President distributing land deeds in Galle recently
The Urumaya Programme, aimed at resolving land ownership issues for over two million Sri Lankans, was officially launched on 5 February in Dambulla by Minister Harin Fernando. During the press briefing the Minister is reported to have stated: The programme’s aim is to provide permanent land ownership solutions. Over 10,000 land licensees currently holding Ran Bhoomi, Jaya Bhoomi, and Swarna Bhoomi licences will be among the first beneficiaries of this programme. These licenses will be converted into freehold deeds, granting them full ownership of their land. This move is expected to significantly improve the lives and livelihoods of millions currently struggling with land ownership uncertainties” (news.lk).
Continuing he stated: Our journey is far from over. Many of our citizens have lost homes, land, and their sense of security. To address this suffering, we have launched a special programme – Urumaya” Through this initiative, we aim to bring about positive change for over two million people in Sri Lanka. This involves granting freehold land deeds to those who currently hold licenses like Ran Bhoomi, Jaya Bhoomi, and Swarna Bhoomi. By empowering our people with ownership, we hope to spark a new era of stability and prosperity” (Ibid).
BACKGROUND to the URUMAYA PROGRAMME
Delivering the 2024 Budget proposals, President Wickremesinghe unveiled the ‘Urumaya’ programme, wherein he noted that the land slots distributed among farmers under the licences of the Land Development Ordinance in 1935 would be handed back to farmers” (The Morning, February 18, 2024).
Although around 100 years have passed, the ownership of these farmlands has not been handed back to the farmers who own them. We are handing over the lands to farmers who lost the ownership of their traditional lands during the British colonial era. We expect to commence this task in 2024 and complete it within another few years. Two million families will get the ownership of land and farmland. I allocate Rs. 2 billion for this purpose,” (Ibid).
VIOLATION of the CONSTITUTION
The granting of freehold land deeds to over two million people in Sri Lanka raises several constitutional issues. The most fundamental issue is whether the government has the authority to grant freehold titles to lands and its resources to some, while such authority belongs to the Republic of Sri Lanka and ALL its Peoples as an integral component of their sovereignty.
For instance, the Preamble to the Constitution, which some consider to be of little significance, while others consider it to be the very embodiment of the core values of the Constitution states: The PEOPLE OF SRI LANKA having, by their Mandate freely expressed and granted …. entrusted and empowered their Representatives …to draft, adopt and operate a new Republican Constitution…whilst ratifying the immutable republican principles of REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY, and assuring to all peoples FREEDOM, EQUALITY, JUSTICE, FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS…”.
Arising from these core principles, Article 3 states: In the Republic of Sri Lanka sovereignty is in the People and is inalienable ….” The fact that Sri Lanka is a Republic is what makes its assets part of the sovereignty of all the People. Furthermore, since it is the PEOPLE of Sri Lanka that have entrusted and empowered their Representatives to carry out functions on their behalf, such Representatives do not have the right to grant part of the People’s sovereign rights and/or its resources that are inalienable, to a select few. However, it is imperative that a strategy is developed to address the issue at hand without violating provisions of the Constitution.
OPINION of the SUPREME COURT SUPREME COURT JUDGMENTS RELATING to LAND S.C. 884/99 BULANKULAMA AND OTHERS v. SECRETARY, MINISTRY OFINDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AND OTHERS (EPPAWALA CASE AMERASINGHE. J.
Jurisdiction
The Constitution declares that sovereignty is in the People and is inalienable. (Article 3). Being a representative democracy, the powers of the People are exercised through persons who are for the time being entrusted with certain functions. The Constitution states that the legislative power of the People shall be exercised by Parliament, the executive power of the People shall be exercised by the President of Sri Lanka, and the judicial power of the People shall be exercised, inter alia, through the Courts created and established by the Constitution (Article 4)”.
The organs of State are guardians to whom the people have committed the care and preservation of the resources of the people. This accords not only with the scheme of government set out in the Constitution but also with the high and enlightened conceptions of the duties of our rulers, in the efficient management of resources in the process of development, which the Mahavamsa, 68.8-13, set forth”.
Other Lordships of the Supreme Court have also commented on the fact that certain Constitutional procedures need to be followed when granting or disposing of State Lands or other resources that belong to the People in the Republic. It is the unilateral action taken under the Urumaya Programme without following due process as called for in the Constitution, that makes this Program illegal.
A Brief Guide on Land Rights in Sri Lanka” states:
State Land is alienated: • By Permit • By Grant • By the President
State land is all land that the State is lawfully entitled to, or land which may be disposed of by the State together with any building standing thereon, and with all rights, interests and privileges attached thereto. This also includes lands of various Corporations and Boards. State land is administered at national, provincial, district and divisional levels by the relevant government officials” (Centre for Policy Alternatives, 2014).
By Permit:
Permits are issued to particular categories specified in the relevant laws such as low-income earners and those who are landless. Permit holders can use the land as specified in the permit including as a residence and/or for cultivation purposes. Permit holders are required to pay a nominal monthly rental to the State. Permits can be issued as an annual permit or also known as ‘LDO permit’ when issued under the Land Development Ordinance” (Ibid).
By Grant
(Swarnabhoomi, Jayabhoomi, R a n a b h o o m i, Ranbima – Permit-holders can convert their permit into a grant or a deed, if they meet specific conditions” (Ibid).
By the President
The President can grant or lease State land at a nominal price or rent it for charitable, educational, religious, scientific or any other purpose” (Ibid).
Therefore, according to the Brief Guide” State Land cannot be converted to freehold deeds that grant them full ownership of their land under the Urumaya Program without conforming to the above guidelines.
Since State-Owned Enterprises also form part of the sovereignty of the People, the intended proposal to privatise them, also faces the same restrictions. It is reported that the Mahanayake Theras of Malwatte, Asgiriya, Ramanna and Amarapura chapters have in a letter addressed to the President appealed to him to exercise caution about the sale of national assets such as state-owned enterprises” (TheSunday Times, 18 February, 2024).
PROPOSED STRATEGY
The reason for granting freehold deeds is to enable current Permit holders to use the asset as collateral to raise a loan since existing provisions cited above are considered too restrictive. Therefore, it is pertinent to consider what the existing restrictions are and consider what refinements could be made to existing provisions in order to mitigate the administrative impediments as much as possible while conforming to Constitutional provisions.
The strategy adopted by current Permit holders of State-Owned Assets is to form themselves into a Cooperative. Each member of the Cooperative pays a monthly stipend. These are forwarded monthly by each Corporative to the Development Co-Op Society for use by its members to secure loans relating to Paribooga Loan (livelihood) and/or Housing Loan. The process involved to secure a loan is quite rigorous and involves an evaluation of the capability of the member to honour required loan commitments by the Grama Niladhari and members of the Development Co-Op Society. This procedure has enabled members of the Cooperatives to secure loans in the range of Rs. 800,000/= to one million.
The granting of freehold title to current Permit holders, amounts to converting State land on which the asset is cited into Private land. This is a violation of the collective sovereignty of the People. Therefore, existing provisions granted to Permit holders should be revised in a manner where the Permit has a legitimacy equivalent to a title deed for all administrative purposes, except for the land on which the asset is cited.
Furthermore, if Permit holders are entitled to nominate a beneficiary, the interests of the original Permit holder would continue as it would be if the asset has a freehold title. If on the other hand, the original Permit holder did not have a beneficiary of choice, the asset would revert back to the State. Such possibilities should be explored with caution instead of rushing to grant title deeds to People that may have the potential to disappoint them if they find that the deeds they received are not legal.
CONCLUSION
The intention of the President to correct an injustice by handing back traditional lands belonging to farmers that were taken over 100 years ago during British Colonial Rule, is indeed noteworthy. However, there is a need to be conscious of the present context. That context is that Sri Lanka is a Republic and Article 3 of the Constitution states: In the Republic of Sri Lanka sovereignty is in the people and is inalienable”. That being the case, Sri Lanka’s lands, its assets and resources belong to the People. Furthermore, since nearly all Sri Lankans have endured injustices of one kind or another, it is Illegal to correct the injustices committed against some, at the expense of the rest. This is what the Urumaya Programme is all about.
Therefore, it is incumbent on the part of the President and others associated with the Urumaya Program to act cautiously and revisit the legality of the Urumaya Programme before it is too late. If they proceed regardless, there is a strong possibility that beneficiaries of the Urumaya Programme may have to face disappointment later if it is found to be illegal. A similar note of caution has been issued by the Mahanayake Theras of Malwatte, Asgiriya, Ramanna and Amarapura chapters regarding State-Owned Enterprises.
There is a tug of war going on in the north of Sri Lanka between the Buddhist and non-Buddhists over Buddhist temples in the north. Neither side is prepared to give in. The Buddhist temples at Navatkuli( Jaffna) and Vadunagala ( Vavuniya) have faced strong opposition.
In 2009 57 Buddhist families were brought in and settled in Navatkuli. They were Sinhala families that had been driven out of Jaffna in 1984 and 1990. Navatkuli is located 6 km from Jaffna. ‘Kalana Mithuru Daham Sabha’ across the country sponsored the construction of a new temple at Navatkuli. It was named Navatkuliya Sri Samiddhi Sumana Viharaya.
The Navatkuli vihara was completed in 2013. It was promptly bombed. In 2017 the residents wanted to start work on a new stupa. The Chavakachcheri Pradeshiya Sabha refused permission. The Chavakachcheri Pradeshiya Sabha filed a case against the construction of the Chaitya. It was taken up for hearing at the Chavakachcheri Magistrate’s Court.
Chavakachcheri Magistrate S. Chandrasekeran ordered the Chavakachcheri Pradeshiya Sabha to permit the construction of the temple’s stupa without any hindrance. Her verdict was publicly applauded by the Sangha. The Magistrate has said that she respects Buddhism even though she is a Hindu devotee, reported Ven. Sooriyawewa Sumedha.
