Features
Reminiscences of my short stint in teaching
by HM Nissanka Warakaulle
In the late 1950s, the University of Ceylon authorities used to send a form to every undergraduate sitting the final examinations for those who were desirous of serving as teachers to furnish their personal details and mention two districts in order of preference, where they were willing to serve. Most undergraduates duly filled up the forms, and others were not interested in teaching. Most of us who wanted to get a teaching position not because we wanted to make teaching our career, but to mark time until we secured a job of our choice.
I finished my last paper on the 26 April 1962, and went home. Two days later, I got a letter from the Ministry of Education appointing me as a teacher at the Maha Vidyalaya in Dambulla with effect from 02 May, just six days after sitting the final examination! My first preference was Kandy District. I had mentioned Matale as my second preference not realising that the Matale District extended up to Sigirya. My neighbour, Tissa, had received the appointment to Holy Trinity College, Nuwara Eliya. He wanted me to accompany him to Nuwara Eliya to see how the school was. When we reached the school and met the Principal, Mr. Atapattu, I was happy to hear that he was an old boy from my own school, Kingswood College, Kandy. Tissa was happy and accepted the appointment.
On the afternoon of 01 May, I left home with a travelling bag filled with my clothes and linen and took a bus to Kandy and then a bus going to Anuradhapura. When the bus stopped at the halt near the Dambulla temple, I alighted from the bus and inquired from a person in a boutique for directions to get to the school. He gave the directions correctly and I wended my way to the school.
Before I proceed with my experiences in the school, I thought I should describe what Dambulla was at that time. There were only four permanent government buildings, namely, the hospital, police station, school and Rest House; and the small building for the circuit judge to hear the cases which were taken up monthly. The roads did not have any streetlamps and there was no pipe borne water. The well situated in close proximity to the school was the only available source of water for drinking, cooking, washing and bathing. As the well was a deep one we had to draw the water with a pail that was operated through a pulley tied onto a beam above the well. However, the water was brackish. Whenever I went to the school after dark, I had to carry a powerful torch to see whether there were any serpents on the roads.
The school was situated halfway on the road that connected the Kandy Road and the Kurunegala Road. When I reached the school and walked in, there were three men in sarong in an old building built with granite bricks. The building was partitioned into two sections. One section was the temporary hostel for the teachers and the other was occupied by the Public Works Department (PWD) Overseer. As I entered the premises, the three men were wondering who I was. I introduced myself and told them that I have been appointed as a teacher at that school. They introduced themselves to me as Jayasuriya the graduate Slnhala teacher (who had been a monk up to graduation), the second (who used to wear the national dress) and Wimalweera by name, as the Mathematics teacher and the third, Bandara as the teacher in charge of Music. Fortunately for me there was a bed with mattress and pillow and a net. The net was an important item in that area as there were tarantulas and other dangerous insects such as the centipedes, and serpents such as mapilas.
Having completed the preliminaries of introductions and accommodation, the three teachers told me about how the hostel was run. We had to pool and buy the requirements for the tea in the morning and afternoon. All three meals were provided by a woman who was known by the sobriquet “Buthamma” and this appellation had stuck with her for the rest of her life. I had no clue as to how hygienically the food was prepared. But then there was no alternative and from what I could fathom no one has had even a mild irritation in their abdomens, and of course, the food was palatable. I agreed to these, and the money was paid at the end of the month for the tea to Jayasuriya and to the “Bathamma” for the meals.
The following morning, I got ready and went to the school. The school comprised tow long buildings for the classes and a room for the Principal’s office. The Principal, Mr. Wickramaratne commuted daily by bus from home which was close to Matale. He used to wear the western attire, sans the tie. I introduced myself divulging the subjects I had done while reading for the degree at Peradeniya. I had been sent as a replacement to a lady teacher, Mrs. Alwis, who was going on transfer. That day she was also present, and it was a wonderful sight to see all the students who had studied English, Geography and Government going down on their knees and worshipping in appreciation of the work she had done as well as to bid adieu. We could see Mrs. Alwis’ eyes welled with tears at the way the students did it.
I was assigned to teach Geography, Government and English in the HSC (now Advance Level) class and English and Geography in the SSC class (now Ordinary Level). English was of course a cake walk. But the other two modules were real killers, especially Geography. I had done my degree in the English medium and now I had to teach in the Sinhala medium. I had to refer to the glossaries to get the equivalent of the English terms and prepare for the lessons. I did not study so hard even to sit the final examination at the university! Fortunately, I mastered it by the end of the first year and thereafter I had no problem.
I took up the teaching appointment at Dambulla thinking that I would be able to get to a school in or closer to Kandy. This was because the company in Dambulla was not that enjoyable, and I also missed my participation is sports activities. In my second year there were five teachers who came to Dambulla after finishing their training at Maharagama. They were Upali Nanayakkara, Vithanage and Benedict Fernando and two lady teachers of whom I remember the name of one, that is, Ms. Dharmaratne. A little later another graduate from Peradeniya, Premadasa joined the staff. Now it became a little more interesting. Though these young teachers were boarded in houses close to the school, on and off we used to meet to play some softball cricket on the playground opposite the school along with some of the boys of the school and other residents. We also used to go to the courts when in session to listen to the cases being heard. Once in a way we used to go to the Rest House to have a quiet drink(it was only Jubilee beer that we had) and have some fun at the expense of Premadasa, who never lost his temper though he was the butt end of all the jokes.
