Features
The schools takeover and the implementation of the Official Language Act
CABINET OF HON. SIRIMAVO DIAS BANDARANAIKE
(Excerpted from The Memoirs of a Cabinet Secretary by BP Peiris)
The Government now turned its attention to the schools. The reader’s attention is here drawn to two statements, the first, by S.W.R.D.’s Government that, in view of the need to achieve a more unified system of education, the Government had decided to take over such privately-managed schools as the Department of Education might determine in consultation with, and with the consent of, the management concerned, and, secondly, Sirimavo’s statement, repeated ad nauseam in her public speeches, that she was following the policies of her late husband.
The Government view was that schools were overcrowded and there were not enough schools for the children of school-going age. There are still, in 1967, not enough schools. The standard of teaching was deteriorating, as was the standard of English, which everyone accepted and considered a pity. Far-reaching decisions regarding the nationalization of assisted schools, that is, denominational schools in receipt of a grant from Government, were taken.
The general view of the public was that this was another blow aimed mainly at the Roman Catholic schools although leading Buddhist and Muslim schools were also taken over. No compensation was to be paid by reason of the take-over of any assisted school, and where certain school facilities were also used for church, temple or other religious purposes, any difficult questions which arose were to be referred to a board of arbitration to be constituted for the purpose.
A teacher in a school taken over who did not wish to serve under the Government, was to be permitted to retire with compensation for loss of career. The privilege so far granted to private school teachers to contribute to the School Teachers’ Pension Fund was withdrawn and these teachers were declared eligible to contribute to the National Provident Fund.
Assisted school teachers’ who had the right to participate in politics, were told that if they were in a school taken over by the Government they would have no more political rights than were allowed to Government teachers; that is, they could exercise their vote and listen to political speeches made at a meeting, but they could not contest a seat or take an active part in any election.
School-hostels run as part of a school were taken over and handed to be run by a Board of Governors, by parent-teacher associations or by associations of old pupils. Grade I and Grade II Assisted schools which decided to become private schools were given a concession, namely, that where over 75 per centum of the parents or guardians and teachers at any school agreed at a referendum by secret ballot to the school levying fees, such school should be permitted to do so, subject to the proviso that no child should be made to leave the school for inability to pay the fees.
There could be an annual referendum to decide whether the school, if private, should become a Government school. New fee-levying schools for children of the compulsory school-going age were prohibited, and in the case of existing private schools, new admissions of children were limited to those of the denomination of management. Private schools were compelled to follow the national policy in matters of education.
Admission to fee-levying nursery schools was controlled and limited to children of parents of the same denomination as the nursery school management. Ceilings were laid down to the rates of fees to be charged. Specially aided schools, such as schools for the deaf and blind, dancing schools and night schools were allowed to continue as before.
A Bill for the take over was then approved by the Cabinet. A total of 807 schools established by Rural Development Societies and other public welfare organizations were taken over by the State.
The establishment of a National Petroleum Corporation was considered. The services already nationalized were not running at all well and the Queen’s Speech contained the sentence ‘Steps will be taken to ensure that the nationalized services are run more efficiently.’
The Petroleum Corporation Bill had some most unusual and objectionable clauses. It vested vast powers in the Minister and removed the power of the Supreme Court to issue any of the prerogative writs. It had been drafted, on the instructions of the Minister, by a private lawyer. The Ministry official who was dealing with the matter had had the impertinence to take the draft to the Legal Draftsman, Percy de Silva, and say that the draft had been prepared by expert hands. De Silva had asked the officer why then he had come. He was asked to leave the Chambers and take the draft
When the Bill came to me for circulation, I pointed out to the Prime Minister that there were several peculiar provisions in the Bill and she asked the Legal Draftsman for a full report. When the Bill came on the Agenda, the Prime Minister came to the meeting armed with the Legal Draftsman’s report. The Ministry official and the Draftsman were both present.
The Prime Minister was angry and firm. She probably felt that someone, an interested party, was attempting to get the Bill past her and the Cabinet with the objectionable clauses going unnoticed.
Her first question was “Who drafted this Bill?”, and the official present admitted authorship. “Why was it not sent to the Legal Draftsman?” “Well, Madam,” he said, “the Legal Draftsman’s Department uses such peculiar language that we thought it better to draft the Bill ourselves.” The Draftsman retorted, “Madam, this is what happens when laymen try to put their hands to drafting law which they don’t understand. I have given you a full report on the defects in the Bill.” The Bill was sent to the Legal Draftsman to be redrafted.
The Government was meeting more and more difficulties in the implementation of the Official Language Act. The conditions of service of public officers had suddenly altered and officers, including many senior officers who were not familiar with the official language, were asked to work in Sinhala. In order to hasten the implementation of the Act from January 1, 1961, the Government reached the following decisions:
Accounts were to be kept in English and notices calling for tenders and formal contracts should also be in English. A period of three years was fixed as the limit within which the Ministries and Departments concerned should attain that degree of proficiency to enable them to have their accounts kept and audited in the Sinhala language. Officers in the Accountants’ Service who had already qualified were required to pass a paper in Sinhala within this period of three years. The staffs in the various departments were to be so readjusted as to make the language switch-over from January 1, 1961, practicable.
