Features
My girls make dramatic entrances
by Sumi Moonesinghe narrated to Savithri Rodrigo
When Susil and I returned to Sri Lanka for good, we rented a three-bedroomed flat behind the petrol shed in Thimbirigasyaya for Rs. 600 a month. This is the home we prepared for the arrival of our firstborn. But Susil and I were both of one mind that being on rent was not the answer and so began our quest for the purchase of a house.
Upali Wijewardene was getting married to Seevali Ratwatte’s daughter Lakmani, and being very close friends of Seevali and Cuckoo, we were on the invitee list. It was a gathering of the near and dear and there we met Susil’s cousin Lalith Hewavitarane, the CEO of Don Carolis, who always had his ear to the ground. He mentioned that the official residence of the Ceylon Match Company Chairman on Jawatte Road was for sale and asked us to take a look at it.
Another commonality between Susil and me is that we know when we like something. It’s an instant decision. This house was one of those. It was lovely and we both felt in our hearts that it was a good investment. The house stood on 70 perches of land and the asking price was Rs. 350,000. Neither Susil nor I had that kind of money.
The advice I was given before I left for England – ‘Save your money, buy a car and it has to be Peugeot 504 because it has good resale value’ came in handy. We sold the Peugeot 504 for Rs. 200,000 which was a good price and Susil suggested we get a loan for the balance payment.
I had been in academics and never had a reason to venture into a bank to request a loan. So this was completely new to me. Susil decided to show me the ropes. He took me to see his friend Mohamed Moheed, who was the General Manager of the Bank of Ceylon. They started off talking niceties and my initial thought was, “This is never going to end. When is he going to ask about the loan?” Just when the conversation was about to end, Susil said, “I need a loan from BOC to purchase our house.”
The unhesitating reply was, “Ah, no problem. Consider it done.” That’s the importance of having a good network and Susil had cultivated that network to perfection. We now had the full payment for the Jawatte Road house.
Thus far, everything had been bought and paid for by me. The cars in Singapore, the furniture we had and now, the loan for the house will be my responsibility. When the deed was to be written however, Susil asked me if we could write the property in Tara’s name. Even though the property was being purchased with my money and the request may have been strange in the circumstances, I never questioned Susil and did as he wanted me to do.
The deed was not important to me; what was important was that we had our first home. In order to meet the payments of the Rs. 150,000 loan however, we decided to give the house on rent. This was a sensible decision as otherwise, I would have to find money for yet another payment that fell on my shoulders. We rented the house out to an expatriate, while continuing to stay in the flat at Thimbirigasyaya.
This was about the time that Tara was leaving for Essex University. I had never met her or spoken with her but from the time I started working in Singapore, I had saved for her education. Hence, all expenses were sorted out, including the air tickets for Susil and her to go to London, because I wanted Susil to drop her off at the university. These are those moment which parents cherish, especially fathers and their daughters and I didn’t want him to miss out on that.
Even though my initial relationship with Ganga and Tara was quite frosty, I always made sure they were looked after and Susil’s responsibilities were always met. Rents were paid, household expenses met, schooling was looked after and the car was always sent for them whenever Ganga or Tara requested for it.
I finally met Tara only in 1977, long after she was settled at university in England. Susil would always visit her whenever we got into London and on one of these visits, she asked Susil if she could meet me. I was naturally a little nervous but it turned out to be a very friendly meeting. I took her shopping and bought her dinner before she returned to Essex. It was only after this meeting that it struck me that I was just 10 years older than Tara.
While Susil was in England dropping Tara at university, my delivery date for the baby was also close at hand. My mother and Roni had moved into the flat with us in preparation for the big day. The baby’s arrival date was yet some time away but one day, I was feeling particularly uncomfortable and called Dr. Siva (Chinnatamby) who sent me immediately to St. Michael’s Nursing Home at Alfred House Gardens.
I was admitted and was settled into a room. There was strict ‘No Visitors’ policy those days and only the father of child was given access to the room. Susil was abroad but the nursing home personnel were not aware of that. Along came Susil’s brother, Anil, claiming he was the father of my child. When he needed a break, Susil’s other brother, Nimal, would walk in confidently declaring himself as the father. Subsequently, our friend, Senaka Amarasinghe, would stride in maintaining paternity. The security guard in charge of letting people through the gates was utterly confused and after seeing parade of ‘fathers’ is known to have asked, “How many fathers has this child got?”
My discomfort continued through the night and the following morning, when Dr. Siva arrived at the hospital, she decided to induce labour. Susil was also due that day from the UK and arrived at the hospital about 1 pm. He was introduced as the fourth father of my child!
Anarkali Kumari Moonesinghe was born on September 28, 1975 with little drama beyond the claim of having multiple fathers. After having been through labour and the birth, my mother and Susil both went home to catch up on some much-needed sleep. I had hired a nanny who was very helpful in getting everything organized and ready – from pre-departure to the nursing home, to being with me while I was in labour and after the baby was born.
