Features
More on leopards, two beautiful plains and camping in the wild
by Walter R. Gooneratne
(continued from last week)
As this would be our last day, we decided to trek to two fabulous places as described by Babun. There were two large plains called Waraketiya and Dananayake Eliya. They were about six miles from camp towards Muduntalawa. The track was again riddled with fresh pug marks of leopard, but no animals were seen. As it was still drizzling, they were probably taking cover in the jungle.
After about two hours of walking, we came to Waraketiya Eliya (eliya =plain). It was a large plain about 200 yards wide and bounded by two streams, Kumbukpitia Ara on the west and Suandandan Ara on the east. While walking through the swampy plain we surprised a herd of wild buffaloes wallowing in a mud hole. Fortunately, they bolted in panic on seeing us. Except for a few peafowl, no animals were seen in the plain. The two streams coalesced to form the Dharage Ara. We followed this stream for some distance and came upon Dananayake plain, which was much larger than Waraketiya Eliya.
An elephant was browsing on the branches of a tree. We watched it for a little while and then made a detour downwind. We then went on to explore the vast plain. In a water-hole, a large sounder of wild boar, accompanied by numerous sucklings was feeding on the yams of lotus, so dear to them. Wild boar flesh was what we wanted to take back home, and here was our chance. They ignored us and continued to feed, while Babun and Pervey were debating on which was the fattest. Having made his choice, Pervey fired on a big fat boar with his rifle. At the shot, the whole sounder took flight, including the targeted animal.
I thought he had missed it and was about to fire again, when he collapsed and died a short distance away. We now regretted our decision not to bring the jeep as we would now have to carry the heavy burden ourselves, The pig was cut into two and each half slung on a pole. Pervey and Babun took one half, and Mackie and I the other. As young doctors, our funds were limited; hence the sparing use of the jeep.
As we were returning, a short distance from Waraketiya, some monkeys were calling to our right. Babun said they were calling on account of a leopard, and wanted me to come with him. Glad to be relieved of my burden even for a short while, I dropped the carcass and followed him. A huge bear was ambling towards us. I fired at him with the rifle and unfortunately hit him in the middle of his spine.. His hind limbs were paralysed and he came crawling on his forelimbs, yelling blue murder. My rifle had two triggers. The rear one had to be squeezed first to activate the front or hair trigger. In my excitement I had squeezed the front trigger and the bullet ploughed harmlessly into the ground. My magazine was now empty. Fortunately, Pervey came running up and gave the wounded animal the coup-de-grace. It was a huge male bear.
As it would be impossible to carry both carcasses, to my immediate relief it was decided to go back to camp, refresh ourselves with a bath and lunch, and bring the jeep to take the prizes home. We hoped no marauding leopard would deprive us of our pork before we came back. When we arrived in camp, the cook was missing, and the food had not been cooked, We were worried if any mishap had befallen him. When we called him, he sheepishly answered from the top of a nearby tree. He himself did not know how he was able to shin up the tree, as he had much difficulty in coming down even with our help. He explained what had happened.
Shortly after we left, he had set about preparing our midday meal with his back to the track. Suddenly there was a blood curdling sound from behind. At first he had thought it was a devil bird, but on turning round he saw the devil himself in the form of a bear screaming obscenities (as described by him) and tearing away into the jungle in the opposite direction. The next thing he knew was that he found himself up the tree. What had happened was that the bear had come ambling down the track and accidentally trod on the embers of the previous night’s camp-fire.
After lunch we took the jeep and brought back the carcasses, which fortunately were untouched.
Our last evening was spent with Babun skinning the bear and Mackie taking a rest. Pervey and I walked to Thalakola Wewa, but saw nothing to interest us. The next day we bade farewell to our new-found friend, Babun and returned to Kandy about 10 that night. The first person to greet us the next morning was old Seetin Singho. He, like Shylock, had come for his pound of kara mus, which he received with much glee.
In those days, there was a visitor’s book kept at the park office at Yala, where those who entered its precincts wrote their comments. My entry in the visitor’s book about this trip was displayed about a couple of years ago in the museum at the Park office. Later it was replaced by the entries of a similar trip by the Hon. D.S.Senanayake and his party, which if I remember right, included the late Mr. Sam Elapata. On inquiry from the park officials, I was informed that they were unable to trace my entry.
Leopard at Kumana
For quite sometime I had been contemplating visiting Kumana as I had heard so much about its famed bird sanctuary, enormous herds of deer and other attractions. My usual companions, Pervey Lawrence and Mackie Ratwatte were not free to join me when the opportunity came quite unexpectedly when my friend, the late Dr. Ivor Obeysekera suggested that we make a trip to Kumana. Of course I jumped at it.
The party consisted of Ivor, his wife, my wife Nirmalene and myself. At 3.30 am on April 12, 1956 we left Kandy in an old Willys jeep and a trailer that Ivor had borrowed from a friend. We had obtained permits from the Department of Wildlife (as it was then called) to shoot peafowl, jungle fowl, deer and leopard. Ivor had not used a gun before and did not own one. I had with me my usual armoury of weapons, namely a 7.9 mm Mauser, a Webley, Scott double-barrel shot gun and .22 calibre Hornet.