The enshrinement of sacred relics took place in July 2019, amid a large gathering of devotees and invitees. The chief incumbents of Nagadeepa Rajamaha Viharaya and Navatkuli Sri Samiddhi Sumana Viharaya and Buddhist priests performed the religious observances. The Commander of the Security Forces ,Jaffna, Deputy Inspector General, Northern Province, Northern Naval Commander, members of the armed forces, representatives of the all island ‘Kalana Mithuru Daham Sabhas’ and devotees participated in the event.
Tamil Separatist Movement protested. Tamil National Peoples Front (TNPF) led the protest against the temple. They said they were objecting, to the Buddhistization in Navatkuli .”Famous War Criminal” Shavendra Silva was the guest of honor in this Buddhistization event, they said.
Navatkuli is a strategically a very important location, Eelamists observed. Two important Jaffna roads, A32 and A9 are intersecting at Navatkuli. These two roads are the only land route between the Jaffna Peninsula and the rest of the island. A Buddhist temple at this location would help the Buddhists control access to Jaffna.
Vadunagala or Vaddamana pabbatha Vihara in Vavuniya is an ancient Buddhist monastery that is mentioned extensively in ancient chronicles and inscriptions as a major Buddhist monastery , wrote Ama Vanniarachchi. Its cave inscriptions dated 3 BC to 1 BC are included in Inscriptions of Ceylon. The Department of archaeology had gazetted the area as an archaeological reserve in 2010.
Vadunagala has been turned into a Contested Site” by the Tamil Separatist Movement . Tamil Separatist Movement announced that Vadunagala is an ancient Hindu site not a Buddhist one..In 2018 Vavuniya North Divisional Secretary has requested in writing, from the Director General of the Department of Archaeology, permission to build a kovil at this ancient monastic site. The Director General of Archaeology had informed them that no new construction can be allowed at this archaeological site.
As a result, a massive protest was staged in front of the Vavuniya North Divisional Secretariat on August 22 2018 demanding that the Vadunagala site be taken away from the Department of Archaeology , reported Global Tamil News.
The protestors included Vanni district parliamentarians Sivasakthi Aananthan and Shanthy Sriskandarajah, NPC members Mayilvakanam Thiyakarajah, G.T.Linganathan and Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam, ex-parliamentarians Suresh Premachandran and Vinotharalingam, ex-NPC member Senthilnathan Mayuran, Pradeshya Sabha members, representatives of various political parties and members of All Ceylon Saiva Maha Sabha , administrative body of the temple, village people, and public organizations.
The people of this area have been worshiping in this place for five generations, the protestors said. Archaeology Department has imposed a ban on our visiting this ancient Hindu temple. This ban was temporarily lifted and the people were allowed to worship, but told that they cannot renovate the temple or build new structures there.
A memorandum addressed to the President was handed over by the protestors to the Vavuniya North Divisional Secretariat. Then, the protestors has gone to the Vedukkunari temple to worship, concluded Global Tamil News
In September 2019, an organization named Adi Sivan requested permission to fix a speaker to conduct a sound Pooja at Vadunagala. Using this as a pretext, a flight of stairs has been constructed to climb to the top of the rock .
In September 2020, the Vavuniya North Divisional Secretary requested permission from the DG Archaeology to conduct a shramadana at the site. The DG Archaeology informed them that permission cannot be allowed for such activities at an archaeological site.
Undaunted, Tamil Separatist Movement continued to take control of Vadunagala. They destroyed the stupa and installed a Hindu image there. A cave with Brahmi inscriptions was filled with soil and levelled. The ketarama was destroyed. The forest reserve around the cave was also destroyed and the entire archaeological site was burnt.
In 2020 the Tamil Separatist Movement had built a kovil there named Vedukkunarimalai Aadisivan Kovil,. Then they removed the notice board set up there by the Department of Archaeology declaring it to be an archaeology site. https://youtu.be/Sz8hEJAg1xk narrated by Ama Vanniarachchi shows the changes made to the site. They show two Hindu statues and a trident.
In 2023 Buddhists woke up to the fact that the Buddhist ruins as Vaddamana Pabbata had been vandalized. The ancient stupa had been removed and replaced by a Siva Linga. Today, the ancient Vaddamana Pabbata Vihara is a kovil. it is in a completely devastated state, and no legal action is being taken to protect the site, Buddhists said.
The two sides vigorously complained against each other to the Police. Both complained of vandalizing. The Department of archaeology complained in 2018, 2019 and 2020 that Vadunagala ruins were interfered with.
In 2018, The members of the ‘Kovil’ administration committee were summoned to the Police Station and warned against unlawful entry to Vadunagala reserve and causing disturbance. They were told that they must obtain the permission of the Director General of the Department of Archaeology, before they engaged in religious activities in the future.
On the 26th of March 2023, Thambirasa Madhimugarasa who said he was the priest of ‘Vedukkinari Malai Aadhi Lingeshwaran Kovil’ made a complaint to Nedunkerni police that that Hindu statues are Vadunagala had been damaged. On inquiry police found that the area where the incident had occurred fell within the Nainamadu Forest Reserve. A case was filed at Magistrate courts, Vavuniya.
In April 2023, Department of archaeology complained again that new constructions had taken place. The Kovil’ administrators said that it had been done consequent to an order from Magistrate’s Court of Vavuniya . That was not so. The Hindu group had been permitted by Magistrate court to replace the damaged Hindu statues but the group had instead put in place new large Hindu statues. The ‘Kovil’ Committee members were warned to act strictly in compliance of the Court order and not to proceed beyond what was permitted by the said order. This case is also currently pending before the Magistrate’s Court of Vavuniya.
In May 2023 A Fundamental Rights petition was filed in the Supreme Court seeking an order directing the authorities to take immediate action to secure and protect the Vadunagala Pabbatha Viharaya Archaeological site in Vavuniya District. As far as I can see, the petition says nothing about the Tamil Separatist Movement It targets the police.
The petitioners were Ven. Galgamuwe Shanthabodhi , Brig. (Rtd) Athula De Silva, journalist Shenali D. Waduge, businessman Jihan Hameed, Nilhan Paul Fernando and Upali Jayasinghe Bandara..
The petitioners stated that Vaddamana Parvatha (Pabbatha) Viharaya Archaeological site is located in the Nainayamadu Forest in the district of Vavuniya. Vaddamana Pabbatha Viharaya, a Buddhist monastic complex, dates back to the early Anuradhapura era. It has a long history. In 2010 this place was rediscovered and re-identified by the Department of Archaeology and was gazetted as a protected monument.
The petitioners alleged that in 2018, acts of vandalism occurred in this place, where the floor of one of the caves with Brahmi inscriptions was filled with soil brought from outside and levelled. The bricks from the brick stupa were removed and an image of a Hindu God has been inserted.
The Petitioners stated that the actions or inactions of the respondents, including IGP Chandana Wickramaratne, Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles, Senior DIG Vijitha Gunaratne, DIG Ampawila, SSP Chamika Wickremasinghe and others are willful, negligent and unreasonable and have vehemently violated the fundamental rights of the Buddhist Citizenry duly guaranteed under Article 10, Article 12.1 and Article 14 (1) (e) of Sri Lanka’s Constitution. The case is pending. ( continued)
Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that it is most regrettable that not a single Supreme Court verdict has been delivered in Sinhala so far. He also emphasized the imperative need to prevent the attempts by interested parties to push Sinha la into the pile of abandoned and extinct languages.
He stated this at the International Mother Language Day event organized by the National Language Education and Training Institute of the Ministry of Public Administration, the Official Language Commission, the Official Language Department and Sinhala Studies Department of Ruhunu University held on 21.02.2024 at the Sri Lanka Foundation, Colombo.
The Prime Minister further said;
In the past, we did not have big buildings as centres to teach Sinhala language or to teach Buddhism.
Today, when people talk about constructing buildings for schools. But Sir D. B. Mr. Jayathilaka and the early leaders along with the Buddhist Theosophical Society fostered the Sinhala language and education in small huts covered with coconut branches in village to village across the country. Even at that time, there were heavy rains and droughts. There are many challenges faced by the children of our country. We did not get help from the English government at that time. But our village leaders donated lands. Schools were established. It is to nurture the Sinhala language.
The existence of a nation is not survived by statistics alone. In short, if we want to nurture our language, nourish it and protect it, it is essential to research on mother language and enrich it to face dangerous threats.
During the Colonial government, the police wrote complaints from the villagers in English. Complaints were not written in their own language. The Sinhalese and Tamil countrymen complained in their respective languages. At that time, there were a number of Malays. You can imagine how the English language was used to write the complaint. Those who claim they want to promote justice, ruled our country without giving us that justice we deserve.
The United Nations currently concludes that one language dies every two weeks. Hence, a proposal has been made at the United Nations for the protection of mother tongues.
Rabindranath Tagore used the Bengali language to awaken the people of entire India. He used Bengali lyrics, literature and music to instil patriotism among the people. Later a new country Bangladesh came into existence.
The government alone cannot prevent the attempts to push Sinhala into the pile of languages that were abandoned and extinct. However, the government has the responsibility and obligation to protect the unique identity of the people. For that it is mandatory to protect the mother tongue and its related spheres.
The mother tongue is as valuable as mother’s milk. We must not forget that language is a factor that adds value to life. By turning it into a process that we do voluntarily, different rules and regulations are made to deal with it. A national awakening and a process is needed to implement them. It is to be appreciated if the university sector, higher education and research sectors are more involved for this purpose.
Today, officials of the relevant departments were called to the Ministry of Public Administration by us to instruct them to correct many issues. We need to take immediate steps to contact the officials of the official language department and the heads of the remote rural departments to give similar instructions. If we do not take such steps one by one, our mother tongue may become isolated from our people. Let us rule out that possibility. I wish to give my respect to all those who dedicated themselves for the cause of mother language for a long time.
The Speaker still reads out the verdicts given by the Supreme Court in English. The parliamentarians said that no Supreme Court decision has been delivered in Sinhala. Another group of MPs said that verdicts have not been in Tamil too. There are many victories still far away from us. There is still a long way to go. I would like to mention at this time that we should dedicate ourselves more to the task of achieving it. Also, there is a prime need to create translation labs, to produce a generation with knowledge of translation from universities and related departments. There are no translators today. Due to lack of translators, service extensions have to be given to the retired people. The most difficult task according to public administration regulations is to extend service after retirement.
