Features
TAKING A CAREER GAMBLE – Part 46
ONFESSIONS OF A GLOBAL GYPSY
By Dr. Chandana (Chandi) Jayawardena DPhil
President – Chandi J. Associates Inc. Consulting, Canada
Founder & Administrator – Global Hospitality Forum
chandij@sympatico.ca
When I returned to my office at John Keells head office in Colombo, I was eager to share my experiences and lessons learnt in Hong Kong as the Guest Executive Chef for a large Sri Lankan and Maldivian food festival. Based on my recent experience, I prepared a detailed checklist for organizing future food festivals, which I shared with my team. This checklist was very useful when I got opportunities in later years, to organize large Sri Lankan food festivals in Asia, the Middle East, South America and the Caribbean. It is always helpful when checklists for the future are prepared when the relevant and recent experience is still fresh in mind.
Organizing large banquets and food festivals within the respective hotels under the same roof is easy. Outside catering done away from hotels is more challenging. I considered organizing a large food festival in another country as the ultimate challenge in catering. Everything had to be planned in detail, based on research focusing on the scarcity of special ingredients, logistics and support in the hosting country.
Guest Lectures
One day in 1981, Francis Dilip De Silva, a Lecturer of the Ceylon Hotel School (CHS) called me. “I teach Food and Beverage Operations to the fourth and final year students at CHS. Our students would benefit from your experience. Could you kindly give a guest lecture at CHS?” I felt honoured with that invitation and confirmed a mutually convenient time slot for a two-hour lecture. I prepared a lot for this first-ever lecture that I delivered in my life. I spoke about the practical aspects of organizing successful events at resort hotels, and this lecture was well received.
After that guest lecture, Dilip hosted me for lunch at the training restaurant of CHS, which was located at Park Street in Colombo two at that time. A few of my friends were working as lecturers at CHS, including a couple of my batch mates who excelled in their studies. However, none of them had ever invited me to the CHS as a guest lecturer. I wondered if the reason was my poor academic performance during my student years at CHS from 1971 to 1974.
When Dilip became more familiar with me, he said, “To be very frank with you Chandana, I was warned by a few of the other CHS Lecturers that I was taking a risk inviting you to speak to the final year students. They told me that you were one of the worst students at CHS!” After a pause, Dilip added, “I then consulted Mrs. Pearl Heenatigala, the Principal of CHS, who told me to go ahead and invite you as you have done very well in the industry.”
On Dilip’s further requests, I did a few more guest lectures. I simply spoke about practical things I did in the industry, rather than using material from outdated textbooks written by academics without much industry experience. I delivered guest lectures about my recent experiences in training hotel staff, dealing with village problems, innovative guest relations, taking over management of hotels, opening restaurants, and organizing food festivals. I also shared my newly prepared food festival checklist with the students. Students truly loved my series of guest lectures and wanted more. I began enjoying lecturing.
A Surprising Job Offer
One busy morning while multi-tasking some urgent, operational matters of a few of the Keells hotels, as their Manager – Operations, my phone rang. It was Mrs. Heenatigala. “Chandana, I hear some great comments from our students about the ten guest lectures you have delivered at CHS on an honorary basis. Knowing how busy you are at Keells, I am very thankful to you and appreciate the time you devoted to give practical tips to our students.”
She then said, “We desperately need professionals like you to teach industry best practices at CHS. Would you like to join CHS as a full-time Lecturer?”. I was pleasantly surprised by her question. As a former student who was nearly expelled from CHS nine years earlier for very poor academic results during my first year, this was music to my ears.
The next day, I met Mrs. Heenatigala at her office. She had been involved in tourism in different capacities long before 1965, when it was first identified as an industry with potential for becoming a major, foreign exchange earner and employment generator for Sri Lanka. She was a pioneer of the industry within the public sector. In addition to being the Director / Principal of CHS, she was also one of the two Deputy Director Generals of the Ceylon Tourist Board. In that role she deputized the CEO of Tourism in Sri Lanka. She was extremely charming and had a visionary outlook. I liked her personality and she seemed to regard me very highly.
After some tea and a friendly chat, she made an offer to me, but I was not impressed with the salary scale for CHS Lecturers. “Madam, this offer of yours is exactly half of what I earn at John Keells. I simply cannot accept it.” She then explained that CHS salaries are tax free and lecturers usually get valuable overseas scholarships. I thanked her, but declined the offer.
A couple of days later, Mrs. Heenatigala called me again. “In consultation with the Chairman and the Director General of the Ceylon Tourist Board I have found a solution! We will match your current take home salary at John Keells by hiring you at our highest level – as a Senior Lecturer. This position is at the same grade as a Director of the Ceylon Tourist Board.” I was impressed. “Madam, please give me a few days to think about it.” I told her.
All the teaching staff at CHS were older than I. They were Assistant Lecturers or Lecturers. In the history of CHS for 16 years since its inception in 1965, only two Lecturers had been finally promoted to Senior Lecturers after teaching at CHS for 10 years. They were both five years my senior, had postgraduate qualifications/training in Germany and Austria and were my Lecturers when I was a student at CHS.
My wife did not think that leaving a senior managerial position at the head office of the largest group of companies in Sri Lanka to accept a government job was a good idea. “You will not have a company car, free gas and a good benefit package similar to what we currently have from John Keells Group”, she cautioned me. I thought differently and believed that, at times, one has to follow your heart and do things that will give greater satisfaction and sense of fulfilment. I considered that rich and diverse experiences were far more important than money and benefits.
