Features
Testing for Covid-19: PCR and Rapid Antigen tests
By M.C.M. Iqbal
Associate Research Professor
Plant and Environmental Sciences,
National Institute of Fundamental Studies, Kandy.
iqbal.mo@nifs.ac.lk
Some basic facts about the two testing methods available to identify the Covid-19 virus, would help us understand the measures taken by the health authorities to control the spread of the virus. The virus that causes the Covid-19 disease (called SARS CoV-2) should be identified not only to manage patients but also to control the spread of the virus. As soon as the genome of the virus was made known by Chinese scientists in January 2020, tests were quickly developed to identify the virus. This test, popularly known as the PCR, is a chemical reaction performed in a PCR machine under very strict laboratory conditions to avoid contaminations. It is more accurately called rT-PCR, which stands for reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction. The discovery of this reaction earned Kary Mullis, a US scientist, the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1993.
The genome of the virus is a long chain of four ‘letters’ of the genetic alphabet called RNA (most genomes, such as ours, are DNA). Using a combination of these letters, a complete set of instructions are available for the virus to gain entry into cells in our body, take over the machinery of the cell to make multiple copies of itself, which burst out of the cells to infect new cells. The genome consists of a very specific sequence of ‘letters’, which is peculiar to the Covid-19 virus. These ‘letters’ are chemicals called bases. The bases are codes for amino acids which are assembled into proteins. Scientists have isolated two fragments from the genome of the Covid-19 virus (the genome is nearly 30,000 bases long), which are unique to only the Covid-19 virus and not shared with RNA from any other organism. These unique fragments of the genome serve as a fingerprint for the Covid-19 virus. Using this as a basis, scientists have designed a test to unequivocally identify the Covid-19 virus.
By now, either you have personally experienced or seen on TV a trained healthcare worker attired in PPE inserting a plastic swab tipped with artificial cotton wool into the nose or throat. The swab has a long shaft, and it is gently scraped around the back of the nose or upper part of the throat (nasopharynx region). This can be 
an uncomfortable experience particularly for children. This is the sampling process to conduct a test for the Covid-19 virus. The swab is immediately put into a tube with chemicals, sealed, labelled and sent to a laboratory.
Of the many tests available, two are currently used in Sri Lanka. These are the PCR test and the Rapid Antigen Test. They differ in their sensitivity, specificity, cost and rapidity of results. The PCR test is conducted in a centralized laboratory, while the Rapid Antigen Test can be carried out on the spot.
PCR test
The PCR test is used to diagnose if a patient is infected or not with the Covid-19 virus. It is performed on patients with symptoms or on those who do not show any symptoms but are suspected of having an infection. It is vital that the test is highly sensitive and does not miss a patient infected with the virus (called a false negative result). The test should also be very specific to the Covid-19 virus; it should not diagnose a patient who is not infected with the Covid-19 virus as positive (called a false positive result). The PCR test is able to detect very low virus numbers in the patients. The results usually take around 12 to 48 hours.
Back to the sampling. The stuff on the swab needs to be cleaned. The RNA of the Covid-19 virus should be isolated from the rest of the other stuff that was scraped out from the back of the throat. There would be other bacteria and viruses, cells from our throat and mucus. These would have their own DNA and RNA. A combination of chemicals and detergents are used to clean up the sample and also to break open the Covid-19 virus to release its RNA, which is required for testing. Once this is done the sample is loaded into the PCR machine with another set of chemicals.
The PCR test is a very accurate and a nearly foolproof test for the presence or absence of the Covid-19 virus. It requires trained laboratory personnel, a modern laboratory, expensive chemicals and equipment, and time usually one or two days depending on the workload. Since PCR testing is very sensitive, it can detect the shedding of the virus from the patient even after the incubation period, and positive results can be given up to 17 days (see the figure). The incubation period is the time from exposure to the virus to onset of symptoms, which according to the WHO is on average 5-6 days but can be as long as 14 days. However, these PCR positive patients are no longer infectious and hospitalizing or quarantining them is a waste of hospital resources and agony for the patients. The WHO recommends that patients be discharged based on clinical recovery and not on a negative PCR. It is important to note that the PCR test detects the viral RNA fragments, and not the virus capable of causing infections. Thus, a positive PCR does not necessarily mean that a person has infectious virus and is capable of transmitting the virus to others.
Rapid tests for the Covid-19 virus
With a rapid surge in the numbers of infected persons, rapid tests are necessary to prevent the epidemic getting out of control. An on-the-spot testing method is necessary to decide if a bus load of people should be allowed to travel from a region with infected persons to a region which is relatively free of the Covid-19 virus. For this purpose, rapid tests have been developed that give results within 15 to 30 minutes. Similar to sampling for the PCR tests, here too a nasal or throat swab is mixed with chemicals on a paper strip to produce a colour reaction.
There are two different rapid tests for the Covid-19 virus. One is the Rapid Antigen test and the second is the Antibody test. Antigens are proteins found on the surface of the virus; being part of the virus a swab from the nose or throat will detect the virus. Antibodies are produced by our body against the virus and found in the blood, which needs a blood sample for testing. This test would tell us if our body has developed antibodies to combat the virus.
How does the Rapid Tests differ from the PCR?