It can be protected by the United Nations General Assembly resolution on protecting the mother tongue and the Constitutional provisions of our country. Even more, this process will be a huge strength and encouragement to make the process to secure our own motherland.
Chancellor of Ruhunu University Ven Dr Akuratiye Nanda Thera, Bangladesh High Commissioner Tariq Ariful Islam, Public Administration Ministry Secretary Pradeep Yasaratne, diplomats, officials, university deans, professors, university students, representatives of various organizations participated in this event.
22/02/2024, Colombo – Forty countries from the Asia and Pacific region today agreed that transforming agrifood systems was imperative to providing food security for their children’s generation and beyond, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported today.
The summation was delivered at today’s close of the 37th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC37). The conference was hosted by the Government of Sri Lanka
Forty countries of Asia and the Pacific attended the APRC, with the vast majority attending in-person, including some 20 government Ministers. It was the first time since 2018 that a large in-person gathering of the region’s food and agriculture Ministers and other policymakers was convened by FAO, and is seen as emblematic of the attention needed to recover from the pandemic and disruptions caused to food production and distribution that has plagued many countries in the region ever since.
A wake-up call to learn from the past – and each other.
The global pandemic, coupled or followed closely with a shortage of food, feed fuel, fertilizer and access to finance, caused food price to jump significantly. Lessons were learned and many called it a ‘wake-up call’ to ensure that food affordability and availability and agricultural production must be a global priority.
Food and agriculture are now at the centre of the global development agenda and this is an opportunity for all of us, including civil society and private sector organizations to decisively reimagine and reshape agrifood systems for global economic, social and environmental benefits,” said Jong-Jin Kim, FAO’s Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific. This transformation will be important for you to maintain a sustainable environment and increase biodiversity, while providing opportunities for decent jobs for people. That is the added value of modern farming,” Kim said to the delegates at the end of the four-day conference.
Kim called on the FAO Member Nations gathered to address these issues holistically. We must do this together with all relevant key partners, not only with the Ministers for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, but also with Ministers for Welfare, Women, Children, Environment, Science, Education, Trade Investment and Finance. These are their duties too. So, we must work together as a team.”
Science and Technology are constantly evolving. In the agrifood sector, we should lead,” said Kim. Agriculture, food and nutrition are at the core of humanity’s needs – and the world casts its eyes towards Asia and the Pacific region for leadership. As the Director-General said – we are the Agents of Change,” Kim added, referring to the opening statement to the conference by the FAO Director-General, Dr QU Dongyu.
Conclusions and recommendations going forward – Better Production, Better Nutrition, Better Environment and a Better Life – leaving no one behind.
In the final report to the APRC – FAO’s regional governing body – it acknowledged several important points for further action by FAO and other actors.
It noted ‘the main challenges facing the region relate to its ability to sustainably increase productivity and innovation, particularly in the face of resource limitations, climate change risks and the region’s growing population as the medium- and long-term outlook highlights’ and emphasized the importance of transparent, predictable, open and fair markets, underpinned by an effective multilateral trading system, for food security.’
The report went on to recognize ‘the importance of digital innovations and blended finance, engaging the private sector in mobilizing resources for resilient, inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems transformation. It also highlighted the need to focus on specific issues including local food systems, low carbon, resilient and sustainable practices, and water issues; strengthen efficient, inclusive and resilient value chains and markets; boost initiatives under the Paris Agreement; and develop global standards for biosecurity and food safety, important for agrifood systems, early warning systems and anticipatory action.’
Transforming capture fisheries and aquaculture towards sustainability in Asia and the Pacific region
The report highlighted the Asia-Pacific ‘region’s leadership in capture fisheries and aquaculture, contributing with over 70 percent of global production; the aquaculture sector is projected to grow by over 20 percent by 2030. It also acknowledged that when managed and developed sustainably, aquatic food systems, in both marine and freshwaters, including aquaculture and fisheries of the region, contributed significantly to improving food and nutrition security and livelihoods, specifically enhancing women’s participation along the value chain.’
The Conference welcomed FAO’s Blue Transformation vision in the context of Asia and the Pacific region ‘to increase the contribution of fisheries, aquaculture and aquatic foods value chains to provide a more significant proportion of nutritious food and resilient livelihoods in the region, while recognizing that Blue Transformation promotes sustainable aquaculture intensification, effective management of all fisheries and upgraded value chains to ensure the social, economic and environmental viability of aquatic food systems.’
Amidst the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines emerged as a beacon of hope, offering humanity a vital tool against the deadly virus. However, recent research has introduced a concerning twist to this narrative.
Since the onset of the pandemic, approximately 13.5 billion COVID-19 vaccines have been administered worldwide, marking a significant milestone in the fight against the virus. Notably, around 71% of the global population has received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine.
Despite the widespread vaccination efforts, a recent peer-reviewed study has now sparked health concerns among this substantial portion of the global population. Its findings have linked COVID vaccines from prominent companies such as Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca to rare occurrences of heart, brain and blood disorders.
Researchers from the Global Vaccine Data Network, a research arm of the World Health Organisation (WHO), conducted the largest COVID vaccine study to date. It analysed expected versus observed rates of 13 medical conditions considered adverse events of special interest” in a study population of 99 million vaccinated individuals across eight countries.
Here are some key associations the study found:
Rare cases of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) identified in recipients of first, second and third doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s and Moderna’s mRNA vaccines. Highest rate observed after second Moderna dose, with a 6.1-fold increase compared to expected rates.
6.9-fold increased risk of Pericarditis, another heart condition, in individuals who received a third dose of AstraZeneca’s viral vector vaccine. 1.7-fold and 2.6-fold increased risks in recipients of Moderna’s first and fourth doses, respectively.
2.5 times greater risk of rare autoimmune disorder Guillain-Barre syndrome and 3.2 times greater risk of blood clots among recipients of AstraZeneca’s vaccine.
3.8 times greater risk of neurological disorder acute disseminated encephalomyelitis after the Moderna vaccine and 2.2-fold increased risk after AstraZeneca’s vaccine.
Vaccination Still Better than Infection: Experts
In spite of these findings, experts emphasise that the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks. For instance, the likelihood of experiencing neurological events or heart inflammation is significantly higher after contracting COVID-19 than after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
The odds of all of these adverse events is still much, much higher when infected with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), so getting vaccinated is still by far the safer choice,” CEO of biotechnology company Centivax Jacob Glanville, who is not involved in the study, told Forbes.
In navigating the complex landscape of risks and benefits, the overarching message remains clear: vaccination remains an indispensable tool in the fight against COVID-19, offering a pathway toward overcoming the disease’s pervasive grip on global health and well-being.
By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera Courtesy The Daily Mirror
Parliament, Feb. 21 (Daily Mirror)- A government MP said today that Sri Lanka should not be subjected to Indianisation, claiming that he was against the Indian rupee being used in Sri Lanka and to provide Sri Lankan airports to Indian investors.
SLPP MP Sarath Weerasekara told Parliament that the President’s efforts to rescue the country from economic shambles was praiseworthy and that he was against it if Sri Lanka was gradually subjected to indianisation.
“We are against if the Indian rupee is used in Sri Lanka or Sri Lanka becoming the 29th State of India. We highly appreciate the support extended to Sri Lanka by India. However, we are against providing the airports to Indian investors. The airport, the access point to the country is a sensitive place. It is a threat to the sovereignty of the country if a foreign company gets hold of the country’s airport,” he said.
The MP said Sri Lanka should not sign the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) with India, adding that this would allow Indians to find employment opportunities in Sri Lanka.
“We are against if Sri Lanka is going to sign the ETCA agreement with India. This will allow Indians to enter the country for employment. There are 44 million people without jobs in India. Some 200,000 doctors are without jobs in India. Around 1.5 million engineers pass out anually from universities in India and 42 percent of the graduates below 25 years of age are unemployed. Allowing Indians to find employment in Sri Lanka will pose a threat to Sri Lankans,” he said..
Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara says he has sought proposals from officials of the SLBFE and foreign employment agencies to completely stop” sending Sri Lankan women overseas to serve as housemaids.
Taking to ‘X’ (formerly Twitter), the Minister stated that he has urged the management of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) and the Association of Licensed Foreign Employment Agencies (ALFEA) to submit proposals and plans to completely stop sending Sri Lankan women overseas to work as housemaids.
Nanayakkara emphasised the importance of halting the practice of sending women for overseas employment as domestic workers and instead proposed that women should be encouraged to seek foreign jobs in high paying skilled categories of work.
Issuing a statement in this regard, the Ministry stated that as per a discussion held between Minister Nanayakkara and members of the ALFEA on Tuesday (20 Feb.), the Minister had stated that the said proposals should include the views and suggestions of all stakeholders.
He further emphasised that the target should be to completely halt Sri Lankan women migrating overseas for domestic work within the next ten years and enhance prospects for them to seek employment in skilled categories instead.
Minister of Public Security, Tiran Alles, emphasized his unwavering commitment to continue operations aimed at suppressing drugs, tackling the underworld and preventing violence against women and children, regardless of any pressure encountered.
Furthermore, Minister Alles disclosed that the value of drugs seized thus far during the ‘Yukthiya’ operation, which commenced on December 17, 2023, amounts to Rs. 7.8 billion.
The Minister made these remarks during a news conference held at the Presidential Media Centre today (21 Feb.) under the theme ‘Collective Path to a Stable Country’.
The Minister further commented:
Continuous efforts are underway to combat drug trafficking, organized crime, and violence against vulnerable groups such as women and children. Regardless of the challenges we face, we remain resolute in our commitment to these operations. There have been various allegations against our initiatives, and attempts have been made to disrupt our efforts by certain individuals and groups. We have received intelligence indicating that funds from drug networks are being used to finance these disruptive activities.