After everything turned quiet and only the nanny and I were in the hospital room, the house doctor doing his rounds lifted the sheets for a routine check and found me in a bath of blood. There was immediate pandemonium as I apparently had a cervical tear. He feared I was bleeding to death. With my blood pressure alarmingly low, I was immediately sedated and rushed to the theatre. But as the doctors tried to stitch one side of the tear, the other side would open up. They fought tooth and nail to save my life and later told me, it was touch and go.
Susil had been informed and came rushing back to hospital and was met by Dr. Siva who had come out of the theatre. “We have done everything we can,” she told him. If she lives, it’s her destiny.” Meanwhile, on hearing the gravity of the situation, our friends had got activated as well. Killi, the trustee pf Captain Gardens Hindu Kovil opened for prayers and Bri Ponnambalam kept shuttling to the Blood Bank to get me the five pints of blood I needed to keep me alive.
Many years later, Prof. Henry Nanayakkara said, “I came into the hospital and heard there was a really bad case. I did know it was you. But we don’t interfere with another doctor’s patient due to professional ethics.”
With all this drama surrounding me, my newborn daughter had been thoroughly neglected. She was in her crib but shoved into a corner as the medical personnel needed the space to attend to me. Back in the room, Dr. Siva stayed by my side and the nanny attended to the baby. I was in hospital for a month but survived to tell the tale.
So it was that my will to live saved me, but not before damaging my insides. There was always a threat that I may abort, which eventuality did come to pass. I miscarried my second child shortly after.
During Christmas of 1978, Susil, Anarkali and I were on holiday in Madras with Thanchi and Vasanta Coomaraswamy, Sivali and Cuckoo Ratwatte and the children – nine of us in all.
In those days, there were no restrictions on how many people could travel in a car and the Ambassador was the most popular car in India. So we would all pile into the Ambassador and roam all over Madras.
Cuckoo habitually takes her horoscope with her wherever she went. She wanted to see an Indian astrologer and inveigled Susil to accompany her. While reading Cuckoo’s horoscope, the astrologer looked at Susil and said, “You will have a child before the end of next year.”
Somewhat taken aback with this revelation and knowing my medical condition at the time, Susil broke the news to me as soon as he returned. The moment he told me the astrologer’s prediction, those long-held-back feelings of wanting another child came pouring out of me. Even though I had always harboured the dream of having another child, the complications of Anarkali’s birth were too fresh in my mind, in fact frightening Susil even more than me.
We returned to Colombo a few months later, the prediction came to pass. I was pregnant. I was coerced by Susil to consult Prof. Henry Nanayakkara, whom I had steered clear from when I was pregnant with Anarkali due to the large numbers I saw in his consulting room. Cuckoo and I went to see Prof. Nanayakkara but given his rather flippant bedside manner, I returned from the consultation, rather annoyed.
I told Susil that Prof. Nanayakkara was very rude and I wasn’t going to see him again. But Susil took on a new mission – to make sure that Prof. Henry Nanayakkara and I would become good friends. So, much to my chagrin, we made another appointment and this time, Susil accompanied me. Susil was allowed to sit in a chair. I was was absolutely charming when we met Henry and from then on, the ice thawed.
Given my medical history, Prof. Nanayakkara made it quite clear that he would not tolerate any nonsense. I was directed to stay in bed the full nine months and not even allowed to sit in a chair. I was fully absorbed in my work at Jones Overseas by this time and running a business while being horizontal is no joke. But unusual circumstances call for unusual solutions.
I moved my office into my bedroom and each day my Secretary, June, would sit in front of me and take down various instructions and dictation. I must say, we managed very well. In my seventh month, I couldn’t handle the inactivity anymore. Belng in bed was boring me to tears and I pressured Susil to allow me to meet the Chairman of the CWE (Cooperative Wholesale Establishment) Razik Zarook. A worried Susil tried to talk me out of it, but given my obstinacy when I wanted my way, he finally gave in and took me for my meeting.
After the meeting I decided on another detour, which again, Susil was powerless to refute. I wanted to meet Maha and apprise him of the operations at Jones Overseas. We stopped by for lunch. Susil was relieved when we got home and quickly put me to bed. But his relief was short-lived. I started bleeding and Henry was summoned. A rather infuriated Henry assured me the baby was fine, but berated me for not following his instructions, “Because it is for your own safety,” he said with finality.
As a reward for all those months of lying flat on my back, it was time for the baby’s arrival. I had made known that I desperately wanted a son, so just before I was anesthetized, I remember telling the anaesthetist, “Only wake me up if it’s a boy. If it’s a girl, give me another dose and put me back to sleep.”
But then Aushinari Moonesinghe arrived on the September 7, 1979, smiling and gurgling, pushing aside all my wishes for a boy. She completed the beautiful picture of our family. There were no complications and Henry’s excellent care made sure I got back to work very quickly too.
And just before Aushi’s birth, we created yet another milestone for our family. We divided the 70 perches of land on Jawatte Road, writing 35 perches in Anarkali’s name and the other in Tara’s, together with the house.
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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