The PCR test looks for a specific fragment of the Covid-19 viral RNA taken from the patient. Even if this is present in very small amounts the PCR machine multiplies them to high number of copies. The Rapid Antigen Test look for specific proteins on the surface of the virus. These proteins are called antigens, used in some vaccines and also recognized by our immune system to launch the defense against the virus. Unlike the PCR test, the antigens are not multiplied to sufficient levels for the test to detect the virus by the Rapid Tests. They act on the available load of the virus in the sample. The viral load in an infected person is the amount or number of virus particles in the body. Thus, if the virus load in the sample is low, the test can be negative – called a false negative. Obviously, these tiny virus particles cannot be counted; they are labelled as high, medium, or low viral loads. The progress of the viral load with time is shown in the figure.
Figure: Progress of infection, virus release and transmission by the patient, and periods of detection by PCR and Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT). Adapted from the references below. Days after infection are approximate.
Sensitivity of the tests
Sensitivity refers to how well a test is able to detect the virus – or specifically the RNA or proteins produced by the Covid-19 virus. The need for sensitivity is, however, different on what our objectives are. If the need is to diagnose a patient at the beginning of an infection cycle (see figure), then the gold standard is the PCR. If the need is to screen the population (many individuals), sensitivity is less of an issue: what is at stake is how infectious are the persons being tested. In other words, do these people have a high viral load with which they can transmit the virus? The RAT is ideally suited for this purpose: it detects high viral loads (hence infectious), many individuals can be screened, it is cheap, and results are available in 15 – 20 minutes. Thus, the primary need is not to determine if a single person with a small viral load can be accurately identified, but how efficiently infectious people can be detected in a population, who are capable of transmitting the virus to others. Thus, this would help the epidemiologist to isolate and remove infected persons and break the transmission chain. This could be people who are infected and also, importantly, those who are infected but do not show any symptoms, called asymptomatic, and those who are at the beginning of the infection cycle (see figure).
With PCR, there is a time frame from the point of sampling to the release of results during which the infection can spread. Infected persons can also spread the virus before symptoms appear. Those who do not show symptoms – asymptomatic – would also spread the virus. In this context, it is necessary to reduce the period between testing and confirmation of the results, which is not possible with PCR testing.
For the public it is important to note that a negative test results does not necessarily mean one is free of infection. If the test was performed at a point in the infection cycle (see figure) when the viral load is low the RAT would give a negative result.
Implementing the RAT more frequently, is an important tool for the epidemiologist to keep track of the spread of the virus and immediately implement isolation measures. An understanding of the infection cycle of the virus is necessary.
False negatives
What is of concern to the epidemiologist are false negative results – the person has the virus, but the test gives a negative result. This can happen if the Rapid Antigen test is done during the incubation period. During this period there may be insufficient viral proteins (antigen) in the nose or throat. The viral proteins are in sufficient amounts around 1 – 2 days before symptoms are seen.
False negatives, with PCR and RAT, can also result from incorrect sampling, if the swabs are not inserted properly and swished around in the nose and throat so that enough viral proteins or virus particles stick onto the swab. This can give a false sense of security or assurance to the person who may go around spreading the virus.
Implications for interventions
The roll out of effective vaccines would not necessarily end the pandemic. This is due to the challenges of successfully vaccinating the entire population and the resurgence of new variants with increased transmissibility, which was not anticipated earlier. In addition, there is asymptomatic transmission, and an overwhelmed health sector that is unable to attend to routine health needs of the people. Lockdowns and closures to reduce social interaction affects individual and government revenue. Hence, there is an urgent need for an early warning system on the spread of the virus in the population to deploy interventions by the state and prevent the uncontrolled spread of the virus. At present, monitoring of the virus spread is based on daily reports of PCR results, hospital admissions and random Rapid Antigen tests. This, however, does not reflect the prevalence of the virus in the broader community. The UK implemented a community-wide program to detect the resurgence of the virus at low prevalence in 2020 over six months (see Riley at al. in references). This was a real-time, country-wide population-based surveillance, that can be modified and conducted in Sri Lanka to monitor the Covid-19 virus and provide early warning. This could avoid sudden lockdowns and the inconveniences to the state, economy and the public.
References
McCartney M, Sullivan F, Heneghan C. Information and rational decision-making: explanations to patients and citizens about personal risk of COVID-19. Evidence-Based Med, 2020. [Epub ahead of print.], doi:10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111541.
Crozier, A., Rajan, S., Buchan, I., & McKee, M. (2021). Put to the test: use of rapid testing technologies for covid-19. bmj, 372. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n208
He, X., Lau, E.H.Y., Wu, P. et al. Temporal dynamics in viral shedding and transmissibility of COVID-19. Nat Med 26, 672–675 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-020-0869-5
Mina, M. J., Parker, R., & Larremore, D. B. (2020). Rethinking Covid-19 test sensitivity—A strategy for containment. New England Journal of Medicine, 383(22), e120.
Guglielmi, G. (2021). Rapid coronavirus tests: a guide for the perplexed. Nature, 590(7845), 202-5.
Riley S. et al. Resurgence of SARS-CoV-2: detection by community viral surveillance. Science. 2021 6545):990-5.
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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