Features
The Making of Me
My Heritage was Where I Started
I was born three months after my father died. In Sri Lanka it is believed that because of this I was a fortunate child. I do believe I have grown up and grown old having been blessed with this good fortune all my life. As I wait in the departure lounge to take flight into the unknown and be with those who went before me, I feel a need to share the story of my good fortune with you. So here I am with my memories.
Baptised Padmani Ayoma Chittra Wijeyesekera. Born as the ninth child of Adriel Henry Wijeyesekera and Pansy Alexandra Cecilia de Soysa on February 8, 1939 at “Sumanagiri”, Gangodawila, Nugegoda. My birth was registered on the last day of the mandatory three-month period by a much-loved and loving bachelor Uncle, Geoff. His full name Geoffrey Patrick Perera Abeyewardene, a first cousin to my mother. It was indeed kind of him to ensure that I was recognised formally as having been born. Perhaps it was because of his haste to beat the deadline that he seemed to have got the spelling of my name wrong?
I had always been called Padmini except when my mother shortened it to Padmi. Only she used that short-form. And I loved that – to me it was a reflection of her love for me. But then she also sometimes referred to me as her “bada-pissa”. I had all my schooling as Padmini, and it was only when I received my School-Leaving Certificate that I knew that I should have been Padmani. And Padmani I was ever since. Other than when my family and friends call me Padi, and I like that too – except when it reminds me of a few drunken Irishmen I met as a student in England. But Irishmen spell their names as “Paddy”. Who’s to know the difference when both sound the same?
If you thought the names of my parents were unusual, just wait until you hear those of my eight siblings. Arananda Rajamani Piyasena, Tissaka Camelin Moriawansa, Nalini Upamallika Premawathi, and then thankfully, perhaps with the times, they get shorter – Rajapala Sirisoma, Chandrani Sryalatha, Anura Hemakirthi, Sumana Gamini, and born a year after the last one and six years before me, Shatra Oraja. I have never met nor heard neither of another Shatra nor of another Oraja. The closest I came to either was when I met Chaththra in Nepal. But all these names would of course have good Arya Sinhala origins and deep meanings.
They would have been selected by well-known astrologers, using the sounds that must be included according to the time of birth. But for me born posthumously – no sounds necessary. They had meaning as most names given to babies have even now. So Padmani relates to a lotus and is the alternate name for the Goddess Lakshmi, the embodiment of beauty and charm. And Chittra is brightness. But Ayoma? That I have never been able to find out. I must add that the simplicity of my own names and the elaborate names given to my siblings indicates that, in all likelihood, the selection of names was my father’s prerogative.
On with my heritage. I believe that has had a strong influence on making me who I am. My father was the only son of Mudliyar Richard Samuel and Francesca Wijeyesekera. He grew up in their two homes which were the Wijeyesekera Walauwa located in Ambalangoda and another in Moratuwa. The Ambalangoda Walauwa I last saw standing over forty years ago. What is left of the “Moratu” Walauwa is now a Chinese restaurant. Over time it has lost its extensive gardens. The front to the new Moratuwa-Panadura Road and the back to new housing.
My Father
My father, a proprietary planter, was 24 years old when he married my mother, then 16 years of age. Their marriage I am told, was a happy one and there is evidence of it – nine children. Unfortunately, married life for my parents was relatively short. My father died at the age of 44 at the Private General Hospital on Kynsey Road. He had diabetes, difficult to control in those days. A common complication of uncontrolled diabetes was carbuncles and his death was caused by septicaemia which developed from the infected carbuncles.
Death came to him slowly and he spent his last two months in the hospital where he passed away. The fact that he knew with certainty that I was on the way is very important to me. I have that certainty because he had provided for me in his will. He is said to have loved children, and, as the baby, I too would have had all his love.
During his short life my father had many interests which my mother shared. Owning and racing horses, at that time on the courses at Galle Face, Kelani Valley and Peradeniya; and importing and raising Great Danes for Dog Shows were among his interests. Often talked about within our family were the six elephants he owned at the time of his death. The most loved was Maharajah, known fondly as “dthuth kota” on account of a short tooth. The tooth was topped with a permanent silver sheathe. He carried the Tooth Relic at the Kandy Perahera for many years, including the years following my father’s death.
