If you want a war with Iran, Russia, China and Venezuela tell me why and how it would benefit Americans
So Honest Joe Biden is now going to give another $1.2 billion to the Ukrainians on top of the sixty or so billion that is already in the pipeline, but who’s counting, particularly as Congress refused to approve having an inspector general to monitor whose pockets will be lined. The money will be printed up without any collateral or borrowed” and the American taxpayer will somehow have to bear the burden of this latest folly that is ipso facto driving much of the world into recession. And it will no doubt be blamed on Vladimir Putin, a process that is already well under way from president mumbles. But you have to wonder why no one has told Joe that the whole exercise in pushing much of the world towards a catastrophic war is a fool’s errand. But then again, the clowns that the president has surrounded himself with might not be very big on speaking the truth even if they know what that means.
Having followed the Ukraine problem since the United States and its poodles refused to negotiate seriously with Vladimir Putin in the real world, I have had to wonder what is wrong with Washington. We have had the ignorant and impulsive Donald Trump supported by a cast of characters that included the mentally unstable Mike Pompeo and John Bolton followed by Biden with the usual bunch of Democratic Party rejects. By that I mean deep thinkers about social issues who would not be able to run a hot dog stand if that were what they were forced to do to make a living. But they are real good at shouting freedom” and democracy” whenever questioned concerning their motives.
Indeed, opinion polls suggest that there is a great deal of unrest among middle and working class Americans who see a reversion to Jimmy Carter era financial instability, at that time caused by the oil embargo. Well, there is a new energy embargo in place brought about by the Biden Administration’s desire to wage proxy war to weaken” Russia. Analysts predict that the costs for all forms of energy will double in the next several months and surging energy costs will impact the prices of other essentials, including food. Given all that, the fundamental issue plaguing both Democrats and Republicans is their inability to actually explain to the American people why the country’s foreign and national security policy always seems to be on the boil, searching for enemies and also creating them when they do not exist, even when the results are damaging to the interests of actual Americans.
That a serious discussion of why the United States needs to have a military that costs as much as the next nine nations in that ranking combined is long overdue and rarely addressed outside the alternative media. The 2023 military budget has been increased from this year’s, totaling $858 billion, and, if one includes the constantly growing largesse to Ukraine, approaching a hitherto unimaginable trillion dollars. The military budget has become a major driver of the country’s unsustainable deficits. The deaths of millions of people directly and indirectly in the wars started in 9/11 aside, the wars of choice have cost an estimated $8 trillion.
The Constitution of the United States makes it clear that a national army was only acceptable to the Founders when it was dedicated to defending the country from foreign threats. Do Americans really believe that bearing the burden of having something like 1,000 military bases scattered around the world really makes them safer? The recent rapid collapse of the security situation in Afghanistan suggests that having such bases turns soldiers and bureaucrats into potential hostages and is therefore a liability. One might also suggest that the insecurity currently prevailing in the country can in large part be attributed to the government’s depiction of numerous threats” in order to justify both the commitment and the expense.
So where does all the money go? And what are the threats? Starting with a war that the United States is de facto though not de jure involved in, Ukraine, what was the Russian threat that demanded Washington’s intervention? Well, if one discards the nonsense of a rules based international order” or a plucky little democracy Ukraine fighting valiantly against the Russian bear, Moscow did not threaten the United States in any way before the missiles starting flying. Putin sought to negotiate a settlement with Ukraine based on a number of perceived existential Russian national security interests, all of which were negotiable, but the US and its friends were uninterested in compromise while also plying the corrupt Zelensky regime with weapons, money and political support. The final result is a conflict that will likely only end when the last Ukrainian is dead and it includes the possibility that a misstep by the United States and Russia could lead to a nuclear holocaust. To put it succinctly, what is going on does not enhance US national security, nor does it benefit Americans economically.
And then there is China. Biden let the cat out of the bag on his recent trip to the Far East. He stated that the United States would defend Taiwan if China were to attempt to annex it. In saying that, Biden demonstrated that he does not understand the strategic ambiguity that the US and the Chinese have preferred over the past fifty years as an alternative to war. The White House for its part quickly issued a correction to the Biden statement, explaining that it was not true that Washington is obligated to defend Taiwan. Some uber hawkish congressmen have apparently found the Biden gaffe appealing and are promoting a firm US commitment to defend Taiwan, coupled with a $4.5 billion military assistance package, of course.
