Features
Memories of “Dusty” Miller of the Colombo Commercial Company
by ACB Pethiyagoda
The Business (Acquisition) Act No. 35 of 1971 enabled the then government to take over any business undertaking in the country. One of its intended purposes was to have complete control over their commercial activities and thereby ensure that rightful dues to the country earned from exports and other trading activities internationally were brought in.
That was an urgent need then as the country was in dire need of every dollar and pound (for short called FOREX) as other sources such as foreign aid and loans were woefully short or had dried up. That was the beneficial side of the exercise but what was detrimental was that men with long and valuable commercial experience in the organizations taken over were at times replaced by incompetent political stooges.
In 1976 The Colombo Commercial Company (CCC) with its office in Acland House, 25, Lillie Street, Colombo 2 and branches in Badulla, Hatton, Kandapola, Kandy and Ratnapura was taken over. Its Principal’s office was in Mincing Lane, London and according to the Ferguson’s Directory of 1965 the Company dealt in Estate Management, Fertilizers, Tea, Insurance, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Building construction and were Agents and Distributors of products of about fifty foreign Companies.
Google reveals that the Company was founded in London with John Burn an engineer who was born in Aberdeen setting up its branch in Colombo. “Burn had gained considerable experience since 1848 opened up his business in Colombo on premises purchased, namely Acland House and grounds covering 13 acres at Slave Island, which was formerly the mess of the Ceylon Rifle Regiment. During the early years of the Company’s progress, the Slave Island Mills handled coffee, tea and artificial manures.”
The company’s stature then was such that it even had, “A very neat and well struck copper token.” On its obverse was “The Colombo Commercial Co. Limited 1876” with an embossed tea plant and on the reverse “Slave Island Mills” with two sprigs of orange leaves. Each of the 500 tokens struck were brass, “round in shape, 29.9 mm in diameter each weighing 8.05 grams.”
Acland House (now Visumpaya) when first taken over by Government was refurbished and used by it as a guest house for high visiting official dignitaries. The stately two stories building was large by any standard, no wonder having been an Army Mess, with the ground floor used as CCC’s office.
Memories go back to early 1960 when the writer was interviewed by A.W. Halstead, Head of the Estates Department, who was later replaced by Kenneth Ratwatte as a Director. The writer was first appointed as Junior Assistant Superintendent of Mooloya Estate, two years later Senior Assistant Superintendent and another two years later Acting Superintendent of Mayfield Estate — the first Ceylonese in that position. Soon after, progression led to manage Braemore and thereafter Mayfield Estate.
Visits by superintendents to the offices of their Agents were then mostly on ‘summons’ and those often resulted in a dressing down; these were rare and for very serious offences only. The writer, to the somewhat surprise of the Directors, Managers and Assistants often made unexpected visits to Acland House to consult Kumar Paul, Nirmala Ranasinghe, Brian Tranchel and Peter Dardart, manager of the Tea Department to pick their brains and improve the quality of teas he produced.
Information on market trends was also sought — all efforts being made to improve the profitability of the property in his charge — cost cutting exercises having been exhausted. Profitability then was the only way to keep at times even offensive correspondence from Principals and Agents to the barest minimum and ensure advancement in the Company.
The ultimate beneficiary, of course, was the country itself selling its produce at optimum prices and bringing in scarce foreign exchange to import essentials such as rice, sugar, petroleum products etc.
These visits to Colombo and reciprocal visits by the Tea Department’s Executives to the Estates paid handsomely as the quotes below show:
“The Tea Department offer congratulations on you producing a tea as good as this……. ..
“The prices realised for the BOPS of these two Invoices are the highest obtained by Braemore during the past few years and we are writing this letter to convey our appreciation to you and your staff on this achievements. “
“This is one of the best invoices we have ever seen from Mayfield Estate and it is the unanimous opinion of the members of the Tea Department that this Invoice is better than Bogawanthalawa Inv. 25.”
The work ethic then was different from now in many spheres of employment; positive results only were the criteria recognized. Hence, these laudatory messages were read, reread as the joy and satisfaction was greater than most anything else. The achievements were solely due to planning and execution over long days in the tea fields ensuring good agricultural practices and leaf standards followed by equally long nights in the factories monitoring each and every stage of manufacture from evening to next morning. Within the company, between companies and even at the bars at Radella, Talawakelle and Agras Clubs excellence in results were recognized by fellow planters with a few jokes and jibes thrown in.
Two months ago about thirty of Colombo Commercial Co’s Old Crocks, many accompanied by their wives got together for their annual dinner organized by Asoka Gopallawa and Shanthi Wijesundera. Many of the reminiscences were of the time — roughly in the mid years of the nineteen hundreds when CCC was accepted as one of the best private sector organizations in the country.
Practically everyone had something to relate about his experiences with Mr. E W Miller, the money minded and shrewd Englishman who took over the Company in London in 1961 by some clever maneuvering and came to Colombo as if carried by a whirlwind. He was unconventional in talk, dress and manners to a point that many an old fashioned brow was raised or a jaw dropped and some of the owners of those parts of the body feared they would next find themselves on the beach or cart road — jobless.
Many of them were the highly paid Europeans with palatial accommodation, overseas leave, children’s education allowances etc, who were eventually replaced by Miller with equally competent Ceylonese with significant financial advantage to himself. He (Dusty in conversations other than in his presence), virtually turned the Company upside down from its conservative and staid business etiquette and practices to such unconventional methods which shocked many within and outside the Company.
For instance he would himself drive to a Branch Office or Department or an estate in the Agency unannounced when at that time even Auditors gave two weeks notice and enquired whether the dates were convenient to the Superintendent! Dusty talked straight and he appreciated unvarnished replies. If one got on with him skies were the limit because he could be generous and friendly. The opposite situation was also very well known!
The writer’s first meeting with Miller is still fresh in his mind when as an Assistant Superintendent he was appointed Acting Superintendent of Mayfield (the first Ceylonese in that position) as an urgent stop gap arrangement. On ‘taking over’ the property from the Superintendent, who was induced by Miller to retire, the writer within the first few days found the estate in a king sized mess.
However, the five bedroom bungalow with wall to wall carpeting and tastefully furnished looked like something out of the “Home and Garden” magazine. Obviously the wife was a better manager of property than the Superintendent! In these circumstances, grappling with the many, many problems who arrives? Miller, his wife and a business buddy giving one day’s notice.
The evening of their arrival was nothing but a hot tin roof the writer was walking on as the visitors (except the lady) were obviously gauging their host in a mildly patronizing way at times — they drank numerous whiskeys and the host a pint of beer. The main topics of discussion were local politics, a general election being due, and the state of the property.
Questions were fended off somewhat firmly by declaring that the only politics that concerned their host was his welfare and if the visitors were good enough to call over in a month’s time an educated opinion on the state of the property and some solutions to its problems would be given as he had hardly time to take proper stock of the situation.
On reflection later on in the night, left to his own thought, he thought it was ‘kaput’ for him and it would have been prudent to have indulged the visitors. Next morning, while waiting for the men for breakfast, the writer and the lady making small talk the writer said he thought he had mishandled the previous evening.
To his great surprise and even greater relief she said Dusty thought their host was straight, cautious and would deliver the goods. That he did in due course, and it was kosher with Dusty making an unexpected ex gratia payment for a successful Act and a handsome wedding gift two years later.
There’s good and bad even among the sharpest businessmen — Dusty Miller was one of them, the former characteristic being a bit more pronounced.
(First published in June 2009)
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