There was a Physical Training Instructor (PTI), Mr.Silva, who used to go to Kandy to play for the Education team in the tournament conducted by the Kandy District Cricket Association on duty leave. I told him that I too played cricket. I accompanied him to Kandy on a day a match was being played and he introduced me to the captain of the Education team, Balasooriya. I was included in the team thereafter and played in the team in all matches thereafter even after changing schools. Justin Perera and Henry Jayaweera from Talatuoya Central school (who later became my colleagues on the same staff) and Bertie Nillegoda who was a relative of mine and a teacher at St. Sylvesters College, Kandy (and later became the Principal of that school) were the others known to me. We really enjoyed meeting together more than playing in matches.
While at Dambulla a few of us went to Polonnaruwa to engage in a shramadana campaign to clear the roadway to the Somawathie stupa as there was no macadamized road to the chaitya at that time. The entire area surrounding the chaitya was a dense forest. We noticed there were footprints and dung of the wild elephants on the way to the chaitya. The other trip we made was to a village called Makulugaswewa off Galewela for the music teacher to record some folk songs by the villagers. The villagers were very obliging and rendered some of the folk songs they used to sing at functions like harvesting or transplanting of paddy.
The heartening news I heard later was that a few of the students I had taught had entered the university, graduated and had been successful in joining the Sri Lanka Administrative Service.
After having completed almost three years I requested a transfer to a school in Kandy. But the Principal used to always state that I could be released if replacement is given. Though his predicament was understandable I was not happy. So, I decided to go and meet the Director of Education at Kandy, Mr. Welagedera and told him that I must have a transfer to a school in Kandy or else I would have no alternative but to tender my resignation. He gave me a transfer to the Maha Vidyalaya in Ankumbura.
When I got the letter, I did not know where the school was located. After verifying the location, I embarked on the trip to the school on the first day of term. I had to take three buses to get to the school, that is, first from home to Kandy, then from Kandy to Alawathugoda and the third from Alawathugoda to Ankumbura. I can remember the Principal, a Mr. Abeyratne, a graduate teache, Mr. Ekanayake and the lady music teacher who was from the same school as the music teacher at Dambulla, namely Talatuoya Central. I had to get up at 4.00 am, have breakfast get ready and leave home. I felt bad more than for myself for my mother as she had to get up very early to get the meal ready. After school when I returned home it was about 3.00 pm and that was the time, I had my lunch. At the beginning of the next term two other graduates known to me at Peradeniya, Navaratne ( Koti Nava), and Lelwela and another graduate, also named Navaratne joined the staff. Koti Nava later joined the Ceylon Transport Board and Lelwela the Sri Lanka Export Development Board.
After two terms I thought enough was enough and went and met Mr. Shelton Ranaraja who was our MP and known to me and told him that I needed a transfer to a school close to home. He arranged a transfer to Talatuoya Central school. This school was just four miles from home, and I had to travel against the traffic as the buses from Kandy to Talatuoya were almost empty and it took me only half an hour to get to school. On the first day of term, I went and met the Principal, Mr. Gallela. He greeted me well and assigned me Geography in the HSC and SSC classes and English in some junior classes. Justin and Henry were there, and in addition Lal Wijenayake, who joined Peradeniya in my final year and who was in the same Hall with me, Mr. and Mrs. Silva (who came to school by car), Shelton Perera, who along with Lal joined the legal profession laterand practiced in Kandy.
Henry was training a football team with practices being held on a playground just a little bigger than a tennis court and with hardly any grass. I thought I too should do something to help the children and thought of starting hockey. The boys in that school had not seen a hockey stick leave alone a hockey match. I told the Principal what I had in mind, without expecting much support. However, I was taken aback when he agreed to release the money needed to buy all the equipment required for the purpose! I went ahead and purchased all the equipment from Chands, the sports good shop in Kandy at a discount.
I trained two teams, namely, the under 19 and under 17 teams, concentrating more on the latter as they would be playing for a longer time. Then to everybody’s surprise, the under 17 novices team beat the Nugawela Central college team, which had been playing hockey for some time. The Principal and the other members of the staff were very happy.
During the interval, Justin, Lal, Henry, Tudor, Mr. and Mrs. Silva, Shelton and myself would meet in Justin’s Laboratory to have a snack brought by one teacher and a cup of tea. We used to take turns to bring the snack to share. Of course, a few of us who used to smoke would enjoy a quick puff. It was a very good time that all of us had.
Tudor Dharmadasa, who was one year senior to me at Peradeniya, was also a teacher at Talatuoya and he was the teacher in charge of the hostel. The hostellers were provided with all three meals of the day. When I inquired from Tudor how much it costs to feed the boys, he told me that they were given funding at the rate of Rs. 3.00/- per student per day to cover all three meals! I was a bit surprised. But he assured me that there was no problem, and it was done to the satisfaction of all concerned. He wanted me to come one day and taste the lunch provided. I accepted the invitation and found the food quite good and palatable.
While at Talatuoya Central, Henry Jayaweera and I used to umpire school hockey matches in Kandy, Peradeniya and Gampola without any payment. Both of us enjoyed it. I also attended a one-week hockey coaching camp at Nuwara Eliya where I and my vice- captain at Peradeniya, SB Ekanayake were the coaches. The boys who followed the coaching had never played hockey before nor had they even seen a hockey match! But at the end of the camp most of them had mastered the art.
After teaching at Talatuoya for two terms, I received a letter from the Ceylon Transport Board (CTB) summoning me to appear for a viva voce at the CTB Head office in Narahenpita. I went on the designated day and faced the interview panel. The following week I received a letter from the CTB indicating that I had been selected and to assume duties on 16th June 1966. I informed the Principal, gave him the letter of resignation and bade farewell to the teachers of the tea club and left the school giving up teaching at last. Anyway, all in all, it was a happy ending as I really enjoyed teaching at Talatuoya Central school.
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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