One year, my father had a difference of opinion with the Diyawadana Nilame and refused to send Maharajah for the Perahera. As an Elephant who legendarily never forgot, Maharajah, when the time came for him to leave for Kandy, fell seriously ill. My father, sensing what had happened made up with the Diyawadana Nilame and sent Maharajah for the Perahera without fail every year after that. Maharajah carried out this task that he loved until he was too old to do so and Raja took over. I believe it is the stuffed body of Raja that is to be seen in Kandy today.
Great-Grandfather
A statue of my maternal great-grandfather stands in the middle of de Soysa Circus, Colombo in appreciation of his philanthropy. Charles Henry de Soysa is reputed to have been the greatest philanthropist that Sri Lanka has ever had. His statue now stands close to the Victoria Eye Hospital because he had gifted the premises to the people of Ceylon. Other gifts to the people of Ceylon included the De Soysa Maternity Hospital and the premises of the Colombo Medical College next door, the Lunawa Hospital, the Prince and Princess of Wales Colleges, a temple in Lunawa, and both churches and temples as well as schools and roads in other parts of the country.
Model Farm Road, Borella is named after his gift he called “Alfred Model Farm” – 160 acres of land in 1871 to make a farm. The farm was not a success and the land was taken over by the Governor. The Royal Colombo Golf Club now stands on part of this land. I have heard it said that parts of the University of Colombo and the Colombo Race Course also stood within the acreage of that land.
His philanthropy extended beyond the beloved land of his birth. He visited the UK in 1886. On that visit, he gifted money to The Hospital for Children, Great Ormond Street and to the London Hospital. Also, to St. Thomas’ Hospital and to Guys Hospital, London. I worked and studied at Guys Hospital for two years. I cannot recall whether or not I saw a plaque on its premises which had his name also inscribed on it as a generous donor.
He passed away in 1890. But not before Charles Henry or CH as he is fondly referred to by his descendants, entertained Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, the son of Queen Victoria, on his visit to Ceylon in April 1870. CH was the only Ceylonese allowed by the Governor to do so.
CH had two residencies that he used. A Walauwa at Moratuwa in which he and his large family spent some of their time, and another called “Bagatelle Walauwa” in Colombo in which they spent most of it. It was here that CH entertained the Duke. It is written that CH had got made items of pure gold for the Duke to use for his meal. These included a plate and a knife and fork together with champagne and wine goblets. These items were carved delicately with vine leaves and embedded with rubies and pearls. Two days later, Alfred the Duke returned the courtesy and entertained the elders of the de Soysa family to dinner at Queen’s House.
After the visit of the Duke, CH had his home extended further and renamed it “Alfred House” after the Duke. Alfred House, consisting of a hundred rooms, stood on 120 acres of land. I have not seen its boundaries described anywhere. From what I hear, it extended possibly from the Golf Course in Borella to the sea at Kollupitiya. And possibly from Bullers Road to Fifth Lane. One can have but an idea of its extent by all the roads that still include the names “Alfred” and “Charles” one sees around Kollupitiya.
Nalin and I now live in an apartment called “Prince Alfred Tower” located on Alfred House Gardens. We moved here over five years ago. I like to amuse myself and my friends and family by telling them that I have come to live in my great grandfather’s back garden.
Regina Walauwa
As his sons grew older and found themselves wives one by one, CH decided he would gift them each land on which they could build their homes. And among these I know of two. One is “Lakshmigiri” built by his second son Alfred Joseph Richard or “A.J.R” as he is referred to. And the other situated next to it built by my grandpa, his fourth son, Thomas Henry Arthur or “T.H.A.” My grandfather had married Regina Perera Abeyewardene from Closenburg, Galle.
They started building their home together, but unfortunately she passed away at a young age before their home was complete. T.H.A. named their home “Regina Walauwa” and his five children which included my mother, grew up in it. It was bought by the State in 1920 and is now known as “College House”. Between Lakshmigiri and Regina Walauwa was a path which led to Alfred House. After grandma Regina died it was referred to as “Regina’s Path” the literal translation of which is “Queen’s Road”. And that is what it is now.
T.H.A. was an entrepreneur, but as with other de Soysa’s, did not have much business acumen. The shipping line, bank, plumbago mining, export business and newspaper which he had set up all came a cropper. The properties he inherited from his father and the generous dowry he received when he married were all gone. He was heavily in debt and was declared bankrupt. He came to live with my parents until his death in around 1929.