When she realized that I was passionate about teaching, my wife said, “OK, let’s check your horoscope and consult a few astrologers.” Although that was a common practice for a majority of Sri Lankans in deciding on important changes and life decisions, I did not believe in fortune tellers. However, to keep my wife happy, I agreed to consult one famous fortune teller she recommended. He was well-known as ‘The Finger Tip Astrologer’.
The Fortune Teller
When my wife took me to meet ‘The Finger Tip Astrologer’ in Colombo five, I was surprised how crowded his waiting area was. He probably was the most popular and reputed fortune teller in Sri Lanka at that time. After an hour of idling, I was getting bored with the long wait and my wife was getting annoyed with my jokes and pranks while waiting for our turn. “Please be serious and don’t joke when we are called to his office.” she warned me.
Finally, when it was our turn, the old astrologer looked sharply at my face, fingertips, palm, and the horoscope. He said, “What a lucky man! Most of your life you have gotten things for free.” When I laughed at that comment, he felt that I was being sarcastic, and wanted to prove to me that he was right. He then said, “Young man, you did not spend any of your money to buy all of the items you are wearing today. That gold chain and the watch, your shirt, the pair of trousers, the belt and the pair of shoes, all are presents given to you!” He was correct.
He added, “even the car you drove to come here today is not yours, someone else pays for everything. All of the houses you lived in your whole life and are living in today are free for you. Free food and no rent. Am I correct?” I stopped smiling and under my breath said, “Yes, Sir. You are correct.” Now that he earned my attention and respect, he commenced predicting about the future. “Very soon, you will return the car you drove today to the owner, but someone else will present you with a car immediately after that. No worries.”
“Today, you have come to consult me because you wish to make a decision about a new job and a major career change. Don’t worry. Accept the new offer you have. This new job will open many exciting doors for you. Because of the experience you will gain in this new job, for the rest of your life you will have two options of careers. Accept the offer!” My wife and I were speechless as we were totally baffled. How could he know all of this? However, when the astrologer made his final prediction for my future, I could not help but respectfully disagree with him.
The astrologer further predicted that very soon I would commence studying and would never stop studying for various degrees and professional qualifications. He identified me as a late developer who will become a lifelong learner. “Sir, all of what you said before is accurate. However, I must tell you that your final prediction is wrong! When I graduated from CHS seven years ago, I decided that I would never ever touch a textbook or study for any examination for the rest of my life. I am a bad student and simply hate studying!” I told him. “Wait and see, I give you three months to commence a lifelong journey of higher education and learning. You will do well.” He made his concluding comment with a grin.
The same day, I signed my contract at CHS and gave notice to John Keells. My resignation shocked many well-wishers who thought that I would have a very bright future at John Keells Group. In spite of their disappointment, my Director, Bobby Adams and the Group Chairman, Mark Bostock gave me excellent testimonials. Mr Bostock wrote, “We will miss Chandana, but I am happy that in his new position, he will be able to make a significant contribution to prepare future generations of managers for the hotel industry.”
On my last day at John Keells, after a quick round of goodbyes, I returned the keys to my company car and came home with my father-in-law, Captain D. A. Wickramasinghe in his Keells company car. After coming home, he told me, “Go to the front driveway and enjoy your 28th birthday present from Ammi and I, which has arrived two months in advance!” There was a nice, old English car parked in the driveway. It was a 1955 Riley with the original wooden interior panels, and the rest upgraded recently with a beautiful, bottle green colour. The fortune teller was right in his first prediction.
Exactly 10 years after my joining CHS as a first-year student and seven years since I had graduated, I returned to CHS, now as a Senior Lecturer. One of my former bosses and five years my senior at CHS, France-trained Indrapala Munasinghe also joined CHS on the same day as a Senior Lecturer. On arrival at CHS we were snubbed by the only other CHS Senior Lecturer at that time. I clearly felt that he was unhappy to accept me as his peer.
After a quick orientation, Mrs. Heenatigala wanted to have a one-on-one discussion with me. “Chandana, I have a challenge with some of the senior members of the teaching staff, who strongly feel that you are not qualified to be appointed as a Senior Lecturer”, she said. I was quick to say, “That’s too bad for them. I cannot go back to John Keells as I have resigned from their employment!” She then said, “I have a solution. Don’t start teaching yet. We will arrange for you to obtain a postgraduate scholarship as soon as possible. Until then, just spend your time observing at other’s classes and labs.”
An ILO & UNDP Fellowship
My next formal meeting with the CHS Principal was held just before Christmas. That meeting was very different. She happily announced, “I have a great Christmas present for you, Chandana. I managed to arrange an excellent fellowship in Hotel and Catering Training and Teaching for you in four European countries over a period of over three months starting early January, 1982. This is a prestigious, fully-paid fellowship funded and arranged by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Your first five weeks will be at a high level ‘Training Methodology’ study program at the Turin Centre – the professional training and education arm of the International Labour Organization (ILO).”
As my wife was unhappy to be separated for three months, I successfully negotiated with Mrs. Heenatigala and obtained her permission for my wife to travel with me to spend the whole fellowship period in Europe, provided that I pay her travel fare. We planned our trip with study programs in Italy, Switzerland, Scotland and England. In between the official stops, we managed to travel by ship and train to eight other European countries with quick visits to meet with a few relatives, CHS colleagues, friends and former guests of Hotel Ceysands and Hotel Swanee.
We had a great time, but I had one challenge. I was compelled to study hard, do educational assignments and pass examinations particularly at the Turin Centre in Italy, ILO headquarters in Switzerland and the University of Surrey in England. Strangely, I ended up enjoying those study programs and examinations. I decided to do further studies soon after the fellowship ended. My lifelong learning journey which commenced in 1982, never ended as I embarked on back-to-back study programs in a variety of subjects in different countries over the next forty years. The fortune teller was indeed right in his final prediction.
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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