Operation ‘Yukthiya’, which commenced on December 17, has resulted in the seizure of narcotics valued at Rs. 7.8 billion. Additionally, assets including vehicles and buildings confiscated by law enforcement amount to Rs. 725 million. . A total of 58,562 raids have been conducted, leading to the arrest of 58,234 individuals involved in illicit activities.
Furthermore, we are in the process of introducing the E Passport service to alleviate the long queues at the Immigration and Emigration Department office. The queues have resurged recently, particularly due to the Korean Language Proficiency Test. To address this issue, we are exploring negotiations with the Korean government to implement a system and arrange to issue passports only to those who pass the exam.
It is worth noting that all arrangements have been finalized to issue the new ID cards through the Department of Registration of Persons. Additionally, several joint programs between schools and Police, facilitated by the Dangerous Drugs Control Board, are already underway to combat drug abuse.
Moreover, we express unanimous support for President Ranil Wickremesinghe as our candidate for the upcoming Presidential Election. The President has steered the country out of adversity and put an end to long-standing queues. We firmly believe that those who comprehend the prevailing circumstances should not contemplate electing another president.”
Meanwhile, responding to a question raised by a journalist regarding the delay in police officer promotions, Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshbandu Tennakoon, who was also present at the event, explained that some promotion issues have arisen due to petitions filed before the Supreme Court by discontented officers.
He mentioned that the National Police Commission, the Ministry of Public Security and the Police Headquarters have conducted several discussions with the Attorney General’s Department to address these concerns promptly. Mr. Tennakoon assured that these issues will be promptly resolved through this approach.
Furthermore, he highlighted the past issuance of promotions for lower-ranking police officers and assured that similar promotions will continue in the future.
Tourism in Sri Lanka is on a high growth trajectory following a boost in Sri Lanka’s potential as a must-visit destination. Visa free travel for tourists from China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan has provided the right nudge for tourists to put Sri Lanka on the top of their travel bucket list.
Nationals from these countries planning to visit Sri Lanka need to apply for Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before arriving, subject to granting of visa free of charge. The scheme is valid until March 2024 while the visa is valid for 30 days, permitting double entry from the date of initial arrival to Sri Lanka.[1] However, industry sources believe that the boost in tourist arrivals may encourage the visa free travel scheme to be extended further.
Having welcomed 208,253 visitors in January this year alone, the highest in 4 years, the figures confirm a YoY increase of 103.1%. Tourists from India, Russia, the UK, Germany and China top the list with 28,493 arrivals in the first four days of February 2024, confirming a figure of 7,000 travellers a day. The tourist arrivals are led by Russia with a 15% market share while India holds second position with 4,123 travellers. UK was seen as the third best market, with 2,592 (9%) arrivals with Germany (1,977) and China (1950) following.[2]
A record number of tourists are visiting Sri Lanka – it was over 200,000 tourists during In January 2024 and during the first 12 days of February, the figure was almost 92,000[3]. Likely to receive 2 million visitors in 2024, the tourism sector could generate a revenue of USD 6 billion within the year.[4] As visiting Sri Lanka becomes a veritable option for tourists, offering visa free travel will boost arrivals and consequently, the digital economy. Today’s travelers are well versed with digital payment options and would expect to be able to pay without cash anywhere, with the ease of use, safety and access of digital payments like they do around the world.
Tourism is a key sector of economic activity for Sri Lanka, contributing significantly to our country’s income. It also requires the wider merchant ecosystem – from mom-&-pop stores to micro-businesses to large merchants – to broad base the acceptance of digital payments, whether online or offline. Tourists visiting Sri Lanka can then rely on a convenient, smooth and safe payment experience during their stay here.
The recent Global Travel Intentions Study by Visa, confirm that today’s travelers look for experiential travel and not merely visiting tourist hotspots – which makes ubiquitous, seamless and secure payment access critical. Developing Sri Lanka’s payment infrastructure and ensuring a variety of options to travelers wherever they go – from cards, contactless payments and QR code payments to online and ecommerce payments would enhance tourism.
It is critical to assure travelers of convenience and access even when they travel off the beaten path. Imagine, if backpackers and explorers can have the same seamless digital payment experience at a small grocery shop in a remote town of Sri Lanka, they would leave with not just vivid memories but a great positive experience.
There is still some way to go for Sri Lanka to be adept and advanced in digital payments. The insights from an IFC study on digital payments in the Sri Lankan retail sector showed that although usage of smartphones was high in our country, digital literacy was still low in areas outside the Western Province. [5]
The government has set its sights on the opportunity for Sri Lanka to attract 5 million tourists by 2029, believed to bring in USD 21.6 billion by 2030. This will depend on tourism spends to increase to USD 4,000 per visitor and high-spending tourists visiting or revisiting Sri Lanka.[6]
Given the safety and seamless experience of using cashless payments, visitors also get the flexibility of paying in local currency and availing great offers on hotels, travel, retail, experiences etc. when they pay using cards. The ability to have great experiences, enjoy nature and the spirit of our island nation, combined with the convenience of paying digitally will go a long way in making for well-rounded enriching holiday experiences for tourists coming to Sri Lanka.
Colombo, Feb 20 (EFE).- Sri Lanka’s highest court has given its approval to a contentious anti-terrorism bill in a long-awaited verdict that calls for the removal of several unconstitutional provisions in the proposed legislation amid national and international pressure.
Following legal challenges, the bill is now slated for approval by parliament, House Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said on Tuesday.
The proposed legislation aims to replace a previous law criticized by human rights organizations as draconian and excessively restrictive.
However, concerns persist regarding potential rights violations, given the bill’s similarities to previously withdrawn versions, as highlighted by the UN in a recent statement.
The UN cautioned that if enacted in its current form, the bill would confer excessive powers to the executive, lacking adequate safeguards against abuse and potentially undermining legal protections necessary for security forces to arrest individuals without warrants.
Swasthika Arulingam, one of the lawyers who appeared on behalf of petitioners including trade unions, peasant movements, and a journalist association said that the bill was really bad.”
The proposed law introduces provisions allowing the military to make arrests even in the absence of a declared emergency, a significant departure from previous practices, said the lawyer.
The definition is very broad. Anyone and any act can be an act of terror. Some provisions target journalists too. This is very worrying,” Swasthika said. EFE
A protest was staged near the Office of the Minister of Tourism, located on the seventh floor of the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM), this afternoon (20 Feb.). Accordingly, a group of protesters were seen calling for the resignation of Tourism Minister Harin Fernando, accusing him of violating the Constitution of Sri Lanka.
Colombo, Feb 19 (Daily Mirror) – The health sector workers who staged a protest at the National Hospital, Colombo (NHC) today demanding the removal of the National Hospital’s Deputy Director, had reportedly signed for overtime payments.
When contacted, Deputy Director Dr. Rukshan Bellana claimed that more than 200 health workers attached to the NHC, Eye Hospital, Dental Institute Colombo, Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) and De Soysa Hospital for Women had come to the NHC and protested.
He also claimed that these health workers had signed four hours of overtime (OT) for the protest period up to today and said that they had taken the free meal provided at the government hospitals.
“Claiming OT for protesting hours and getting the free meal is illegal, and I request that higher authorities take necessary action against them,” Dr. Bellana said.
By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera Courtesy The Daily Mirror
Parliament, Feb. 20 (Daily Mirror)- The government must inform Parliament wether the statement made by Tourism Minister Harin Fernando in India that Sri Lanka was part of India was the government’s official stance or his personal opinion, Parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa said.
He told Parliament that the Minister had stated in India that Sri Lanka was a part of India and the three airports will be given to India.
“The govenment must reveal if the Minister’s statement is the official stance of the government or the collective stance of the Cabinet or the Minister’s personal opinion. “Can a Minister make such a statement while represnting a country?” he asked.
Chief Government Whip Prasanna Ranatunga said the Cabinet had not discussed any such matter and said the Minister concerned will make a statement in Parliament.
Minister Manusha Nanayakkara said social media had twisted the Minister’s statement and said if someone listens to his full statment, his idea would become clear.
“The Minister requested the Indians to visit Sri Lanka while pointing out the historical and traditional relationship between the two countries,” he said.
Weerawansa said the Minister had not refuted his statement and said he should make an official statement regarding his remarks made in India.
Colombo, Feb 20, (Daily Mirror) – The English language is to be considered for conducting legal proceedings and maintaining records in certain courts, the Government Information Department said today.
Particulars in the commerce sphere related to commercial activities are mainly used in the English language and require a considerable cost and time in translating those contents into the Sinhala language. Due to that, an extended period to settle commercial disputes take place which leads to a disadvantage when obtaining entrepreneurs, the department said.
This situation also affected the position of Sri Lanka to be in a lower place in the Ease of Doing Business ratings which envisage the ability of conducting enterprises in a country. As a remedy to this, it has been recognized as appropriate to issue an order by the subject Minister of Justice with the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers and in par with the provisions of the statute 24 (4) of the Constitution permitting to use English language in relation to all the activities in recognized courts or legal records and proceedings precisely mentioned thereupon,” it said.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal submitted by the Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs ad Constitutional Reforms to take necessary action in the regard.
Dr Sudath Gunasekara. Former Secretary to Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranayaka and President Mahanuwara Sinhala Baudhdha Jeista Purawesiyange SanviDhaanaya.
The 1978 one-man Constitution of the Republic of Sri Lanka was promulgated on 7th September 1978 and it abolished the Republican Constitution framed on a popular mandate from the general public in 1972. Since then, 21 Amendments have been made to it by now. (Compare it with Thirty-three amendments to the Constitution of the United States since the Constitution was put into operation on March 4, 1789 (235 years) Generally, the accepted requirement for the Amendment of the Constitution in this country as laid down is 2/3 majority in parliament and a referendum. There can be exceptions among these 21 that do not require both these conditions. But the 13th A imposed on our heads by India, that turned the 1978 Constitution upside down and the 14th Amendment that introduced the concept of the National list that increased the number of seats in Parliament from 196 to 225, both of which impact on article 3,definitely needs a referendum. But it was never held and its implementation goes on up to date, in spite of the fact the Provincial Councils were made politically nonfunctional as there had been no elections, almost for the past 6 or 7 years, except the post of Governor who is in charge of the Councils and the staff, just to mess up the District Administration after reducing the powers of Government Agents by Act no 58 of 1992, thereby killing the spirit of the 400+-year-old District Administration in this country, that has its roots even in the Pandukabhaya administration in the 4th century B.C.