About the Author
Padmani Mendis is a Sri Lankan author. On completing her education at Ladies’ College Colombo, Padmani proceeded to England in 1958 for professional studies in orthopaedic nursing and physiotherapy that would lead her to a career in the field of Disability and Rehabilitation. Since then until the present, spanning a period of 64 years, her work in disability has taken her from villages of rural Sri Lanka to those high in the Andes Mountains of Venezuela; from the marshy Mekong Delta to the arid deserts of sub-Saharan Africa; from the land of the Vikings to that of the Masai; from the shores of the Caribbean to the Cedars of Lebanon; and from the biblical cities of the Middle-East to the rich cultures of China and Japan, sharing experiences in and between over 50 countries.
Her most significant contribution in her chosen area of work has been as a consultant to the World Health Organization. She was fortunate to have been invited by the WHO to participate in pioneering a strategy that would enable WHO to put on the ground their new disability policy directed at reaching people who have disabilities yet unreached with opportunities that would enable them to move from the margins to the mainstream of society. The strategy that Padmani helped pioneer together with two co-consultants, Einar Helander and Gunnel Nelson, came to be called Community-Based Rehabilitation or CBR, now increasingly called Disability-Inclusive Development.
In recognition of the contribution she made globally in the field of disability and rehabilitation Padmani has received many prestigious international awards. Among them, Uppsala University, Sweden, awarded her “Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) Honoris Causa” in 1990; the World Confederation of Physical Therapy awarded her the “Leadership in Rehabilitation, 2015”. This Award is made every four years, to recognize an individual or group/organization that has made an exceptional contribution to international rehabilitation and/or global health. Padmani received two more prestigious honours from Lincoln College University, Malaysia, in 2018 in the way of an honorary Ph.D. in Physiotherapy and an honorary Professorship in Physiotherapy.
My Mother a Widow
My mother became a widow at the age of 34 with nine children to raise on her own. During their short married life my father had sold most of the properties he owned to meet, no doubt, the costs of his unusual and expensive interests and hobbies. On his death, he had bequeathed in trust to my mother the only land he had left, 450 acres of rubber in Bulathsinhala on a property called Waluwewatte Estate. Income from this was meagre but my mother, although she had little formal education, was fortunate to have had an educated mind, and this she used to raise her children. Her formal education had been three years at Bishops College. Before that, alongside her four siblings, she had been schooled at home by an English governess brought down for the purpose.
After the rubber boom at the end of World War II she was more comfortable, but still unable to spend much on luxuries. And yet she prepared all her nine children for productive and contented lives, conscientious and always giving of their utmost. They had the best of primary and secondary education available at the time – St. Thomas’ Prep, Bandarawela, Royal College at Glendale, Bandarawela and in Colombo, and Trinity College, Kandy at various times for the six boys. And Ladies’ College, Colombo for all three girls.
She went further to ensure that each would have the required qualifications and skills they needed so that they would have occupations with adequate incomes to raise their own families comfortably with more resources than she had had. I am confident that both my parents would have been pleased with their offspring.
Siblings
Arananda (or “Ara” as he was called – most of my siblings had short names) was educated first at the Technical College, Maradana to become an engineer and then sent to England to obtain the AMIMechE and become an Associate Member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, UK. He became an eminent engineer. Later still he was Chairman of the Ceylon Transport Board. Tissa developed his love of planting at a young age and pursued this interest at the Boy’s Farm School in Peradeniya which led to a life-long career in planting. Nali went on to university, was a teacher for a while and then became a full-time wife and mother. Siri also went to university and then to England to qualify as a Chartered Accountant. He was the first Ceylonese Chairman of Forbes and Walker, then a British Company and now part of the MJF Group. Chansi, straight from Ladies’ College, was in the first batch of students at the Girls Farm School in Kundasale and spent a large part of her life as a volunteer for the Mahila Samithi, sharing her knowledge and skills with rural women.
Of the younger boys, Summa became a successful practicing attorney with a special interest in Intellectual Property Law. The other two acquired business skills in areas of their choice. Anura pursued his love of all things managerial and became first the General Manager of Ceylon Shipping Lines and later a Director of Darley Butler and Company. Shatra joined Vavasseur Trading Company, proceeded to England to gain further knowledge and experience and returned to be a director in many of Sohli Captain’s group of companies. Each one doing as well as my parents would have hoped for.And then there was me.
(To be continued)
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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