Dr. Chula Rajapakse MNZM Wellington , NZ

Sri Lanka needs Dollars. The quickest route to earning and owning  dollars now are tourists and foreign remittances into the banking system , not to the money exchangers. 

Each tourists on average brings $1000, dollars. 3000 tourists are worth 3 milion dollars , the money required to clear one gas ship at the harbour. 6000 tourists a, a diesel ship . In March ’22 we had 100.000 tourist, enough to clear 20 oil ships.In April this went down to 60,000, May 30,000 an in June less than 1000/day.

The reduction in tourist arrivals correlated well with the length of the gas and oil queues and the misery of the people, the young and old, some paying the ultimate price. . 

While the frustration that prompted the Aragalaya is understandable, but please be mindful of the negative impact of these images in the world media  have on the tourists arrivals and with it their own misery and that of their kith and kin. This is alll clear toes as shown above.

Use the images and publicity Aragala receives in the world media  to send a message, with appropriate banners to the world that “Sri Lanka Needs Tourists and welcomes them‘. This is the best way to help themselves and the suffering masses in the queues.  Lambasing the R’s won’t  bring the tourist unless the “welcome tourist” message  is combined with lambasting the R’s.

Also,if foreign workers send their remittances. via the banking system , (2018,  $7 billion, ie. $ 700million /month .I e100 oil ships cleared/ month and no misery for the people. Money sent through the black market ,and money exchanges .stays with them makes the black marketeers have a lot of money but they don’t clear ships, so the misery only worsens. Please send the correct message to the SLs inforeign employment.

These two measures will eliminate  queues and suffering of the masses .

Be smart with the protests.The answere is in every. body’s hands.

The Cricketing success against Australia and the CricketAsia Cup in  SLAugust opens up monumental opportunities to end this suffering. Let us not miss this chance

This smartness does not go contrary to voicing the justifiable wrath agains the R’s and the calls for Go Gota Go”

Dr. Chula Rajapakse MNZM

Wellington , NZ