Article 3 of the Constitution says, Sovereignty is in the people and is inalienable. Article 4 (a) says the legislative power of the people shall be exercised by Parliament, consisting ofelected representativesof the People and by the People at a Referendum. The first serious flaw here is that all the members of the present Parliament are not elected as we have 29 selected members under the so-called national list introduced under the 14th A, increasing the196 elected to 225.
This raises a pertinent question of the legality of these two Amendments particularly, and all legislations passed by this Parliament in terms of the implied meaning of 4 (a) I think, therefore, it makes all legislations passed by this Parliament since 14th May 1988 the 14th amendment came in to effect up to date, are all illegal and unconstitutional as it violates the provisions of 4 (a). Additionally, since the 13th Amendment which has a direct impact on article 3 was also though passed in Parliament with 2/3 was not approved by a referendum. Therefore, this is a serious matter on governance that should be gone into fully by constitutional experts, before it further complicates the legitimacy of the entire process of Governance in this country. Further, as for me, I do not know what the Attorney General was doing when all these constitutional rubbish wares were passed in Parliament without adhering to the Constitution, that is considered as the supreme law of the country.
Everyone knows how and why the National list members was introduced. The whole country knows how they are selected as well. They are not elected by the Constitution as Article 4 (a) stipulates. But are selected by the party leaders very often even outside the list submitted to the Election Commissioner along with the nominations. Take for example Dhammika Perera. What is more serious is that some of them are appointed to top Cabinet posts. Since they are not elected by the people, they are not answerable to people. They are only answerable to their leaders on whose pleasure their fate depends. Is this democracy? I ask the government and the relevant authorities to explain.
This is why I often say that this model of Sri Lankan democracy is ‘Government by the politicians, of the politicians and for the politicians” and therefore, in this country, it has ceased to be Government by the people, for the people and of the people” long time ago, as the classical definition of Democracy by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, in his famous Gettysburg Address, November 19,1863 said. I am sure, he may rise from the grave and run away to another world in shame, if he comes to know how it has been reversed completely by our Sri Lanka politicians in the 21st century.
Today in Sri Lanka, we have neither the Western Democracy nor the traditional ‘Mahaasammatha model” of people’s governance that was there in this country from 543 BC up to 1815 AD. To me, it looks naked dictatorship by a band of followers of Western Roman Catholic Greek Democracy, who have no idea of what this country was, and what its history and the pattern and ethos of state craft practiced by 291 Sinhala Kings on this Island nation.
I wonder whether any one of those politicians in the game, including the 225 in Parliament is aware that this Island nation from Vijaya’s arrival in 6th century BC, down to Sri Wickrama Rajasingha, 295 kings reigned over the whole or parts of Sri Lanka and it also had been a Sinhala Buddhist Kingdom from 307 B.C up to date, even in spite of direct foreign rule from 1815 to1948.
My warnings about an unbridled Central Bank have come true with the Central Bank mandarins deciding a salary increase of as much as seventy percent, while over half our population lives in sheer poverty having to forgo at least a meal everyday. My Warnings appeared in Lanka Web of 20 th March 2023: An Independent Central Bank: Does it not clash with the sovereignty of the Central Bank.
I would appeal to our Central Bank to think again about this massive increase. Any salary increases have to be made to the entire work force. My mind goes back to my days in the Administrative Service when increases in salaries were given only to the middle and lower levels of our work force. I being a high ranker in the Administrative Service did not get an increase.
If our Central Bank mandarins do not immediately rescind this massive increase, I am certain that there will be massive agitation among other workers for commensurate increases and to my mind they are doing what is right.
It is upto our Central Bank and to our Parliament to immediately rescind the legislation granting independence to the Central Bank. It is absurd to have an independent Central Bank. The Central Bank of any country is an integral part of the country and cannot be independent of the country. My experience is not only in Sri Lanka. I was the Commonwealth Fund Advisor to the Ministry of Labour and Manpower in Bangladesh for two years and had dealings with the Bangladesh Central Bank, an integral part of the Government of Bangladesh. I speak from sheer experience, having authored the largest employment creation programme the world has known- the Youth Self Employment Programme, initiated by me in 1982 which is yet going strong having created over three million youth entrepreneurs. I may mention that the Fifth Five Year Plan of the Bangladesh Central Bank devotes as much as eight pages to document the progress of the Youth Self Employment Programme which I initiated in 1982.
My I request our Central Bank to immediately consider a programme of employment creation, where our people will be making everything that is being imported, other, than wheat and wheat four. It is task that can be done- once Premier Sirimavo tried to do it- she created a special Ministry- the Ministry of Plan Implementation, placed it directly under her and head hunted the coveted economist of the day- Professor HAdeS Gunasekera as its Permanent Secretary. I too played a major role as the Government Agent of the Matara District, creating employment and also the production that the country required. If at all our Central Bank can kindly consider this major development task it will stand to the Credit of the Central Bank. Mind you, this task does not incurr any foreign exchange and can be started off immediately.
‘Before you study the economics, study the economists!’
e-Con e-News 11-17 February 2024
‘Hi guys! How are you doing, exhorted US Ambassador Julie Chung
as she walked towards a group of MPs…
after the ceremonial opening of Parliament…
Another parliamentarian quickly shot a question
before the US envoy could move over towards another group:
JVP leader, Anura Kumara Dissanayake is in India.
Are there any Indo-Pacific issues linked to the visit?”
No, no,” she hurriedly responded.
Ambassador Chung, who represents a nation that once was the first
to put a man on the moon, also used the MPs as a sounding board.
She asked whether anyone there had climbed Adam’s Peak or Sri Pada.
Then she proudly boasted she had walked to the top in just 2.5 hours last month.
From her schooldays, she swaggered, she has done a lot of hiking…’
– Sunday Times
We dare not suggest what the US envoy has had to hike, to saddle her way up into the notoriously incestuous white echelons of the US State Department, but she is just doing her job, as demanded by US government’s Integrated Country Strategy, which ee continues to reproduce:
*
The US Mission’s program & training will focus
support on prosecutors, judges, other justice sector partners,
Members of Parliament, and their staff.
(see ee Focus).
*
Imagine, the SL Envoy ‘Hippie Mike’ Samarasinghe in war-war-war-Washington breezing into the US con-con-Congress or stepping into the cloakrooms of their hanging (ooops, injecting) judges and hired prosecutors to tell them they need our training in enlightened compassion? Ha!
All this falls under the US government’s Integrated Country Strategy, which we continue to reproduce. This ICS excerpt proudly notes, the US embassy is the ‘lead donor’ in civilizing Sri Lankan society! The ‘Mission’ (& its missionaries) will, ‘in cooperation with allies & partners’, ‘endeavour to provide actors in these sectors with tools to continue operations & maintain their capacities to reach broad audiences.’ Every single trope that emanates from the US envoy’s upper orifices and the media lower orifices, from ‘corruption’ to ‘majoritarian’ to ‘Sinhalese nationalism’ to ‘long-standing ethnic conflict’, etc, will be found in this ICS document, which sees Sri Lanka playing ‘a crucial role in [their] Indo-Pacific Strategy’.
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This week therefore saw Liz Allen, the US Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy, make the first visit of such an official to Sri Lanka. ‘Public Diplomacy’ is another euphemism for ‘Psychological Warfare’. US President Ronald Reagan’s Office of Public Diplomacy, was ‘a dedicated propaganda unit run by Reagan’s top National Security Council aide Oliver North, who simultaneously worked with cocaine traffickers to arm the Nicaraguan ‘contra rebels’.
Allen duly met ‘government officials, media representatives, digital content creators, & NextGen leaders’, including Daily Mirror‘s Piyumi Fonseka (‘Investigative Journalist of the Year in 2022’, awarded by the owners of her newspaper) and Peradeniya professor Arjuna Parakrama of generations past (whose interview on the systematic dismantling of ‘free education’ ee reproduces below – see ee Focus).
Meanwhile, a Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO is being set up, and critics point out, the white-dominated UNESCO is attempting to ‘again take over’ education policy in Sri Lanka, another subtle ploy to ‘take away our sovereignty’. Parakrama also says, ‘Nearly 40% – two-fifths of our schools – don’t go beyond the primary level’. And ‘of the 395 registered international schools, 7 come under the Board of Investment, the others are registered as companies!’ Parakrama fails to say that these criminal policies have been encouraged by the US’ World Bank who has been heavily bribing Education Ministry officials with junkets and foreign degrees. Could he tell Ms. Allen that?
Parakrama however says the attack on education is happening because ‘education is seen as an investment, not as a right… It follows that education for some people – the marginalised, the vulnerable, the disabled, and so on – then becomes something that you don’t get much of a return on, so you dispense with or at least devalue educating the disadvantaged, which is what education should not do,’. He terms the National Education Policy Framework (NEPF) ‘frightening’ and ‘a potential crime against the country’. There has ‘been no open public consultation in this regard and that the framework was now at the parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee stage’.
ee has often been critical about the preponderance of arts graduates. But as Parakrama points out, it has to do with the structures enforced by policy and impoverishment. ee however doesn’t quite understand why Parakrama makes a distinction between ‘investment’ and ‘rights.’ Without our own investment in modern industrialization, we are producing frogs for snakes, feeding the imperialist countries with our not so ’free’ educated graduates. It is cultivators and workers who disproportionately pay for this ‘free’ education, and as SBD de Silva often quipped, it may have been far better to give free fertilizer to cultivators than to give ‘free’ education to the already privileged?
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‘Sri Lanka hails from a written history that spans beyond 2,500 years and is a legacy
of the collective effort of the people that lived in the past & at present.
That legacy of inheritance has been the synergy behind the formation
of a language of its own, a religious philosophy, a set of values,
as well as vibrant cultural traits typical to this nation.
