Features
Tiger Woods and Donald Trump: A Contrast in Public Perception
by Vijaya Chandrasoma
My interests in the sport of golf and politics in America tempted me to attempt an observation of public perception of these two international celebrities (Tiger Woods and Donald Trump), in the full knowledge that I may be embarking on a futile task of comparing apples with oranges.
The Masters Golf Tournament held at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia in April is the most prestigious golf event of the year. The British may, in their ethnocentric sense of false superiority, challenge this statement, claiming that the links courses in the United Kingdom, commonly modeled on the revered Royal & Ancient at St. Andrews, in Fife, Scotland, represent the official annual “Open Championship”.
This essay, however, is about the continuing popularity of Tiger Woods, generally recognized as the greatest golfer of all time, contrasted with the ignominious reputation of Donald Trump, generally recognized as the worst and most criminally corrupt president in the history of the USA.
Tiger dominated the publicity leading up to the 2023 Masters. Was he going to be fit enough to play? Will he even make the cut? Will the motor accident he had two years ago, requiring extensive surgery to his left knee and ankle, enable him to seriously compete in his favorite tournament again? The media, both print and TV, were niggardly with their news about the current form and chances of other competitors; many excellent golfers like 2022 Masters winner, Scheffler, Rahm, Koepka and McIlroy, who had been plying their profession throughout the year with skill and success, though receiving none of the fanfare reserved for Woods, who had really achieved little since his last famous Masters win in 2019.
During the play, the fans around Tiger’s tee box at every hole dwarfed those of the leaders, such was his charisma and attraction. Tiger making the cut at Augusta, finishing 54th of 54 qualifiers, was the lead story after the second round, with the tournament leaders taking second stage. Tiger was unable to complete the third round, walking in agony after each shot, forcing him to withdraw after playing the 10th hole. Predictably, the big news in many newspapers the next day was “Tiger Withdraws Because of Injury”. The leader after the third round by four shots and likely winner, Brooks Koepka, was the supporting story. And speculation about the future of Tiger’s career was discussed at length when the dust had settled after the tournament.
Tiger Woods will likely never win another major, let alone a PGA tour title. His chances of equaling or surpassing the record of 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus is zero to none. But there is a base, a cult if you will, of which I am a devoted member, who lives in the hope that, against all odds, he will once again rise to the top of the game. Stranger things have happened. Phil Mickelson, five years older than Tiger, finished second in the 2023 Masters. And Tom Watson was 59-years-old when he was tied for the lead at the 2009 British Open after 72 holes, only to lose the championship in a four-hole playoff.
Even if he doesn’t win another tournament, he’ll always be remembered as the dominant player who forced golfing authorities to change the conditions of the game by “Tigerproofing” the toughest golf courses in the world.
Tiger, now 47 years of age, is still working on his game, which he says is as good as ever. The main problem is the pain of negotiating four rounds of a championship golf course after a lifetime of injuries and surgery.
Now we come to a gentleman who has been stealing the political limelight in the USA and the world since he won the US presidency in 2016. Donald Trump burst into the real estate business of New York after the death of his father, Fred Trump, in 1999. Fred, a rabid racist and erstwhile member of the KKK, took his son, Donald under his vulturine wings, teaching him how to successfully prey on the poor and the needy in the real estate markets of Manhattan and Queens, New York.
In complete contrast, Tiger’s father, Earl Woods, a Vietnam war veteran, spent most of his leisure hours after retirement coaching his son in the game he loved, starting when Tiger was three-years-old.
By the time Donald decided to enter politics in 2015, he had a real estate portfolio valued by Forbes at $ 2.5 billion. While amassing his wealth, he has been involved in thousands of lawsuits, ranging from legal battles with casino patrons to personal defamation and million-dollar real estate and taxation fraud suits, at least 23 sexual harassment and assault cases, and six bankruptcies in federal and state courts. Trump is a self-confessed sexual predator, a pervert who bragged that he took advantage of his ownership of international beauty pageants to burst into the dressing rooms of half-naked participants, often teenagers, without warning.
In 2010, Tiger hit the headlines, when his marriage of six years to Elin Nordegren ended in divorce, following months of lurid speculation about his extra marital affairs. Elin showed her wrath when she learnt of his infidelity with the judicious use of a 9-iron on the back window of the car Tiger was driving near their home in Orlando, Florida. Tiger lost control of the car, which crashed into a tree; he was not seriously injured.
They decided on a divorce later in 2010, with Elin being awarded a most generous settlement. They remain, as Tiger puts it, best friends, sharing custody of their two kids, daughter Sam and son Charlie. They are dedicated parents and have both moved on with their personal lives.
After his divorce, Tiger, a very good-looking, wealthy, world-renowned athlete continued to enjoy a much-publicized, perversion and scandal-free sex life, par for the course in the most promiscuous nation in the world. Normal men who read of his multiple sexual adventures with the most beautiful of women turned green with envy. My personal reaction was “Lucky bugger”.
Not so with the Christian right. Tiger’s lifestyle attracted adverse and gleeful publicity in the right-wing, sensation-seeking tabloids, seething with hypocritical fury. He was booed at tournaments and generally ostracized by the sanctimonious right. This malicious publicity undoubtedly affected his golf game. The fact that he won 14 majors from 1997 to 2008 and none for a decade afterwards is indicative of the spurious hatred with which he had to contend.
