Features
Mastering Hospitality Promotions
CONFESSIONS OF A GLOBAL GYPSY
Dr. Chandana (Chandi) Jayawardena DPhil
President – Chandi J. Associates Inc. Consulting, Canada
Founder & Administrator – Global Hospitality Forum
chandij@sympatico.ca
Resorts Vs. Business Hotels – Key Adjustments
Two useful lessons I learnt early in my hotel career were ‘Creating a Buzz’ for the operation/department/hotel I was leading and ‘Making a Name’ for myself as an innovative hospitality professional. In addition, I learnt that it is essential to quickly understand the local culture and adjust the manner in which I communicate to blend in with the key market segments important to the business.
As Colombo was my birth place, it was easy for me to do this at Le Galadari Meridien Hotel in Colombo. However, predominantly as a resort hotelier up to 1986, I was new to the five-star market in Colombo. I learnt a few things quickly with an aim to blend in well for success.
Unlike smaller resort hotels managed by local companies, operating large five-star business hotels managed by international hotel corporations were usually complex. In terms of committees, large numbers of meetings, detailed reports and lengthy budgeting processes, management of internationally branded hotels was more challenging and time consuming. I always believed that managing by walking around and being seen in action would be essential for hospitality managers. At Le Galadari Meridien, I had to balance these two aspects to be productive.
I made sure that I did all my meetings and office work during non-busy times of the banqueting, restaurants, bars and the night club operations. That allowed me to spend extra time interacting with our customers. I found the elegant lobby of Le Galadari Meridien a wonderful place for me to do ‘Meet and Greet’ and valuable Public Relations (PR) with our in-house guests, as well as, with non-resident customers.
Self-Marketing
Having done ‘Creating a Buzz’ and ‘Making a Name’ fairly effectively at Le Galadari Meridien, I was invited to give a guest lecture on ‘Self Marketing and Career Planning’ to the fourth-year management students of the Ceylon Hotel School.
At the end of my lecture, I simply suggested to the students, to ask themselves three questions as the basis for planning their careers:
1. Where am I? (Current position, personal and professional strengths and weaknesses);
2. Where do I want to go? (Ideal future positions I would like to target);
3. How do I get there? (Action plan for career development to reach the identified goal).
When I said to that group of students that on January 1 every year, I ask myself these three questions and then do a one-page revised career plan for seven years, they were surprised. This is something I continued to do annually like a rolling plan until I reached the age of 58, and set up my consulting firm.
Within six months of joining Le Galadari Meridien, towards the end of the year 1986, I was confirmed as the Food & Beverage Manager. After completing my performance review and before confirming my promotion, the General Manager, Jean-Pierre Kaspar took me to lunch at a competitor hotel – Ramada Renaissance. “Chandi, all Food & Beverage Managers of Le Meridien around the world are French. Are you 100% sure that you can do this job?” he asked. I said, “Just look at the Profit and Loss account. In the last six months, we have doubled the Food and Beverage departmental profits since I succeeded a Frenchman! You have no choice, but to confirm me.” He laughed and handed over my new letter of appointment.
Another six months later I was promoted again, as the Director of Food & Beverage, a job title unique at that time for any Sri Lankan hotelier. After promoting me, Mr. Kaspar asked me, “What is your career goal in seven years’ time?” Having already done my rolling seven-year plan, I boldly said that, “I would like to succeed you as the General Manager of Le Galadari Meridien!”. After a pause he said, “Chandi, that’s a realistic goal. I think that you could do that, but let’s make a plan.”
Over lunch, Mr. Kaspar wrote a plan for me on a paper napkin and gave it to me. He suggested that I work as the Director of Food & Beverage of Le Galadari Meridien for two more years. Then ideally, move to a Le Meridien in the Far East or the Middle East for three years at the same level, but on an expatriate contract. “Then you should aim to come back here as the number two or Executive Assistant Manager for two years. In seven years from today, at age 39, it would be a good time for you to get promoted as a Le Meridien General Manager.” We shook hands.
After laying out a very attractive career plan for me, Mr. Kaspar said: “First, let’s work on the next steps. In the coming year I will arrange for you to shadow the Directors of Food & Beverage of two busy Le Meridien hotels in Singapore. After that, I will try my best to fully sponsor you to attend Le Meridien Management Development program at Meridien Management Institute in France, followed by two management observer placements in Paris and London.”
