Features
LONG OVERDUE POLICE OVERHAUL: POINTS TO PONDER
bY NIHAL DE ALWIS
(former Intelligence Officer)
Not only serving, but retired senior police officers and others, I am certain, will be glad if the new, energetic and enthusiastic Minister, Dr Sarath Weerasekera (Rtd. Rear Admiral SLN), will engage himself in providing and improving facilities and basic requirements of the police.
Getting the best out of a team obviously needs provision of basic needs and facilities before assigning it with the task of controlling, preventing and detecting crime and corruption. The Police can consider itself fortunate that a service officer with a clean record is planning to reorganize the department; something that is long overdue and has been neglected.
I suggest the minister selects a team of advisers with a clean background and is knowledgeable from the Retired Senior Police Officers’ Association ( RSPOA) and the Inspectors Association to ensure he is on the correct track as he may not be aware of the Departmental Orders and laws, like the Police Ordinance etc., which empower and guide the police.
Past IGP’s have committed the glaring error of not adhering to some guidelines provided in the Departmental Orders but opting to, satisfy their own aspirations with political patronage. As a result, Sub-Inspectors completing eight years unblemished service have failed to make the rank of Inspector before retirement suffering pension implications affecting whole families. Only an Efficiency Bar, and not cadre approval from the ministry, is needed to effect such promotions after eight years of unblemished service. Some of the officers who have suffered as a result have as many as 35 years dedicated police service. Going to court has been the only option available to them as their appeals had fallen on deaf ears.
Obviously, the department should factor these promotion obligations in calculating its budgetary requirements in the prior year. But this has not been done. I am aware that civilian staff do the annual budgets without direction by senior officers and lack of planning is evident with the votes blindly presented to the ministry. Budgets must be prepared by a qualified team competent to do that job in a department, like the Police. This is one of the reasons, the Police has always lagged behind the forces who give top priority to subjects like these without which no organization can develop.
The minister should be adequately advised by the department, which sadly lacks courage and competence, to urge any government to provide basic requirements. Unfortunately, the department never had courageous officers with integrity to pursue its needs after the late Mr. LDC Herath. I would like to list the following requirements for the consideration of the minister:
POLICE HOSPITAL
(1) The last government allocated land opposite the Police Hospital for its expansion, but unfortunately the SLAF appears to have hijacked this property! What are senior police officers doing? Why are they dumb? The Police Hospital looks like a rural hospital compared to the Army Hospital which looks like a five star hotel. It should be decentralized with clinics in at least every province so that patients in places like Kandy don’t have to come to Colombo for their medicine. There is unconfirmed information that Rs. 20 billion from the Police Reward Fund had been loaned by a former IGP to the army to develop its hospital. Only a special audit, preferably from the Auditor General’s Department, will reveal the truth.
(2) POLICE ACADEMY
The building granted for a Police Academy by the late Mrs Sirimavo Dias Bandaranaike was taken over by the Army as the then IGP had no courage to oppose it. (Or did he encourage it?) Why can’t the Police department create, a proper Academy providing higher training, diplomas, refresher courses and intelligence and investigation training. It could possibly be affiliated to British institutions like Scotland Yard, Metropolitan Police College etc. It could even perhaps offer degrees in law etc to upgrade standards.
(3) COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
Stationary, pens and files are not adequately provided to Police stations at present.
Even in this day and age most Police Stations have no duplicating, fax or photocopying machines and most of the staff is not trained to use a computer. I have had personal experience of being told ” No half sheets, Sir, or the typist is not available, please come tomorrow,” when seeking a certified copy of a document. If there is a photocopying machine, stations could conveniently handle such work.
Every Police station is understaffed. Eg. If one visits Mirihana or Cinnamon Gardens Police Station they will tell you “Sir, we have no staff to send on an investigation now as most are on special or guard duties.” Regular police officer trained to prevent , detect and investigate crime are used for ancillary duties. Why can’t the department which scrapped the Reserve Police re- create it and use it for such duties? The department was ruined by an allegedly corrupt and politically biased IGP who absorbed the Reserve Police Into the permanent cadre, depriving many deserving permanent officers of their promotions.