At the same time, some officials in the Pentagon and the usual gaggle of congressmen also keep warning about the over the horizon threat from China as an excuse to boost defense spending. Most recently, there was alarm over Chinese participation in a meeting in May in Fiji to consider a China-Pacific Islands free trade pact! In reality, the only serious current threat from China is as an economic competitor. A trade war with China would be a disaster for the US economy, which is heavily dependent on Chinese manufactured goods, but Beijing, with its relatively small military budget, does not pose a physical threat to the United States.
And let’s not ignore Iran which has been hammered by economic sanctions and also through the covert killing of its officials and scientists. The US/Israeli war on Iran has also spilled over into neighboring Syria, where Washington actually has troops on the ground occupying the country’s oil producing region and stealing the oil. Iran’s possible expansion of its nuclear program to produce a weapon was effectively impeded through monitoring connected to a multilateral 2015 agreement called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) but Donald Trump, unwisely and acting against actual American interests, withdrew from it. Joe Biden has been warned by Israel not to re-enter the agreement, so he will no doubt comply with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s determination to have Washington continue to apply extreme pressure” on the Islamic Republic. Does either Iran or its ally Syria threaten the United States in any way? No. Their crime is that they are in the same neighborhood as the Jewish state, which finds the US government easy to manipulate into acting against its own interests.
Finally, in America’s own hemisphere there is Venezuela, which has been elevated to the status of Washington’s most hated nation in the region. Venezuelans have been subjected to increasingly punitive US sanctions, including some new ones just last week, which hurt the poorer citizens disproportionately but have not brought about regime change. Why the animosity? Because the country’s leader Nicolas Maduro is still in power in spite of a US assertion that the country’s opposition leader Juan Guaido should rightfully and legitimately be in charge after a possibly fraudulent election in 2018. The latest therapy applied by the United States on Caracas consisted of blocking the country as well as Nicaragua and Cuba from participating in the recent meeting of the Ninth Summit of the Americas which was held in Los Angeles. A State Department spokesman explained that the move was due to the three countries lacking democratic governances.” Mexican President Lopez Obrador protested against the move and removed himself from his country’s delegation, saying There can’t be a Summit of the Americas if not all countries of the American continent are taking part.” The despicable US Senator Robert Menendez of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee then felt compelled to add his two cents, criticizing the Mexican president and warning that his decision to stand with dictators and despots” would hurt US-Mexico relations. So where was the threat from Venezuela (and Cuba and Nicaragua) and why is the US involved at all? Beats me.
What all of this means is that there is absolutely no standard of genuine national security that motivates the US’s completely illegal aggression in many parts of the world. What occurs may be linked to a desire to dominate or a madness sometimes described as exceptionalism” and/or leadership of the free world,” neither of which has anything to do with actual security. And the American people are paying the price both in terms of decline in standards of living due to the upheaval created in Ukraine and elsewhere as well as a completely understandable loss of faith in the US system of government. By all means, let us shrink the US military until it is responsive to actual identifiable threats. Let’s elect a president who will follow the sage advice of President John Quincy Adams, who declared that Americans should not go abroad to slay dragons they do not understand in the name of spreading democracy.” At this point, one can only imagine an America that is at peace with itself and with what it represents while also being considered a friend to the rest of the world.
Philip M. Giraldi, Ph.D., is Executive Director of the Council for the National Interest, a 501(c)3 tax deductible educational foundation (Federal ID Number #52-1739023) that seeks a more interests-based U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. Website is councilforthenationalinterest.org, address is P.O. Box 2157, Purcellville VA 20134 and its email is inform@cnionline.org.
Most Bangladeshi and India media report read that the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has received 600 kg of mangoes from Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as part of her “mango-hilsa diplomacy.”
Hasina delivered mangoes to President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, according to the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in this country.
According to a Bangladesh’s deputy high commission official in Kolkata, a few more chief ministers in the eastern region will likely receive similar gifts. President Kovind, Prime Minister Modi, and the chief ministers of West Bengal, Tripura, and Assam received mangoes from Prime Minister Hasina last year as well. Hasina delivered mangoes from Rajshahi, including kinds like Golapkhas and Amrapali, as it is the peak season for the delectable fruit in Bangladesh.
India is a longtime friend of Bangladesh. Keeping that friendship intact, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sent mangoes for her friend Indian President Ramnath Kobind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, just like last year. On Friday afternoon, 1,200 kg of Amrapali mangoes were delivered to the residences of the President and Prime Minister of India.
The mango was delivered as a gift to the respective diplomatic channels by the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, India. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s gift of mango and hilsa is further strengthening the diplomatic relations and friendship between the two countries.