All those steps worked out as per our plan, for which I am most grateful to Mr. Kaspar. To ensure career progress, in addition to ambition, a good plan and hard work, one needs great mentors and some luck. “You market yourself very well!” Mr. Kaspar remarked. He then said, “Next week the new Regional Vice President for Le Meridien, Mr. Ducray will be visiting us for the first time. He is my immediate boss. You need to impress him.” Mr. Kaspar planted some seeds in my mind. I did exactly that and my official trip to Singapore was confirmed.
Additional Duties – Advertising (Ad) and Promotions
In 1987, I told Mr. Kaspar that I had studied Marketing as a part of my graduate studies in Sri Lanka and England, and I now wished to embark on studies to graduate from the prestigious Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), in the United Kingdom. He then delegated a couple of his duties to me. I was put in charge of leading all local media ads and handling special promotions. In performing these new tasks, I coordinated with the Public Relations (PR) Manager and the Director of Sales.
I enjoyed these new duties outside the scope of the Food and Beverage Division. On behalf of the General Manager, I chaired the weekly, advertising meetings with the hotel’s advertising agency – Creative Services Limited — led by a childhood friend and neighbour from Bambalapitiya Flats, Herman Gunasekara. His uncle, Anandatissa de Alwis, who was an ad and promotions guru, had founded this agency. I also worked with them to produce the monthly, promotional newsletter of the hotel and the colourful, event promotional posters.
I was given a free rein and I generously promoted Food and Beverage products and events to our local customers. The first, festive season events I led in organizing at Le Galadari Meridien, including three New Year’s Eve dances, were highly successful and profitable. I was able to combine three of my skills (Food & Beverage Management, Marketing and Art) into this task. I used the Le Meridien ad manual with hundreds of beautiful illustrations done by artist Ken Maryanski.
The Magic of Ken Maryanski
Le Meridien launched the worldwide career of famous Artist, Ken Maryanski by choosing his instantly, identifiable Gallic images. After graduating from the New England School of Art, he began his career as an Art director and designer, while doing occasional posters for Le Meridien Boston. According to the artist, it took the unique vision, a refreshing spirit, and the French personality of Le Meridien, to fine-tune his style. Maryanski’s work has been showcased in Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal and several other English, French and German publications. Over the years Ken Maryanski had visited most of Le Meridien properties around the world, to find creative inspirations for new artwork.
Ten years later, by the time I opened Le Meridien Jamaica Pegasus Hotel as its General Manager, Maryanski’s amusing caricatures had clearly become the trademark image for all Le Meridien hotels around the world. In 1997, Le Meridien head office in Paris initiated a series of travelling exhibitions of Ken Maryanski’s artwork, in selected five-star hotels. I was happy to organize Le Meridien – Ken Maryanski art exhibition in Jamaica, as a part of the 25th anniversary celebrations of Le Meridien. As a semi-professional visual artist and a former curator of an art gallery in South America, a few years prior to that, I took a personal interest in mounting this exhibition in Kingston, Jamaica.
Although I never had the privilege of meeting Ken Maryanski, when he passed away in early 2022, I was saddened. Since 1987, when I first used his illustrations for ads of Le Galadari Meridien, I felt a creative connection to him. I considered him a creative genius, and I was an ardent fan of his work. Ken’s quick wit, sarcasm and complex imagination, will live on through his art.
New Professional Focus on Marketing
My involvement in ads, PR and promotions during my time at Le Galadari Meridien, opened several new doors for me. Since I first did an Interactive Marketing course at the University of Colombo in 1981, taught by one of the greatest Marketers in Sri Lanka – Mr. Stanley Jayawardena (then Chairman of Unilever, Sri Lanka), I was fascinated with the concept of Marketing. That inspired me to study Marketing further with the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) in the United Kingdom and I eventually became a graduate of the CIM.
Although, I loved Ken Maryanski illustrations, when Le Meridien produced a detailed ad manual, I had a few challenges. The hotel company insisted that all their hotels around the world use similar ads when promoting events such as Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day etc. At that point, I began having doubts that it was a good idea.
I felt it was clever to maintain a broad theme for the corporate image. However, hoteliers operating Le Meridien hotels in different parts of the world should be given some flexibility in ads to promote events popular with locals. As different market segments have different likes, dislikes, attitudes, beliefs, cultures and customs, flexibility in ads and communication is important. When I studied advanced, hotel management at Meridien Management Institut in France, I debated this point. Although our French professors did not agree with me, the participating managers from around the world agreed with my viewpoint.