Every officer (other than an officer engaged in professional, scientific or technical work who was allowed to work in English) was allowed to retire without compensation but on normal pension before December 31, 1961, if he was over 55 years of age. Officers who did not exercise the option to retire and who were over 55 years of age were required to pass certain proficiency tests, and special consideration was to be given to an officer’s knowledge of the Sinhala language when deciding whether he should continue to serve the Government when he reached the optional age of retirement at 55. Officers below 55 years of age who failed to pass the proficiency tests within the prescribed period were to have their increments suspended or stopped.
New entrants to the public service were required to have a minimum knowledge of the English language. The concession was however granted for a period of three years to public servants who did not have a knowledge of Sinhala to make their minutes and reports in English and to be provided with translations in English wherever necessary.
By August 1961, the Cabinet had decided to take further steps to implement the Official Language Act. The Secretary to the Treasury was asked to furnish a complete list of all officers of different categories who had completed the age of 55 years on July 31, 1961, and as the finances were unstable, an approximate estimate of the probable payments as commuted pensions to such officers. The Prime Minister agreed to take necessary action to prevent essential technically qualified citizens from leaving the Island to seek employment elsewhere.
Quite a number of officers had already left: the Burghers to settle down permanently in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, others for public service in Ghana, Nigeria and other African territories. The taxation in Ceylon was so high and the foreign salaries so attractive that officers were preparing to leave the country. Exchange control was tightened and no one was allowed to take the entirety of his assets out of the Island.
Senior officers recruited for their proficiency in English found themselves not competent to work in Sinhala, with the result that every document had to be translated for their benefit into English. What previously could have been done in three hours took three days. The Government gave these ‘useless’ fellows who were incapable of implementing, or who were hindering the implementation of, the language policy, the option of retiring from Government service.
The Treasury issued a circular allowing every Officer, whatever his age, who was in service prior to the date on which the Official Language Act came into force, the right to retire at his option from
the public service without compensation but on pension or gratuity of such an amount as would have been awarded to him if he had retired on grounds of ill health. The retirement had to take effect before December 31, 1963. The provision for retirement did not apply to officers engaged in professional, scientific or technical work.
The Treasury asked all Heads of Departments for a list of officers engaged in professional, scientific or technical work. These would include officers recruited for professional, scientific or technical qualifications or officers who, after recruitment, received a professional, scientific or technical training. It was essential that these officers should be engaged in work of a professional, scientific or technical nature.
I replied: “I am the only officer in this department who is engaged in work of a professional, scientific or technical nature. I desire that I, in my personal capacity, should be considered as an officer engaged in professional work in the following circumstances. I am a Barrister-at-law and an Advocate who had practised for nearly five years at the Bar when I was selected for appointment as an Assistant Legal Draftsman, in which capacity I served for 11 years. When I was Assistant Legal Draftsman, the then Prime Minister, Mr D.S. Senanayake, selected me to draft the Constitution Order in Council of 1947. I was then selected by him to take charge of the Cabinet Office because of my professional qualifications. In the circumstances please treat me as an officer recruited for professional qualifications.”
I was nearing 54 years of age and was required to pass the third standard in Sinhala. I know no Sinhala. I knew no Sinhala and I refused to sit the examination.
At the end of 1960, the Prime Minister was out of the Island and C. P. de Silva was Chairman of the Cabinet. Disturbances broke out in Kalutara and Paiyagala and Police Officers were frequently summoned to Cabinet meetings. Early in 1961, there was a hartal in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.
Schools which had been taken over by the Government had been occupied by the children attending those schools and their parents. Applications had been made to court to restrain persons from entering the school premises without the permission of the proprietor who was the Director of Education.
The Chairman of the Cabinet warned the public that legislation would be introduced with the least possible delay whereby all school premises and buildings would be taken over completely and the ownership thereof vested in the Government without compensation. Such legislation might be made applicable not only to schools which were then occupied but also to schools which had opted to go private and belonged to the same proprietor.
This was an indirect reference to schools owned by the Roman Catholic Church. Schools under the management of the Director of Education which had been damaged by the proprietors or their agents would be repaired by the Government and the cost of the repairs would be charged to the proprietors. The people did not appear to be frightened by this threat.
Owing to the urgency of the matter, I as a former Legal Draftsman, was given oral instructions to draft a Bill called the Schools (Vesting of Property) Bill. After official revision by the Legal Draftsman, the Bill passed into law as the Assisted Schools and Training Colleges (Supplementary Provisions) Act, No. 8 of 1961. The Act took wide powers. It applied to every school of which the Director of Education was manager, and vested without compensation the property of such school absolutely in the Crown.
A vesting order was declared to be final and conclusive and was not to be called in question in any court whether by way of writ, order, mandate or otherwise. Resistance or obstruction to taking over a school was made an offence punishable with imprisonment for six months with or without a fine. No suit was to lie against the Minister or the Director for any act done in good faith.
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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