Last year too, during the mango season, Sheikh Hasina sent ‘Amrapali’ and Haribhanga mangoes as gifts to the President of India, Prime Minister, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Bishwa Sharma.
Since last year, Sheikh Hasina has started mango diplomacy. A day before the meeting of the Joint Working Group (JCC) between Bangladesh and India last week, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sent mangoes. Foreign Minister attended the JCC meeting. Abdul Momen has completed his visit successfully. The JCC meeting was held in Delhi on June 19. The JCC discussed the overall issues of bilateral relations, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s upcoming visit to India. Incidentally, Prime Minister Modi and President Kobind visited Bangladesh last year to attend the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh’s independence and the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur. And Narendra Modi has recently invited Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to visit India through External Affairs Minister S Jayashankar.
According to media reports, On September 6 and 7, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will travel to India to meet with her Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi. The schedule has been set by Delhi and Dhaka, and the Prime Minister verbally approved.
The Joint Consultative Commission meeting between Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Bangladeshi Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on June 19 included discussion of the Prime Minister-level meeting’s itinerary.
According to a representative of the foreign ministry, the two nations will hold a Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) meeting before the PM-level summit in New Delhi. The JRC has not met at the ministerial level in the past ten years, despite the fact that the sharing of water from transboundary rivers is a major concern for the two nations. In October of this year, Prime Minister Hasina last traveled to India.
The PM’s visit is vital for the two nations’ bilateral ties, which have significantly improved over the past 15 years, particularly in light of Bangladesh’s role as India’s gateway to its northeastern states. India has also praised Bangladesh’s involvement for upholding a zero-tolerance attitude toward the insurgents who had previously caused unrest in the northeastern states of India.
India and Bangladesh are attempting to improve regional collaboration, particularly in connecting South and Southeast Asia, in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak and the Russia-Ukraine war, which severely interrupted the global supply chain.
In order to ensure early preparation for any natural catastrophes like floods and storms, Bangladesh also requests India’s assistance in managing the transboundary river basin as a whole and in exchanging weather data.
Since the Sylhet region is experiencing severe flooding mostly as a result of high rainfall in the Indian hill states of Meghalaya and Assam, the issue has become more crucial than ever.
PM Hasina has made an admirable gesture Both last year and this year, we had a good crop of mangoes. They are more than welcome if they assist to deepen bonds and improve the harmony between the two nations. It should assist in resolving any bilateral difficulties.
The Teesta water-sharing agreement is one of the many persistent disagreements between Bangladesh and India. Since a few years ago, there has been talk over the Teesta water-sharing deal between Bangladesh and India. However, there is no longer a Teesta problem. The sharing of Teesta River water became the most crucial topic of dispute following the Ganges Treaty in 1996. At the two nations’ ministerial-level conference in August 1983, the Teesta water-sharing issue between Bangladesh and India was first raised.
Manmohan Singh, who was India’s prime minister at the time, traveled to Dhaka in September 2011. A Teesta water-sharing deal was scheduled to be inked at that time. The temporary agreement had a 15-year term. The agreement establishes Bangladesh’s entitlement to 37.5% of the Teesta’s water and India’s right to 42.5% of it. However, Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, blocked the treaty from being finalized.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina traveled to India later in 2014. The Teesta Treaty was anticipated to be signed following this trip to India. The PM met with Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, during the trip. Even so, the West Bengal Chief Minister was not on board.
She claimed that the primary factor influencing her disapproval was her unwillingness to provide water to Bangladesh at the expense of North Bengal’s residents. Even in 2015, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi traveled to Dhaka alongside West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Despite the Teesta Treaty receiving great press at the time, nothing came of it. There are 54 rivers that cross the boundary between Bangladesh and India. In 43 of these, India controls the majority of the seas, which is essentially unjust to its neighbors.
In essence, refusing to sign the Teesta River accord is a denigration of the good neighborly relations between India and Bangladesh. India had to keep in mind that Bangladesh is a reliable ally in the area. It is frequently claimed that the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India are at their peak right now. Bangladesh has however made it clear that it still views India as its most crucial neighbor and ally.