Those discussions I had in France sparked my interest in further investigating this aspect. I embarked for a MPhil/PhD in International Hotel Marketing at the University of Surrey, in England, in 1990. The working title of my doctoral thesis was ‘Effectiveness of Advertising – An Analysis in the context of International Five-star Hotels’.
In later years, I taught Hospitality and Tourism Marketing as a Professor/Visiting Professor in England, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Guyana and Canada. In Jamaica, at the University of the West Indies, as a Senior Lecturer in Tourism Management, I coordinated Marketing courses for over 2,000 students in their Department of Management Studies.
When I migrated to Canada, I worked as the Vice President – Market Development of the Canadian School of Management and as the International Vice President of the parent company – IMCA Socrates Limited in England. My long journey in promotions, sales and marketing stemmed from that initial, practical experience at Le Galadari Meridien in the late 1980s. Thank you Mr. Kaspar and Le Meridien!
Promoting Banquets
I was fortunate to get opportunities to lead a series of exciting and large banquets at Le Galadari Meridien Hotel. I led a large, outside catering event when the new building of Lake House was opened by the President of Sri Lanka J. R. Jayewardene in 1987. Soon after that event, I received a very, nice letter from Mr. Kaspar.
He stated, “I would like to thank you, personally, for having successfully organized the outside catering at Lake House. It has been brought to my attention that this is the first outside catering for over 1,000 persons handled by our hotel since its inception. Congratulations for your accomplishment! I am proud to have you on my team!” I was motivated by that letter and issued letters with the same ending sentence, to members of my management teams in the five hotels I managed in later years.
In 1987, a new trend in Colombo was to have large coffee mornings as fund raisers. These were cocktail reception type events, but with iced coffee, snacks and sweets, mainly for ladies who walked around the booths of many sponsors. We made a name as an ideal venue for coffee mornings for over 1,000 participants. Other hotels could not match our package, which included special rates by top bands we had under contract at Le Meridien.
We also made good profits from large Biriyani (popular Mughlai cuisine) lunch and dinner weddings for rich Muslim families. As the hotel was owned by a Middle Eastern family – Galadari, by contract we had to serve halal food and it was prohibited to serve pork, ham or bacon. Although that was a challenge in our menu planning for an international clientele, I started to publicize it in order to get more bookings for Biriyani weddings from Muslim families.
We also allowed free tasting of the Biryani menus for ten, close family members about a month before each wedding and before the full payment was made. That gesture was popular. We were willing to change the dishes slightly to suit the culinary traditions of each family. Our Banquet Chef understood the importance of being flexible to please the customers.
“How many people were invited by my cousin Hameed for his son’s wedding that he hosted at the Bougainville Ballroom, last month?” a rich gem merchant asked me and Ananada Warakawa, the new Banquet Manager I recruited. I remembered the number as 1,050 but shrewdly, I rounded up the figure. I knew that holding the largest wedding was a status symbol for some competitive rich families. “Mr. Ahamed, your cousin hosted nearly 1,100” I said. He looked at his son and then said, “We need to do better than that. Mr. Jayawardena, can you cater for 1,200?” We agreed, but in addition to the ballroom, we had to use all private dining rooms closer to the ballroom.
The next wedding was booked for 1,250 persons and Ananada Warakawa was getting very nervous. Eventually, when I pushed him to take a booking for a Biriyani dinner wedding of 1,500 persons, he told me, “Boss, even if we use all corridors between the ballroom and private dining rooms, we cannot accommodate that number!” I said, “Don’t worry. I have already spoken with Mr. Chandra Mohotti, the Director of Rooms Division, and my flexible peer. He is allowing us to use a section of the hotel lobby for the wedding. We have to cover that section well with screens, so that our room guests will not be
disturbed while checking in.”
We broke the all-time record with a wedding of 1,500 and the food and service were well coordinated. However, Mr. Kaspar was very unhappy when he saw an overflow of 150 people eating Biryani in a section of the lobby. “Chandi, never do that again. The lobby is out of bounds for banquets! Remember, we run a five-star French hotel!” he said. “OK, boss!” I agreed with him and stopped trying to set new banquet records in Colombo!
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 . )
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
