Features
Understanding required system change
by Ranil Senanayake
We need a fresh paradigm towards a permanent truce with nature, in concurrence with her pace and in sync with her rhythm.” –– Ray Wijewardene,
Sri Lanka, is ‘the canary in the coalmine’ of fossil powered economic growth, that promises ‘development’. The pain of withdrawal from addiction is felt from the cooking fires of its homes, to the national energy grids. Can this pain provoke a realization that the only way to stop it from happening again, is to cease this addiction to fossil fuels and choose a new paradigm for growth and development.
It is not only the pain of withdrawal from fossil energy, it is also the awful reality of what we have done the environment that supports us chasing the myth of ‘development’ based the consumption of fossil fuels. I remember the taste of the water in the well from which I would drink go from sweet, to bitter. The bitter taste is a forerunner of the foul chemicals that will eventually make this well undrinkable. What is the value of a good, clean, drinking water well in my premises? To me priceless, but to the economic thinking that rules this nation, only worth what the market dictates. Being a good neighbour, I will gladly share the water from my well with my neighbours. However, because I will not charge them money for my water, the value that it represents to my neighbours, and me, is not computed in framing the national economy. Why?
This insensitivity to environmental and social contracts is not confined to Sri Lanka, it is an artifact of modern idea of ‘progress’ as defined and promoted by global politics as ‘Development’ today, it, unfortunately, compromises the basic needs of all of humanity. As pointed out by innumerable fellow travellers, on this journey of life, we are hurting ourselves; we are reducing our future options.
There is a paradigm shift needed but what is it? Can we look at this world in a different way, so that we can slow this rolling tsunami of hunger, disease and violence? We are constantly being made aware that there is a crisis in food, in water, in health and now in energy, the indicators of the coming tsunami.
In proposing a new paradigm, we must define the existing one first, so that the new can be evaluated. Today, humanity has defined consumerist-led growth, measured by indicators, such as the GDP, as ‘development’. Its operation has seen a rapid decline of the indicators of sustainable living, indicators such as water quality, oil quality, health quality and biodiversity. It looks to create transactions as the final goal. Often, these do not pay a real price and the cost of environmental services loss is externalized, so that it becomes a public liability. Further most of the transactions are made on non-living materials, value being relegated by rarity and demand.
In moving to a new paradigm the most obvious effect will be in the slowing down and, hopefully, reversing the current rapid decline of the indicators of sustainable living, indicators such as water quality, oil quality, health quality and biodiversity. The concept of consumerist growth will be measured by a host of other indicators and not merely transactions. These ‘indicators of sustainable living’ will provide the weighting factors for the computation of established economic indicators, such as the GDP. The real value of the ‘Global Commons’ will be formalized and value given to environmental services, especially those that provide positive externalities I the operation.
This reality is summarized effectively in a saying of the Shuar peoples of the Amazon, they say:
‘Oil represents the sprits of a long dead world, that we use to satisfy our greed for power and sacrifice and our children in return’.
This statement is correct in both metaphorical and real senses.
Oil (and other fossil fuels) does indeed represent a long dead world, be it Devonian coal that came from the mass of the great forests, of that time, or Jurassic oil that came from the productive oceans of that time. Our fossil fuels are indeed made from the bodies of the denizens of those times. They have condensed into energy high substances, from which we extract power and which in turn extracts the sustainability of humanity, as the life support system diminishes.
Carbon that cycles through living systems represents a fixed proportion of the planetary carbon. This carbon, called ‘biotic’ or living carbon, has a very different makeup to other sources of carbon. The biotic carbon cycling in the planetary biosphere is measured in time cycles of thousands of years. This carbon is activated by the energy of the sun fixed by living things. There is another pool of carbon, which is the ‘lithospheric’ or fossil carbon. This is carbon that once existed in the biosphere, but died and was buried underground where they reside for time periods measured in millions of years. This ‘dead’ carbon has no contact with the world of living carbon. Over geologic time, vast quantities of carbon, sequestered by living forms, became fossilized and removed from the biotic/atmospheric cycles to become distilled as the ‘spirits of a long dead world.’