As Bangladesh PM has been practicing and showing her liberal neighborhood mindset towards India particularly through ‘Hilsa-Mango’ diplomacy, it is India’s especially West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee should show such kind of proactive reactions. India’s central government always maintained a narrative that West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s continuous opposition has been the key obstacle in signing the Teesta deal. So, there was a subtle hint that only Mamata could be a welcome relief to break the stalemate. As per her quotation, I love Bangladesh but Bengal is my priority. But Mamata must be understood and agreed the reality. Bangladeshi people deserve the right on the river. Not signing the treaty is belittling the unneighborly spirit between India -Bangladesh. As crucial as collaborative cooperation is for the two countries; effective river water management, it’s also necessary for Indian counterparts to assess Bangladesh’s shared rivers. Making one’s life simpler shouldn’t come at the expense of others. As Bangladesh PM is set to visit to India this year, Mamata Banerjee should give green signal to the center to sign the long-pending treaty because this is the long pending promise of India to Bangladesh.
A successful resolution to the Teesta issue will boost bilateral ties between India and Bangladesh while also helping Bangladesh’s economy. India will gain a lot from the Teesta Treaty. If this bilateral agreement is implemented, it will be able to satisfy all Bangladeshi stakeholders. India will undoubtedly be able to fortify its position as Bangladesh’s staunch ally and develop a solid diplomatic and economic alliance. The bondage between the two Bengalis from two countries would be further strengthened. Thus, we can understand easily what the return should India’s Mamata Banerjee provide to Bangladesh against the PM’ Sheikh Hasina’s ‘Mango Diplomacy. Only the answer is ‘the sign of Teesta water’ agreement between two brotherly neighbours.
The writer is a Dhaka based women and human rights activist.
Sarath Wijesinghe President’s Counsel former Ambassador to UAE and Israel
It is a Trained Important and Useful Profession
World is in need of caregivers and skilled labour and employees in other areas that brings dollars to their respective countries. Care giver producing countries require much needed foreign currency including Sri Lanka immersed in the dollar crisis. Our workers are educated committed and respected and it is time to explore the world of employment opportunities.Today opportunities are opened to the skilled and educated labourand it is time for us to fill the Gap created in need of labour force in many countries. You are advised to browse the net for jobs overseas.
Care givers are trained professional giving care, and looking after the elderly sick and disabled. It is a profession that needs proper training and certification by recognized institutions. Elderly, sick, and disabled need care and assistance when loved ones are unable to help them. Now the elderly population is growing faster with sick and disable needs care and assistance care giving has become a fast growing and lucrative erosion. State has come forward to assist the elderly and needs as a duty by themselves to the population and there are arrangements by local authorities and employers of the needs have adopted measures to adopt schemes to help the inmates in care homes. Those who have contributed for insurance schemes, accrued salaries including provident funds, and left with funds and properties need care givers to spend the rest of life with comforts and proper medical attention. It is a useful profession as looking after elders is a civic duty and a duty of the governance. In developed countries such as UK, Japan, EU, and Israel the scheme is organized and streamlined. In less developed countries it is a civic duty with some contributions from the state to needs and the home of the elders and institutions for elders and needy. Care giving is a skill developed by teaching and professional raining. World needs the skilled trained and educated, not unskilled with O/L A/L with no competence in English other languages or IT. Employment bureau and many private training centres are set p by the government and private sector which is the need of the hour today. Care is needed to the elderly, disabled and children and sick. It is provided by the state, individuals and organizations by trained staff. There are specialized hospitals and institutions cater them on voluntary and payment basis worldwide by trained and untrained. It is the duty of the governance to monitor, supervise and regulate the caregiving and caregivers which includes proper training.
Training Professionals to the Profession
Training is mandatory to be a caregiver and many other professions in most countries. In Israel the candidate should be over 21 and a high school graduate, in addition to go through training in an institution and obtaining certification from the professional institution. In the United Kingdom the professional is more organised and professionalized. Caregiving institution as are regulated by the state and the professionals are trained and supervised by state and pirate institutions. This is the case in Japan, Europe and many developed countries, and even in less developed nations. Caregiving is stressful and needs training patience and human nature. Nurses are trained to treat and look after patients after having gone through an arduous course of studies including training. It is a merit to look after patients, elderly and needs based on any religion and there specialized agencies and groups set us and trained to treat and look after such as red cross, and similar organizations and voluntary and professional organizations to provide trained professionals as a service and for a payment. Organizations and institutions have set up institutions worldwide offering training personnel with competence and temperament to serve the making in need of assistance. In developed countries the professional services are expensive and the less developed countries have come forward to provide competent labour forces to the much needed group requiring help and assistance for a reasonable high payment, especially in countries where the life span is high. It is a trade that requires training to train skills when includes the need to train all skilled labour which is the need of the hour in any country when there is a great demand for skilled labour in every field. A young man with O/L, A/L or a graduate is no use to the employer unless trained and skilled. It is the duty of the individual and the governance to provide for this training which generates foreign exchange to the country.
