Dr Sarath Obeysekera

ECONOMYNEXT – SrI Lanka’s finance minister Mangala Samaraweera has slammed a shocking neo-feudal law barring unemployed youth from entering the service sector, which showed graphically how state intervention can rob economic freedoms and harm society in general less vocal and weaker sections in particular.

Sri Lanka’s elected ruling class backed by a neo-feudal urban elite who saw shrinking manual workers and their wages going up mooted the law preventing youth who form the bulk of unemployed from buying three-wheeler taxis to fill a glaring gap in public transport.

“I am against the law that only allows those above 35 years to drive a three wheeler,” Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said at a ceremony Rural Development Bank in Matara to give loans to the self-employed.

“I have asked the rule to be at least reduced to 25. We have to give the freedom for a person to do the job of his choice.”

When we read news daily and watch TV news ,you note that Three Wheeler drivers have become ruthless ,non-law abiding citizens ,promoters of vice and drugs .Idea mooted by the government to control immature youngsters  driving three wheelers  looks like a good idea .

When you are 18 and till about 35 you have not seen much of the world and how to live in a civilized manner, youngsters become quit aggressive. Money being the foremost need, various illegal activities are being done making decent law abiding frowning upon them as a nuisance element in the society .

Sri Lanka also need younger generation to actively involved in development of the country ,hence depriving youngsters of becoming Tuk Tuk drivers has been commended by many .

I cannot fathom why a progressive thinking Finance Minister talking such nonsense, may be due to closeness of an election?

Sri Lanka should slowly impose rules to prohibit import of Tuk Tuks and get rid of the menace from this island.

We do not want to allow the country to fall into the trap like Maldives ,when they allowed uncontrolled importation of motorcycles, which has become a bane to environment and social life .

If you have visited Maldives 20 years back ,you would have been surprised how clean and noiseless that small country was ,and today it is one of the noisiest islands in the world .