(3) RECRUITMENT & TRAINING
Recruitment of graduates as Probationary ASPs has hurt the prospects of lower ranks seeking promotion to Gazetted rank. In the past there were Constables who rose to the rank of ASP and SP, but today even a Sub Inspector obtaining due promotion is rare. If the department is determined to recruit graduates, they could be recruited as Inspectors and made to gather five years experience managing police stations , investigating and court work etc. After five years, they could be eligible to go before a Promotion Board and seek promotion as an ASP. Today, few directly recruited ASP’s can conduct a case in courts. They are not competent to advise and guide subordinates as they lack experience.
Malaysia has adopted this system of recruiting graduate Inspectors to ensure that they, as ASPs, will know the workings of a Police Stations and will be better able to supervise Police Stations and guide and direct staff with knowledge and expertise. About 30 – 40 years ago, the standard of graduate ASP recruits was much higher than now and they did contribute much to the service.
Training systems must be revised to suit today’s needs with policemen taught to to respect the public and interact harmoniously with people without discriminating between rich and poor, demonstrating that they are Public Servants. They must be trained in all three languages and should be able to record complaints in the language in which they are made.
In the past Vigilance Squads helped the police to solve crime, detect Illicit liquor and apprehend suspects. The OIC or his deputy visited retired public servants whose names and addresses were posted on wall files at police stations to get their support for effective policing.
All Officers should be trained in disaster management, fire fighting, life saving, first aid, and safety measures as stipulated by the Safety Division of the Labour Department. The deterioration of discipline is very evident and I have seen Sub-Inspectors sharing a cigarette with constables!
(4) RE-STRUCTURING POLICE DIVISIONS AND DISTRICTS
(a)Since there are over 57 DIGs. the police department should re-demarcate divisions and districts to ensure that these officers are made use of and don’t merely warm their seats. They must be stationed in the respective Ranges and not in Colombo. At present the DIGs are supposed to visit their Ranges only once a year. This must be changed and they should be required to visit at least twice a week, excluding surprise night visits. They should get more involved in the welfare of staff and be accessible to the public daily obviating the need for people to seek political influence to address their grievances. The Police cadre should be increased if the public is to get a better service with an increase in the number of Police stations. Lack of staff, along with shortage of vehicles, is the main reason for the delay in conducting investigations.
(a)Transport systems are very poor with vehicles from the stations, except for a few, having to be brought to Colombo for attention. Every province should be provided facilities for better maintenance of police vehicles as there is tendency of some stations harassing garages to do free repairs leaving room for corruption.
(b) The Police department should adopt a scheme of insuring vehicles, rather than the Department paying costs in case the driver is at fault. This should be thought of as in according to the law non governmental vehicles cannot run on the ,road without a license. Hence it is illegal, for the Police department which prosecutes others to run their vehicles without a licenses.
(5)SALARIES & WELFARE
The Police department is the lowest paying among all the services though policemen work continuously with no overtime. The Welfare Division is incompetent and far behind those in the other forces. For example, policemen assigned for duties at various points are dropped at these places but never provided return transport. They work for several hours without drinking water or toilet facilities. This seems to be nobody’s business. Why can’t mobiles toilets and drinking water be provided? I do not think the Police department realizes the importance of these facilities. The problem is quite evident especially at check points etc on the Nawala – Narahenpita Rd.
Insurance schemes for officers must be provided in terms of risk etc. Posthumous promotions are of little use to grieving families. Over 650 policemen were massacred by LTTE terrorists (when they had surrendered on the orders of a spineless IGP). The main suspect is still openly in politics but no one cares. Sadly no governments has done the needful for compensating the families of these policemen. A team comprising Of Rtd Senior DIG A. Selvaratnam and Retd. SSP Tassy Seneviratna along with several senior police officers compiled a report with data from the affected families. This was presented it to the then IGP but nothing happened; nor have succeeding IGPs done anything about it. This is the state of the Sri Lanka Police! What can you expect from a Service which celebrated 153 years seeing the IGP remanded!
POLICE ARCHIVES/ MUSEUM
A Police Archives and Museum should be given priority for the public to know what the Police had achieved & sacrificed by way of lives lost and duty done protecting the people; and the excellent investigations conducted in solving serious crimes of various sorts.
Conclusion
Retired police officers, especially, are eagerly and impatiently waiting to assist the new minister and his team in reorganizing the Police Department and improving its service to the Public whilst ensuring quality of service. We certainly hope the department will be able to function without political interference and provide the public with a friendly, not-corrupt professional police.
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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