Sasanka De Silva Makumbura.

For three decades, I worked overseas, sending hard-earned foreign exchange home during some of this country’s darkest hours. 

Those remittances weren’t just personal savings; they were a lifeline for a nation embroiled in a civil war, a war we eventually won decisively.

Now in retirement, I haven’t sat back. 

We’ve taken steps to reduce our carbon footprint and ensure our own energy security. 

We bought a hybrid car and invested in solar panels for our roof. 

Today, we don’t owe the electricity board a cent; in fact, we produce what we need and sell the excess back to the national grid.

So, when I hear calls for us to “switch off” our fans and lights to save the system, I find it hard to heed such requests. 

Our household is already a net producer.

This isn’t the late ’80s. 

We are long past the era of “curfews by chit” and living in fear. 

Instead of asking citizens, who have already tightened their belts for a lifetime, to sacrifice more comfort, perhaps it’s time to look at the “why.”

Why are we constantly shifting from coal to expensive diesel? 

Why is there a lack of transparency in energy tenders? 

We need to hold the decision-makers accountable for these “fishy” dealings rather than penalizing those who have already invested in the country’s future.

We are in the evening of our lives. 

We have done our part. 

It’s time for the system to do theirs.

Sasanka De Silva Makumbura.

Self-education builds wealth; formal education earns a wage.

https://www.youtube.com/@kingsexploits

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