Features
Unusual Challenges in Iraq
Part Five
PASSIONS OF A GLOBAL HOTELIER
Dr. Chandana (Chandi) Jayawardena DPhil
President – Chandi J. Associates Inc. Consulting, Canada
Founder & Administrator – Global Hospitality Forum
chandij@sympatico.ca
Planning for Two Hotel Operations
I was thrilled when the General Manager of Hotel Babylon Oberoi confidentially informed me to be ready to take over the management of a competitor five-star hotel in Baghdad. That same day, I began my strategic planning, assuming the takeover would occur within two weeks. Discreetly, I identified chefs, restaurant managers, and bar supervisors who could be transferred on short notice.
My initial reaction was a shock. The Iraqi government had abruptly decided to terminate the management contract of another hotel, which was run by a professional team employed by a well-known international hotel corporation. I felt saddened for the expatriate managers who would be forced to leave Iraq once Oberoi took over the management. However, in the business world, one organization’s misfortune often translates to another’s opportunity. I was eager to oversee two large operations with 18 food and beverage outlets and around 400 employees. I always loved the challenge of running multiple operations concurrently.
Radeef – The Second Fiddle
In 1989, Iraq’s five-star hotels managed by international corporations were generally allowed to operate with some degree of autonomy. However, the Iraqi government frequently interfered indirectly with spies and occasionally interfered directly with the style of management. These hotels were primarily managed by expatriates, with a few key positions, such as Human Resources Manager, Chief Engineer, and Security Manager, held by qualified and experienced locals. All other management positions at hotels were held by foreigners, with one exception.
Each hotel also had an Iraqi Deputy General Manager, known as the Radeef, meaning “second fiddle.” Most Radeefs had no qualifications or experience in hotel management; their main requirement was loyalty to Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party. They reported directly to the State Organization of Tourism in Iraq (Tourism) and were tasked with monitoring the actions of expatriate managers, reporting any unusual or suspicious activities. In 1989 no one was trusted in Iraq.
Our hotel’s Radeef was a former school teacher before being assigned to Hotel Babylon Oberoi and he was clueless about hotel operations and administration. He never attended our management team meetings and only left his office to dine in the hotel restaurants with Iraqi VIPs and attend confidential meetings outside the hotel.
Recognizing Radeefs’ importance to the owners, I tried to maintain a cordial relationship with him, but he rarely communicated with us. After an incident where the American General Manager at the other hotel showed disrespect to the head of Tourism, leading to their expected loss of the management contract, our Radeefs’ behaviour changed dramatically. He became more active and interfering, likely following direct orders from his superiors at the Baath Party.
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- With our friends the Hapuwatte family
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- Marlon and me with our Kurdish friends Azad and his daughter Jiyan
The Radeef began walking around the hotel, interfering in departments, giving instructions to junior staff, and micromanaging. At a morning briefing, I informed the General Manager, “Mr. Misra, I have a new problem in my division. Radeef has started giving direct orders to the restaurant managers and head waiters. Can you kindly inform him to go through me for any changes in the food and beverage division, and I will respectfully comply with any reasonable request. He should follow the chain of command.”
At that point Misra gestured for me to stop talking. When I continued to complain, saying, “Radeef must not undermine the authority of divisional heads and departmental managers,” Misra became annoyed. He stood up and gestured with his index finger for me to follow him, leaving the rest of our management team baffled.
I followed Misra to the middle of the front garden of the hotel. “Mr. Jayawardena, please don’t complain about Radeef in my office, which is wiretapped! Everything we discuss there can be heard at the Baath Party head office.” I was sceptical but decided to keep quiet.
Misra continued, “Look, I fully understand your frustration. I will deal with it. With the forthcoming favour Oberoi will do for Tourism by taking over the other hotel, I can negotiate to replace the Radeef with a properly qualified and experienced hotelier as the new Deputy General Manager. No five-star hotel in Iraq has been allowed to do this before. In fact, the Radeef will be replaced next week by Mr. P. G. Mathews, a well-known hotelier from India and a graduate of the Oberoi Hotel School.”
Wiretapping as a Welcome Gesture
Within a week, the Radeef left and vacated his office at the hotel. While the maintenance and housekeeping staff prepared the office for the arrival of our new Deputy General Manager, two outsiders with rolls of wire approached me and asked, “Which office will be occupied by Mr. P. G. Mathews?” When I inquired about their role, they responded without hesitation, “We are electricians from the Baath Party head office. We must do an urgent wiring job.” They openly wiretapped the office and left.
When P. G. Mathews (PG) arrived with his wife Roshni and their four-year-old daughter Mihika, my family immediately became good friends with them. Even after 35 years, we keep in touch with them. When I warned PG about his wiretapped office, he was surprised. Following my deputy, T. P. Singh’s funny example, I told PG, “Welcome to Iraq!” PG did not find it amusing.
Our Social Life in Baghdad
Despite the unusual challenges we faced in Baghdad, we enjoyed the friendliness of the Iraqi people and the camaraderie among our expatriate colleagues and friends. The expatriate community was like a close-knit group of career diplomats, always sticking together and watching each other’s backs. We celebrated every occasion, such as birthdays of expatriate managers at the hotel or their kids, with parties.
Our Sri Lankan friends from other hotels, especially the Happuwatte family (Kamal, Preethi, and their daughter Varunika) from Al Rasheed Hotel, visited us frequently, and we visited them at their staff quarters. We also learned from each other’s experiences living in Iraq during these peaceful yet uncertain times.
The Plight of the Kurds
Coming from Sri Lanka, which was in 1989 embroiled in an ethnic separatist war, I was naturally interested in the minority Kurds in Iraq and some neighbouring countries. During my visits to the northern parts of Iraq, I had the opportunity to associate with Kurdish communities.
