Kanthar Balanathan, Australia DipEE (UK), GradCert (RelEng-Monash), DipBus&Adm (Finance-Massey), CEng. MIEE

The time when DS Senanayake, Dudley Senanayake, Srimavo Bandaranaike were the head of State, they governed the country to their best of ability demonstrating their dexterities & proficiencies and honesty among politicians. DSS with his low educational level understood or accepted the advice of his Secretaries to focus on Structural Transformation.

Galoya development Board and RVDB were typical examples. Hambantota area also was developed. Significant areas were focussed for structural transformation. SriLanka was sufficient, however, rice still was imported. Factories such as Steel, Rubber, Tyre, Tea etc were commissioned which solved the employment and product availability issues and satisfied the question of technological development.

Although the subsequent government sucked into the West preached Capitalism, with lack of understanding of the term.

What is capitalism: Quote: In a political system where the country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit and meet the supply and demand characteristics rather by the government.

Private owner’s dishonesty drove the GOSL to take over the privately-owned industries, transport, education etc by the government. Government ownership introduced a significant volume of malpractices, inefficiency, and ineffectiveness. Here, we have to focus on the business culture and social culture of the particular race that practice. The meaning of Competition was forgotten by the owners and the management staff. Are the SriLankan lack of understanding of the words, Supply” and Demand”? It cannot be concluded that the fault lies with the business owners. The fault lies with the government for not legislating Control measures both price and practice. Even in most cases, control measures were there, the practice of bribery and corruption drove the system to violate the practice and forced the government to take over the businesses. Is this due to lack of understanding with uneducated Members of Parliament?

After nationalizing the entire businesses, did the government satisfy the business norms? GOSL was not able to satisfy the norms, because of the corrupt politicians and the management staff who managed the various industries.

The only industry that was nationalized operated very effectively is the education. Schools, Universities, Technical colleges operated under the heads of the units and was proficient and competent and was able to produce a good number of products. However, the products came out with only one motive, which is to earn money.

When we consider the personal attributes of staff:

• Lack of innovative and creative quality was absent in the majority of the staff. Most people lacked in lateral thinking, flexibility, and Unions refused to accept the concept change is a constant”.
• Having a methodically organized work pattern is still absent in SL.
• Most staff were not initiative. Most were troublemakers” and NOT troubleshooters”.
• There were only a few who had leadership quality. Behavioural pattern inflicts upon leadership quality”. Even some management staff lacked listening skills.
• Some are not decisive.
• The absence of analytical skills prevailed and prevails.
• Self-discipline and eagerness to learn was and is absent.
• In a multiracial society cohesion is a prerequisite, however, at work and games, team spirit is an obligation.

These are linked to the culture of a race. Among the Tamils: (i) Money is important because of the dowry system that prevailed and prevails. Furthermore, the Tamil politicians inflicted the separatism and Federalism into the workplace. 99% of Tamil staff were supporting the cause even in the government industry, (ii) All were inflicted with the dowry sickness, thereby their motive is to collect adequate funds to get professional bridegrooms. This is a shortfall in the system.

It is the fault of the Government then and now not to have legislated proper and adequate measures by enacting laws to remove those people from the workplace. What is the root cause?

Nationalising the industries gave the politicians free hand to walk into a bribery & corrupt” disarray. We know not that even now to procure defense weapons some minister is alleged of bribery and corruption. Throughout after independence, GOSL is run by Sinhale people with support from the Tamil quarter. Therefore, it is correct and legal to presume that those corrupt politicians are the Sinhalese. A significant example is the Bond Sale” of CB.  Therefore from 1948, Sinhale politicians have become so rich to gyrate them in parliament.

However, since 2013, after the birth of the Provincial Councils, bribery & corruption has gone in multiples. We hear of the corrupt practice in the Northern Provincial Council and may be other provincial councils. SO, what the Sinhale government did is to share the bribery & corruption blame with the Tamil politicians.

On the whole SriLankan government system and the parliament is a garbage colliery with dirty politicians and ministers. SriLanka is now copying the Indian style of government.

Today a normal Sinhale family in the SOUTH is finding difficult to have one good meal a day. However, the salaries of ministers have been increased. The tax on cars under 2 liters has been increased. Middle-class people use cars below two liters. This is a hit on middle-class people.

Further, GOSL must think as to why they did not promote industries and sole traders in the North. Tamil professionals running to the South should not be blamed. What GOSL should have done is to promote the North similar to Galoya Development Board project. Cannot bring a river because North is a dry land with no water resources.  Suitable large industries should have been promoted with Sinhale settlements in the North. Tamils must think of cohesion.

Please read our Hon Minister for Citizenship & Multicultural Affairs speech: Mr. Alan Tudge MP at http://nrnmind.blogspot.com/2018/08/hon-alan-tudge-mp-minister-for.html