However, the interventions of western colonialism & imperialism
over nearly 500 years have exerted a great deal of dominance through
cultural hegemony. In the colonial era, the Western colonists engaged
in outright genocidal acts, destroying & looting historic architecture,
desecrating religious sites, and seeking to subvert the local language
& religious practices. Now, imperialist & neocolonial forces use
so-called soft power to establish their hegemonic power & cultivate
false consciousness among segments of our population, to induce them
into comprador behaviour. Their strategy is to use techniques like mass media
(including film, music, advertising), as well as social media & education
to indoctrinate liberal cultural values & manufacture consent for continued
imperial domination. In many sections of the middle class, the vernacular languages
are discouraged and local beliefs & customs are ridiculed & humiliated.
Cultural norms & customs of the nation are looked down upon.’
(see ee Focus, CPSL)
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This ee reproduces the Alternative Program of the Communist Party (CPSL) on Cultural Development. ee does wonder however, whether culture is a ‘surplus’ as such and all about ‘consumption’: food, movies, etc. The country suffers from this culture of consumption, rather than a culture of production. And our nationalists (forgetting Dharmapala’s early attempts at industry) appear not to have focused on how modern industrialization is key to modern independence and socialism! A lesson, Japan does not wish to share with us, but as the discussion on China in the Congo shows (see ee Random Notes), it is up to us to decide. Meanwhile, this year’s Cricket World Cup in Barbados is being linked to US war games in the Caribbean aka West Indies! Culture indeed! (see Random Notes)
England’s culture of production saw the rise of industrialization in ‘mechanic institutes’ run by and for workers. The foolish feudal pretensions of Oxford & Cambridge (which our academics love) claimed that the ‘humanities’ were the realm of the ruling class, whereas science was for their servants.
We need more industrial and educational content in our media, not ‘superstars’ who can sing and dance like monkeys, but skilled workers who can make machines (even monkeys fashion tools!). China’s TikTok algorithms are regulated to promote ‘wholesome videos with content about young inventors’ etc. Whereas the whites delegate TikTok to sex, drugs and rock&roll. We need every workplace and school to dedicate more to research & development, to look at repair & reverse engineering, and replacement of imported parts, such self-reliance which the USA’s ICS for Sri Lanka hates!
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• Witness the widespread academic & media farces called post-colonialism & geopolitical conflict. The white man (& their varied genders) continues to invade and siege Asia, Africa & the Americas, and this features Sri Lanka & China – and this has gone on for over 500 years, continuing to this day. So what makes colonialism a bygone practice? – as one teenage reader of ee told us, they have done it for over 500 years almost successfully, so why stop – and what makes it a matter of politics related to geography? They are robbing the world.
The USA has gradually taken over Sri Lanka from England after 1948, overseeing economic diversion, to sabotage industrialization, using assassination, attempted coup d’etat, bribery, and escalating terrorism.
The US has waged war on China right from the beginning of the USA’s so-called post-colonial existence in 1776, pushing opium from Turkey on China. The US has profited from and participated in Europe’s opium wars, the suppression of the Taiping (Heaven on Earth) Rebellion, and sought ‘equal opportunity’ with Europe, to divide and exploit China into extraterritorial concessions. So what makes this a ‘geopolitical’ conflict? China has never invaded the Americas – only the whites themselves have. The US has long colonized Mexico, Hawaii & the Philippines (committing another forgotten genocide there), arming and then colonizing Japan (and now arming them again), dividing Korea & Vietnam (annihilating that country, before being kicked out). Their wars in Korea and Chinese Taibei (aka Taiwan) are called ‘frozen wars’. US military occupy the geographies of Korea & Taiwan, Japan & various Pacific Islands, let alone Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, as well as their wars in West Asia, and the present horror in occupied Palestine. The US (& that white man with a tan, Barry Obama) has imposed US bases in Africa and their media has whited-out the genocides in the Congo & Great Lakes. Yet our bribed intellectuals, media & academics, merrily talk of post-colonialism & geopolitics. They keep talking of Sri Lanka’s ‘China Debt Trap’ – when in truth it is US’ Wall Street that is trapping us (see ee Random Notes). Indeed, no Asian or African country has invaded Europe (at least in the last 500 years!) or their settler states.
An old boy who has expressed opposition in an article in the Daily FT recently, to the chanting of Pirith in a Buddhist religious ceremony at Royal College on grounds that it is ‘Anti Secular’, has given a false interpretation of Secularism.
Moreover, he has made false allegations against the school authorities that
1) The authorities were forcibly collecting funds from non – non-Buddhist children
2) The giving of Atapirikara to 100 monks is being done based on forcing parents of children to contribute
3) Converting Royal College to an ultra-Buddhist institute
4) Placing of Buddha statues within the school environment increasingly is intimidating to non – Buddhist students
.
The author of the article admitted in another correspondence last year that he is a devout Christian, and an Elder of the St. Andrews Scots Kirk Galle Face where he has also been the Treasurer”.
The Royal College Principal has responded to these wild allegations as follows:
1) It is important to note that the annual multi-religious program and alms-giving have been longstanding traditions at Royal College, spanning numerous years. These events are deeply rooted in our school’s ethos of secularism and fostering harmony and understanding among students of diverse backgrounds.
2) Contrary to the claims made in the article, it should be noted that while there are indeed 186 classes in the school, money is not collected from every class., Such assertions misrepresent the financial practices associated with these events (this means that money is not collected from non–Buddhists)
3) the distribution of Atapirikara to 100 Bhikkus is conducted voluntarily, by parents willing to contribute to this meaningful gesture. No coercion or force is involved in this process, and parents are free to participate or refrain, according to their discretion.
4) The sponsorship of food for grades one to four students is also voluntary. It is inaccurate to insinuate that only financially capable parents have assumed responsibility for this initiative.
5) the comparison drawn between Royal College and Buddhist colleges, such as Ananda College and Nalanda College, regarding participation in religious processions is misleading
6) Royal College is a secular school and takes pride in conducting multi-religious ceremonies with the participation of students and parents from all faiths. This is a testament to our commitment to secularism, inclusivity, and cultural diversity.
7) It is disheartening to see baseless allegations made by an individual purportedly associated with our esteemed institution.”
The Royal College Principal has politely and firmly replied to an old boy prejudiced vehemently against Buddhism and full of hate speech directed against the Buddhist monks of Sri Lanka.
Royal College Today – Demographic Realities
Unlike in the past and the colonial era the vast majority of students at Royal College today are Buddhists and Sinhala. This is a demographic fact. Accordingly, these students have every right to expect the school to instill in them Buddhist Religious Values. The pretext of ‘Secularism’ (mostly ‘Psuedo Secularism’) should not be a reason for depriving Buddhist Children of the School of valuable moral and ethical lessons based on Buddhist insights
In the pre–colonial era, this country was known as ‘Sinhale’ or ‘ Thun Sinhale’. The Kingdom of Kandy was also known as ‘Sinhale’ and the so-called Kandyan Convention of 1815 in Sinhala is still called ‘Sinhale – Ingrisy Givisuma’. Before 1505, this land had a Buddhist Civilization built by the Sinhala people. There were no other religions except Hinduism. A Buddhist Social Order prevailed for over two millennia.
The connotation that Royal College was a Secular School in the colonial era is simply false propaganda of the missionaries. Governor North and Governor Horton were ardent Christians supporting Christian Missionaries with State Funds. (See Ceylon Almanac 1837). There were Buddhist students in the school but facilities to learn Buddhism were simply not made available. Consequently, the products of both Missionary schools and also Royal College if they had not been already converted to Christianity turned out to be weak Buddhists.
Buddhist Wisdom is one of the great traits of a true Buddhist. It can be acquired in a Buddhist educational environment but not elsewhere. Multiculturalism and Diversity were promoted as the solution to racial conflict. But the reality today is that they are collapsing in England, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands because the cultural values of the various tribes comprising the society are incompatible and have led to unceasing clashes.
Secularism which promotes the equality of the communities despite lack of equality of contribution by the various groups has a sinister agenda to deny the majority ( Bhumiputras or Sons of the Soil) their Rightful Place. It is anti-majoritarian in outlook
It is a Smokescreen like the ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ which was used by the Church to bless the plunder of colonies by the foreign invaders. The ‘Doctrine of Manifest Destiny’ another false gospel to trick people in the colonies into accepting their unfortunate fate also served rapacious Colonialism. Japan disproved the validity of the ‘Doctrine of Manifest Destiny’ with its attack on Pearl Harbour and the Japanese Blitzkrieg in South East Asia and South Asia finally leading to the liberation of Asia.
Buddhism at Royal College
A Buddhist Society was first established in 1908 but was disbanded in 1916 after the Muslim – Sinhala riots in 1916. The ban on Buddhist activities at Royal College remained until 1955 when the Buddhist Brotherhood was established.
It is now a thriving society. What the Buddhist Brotherhood wants to do to instill Buddhist values in its members is a matter for the Buddhist Brotherhood and not for outsiders.
The Buddhist Brotherhood is responsible for organizing the annual Pirith ceremony. It also designs the Vesak postcard and holds Vesak competitions which include lantern competitions and class decoration competitions. Poya Dhamma sermons and meditation programs are organized every month given the full moon Poya Day. The Society also holds the annual Bhakthi Gee program and organizes the annual Dalada Poojawa.
Its Motto Nothing equals wisdom” enshrines the objectives of the projects that are being conducted and intends to instill them in the students. These projects are considered by many, as a way of assisting the Buddhist students to remain close to their faith. The four main projects of the Buddha Brotherhood annually are:
The Annual Dalada Muluthenge Poojawa
The Daily Buddha Poojawa
Sadaham Sisilasa Poya Day Dhamma Sermon (for Pera Poya and Pasu Poya Dhamma Sermon) and the
Rajakeeya Abhiwandhana Vesak Celebrations
May Peace and Harmony prevail among Students of Royal College with the Blessings of the Noble Triple Gem.
Garvin Karunaratne, Ph.D. Michigan State University‚
The achievement of the CFTC- the Commonwealth Fund, creating employment for over three million youths in Bangladesh may be of interest.
