the way one shows respect to a friend. With me he did not bow and scrape as I saw him do with some others; and I was glad. For such behaviour invariably acted as a barrier to true communication. He probably accepted that socially I was considered his superior, but he knew, that we both knew, that on a basic human level we were equal.
“Did you manage to buy all the books for Sunil with the money I gave you?” I once asked Andoris. Sunil was his son and Andoris was very keen that he should be sufficiently educated, so that he would not be forced to follow his father’s profession.
“Yes, yes,” he said, “I even had money left over to buy two extra copy books for him,” he said beaming. Had he told me that he had run short of money, I would have given him some more and he knew it. But he also knew that honesty was an important element in a good friendship.
Once or twice when I did not have sufficient change to give Andoris for carrying my shopping, I said to him that I would recompense him when next I saw him. “No, no, Nona! That is quite all right. Don’t you worry about it,” he would reassure me shaking his head from side to side as if to say, “What are a few rupees between two friends?”
One day Andoris came running towards me, excitement written all over his face. “Nona, I have some very good news to tell you. In fact, I was looking out for you for the last few days, but you didn’t come this way.” He was eager for me to ask him what it was.
“So, what’s the good news, then?” I inquired.
“We have arranged a marriage for my daughter. She is going to be married soon!”
Andoris beamed and managed to look quite bashful.
“Why Andoris, you look so shy one would think that you were the one who is to be married!” I joked.
“Aiyo, Nona, you are always teasing me,” he pretended to complain, but he thoroughly enjoyed the banter.
I was very happy for Andoris. Marriage for his daughter had been an enormous weight on his mind. He had once told me that being a beggar was a distinct disadvantage when it came to finding a marriage partner for his daughter. Although she was fair and beautiful, all interested parties lost interest the moment they came to know how the prospective father-in-law made a living.
“So does the bridegroom-to-be know about your line of work?” I asked as tactfully as I could.
“Well,” he said clearing his throat, with a cunning expression creeping into his face. “I told him that I work in the market. That is not a lie, no?” he replied, trying to justify himself. He looked at me for some support.
“Of course not,” I backed him. “You work in and around the market and that is the truth!” I knew that I would probably have done the same had I been in his position. It was so much easier to be honest when one’s circumstances were not so desperate, and money was available to back up one’s sense of honesty.
“Anyway,” he said “I know that the young man has taken a great liking to my girl and he won’t change his mind in a hurry. In fact, when I told him that I wouldn’t be able to give the girl a dowry because I have to educate my son, do you know what he said? ‘I am not interested in any dowry. I have a very good job as a security guard!’ So, Nona, I think the right time has come for my daughter. This match will definitely work.”
I was truly happy for Andoris. It was about time he had some luck! Since his wife died two years ago his biggest worry had been finding a husband for his daughter.
“We are thinking of fixing the wedding for the end of next month,” he said beaming again with excitement. “It will give me a little more time to collect some money for the wedding.”
“I’ll give you some money for the young couple – a wedding present,” I said. “I am sure there’ll be lots of things they would need when they start a new life together.”
“What wedding presents!” Andoris scoffed. “I will need every cent for the wedding!”
“But Andoris, “I replied, “Surely you’re not thinking of wasting money on a wedding reception! You should give whatever money you can afford to your daughter!”
“What Nona! What are you saying! What sort of father would I be if I don’t even give a wedding reception to my own daughter! It is going to be the most important day in her life and in mine also! Of course, I am going to give her a wedding and a grand one too!” Andoris remonstrated with such vehemence that I was quite taken aback.
“And Nona you must also come to the wedding. I will tell you the moment the date is finalized. I will be going to see the astrologer next week to find a good nekath day.”
I was really touched that Andoris had invited me to the wedding. “Yes Andoris, I’d love to come,” I said, and meant it.
He told me he lived in Wanathamulla; and warned me that it would not be easy finding his place; but he said he would give me clear instructions nearer the date.
The next time I saw Andoris I gave him some money for the wedding, with which he seemed pleased.
“Everyone is being so generous!” he exclaimed. “Even the stall holders have given me money.”
I imagined his wad of notes hidden in his waist pouch getting fatter by the day and I was very pleased for Andoris.
My problems began when I told my family and friends about the forthcoming wedding and my intention to attend it. In the first place, they thought that I was quite eccentric to have struck up a friendship with a beggar; appalled at the circumstances that had led to this friendship and thought it absolute lunacy for me to attend the wedding.
I well remember my mother’s horror when I first told her that I had to borrow money from a beggar to pay for my taxi.
“For goodness sake! Have you no self-respect? Borrowing money from a beggar!”
“But Amma, I had. no option! The taxi driver was getting quite irate and abusive!” I remonstrated.
“Of course, you had options! You could have gone back for your purse; or come here and taken the money from me!”
I had been too embarrassed to admit that I had felt quite intimidated by the taxi driver. In any case, she would not have understood such things because she was not a person who could have been intimidated by anyone!
“And now,” my mother said in an exasperated voice, “This business of wanting to go for the wedding! It is complete madness!” And for once, my husband agreed with her totally.
My dilemma became a much-discussed topic among family, friends and of course the servants in my mother’s household, who were always in the know of everything going on.
Her chauffeur Jamis – whom I had known all my life and never quite treated me as an adult, warned: “Don’t you ask me to drive you around to these mudukkus in Wanathamulla. Because I won’t!” He stated his position clearly and categorically.
As my husband drove himself to work in our car, if I needed to go anywhere during the day, I had to rely on Jamis or taxis.
I desperately turned to my friends for some sort of understanding and support but did not receive any. The general consensus being that, it was not very prudent to place myself in a vulnerable position in the shanties of Wanathamulla at a time when rumblings were being heard and tremors felt, of the growing dissatisfaction and anger of the ‘have nots’ against the `better offs’ in society.
In the end I caved in as one does in such circumstances, unless of course one was made of sterner stuff, which I was not.
I felt sad and depressed at the thought of telling Andoris that I would not be able to attend his daughter’s wedding, after all. I knew that I would have to resort to lies in order not to hurt his feelings, and this really appalled me. I felt I was downgrading our friendship. And yet what other option did I have?
When I next met Andoris, I did not beat about the bush but told him straight that I would not be able to make it to the wedding. I said – lying through my teeth – that, I had to go out of Colombo that weekend and would not be able to be back in time for the wedding.
“Aiyo Nona what a shame! It would have been so nice if you could have come!” his disappointment was starkly apparent on his face.
I felt terrible because I knew that I was letting him down badly. In order to ease my conscience, I pulled out a fifty-rupee note and held it out to him.
“No, no!” he said. “I have more than enough money for the wedding now.”
I felt ashamed that I had offered him money. Money could not camouflage the fact that I had disappointed him. It was not money he wanted but my presence at his daughter’s wedding – the most important day in her life and his also.
“It’s going to be a good wedding party,” he said, “I am sorry that you won’t be able to come.” He looked crestfallen.
I despised myself for my weakness, and my willingness to bow down to convention so readily. The next time I met Andoris he welcomed me with a beaming smile. As he shook his head from side to side, he said, “I knew I would see you today, Nona, because Saturday is your marketing day. The wedding went off very well!” he exclaimed. Taking a little box wrapped in red and gold shiny paper, from his shirt pocket, he stretched out his hand towards me. “I brought you a piece of wedding cake,” he said shyly.
“Oh, thank you Andoris, how nice of you to have remembered me,” I said, accepting it with gratitude, while my face burned with shame.
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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