Some of our new Kurdish friends visited us at our suite at Hotel Babylon Oberoi, though they feared to speak openly about their plight. A regular Kurdish visitor to our suite was a single father named Azad and his three-year-old beautiful daughter, Jiyan. My son Marlon was intrigued by Jiyan’s blond hair and blue eyes, features that are not uncommon among certain Kurdish tribes.
Kurdish people, or Kurds, are an Iranic ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northern Syria. Kurds speak the Kurdish languages and the Zaza–Gorani languages. The Kurdish population worldwide is estimated to be over 30 million. Despite their significant population, Kurds do not comprise a majority in any country, making them a stateless people.
Much of the geographical and cultural region of Iraqi Kurdistan is part of the Kurdistan Region, an autonomous area recognized by the Constitution of Iraq. During World War I, the British and French divided West Asia arbitrarily, creating waves of social, political, religious, and economic conflicts over the next century. Defiant to the British, in 1922, Shaikh Mahmud declared a Kurdish Kingdom with himself as king. It took two years for the British to bring Kurdish areas into submission. During World War II, the power vacuum in Iraq was exploited by the Kurdish tribes, leading to a rebellion in the north that effectively gained control of Kurdish areas until 1945, when the Iraqi government, with British support, could once again subdue the Kurds.
During the Iran–Iraq War, the Iraqi government implemented harsh anti-Kurdish policies, resulting in a de facto civil war. Iraq was widely condemned by the international community but was never seriously punished for its oppressive measures. These included the use of chemical weapons against the Kurds, resulting in thousands of deaths just before I arrived in Iraq in 1989. Some accused Saddam Hussein’s government of committing systematic genocide against the Kurdish people, including the wholesale destruction of some 2,000 villages and the slaughter of around 50,000 rural Kurds, by the most conservative estimates.
Hosting Uday Hussein
While awaiting the decision from the Oberoi Hotel corporate office about taking over the management of a competitor hotel in Baghdad, I was compelled to regularly provide hospitality to the notorious Uday Hussein.
Uday, the elder son of President Saddam Hussein, was an influential and feared figure in Iraq. He held numerous positions, including sports chairman, military officer, and businessman, and was the head of the Iraqi Olympic Committee and Iraq Football Association. He also commanded the Fedayeen Saddam, a loyalist paramilitary organization that served as his father’s personal guard. Although dynastic succession is rare in a federal parliamentary republic, Uday was widely considered Saddam Hussein’s heir apparent.
Mrs. Mishra hosting an Oberoi expatriate birthday party for Mihika
Before my first meeting with Uday, I had heard many horror stories about his behaviour. He was reportedly erratically ruthless and intimidating to both perceived adversaries and close friends. Relatives and personal acquaintances were often victims of his violence and rage. Witnesses alleged that he was guilty of rape, murder, and various forms of torture, including the arrest and torture of Iraqi Olympic athletes and national football team members whenever they lost a match.
Uday was reputed as a flamboyant womanizer who financed his lavish lifestyle largely through smuggling and racketeering. He was feared in many circles in Iraq, and people generally avoided making direct eye contact with him. It was my misfortune that Uday’s favourite hangout night club happened to be Githara at Hotel Babylon Oberoi.
One Thursday around 10:00 pm, while I was working as the hotel’s duty manager, I was abruptly approached at the hotel lobby by a tough-looking man in uniform. “I am Ali, the head bodyguard for His Excellency, Uday Hussein. Clear our favourite corner at Githara Night Club for six VVIPs,” he commanded. His words were not a request but an order. “Sure, will do that immediately”, I said and reached to shake his hand, a gesture he rudely ignored.
Working with staff accustomed to these visits, especially on Thursday nights, I quickly made the arrangements. When the group arrived, they were all armed with guns, which they did not surrender at the entrance to the night club, unlike all other patrons who obeyed this house rule. None in my team had the courage to request Uday’s group to respect the house rules.
I clearly remember all details of my first encounter with Uday Hussein, although he avoided speaking with me directly. In his eyes hoteliers were simply servants who must cater to whims and fancies of VVIPs. He was imposing, nearly six and a half feet tall, and looked much older than his official age of 25 in 1989. There was always uncertainty about his exact birthday or whether the person in front of me was Uday himself or his body double, who was reputedly forced to undergo many plastic surgeries. Like his bodyguards, Uday was already under the influence of alcohol. When he spoke with his five bodyguards, I noticed that he had difficulty speaking clearly due to an abnormality in his mouth.
As soon as the group settled in their favourite corner, they scanned the night club for attractive single women. The atmosphere changed immediately; most of the other customers and all our night club staff looked uncomfortable and worried.
Ali then gave his second order to the Night Club Manager, “Twelve portions of the usual! Now!” The bar staff knew the drill and promptly prepared a strong cocktail with whiskey, brandy, vodka, cognac, and champagne. “That’s his favourite to get the girls drunk,” my deputy, T. P. Singh, whispered in my ear. “Boss, I am off now. As per your new instructions, I must return to work before breakfast service. Enjoy your duty manager shift till 4:00 am,” TP left, looking relieved.
I observed as the cocktail was served in a large ‘cup of friendship’, and Uday’s new female friends had to drink it all. Uday was known for forcing guests to consume large quantities of alcohol at his parties. According to some rumours, whoever earned Uday’s friendship had to drink that cocktail, also named the ‘Uday Saddam Hussein’. They were preparing for a night of ‘fun, outrageous adventures, and horror’.
To be continued next week, including a section: ‘My Final Encounter with Uday Hussein’…
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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