In Bangladesh when the new Military Government of General Ershard took over the country in 1982, the Ministry of Youth Development was providing skills training to 40,000 youths annually but the vast majority of them failed to find employment and continued to be unemployed for life. I happened to be the Commonwealth Fund Advisor to the Ministry on Youth Development and the new Hon. Minister for Labour and Manpower, Air Vice Marshall Aminul Islam at a Conference held to evaluate youth development programmes, ordered me,:
What can you contribute for Bangladesh”?
“I would suggest that you approve a self employment programme to supplement the skills training programmes that are being implemented by the Ministry of Youth Development, where the lecturers who train the youths in skills will in addition, also guide the youths to establish enterprises to manufacture items for sale and become self employed entrepreneurs.”
The Secretary to the Treasury, the highest official in the country who was present replied:
“Self-Employment is not a task that can be done. The International Labor Organization (ILO) with all their unlimited resources have just miserably failed to establish a self-employment programme at Tangail in Bangladesh. They laboured for three years and brought experts from all over and failed. It was a great loss – a massive expenditure and this Government is not going to waste any more funds again. Self-Employment is not a task that can be done. That was the conclusion of the ILO and they are the experts of international standing”
I replied:
“Though the ILO failed, I can establish a Self Employment Programme. I hold the experience of establishing self-employment projects in Sri Lanka for eighteen years and also hold the Ph.D in Agricultural Economics and Non Formal Education from Michigan State University. I am confident of success.”
The Secretary to the Treasury the highest official in Bangladesh laughed loud at my suggestion to make entrepreneurs out of school drop outs- the category from which the Department of Youth Development found youths for skills training. Secretaries of a few other Ministries joined him.
I argued that though the ILO failed I would succeed. The Secretary to the Treasury was adamant that such a programme would never succeed, but I quoted instances where I had established successful employment projects providing incomes to youths while simultaneously producing what the country imported. The battle went on for an easy two full hours The Hon. Minister was listening in silence till his patience was exhausted. The Minister finally ordered us to shut up. He asked for any Government training programmes that guided youths to become entrepreneurs. The Secretary to the Treasury replied “None”. Then the Minister asked for the number of youths that failed to get into higher education as well as finding a suitable job- the youths that will be scraping the barrel for life, unemployed. The Secretary answered that it was in the millions, every year The Hon Minister without any hesitation ordered that I should establish a self employment programme to create entrepreneurs.
The Secretary to the Treasury stumped, stating‚ that there will be no funds to establish a self employment programme, to which I replied that we will find savings within the approved budgets for the skills training of the youths and re deploy staff as necessary. The Hon Minister approved my suggestion.. .
We started planning work that night itself. The next morning I was a addressing trainee at the training centers and also training our Lecturers and Youth Officers on how the programme should be done. The officers who had till then done traditional youth development work were trained in concepts of economics. All Training Institutes were immediately altered to Training Cum Extension Institutes where the youths in training were to be guided to become self-employed. Overnight we established a countrywide special extension service for the lecturers to go out on inspections and help the youths who faced problems. The youths were guided to draft their own projects to become self employed, starting small farms even with a few cows or chicks. Dresses were sewn using the machines at the training centers that were kept open after work till ten at night. The method was to intensively guide the trainees in the management of their enterprises. Every action from the planning of their projects, to the purchase of raw materials, the chicks, the feed, the process of manufacture, the process of the growth and sale of cattle, the making of garments and their sale was all monitored on a non formal education basis where the youths were trained to look at the advantages and disadvantages of each course of action and act on their own. They were monitored closely and helped when they failed. . The trainees were taught basic economics related to their ventures‚ The training included understanding the free market economy and the youths were guided to think, understand and increase their ability and capacity in the process. This was non-formal education in action. The achievement was within the village setting where the projects became family concerns with brothers and sisters becoming involved. On our Visits, Training sessions were provided impromptu where everyone could participate.
The effort was to make a youth movement to make youths establish ventures and guide them till they are income bearing equal to the earnings of a clerical officer in the Public Service.
This Programme began at the end of March 1982 with a few trainees and was expanded to 2000 by October 1983. By the time I left Bangladesh at the end of October 1983- in sixteen months my team was guiding 2000 youths. The team comprised the Secretary, the Joint Secretary of the Ministry with a few hundred staff of Directors, Deputy Directors of Youth, Director for Livestock and Poultry, Directors of the 3 Residential Training Centers in Livestock & Poultry, Lecturers in Training Institutes- all of whom were taught the essentials of economics firstly to be able to analyse the economy of Bangladesh and to arrive at areas of economic activity where self employment production would be an asset to the country. They were also taught methods of imparting instructions in a manner that would evoke the active participation of the trainees and enable them to think and make their own decisions. This included national and regional planning culled down to the village level., where the self employment units were established.
We got down to work in earnest.. The officers were patriotic to the extreme. It was long hours every day for months Daily circuits in Toyota Hiace bone shakers- leaving early morning to return whenever. The officials responded ably.
In an evaluation conducted in March 1983, eleven months from the commencement it was found that of the youths that commenced by May 1982, 283 youths had established their own commercial ventures, with stocks of flocks and head of cattle valued at Tk.911,630.00. It was building up stocks, buying chicks and ducklings and seeing them grow. As much as 223 of them had reached a net income of TK 369.00 a month. Of them 83 earned over Tk. 500.00 a month. In the Jamalpur District, in disciplines like dress making, fisheries, retail sales, electrical goods repairing workshops, welding, etc. 73 youths were involved, earning an average net income of Tk 445.00 a month with 20 of them earning net incomes of Tk. 500.00 or over:”
At that time Tk. 500.00 a month was the salary drawn by a Clerical Officer in the Government Service. Getting the youths to reach a net income of Tk. 500.00 was our aim.
In an Evaluation done in August 1983, 16 months from commencement the Report documented:
“A Programme of Excellence in every respect unfolds in the results documented. .Of 500 unemployed youths who joined the programme in the early months, 479 are earning an average net income of Tk 596.00 in August 1983, 8 to 12 months after they commenced their commercial ventures, 55 of them earn over Tk. 1000.00 a month and 253 earn over Tk 500.00.”
In August 1983, barely 16 months from the commencement, the achievement was hailed by the two Secretaries of the Ministry of Labour and Manpower; In their words:
“Dr. Karunaratne’s significant contribution has been in the field of self employment to the drop-out youths. This programme was not only designed but also guided by him. This activity, which was initially launched as a pilot experimental project, has been a great success and has now being adopted as a fill-fledged Programme. The Government of Bangladesh has been successful in providing meaningful employment to a large number of youths on this Programme” . (Asafuddowlah)
“Dr. Karunaratne’s role as the formulator of the program has been particularly commendable. It was mainly through his dedication and hard work that the pilot project has now been formally accepted as one of the most important development projects.” (Ayubur Rahaman)
The YSEP has stood the test of time for over three decades (1982-2019) The Five Year Plan of 1997-2002 devotes 8 pages to this program. This is easily the premier employment creation program that one can find in the world today. All other programs involve training and apprenticeship only and never include the tasks of motivating youths, involving them in non-formal education endeavor to develop their abilities and capacities, through technical guidance and management advice provided as they work on their projects aimed at their becoming commercially viable, which are the cornerstones on which this programme has been based.
Instead of traditional youth work, the aims of the Ministry of Youth had been altered to facilitate the unemployed youth for gainful employment/self employment, providing vocational/skills development training and micro credit support.
The above achievement of the Youth Self Employment Programme stands great in comparison to what was achieved by the ILO Project in Tangail in the earlier three years, where the number of entrepreneurs was only 626, where Tk. 1.38 million was disbursed of which only Tk. .61 million was recovered. The best cases document people owning one milk cow or fattening one head of cattle for sale. Many of the 626 people had dropped off.
By August 1983, 16 months after commencement The Department of Youth Development were training 2000 youths. The Programme was expanded apace to involve 7000 youths by 1987, to 16,000 by 1992 and to 160,000 a year from 1997. In 1982 we had only 3 Residential Training Centers. This was increased to 64 by 1997. In 2011 February The Government of Bangladesh reported to the 34 th Session of the Governing Council of IFAD(FAO) that this programme had guided as much as two million youths to be self employed‚ on a commercially viable basis.(Statement by Bangladesh to the 34 th Session of the Governing Council of IFAD(FAO), dated19/02/2011)
My task was also to train the officers to carry on the programme after my‚ two year period of service ended.‚ True to a man Bangladeshi officers carried on the ardous task and‚ today 160,000 youths are being guided annually.. A full Department of Youth Development now devotes 95% of their time to training and guiding youths to become self employed..
Every country boasts of skills training programmes where youths are trained in the thousands but none provide training to guide the trained to become entrepreneurs- the task that was successfully done in this Youth Self Employment Programme.
It would behove every Government to decide that all skills training programmes should include guidance to enable the youths in training to establish enterprises of their own and become entrepreneurs. This can be achieved with little extra cost as the staff that train youths in skills will also be guiding them to become self employed.
Another important fact is that for the first few years, no new funds were provided. Savings were found within the skills training programme budgets for holding training workshops to create self employment..
Having a live successful employment creation programme to follow and for guidance is a great asset to any country that wishes to commence activity.
The intrinsic success of the Youth Self Employment programme of Bangladesh offers hope for any country that hopes to convert their unemployed youth to become entrepreneurs.
The entire world yearns for that development today.
Garvin Karunaratne, Ph.D. Michigan State University‚
Commonwealth Fund Advisor to the Ministry of Labour and Manpower, the Government of Bangladesh(1981-1983)
(A Collective Symposium with expert input from Global Financial Advisors)
Feb.19th.2024
Evaluating Sri Lanka’s path to recovery and how the World Bank, as a development partner, is supporting the country’s journey towards green, resilient, and inclusive development, there is a positive indication that the country is on the right track.
The Nation is all too familiar with the unprecedented multiple crises Sri Lanka currently faces and has faced in the past.It must be remembered that It was this time last year, a mere twelve months ago, that the peak of Sri Lanka’s worst economic crisis in decades transpired.The economy contracted by 7.8 percent in 2022 and 11.5 percent in the first quarter of 2023.