Big difference from the free pass given to thrice-married Trump for a sordid lifetime of sexual harassment, perversion, payments for prostitutes and porn stars, and alleged sexual assaults of minors. This from the very same sanctimonious white religious right who had been super-quick to condemn Tiger.
Trump shocked the pundits with his election to the presidency of the USA in 2016. He proceeded to treat the presidency as his own domain. In his capacity of Commander-in-Chief, he assumed that the rule of law did not apply to him, that the Constitution was a document he could order his minions to misinterpret at will to foster his dictatorial ambitions. His greatest presidential achievement has been to build a culture of political hatred which has corrupted the Republican Party beyond recognition and polarized the country on racial lines as never before.
During his four-year administration, he committed most of the crimes in the Constitution: the emoluments clause, obstruction of justice and extortion, to name a few, for which he was impeached but acquitted by his sycophantic Republican Senate.
In his desperation to cling to power after his comprehensive defeat in the 2020 presidential election, he committed the most serious crimes during the “lame duck” period of his presidency, the six weeks from the time he lost the election in November, 2020 to the day of the inauguration of President Joe Biden, in January, 2021, a period during which he retained all the constitutional powers of the presidency. Trump was impeached for the second time for his role in inciting the insurrection of January 6, 2021. In spite of overwhelming evidence, he was acquitted, thanks again to a suppliant Republican Senate.
Trump has cheated the nation for the last time. On April 6, he was arrested, processed and released on bail by the District Attorney of New York on 34 counts of felony. These included the illegal payment of hush money of $130,000 out of 2016 campaign funds to an adult porn star, Stormy Daniels, with whom he had a brief – seconds brief, according to Daniels – sexual encounter. The former president of the USA is today an accused person on bail, awaiting trial.
The New York case has been set for trial in December, 2023. He faces investigation on other more serious federal and state felonies, including espionage (stealing and illegal retention of Top-Secret documents belonging to the government), sedition (incitement of the January 6 insurrection) and obstruction of justice (illegal intervention to overturn the 2020 Georgia state election). The investigations of these cases by the Department of Justice and the State of Georgia are said to be almost complete, with indictments and arrests imminent. Their trials will probably be completed and jury verdicts delivered well before the 2024 election cycle.
Trump is amazingly the current front runner for the 2024 Republican nomination, leading nearest GOP rival, Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis by over 25%. Even more amazingly, current polls show that he has an even money chance to beat Joe Biden and regain the White House in 2024. At an interview with Tucker Carlson of Fox News after his arrest in New York, Trump stated that he would contest Biden even as a convicted criminal. Constitutionally, there are no obstacles against Trump contesting the presidency from behind bars.
Although Biden has indicated that he will run in 2024, a Trump/Biden match-up is by no means a foregone conclusion. If he wins, Biden will be 86-years-old at the end of a second term. He would be well advised to retire with great honor after a most successful first term, and pave the way for the new generation of Democrats. Likely candidates like California Governor Gavin Newsome, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Congressman Daniel Goldman will make excellent presidents, though they have made no announcement.
An intriguing candidate, environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy, Junior, son of Bobby and nephew of JFK, declared his candidacy last Wednesday. Kennedy will make up for his lack of political experience by the popular support he will receive as a scion of the most famous political dynasty in the nation.
If the unthinkable happens, and Trump is elected to the presidency after, as seems likely, he is convicted and found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of one or more of the felonies he currently faces, a constitutional crisis of the highest magnitude will plunge the nation’s judiciary into abject disarray. The legal Pandora’s box so opened will probably make it impossible for Trump to win and hold the presidency for a second term. Perhaps he would be better served running for the Presidency of the Rikers Island Penitentiary Inmates Welfare Association.
If the nation is to continue being a democracy, the candidate for the 2024 presidency of a chastened Republican Party must be the complete antithesis of Trump or one his acolytes. : a moderate, ethical, decent conservative, who will be faithful to the Constitution and take the Oath of Allegiance seriously. There are many such eminently qualified Republicans languishing in the wings, ready and willing to lead the Party of Lincoln, after the threat of the nationwide insanity of Trump’s Republican base has been obliterated.
Moderate conservatives in America must finally come to terms with their temporary insanity before they “disintegrate into complete madness, through their own folly”. They must realize, before it is too late, that they are being used by a “great stage of fools”, racists, white supremacists, neo-Nazis and billionaires, intent on destroying the nation’s democracy and replacing it with a Christian, white supremacist, authoritarian plutocracy. (I apologize for the abuse of the context of extracts – within inverted commas – from Shakespeare’s King Lear).
Donald Trump’s corrupt and dictatorial ambitions will never be fulfilled. His criminally incompetent administration and his treasonous behavior after he was defeated in one of the fairest elections in history will forever remain a noxious nightmare in US history, his universal reputation in traitorous tatters.
Tiger Woods, on the other hand, will always be an icon, a legend, the headliner whenever he plays. His domination of the game of golf for over a decade will never be rivaled, his universal reputation as the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) beyond reproach.
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 . )
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