Metaphorically, it reflects the human traditions that state ‘From light comes life, from darkness death’. They represent the age-old battle that divides men, those who choose the power of light and those who choose the power of dark. In human experience, both give power, both extend promises, both require sacrifice. The sacrifice required of when asking for power from the light, is the containment of greed, fasting, meditation, prayer, selflessness, in short the sacrifice of ‘self’. The sacrifice required by humans asking for power from the dark, is the worship of greed, selfish gain and the sacrifice of others. They will happily kill the future for selfish gain, for personal power and wealth.
Thus, the old paradigm of the creation of desire for consumption at the expense of the future and driven by fossil energy must change, if humanity is to progress anywhere.
Just as the power of fossil energy manifested the old paradigm it is the power of radiant energy that will manifest the new.
Radiant energy or light empowers us in two fundamental ways. The first is by maintaining the life support system of the planet the second is by providing electricity to power technological advances that are becoming social norms.
The supply of electricity from sources of energy other than fossil is exemplified by using water (hydro) trees (dendro), wind or radiation (solar). The technology to supply the marketplace is slowed by vested interests (fossil lobby); it is further slowed down by official lethargy.
The other aspect of radiant energy is the phenomenon of primary production, by which the entire living world is maintained. Primary production or the capture of light energy to make biomass, is possible only through the action of photosynthesis, by which Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere is fused with water to provide the two essentials for life oxygen and biomass. It is the substance that provides the green colour of vegetation.
It is the action of this material, photosynthetic biomass, that makes life sustainable on this planet. The tragedy is, that under the current paradigm, no value is given to this critical substance, value is given only to its products of its action, such as timber or grain. As a consequence of this lack of recognition, the volume of photosynthetic biomass has begun to decrease dramatically planet-wide.
A fundamental consideration of photosynthetic biomass is that it retains value only as long as it is living. Unlike products such as timber, fruit, spices or grains which is valued after ‘harvest’ and is dead, it has no value in a dead state. The moment it is ‘harvested’ and ceases its activity, it loses its value.
So, what is photosynthetic biomass? It is the ‘green substance’ of all plants. On land, it is mostly the leaves of plants, in the sea it is the blooms of algae and phytoplankton. Photosynthetic biomass captures solar energy using atmospheric Carbon Dioxide and water to produce all the foodstuff for animal life of the planet. In addition it produces Oxygen to maintain an air that we can breathe. It also provokes water transformation or the cleansing of groundwater and the creation of rain, i.e. all actions essential for the sustainability of the life support system of the planet. Yet currently, it is only the product of photosynthetic biomass, as sequestered carbon, usually represented by wood/timber, fruits a grain etc. that has been recognized as having commercial value.
How can the recognition of the value of Primary Ecosystem Services contribute towards changing the paradigm?
A primary contribution would be to reverse the damage wrought to the planetary life support systems by making it profitable to restore and enhance the degraded environmental services. If economic and policy decisions create a climate conducive to placing a value on photosynthetic biomass, many critical activities to slow the current trend can be developed and implemented.
The greatest resource to implement these goals of restoration is the rural population. It is only the day-to-day attention to new plantings in the field and an increasing knowledge on the theory and practice of restoration that will produce the healed environments of tomorrow. Consideration of the rural populace, as key players in land restoration, is important because it is the rural person who will often be responsible for the acts that destroy or develop both biomass and biodiversity. Rural out-migration is often a consequence of an inability to make a decent living on the land. It has been the inability to place value on environmental services that constrains the development of new rural opportunities, beggaring the farming communities and their attendant biodiversity. But using photosynthetic biomass as a proxy for environmental services can contribute to reversing this trend.
As photosynthetic biomass can retain value only as long as it is living, the dependence of exporting a product to sustain economic activity ceases. He or she can be paid for the amount of photosynthetic biomass that they maintain alive on their land. Work on restoration suggests that the higher the complexity of vegetation the higher its photosynthetic biomass. Money can be now directed towards sustaining life rather than destroying it!
Such a paradigm change brings with it innumerable opportunities for research, business and market development. Such a move can indeed put us on a better track to sustainability. Such a move can move us from the dark to the light! It only requires the international system to recognize a value for photosynthetic biomass and let the market dictate its worth. We need to grasp the opportunity for change and move from a hydrocarbon driven economy to a carbohydrate driven one!
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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