Bellowing crocodiles
In those days there was very little traffic, specially at that hour, and the roads were well maintained. After a pleasant drive we arrived in Batticaloa about 8 am for breakfast at my brother’s home. After a sumptuous meal we left for Pottuvil and Kumana on the coastal road. The next stop was just past Komari in the shade of a huge mara tree for a packeted lunch provided by my brother. About ten yards from where we were, was a culvert, and suddenly there came a loud booming sound from its direction. We were at a loss to realize what it could be. I had not heard anything like this before. I picked up my rifle and walked cautiously to investigate. I was stunned by what I saw. There, lying in the shallow water was a medium-sized crocodile bellowing away. As it was half submerged, bubbles of air billowed out of the sides of its mouth. I beckoned to the others to come up, but as soon as they peeped over, the creature saw us and crept into the culvert.
This is the first time I had heard this sound. I heard this call once more when going down the Mahaweli in the company of Mr. Thilo Hoffman and a few others. At one point we found a nest of baby crocodiles, probably a day or two old. One of our party picked up a few of them in his folded shirt. Their squealing alerted the mother who came charging through the water from nearby. He dropped the hatchlings and bolted for dear life. The mother then came up to the nest and sent out her bellowing call warning all and sundry to keep away from her family. We did not waste much time on the way and traveled through Pottuvil and Panama. At Halawa we saw an elephant feeding some distance from the road and left him undisturbed.
Old warriors
We arrived at Okanda without further incident and met the ranger, Peter Jayawardene for the first time. This was the beginning of a lifelong friendship with a most colourful character. The legendry Garuwa was to be our guide and tracker. He had as his assistant Wasthuwa, an equally experienced jungle man. As it was getting late, Garuwa decided that we camp for the night at Itikala Kalapuwa. At that time of the evening, the surface of the kalapuwa or lagoon glistened like a sheet of molten silver. Putting up camp was a simple affair. A rope was tied between two trees and a tarpaulin slung over it and the four corners tethered to convenient trees. Four camp beds completed the five-star comfort.
All the day’s fatigue and grime were washed away in the cool water of the nearby kema or rock water-hole. After a stiff sundowner, we were treated to a delicious dinner of rice, pol sambol, which is a mixture of mainly chilli powder and coconut scrapings, homemade ambulthial, which is a traditional fish curry and dhal or lentil curry prepared by the wives, ably assisted by Wasthuwa.
Bait for the leopard
As Garuwa was keen that we shoot an animal as bait for leopard, as well as for the pot, we left camp at about 6 am. He suggested that we walk, since the jeep would disturb the animals. The wives insisted on accompanying us. We walked till about 7.30 and the sun was getting uncomfortably hot, but we had not seen any worthwhile animal except a lone elephant in the distance. I suggested that we go back to camp, have breakfast and go for a drive by jeep. However, Garuwa said that there was a good water-hole fairly close by and it may be worth checking.
A good 10 minutes’ walk brought us to a circular muddy pond about 40 yards in diameter. Peeping through the foliage, we saw a large sambhur stag wallowing in the mud. It died immediately it was shot, and as we had to bring the jeep and trailer to take back the carcass, I volunteered to walk back with Wasthuwa and bring these.
When we came back, Garuwa suggested that we go back to the village and pick up a young lad who could cook, thus relieving the ladies from that chore. This turned out to be a real blessing. He was a young man of about 20 years, and not only was he an excellent cook but also a very willing and efficient worker. We nicknamed him Kadisara, meaning quick-acting.
After breakfast, the carcass was divided in two. The head and the upper part of the thorax, which were to be the leopard bait, were tied to the jeep and dragged to the site where it was to be secured. A prowling leopard had a better chance of spotting the drag mark and finding the kill. The site for the bait was at a point about 20 yards down the track leading to the Kumana tank, on the edge of the forest. This area was open country, but about 30 yards further down, the road ended in high forest.
It was earlier decided to move camp to the regular site on the banks of Kumbukkan Oya, but as it was too sunny, we decided to postpone the operation for the cool of the evening. As it was now about 11 am, Garuwa suggested that we catch some crabs to add variety to our lunch. He cut a stake about three feet long and sharpened it to a point at one end. He then took us to Itikala Kalapuwa. Having alighted from the vehicle, he asked me to come with him to the water of the lagoon, which was only about a foot deep near the edge. Peering into the water, he showed me a crab and spiked it with the stake. Seven crabs were thus captured.
Having come back to the camp, we had a bath in the kema and rounded off with a glass of ice-cold beer. In no time Kadisara prepared a delicious lunch with venison and crab curry. As there was no murunga in the jungle, he picked up some leaves from the kara plant, if I remember right, to flavour the crab curry. A well earned siesta was taken before the evening’s chores.
Camp was soon dismantled, the jeep and trailer were loaded and we were on our way to the new camp site, which we reached at about 5 pm. What a beautiful spot it was. There was a wide expanse of river before us with its banks lined with lofty kumbuk trees, which spread their canopy over us like a giant umbrella.
(Excerpted from Jungle Journeys in Sri Lanka Experiences and encounters Edited by CG Uragoda)
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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