The crisis has had devastating impacts on people’s standards of living, exacting a heavy toll on the poor and vulnerable and jeopardizing Sri Lanka’s past development gains.
We estimate that poverty doubled from 13.1 to 25 percent between 2021 and 2022—an addition of 2.5 million poor people—and we expect this to increase by another 2.4 percent in 2023.
Many more people are just one shock away from poverty. We estimate that 5.7 percent of the population lives less than 10 percent above the poverty line, and a further 5.6 percent between 10 and 20 percent above the poverty line.
This dramatic increase in poverty and vulnerability has wiped-out decades-long human capital gains. For example, there is now a serious learning crisis in the country. Only 14% of Grade 3 students have acquired minimum competency in literacy and only 15% in numeracy.
These harrowing circumstances for the country and its people demand deep reforms to stabilize the economy and bold action to protect the poor and vulnerable.
The people of Sri Lanka have demonstrated incredible resilience in the face of these extraordinary challenges.
This was clearly demonstrated during acute shortages of basic necessities last year of food, medicines, and cooking gas. People supported each other and found innovative solutions to overcome difficulties.
In just one year, Sri Lanka has made good progress in addressing serious challenges facing the economy.
The country is now in an economic recovery phase. Some difficult reforms have been implemented and economic recovery has started.
We congratulate the government on securing the IMF Extended Fund Facility, the parliamentary approval of the Domestic Debt Restructuring, and securing international financial support from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.
The government has committed to an ambitious reform agenda and implemented some difficult and necessary reforms, including tax reforms, cost-reflective utility pricing, a stronger social safety net, and debt restructuring to stabilize the economy.
There have been some signs of stability in the past few months compared to 2022. Inflation is trending downwards from 69.8% in September 2022 to 12% in June 2023.
Market interest rates are also declining as the uncertainty over domestic debt restructuring wanes and the foreign exchange liquidity picture has also improved.
Yet, this is not the end of the road. The path to recovery is long and Sri Lanka must stay the course.The next two years will be critical for Sri Lanka’s recovery. There are further significant headwinds that need to be closely monitored.
The key downside risk is a prolonged debt restructuring process, which would lead to greater uncertainty. Slow or uneven implementation of the reform agenda could further delay the recovery process and the return of confidence in the Sri Lankan economy.
The volatile global economic environment is another source of risk.
Continued elevation or a further increase in commodity prices could make it more difficult to buy essential goods and a global economic contraction could delay the nascent recovery of tourism in Sri Lanka and reduce demand for exports.
The financial sector needs to be carefully monitored, given high exposures to the public sector, rising non-performing assets, and tight liquidity conditions.
There are strong concerns about the scarring effects of the crisis on growth, income, and jobs going forward. As the crisis continues, more people, especially the high-skilled, may leave the country. Families in difficulty are likely to take children out of school. Companies may sell assets that are essential for businesses to stay afloat. These negative coping mechanisms will eventually lower the capacity of the country to grow and generate more jobs and income.
The social protection reform must be carefully implemented to prevent the poor and the vulnerable from falling deeper into poverty.
Sri Lankans need to be committed to supporting the government on its reform path. These much-needed reforms are not going to be easy and will require strong political will, broad-based consensus and consultation, and support from development partners.
This is where our new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) comes in.
The World Bank Group’s new Country Partnership Framework and US$700 million financing support through the RESET DPO and the Social Protection project is our commitment to the Sri Lankan people at this difficult time.
In response to both COVID-19 and the economic crisis, the World Bank re-purposed significant un-disbursed funds from its existing portfolio to sustain institutions so they could continue to provide essential goods and services, protect the vulnerable, support livelihoods, and address food insecurity.
Building on that work, the CPF lays out a two-phased approach that starts with a focus on urgent macro-fiscal and structural reforms and support to protect human capital and the most vulnerable population.
After the first 18-24 months, and subject to successful implementation of the reform program and international debt relief and financial support, the CPF’s focus will gradually shift to investments in longer-term development needs that will help promote private sector job creation—particularly for women and youth—and boost resilience to climate and external shocks, while continuing to invest in social protection and human capital.
Outlined as follows are five key items Sri Lanka must implement on its path to recovery which need to be adhered to unconditionally if success is to be achieved and the country returns to a state of normalcy or even a part thereof.
1. Shifting to a more productive and outward-looking economy
Our estimates show that Sri Lanka’s untapped export potential for merchandise is at US$10 billion annually. This could create an additional 142,500 jobs.
Tapping this missing potential requires liberalizing trade and attracting more and better investments. It is a positive move that the budget speech announced that para-tariffs will be gradually phased out. This will ultimately need to be followed by a broad reduction in tariffs to increase competitiveness and export orientation.
In parallel, a streamlined institutional and legal framework is required to improve the regulatory and policy environment to attract and retain investment. Presently Sri Lanka is moving in this direction with a plan to put in place a comprehensive stand-alone ‘Investment Law’ to facilitate all aspects of the investment life cycle.
2. Transforming economic governance to prevent another crisis
Sri Lanka needs to strengthen fiscal oversight and debt management that led to the current crisis. Independent and non-partisan oversight by Parliament over fiscal and debt management would be important.
Parliament’s approval, on June 20, of the bill to establish a Parliamentary Budget Office is a promising step in this direction.
There is a strong commitment by the government towards improving governance, as announced by the budget for 2023. A new public financial management law and debt management law will improve the transparency and accountability of public resource management.
Establishing a comprehensive legal framework to address corruption issues is critical.
3. Addressing competitiveness constraints and governance issues
posed by State Owned Enterprises(SOEs)
SOEs can play an important role in a country’s economy. However, misallocation of resources in favor of SOEs, along with weak governance of public assets, result in financial losses, undermine competitiveness and investment, as well as the quality of goods and services provided to the people.
This has unfortunately been the case across much of the SOE landscape, including poorly managed access to finance that has also undermined the financial standing of State-Owned Banks (SOBs).
The recent SOE Reform Policy approved by the cabinet, maps out a comprehensive approach to restructure and divest commercial SOEs and SOBs to improve competitiveness, investment, service delivery and governance, and address associated social and environmental considerations.
Successful implementation will require extensive engagement with stakeholders and mobilization of high-quality expertise to ensure restructuring and divestment transactions are completed through best practice and transparent due diligence.
The Government needs the fullest support towards implementing this major reform that can have a transformative impact on the fiscal balance and private sector-led growth.
4. Continue to strengthen the country’s social protection system
to improve coverage and enhanced protection of the poor and vulnerable, including from future shocks.
We welcome the passing of the Welfare Benefit Payments Scheme (WBPS) and the implementation of the social registry.
Moving forward, Sri Lanka must ensure the social protection system is dynamic, effective, transparent and resilient, through: (i) open registration that benefits from robust communication; (ii) timely re-certification of current WBPS beneficiaries; (iii) the further development of robust grievance mechanisms that allow anyone to appeal eligibility decisions; (iv) the provision of integrated support to eligible beneficiaries by enabling other social programs to use the social registry to deliver services and (v) embedding in the system
adaptive features that allow the WBPS to be scaled up and / or
services and benefits to be adjusted in the event of a shock.
5. Prioritizing investments in Human capital
Addressing the dramatic increase in learning losses in the early years and in basic and secondary education, as well as promoting access to quality essential health care services will be critical to ensure those who are already most disadvantaged, are not left behind and are able to achieve their full potential.
Strengthening links between health and disaster risk management and surveillance systems for pandemic preparedness will be important to respond to the next impending shock.
Finally, strengthening access and quality of Tertiary and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) for skills development and uplifting youth and adult skills, including the green transition, will be critical.
For Sri Lanka, what’s really needed is to follow through reforms with actual implementation.
The crisis provides a unique opportunity to implement deep and permanent structural reforms that may be difficult in normal circumstances.
But we are now in a race against time. Sri Lanka cannot face another crisis of this nature and must make the best of this opportunity to build a strong economy that can withstand future shocks!
The inspiration is needed for all journalists, media, and experts – but most importantly, as citizens, to support these critical reforms and to hold decision makers accountable to deliver on these reforms so that Sri Lanka comes out of this crisis faster and stronger.
In the past, Sri Lanka has experienced significant reform reversals and there is a distinct felt need including development partners, to work together to ensure that the government stays the course on difficult reforms.It is urgent, and it is possible.The Nation must come together at this vital moment to help Sri Lanka return to what she was, as the foremost priority for all Sri Lankans.
NATO’s new cold war on Russia and China is destroying Germany’s industrial base, devastating Europe’s economy, and destabilizing its politics, fueling the rise of the far-right, as neoliberal austerity policies exacerbate the ongoing recession. Ben Norton analyzes the evidence.
ජාතික මතවාදය වෙනුවෙන් සැමවිටම පෙනීසිටිමින් ජාත්යන්තර වශයෙන් හා දේශීය වශයෙන් ඒ වෙනුවෙන් තම හඬ අවදිකරමින් රට වෙනුවෙන් තම මාධ්ය භාවිතාව හැසිරවූ ප්රවීන මාධ්යවේදිනී ෂෙනාලි වඩුගේ මහත්මියගේ ආදරණීය මෑණියන් වූ ශ්රීමා වඩුගේ මහත්මිය ඉකුත් දා අභාවප්රාප්ත විය. 
Parliament, Feb. 21 (Daily Mirror)- A government MP said today that Sri Lanka should not be subjected to Indianisation, claiming that he was against the Indian rupee being used in Sri Lanka and to provide Sri Lankan airports to Indian investors.
Colombo, Feb 19 (Daily Mirror) – The health sector workers who staged a protest at the National Hospital, Colombo (NHC) today demanding the removal of the National Hospital’s Deputy Director, had reportedly signed for overtime payments.
Parliament, Feb. 20 (Daily Mirror)- The government must inform Parliament wether the statement made by Tourism Minister Harin Fernando in India that Sri Lanka was part of India was the government’s official stance or his personal opinion, Parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa said.