Elderly and Disable population
Life span is high in countries such as japan, Israel, Europe and many with a high percentage of elderly population. In Europe, Japan and Israel the percentage of the elderly population is gradually increasing with a result the need of more and more care for the elderly, in addition to the patients that needs care part and full time, which is somewhat expensive in their standards when Asian and African labour force has come forward to fill the need. For reasons unexplained the elderly and disable population is gradually unceasing with rising need of more and more trained care givers. Due to medical blunders and health issues the disable population is dangerously in the rise with the rising of the life span due to the improvement of health care with NHS and UK population as a classic example, with Japan and Israel with high concentration of elderly population. Looking after elderly and disable is hard tiring and needs lot of patience which is needs considerable training and guidance. They need care and assistance especially when looking after full time 24 hour of the day when the stress is shared by the giver and taker equally, when long and professional taking is needed to avoid unfortunate situations. In UK nurses are converting to caregivers as it is lucrative and convenient with able and wealthy employers. Care homes in UK are assisted by the local authorities and very profitable. Care homes in Sri Lanka are mostly free managed by voluntary organizations. There are few private caregiving institutions managed for the retired, affluent and those with pensions and savings which is fast growing today. Nursing and caregiving is a lucrative and demanding profession in all parts of the world. Nurses in Sri Lanka is well trained educate smart but at times lacking in language and improved skills. Once thee requirements are fulfilled the wold will need our nurses and caregivers.
Employment offering countries and training schemes
Asia and Africa has come forward as leaders on providing employees, and many other emerging countries in the Eastern Europe has entered the team. Philippine is in the lead in providing employment to the world with 35% of the population in foreign employment trained by the state from the school as a home industry producing professionals, Nurses, caregivers, and minor employees to the world with their considerable knowledge of English and forwardness, followed by other Asian nations such as India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and African countries. India provides trained and untrained labour with the huge population and Sri Lanka too have come forward as friendly, hardworking and educated clan wining hearts and minds of the employer as hardworking, sincere, and friendly, with the potential of the industry taking off as lucrative and money making to the respective countries in need of much needed foreign currency. Some countries are needed foreign labour to manage their domestic affairs with an example of UAE with 18% of the native population is depending on the rest to manage the country with the powerful workforce, with the hospitability industry is fully dominated by the outside workers when the locals are in business with the newly founded Oil (in 1961 they found oil in Middle East) with the economic boom to attract foreign labour. Now the world needs foreign labour and less developed countries need the foreign currency for their economy, for Asian and African countries.
Training of Caregivers Worldwide
Most of the training has to be physical only few online as the training involved human contacts and human physiology and human contacts. English IT and other subjects could be taught online but not the actual training that needs human touch and handling. This is very professionally done in the UK and USA with proper standards through expensive of course followed by arduous regularization process supervised by state and professional institutions. Training is given by the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment and there are nearly 900 agencies registered with the Bureau to provide employment registered in the website. The Bureau is expected to regularise, monitor, and look after the prospective employees and manage the training and employment schemes of the institution. The training offered by the SLEB is recognized by the employers, who depend on the institution for training and other professional dealings. In addition to the other private agencies SLEB is also engaged in training and recruitment of all sectors including caregiving. The salary of a caregiver according to the website is Rs 573000/ which is NIS 5300 with an expenditures of Rs 3,50,000/ for which the candidate is entitled to a bank loan. The reputation of the agencies are not satisfactory with many complaints to the police on fraud disapprobation mistrust, and fraud, with some complains on the SLBFE on inefficiency and some complaints against individuals. Training institutions and schemes in other parts of the world is shown in websites which has access online. It is time on the genuine labour agencies and those who aspire to be agents to be strictly professional and honest to win over the prospective employers to generate much needed foreign currency for the country on employment. Country depend on the Bureau of employment as the main competent regulator it is the duty of the governance to encourage them to draw up programs with the private sector to trained skilled labour, when one million youth is wasting time as three wheel drivers mainly the school leavers looking for easy money with least effort which is a criminal waste of young talents when Israel every young man is an innovator self-employed with training from the training institutions.
Way forward with the way out to solve the Dollar Crisis and providing skilled labour to the world.
World needs skilled, educate and committed labour for their work force, with language abilities It and other skills which are easily acquired in Sri Lanka. Good news is new training centres are emerging and job opportunities are fast growing. For UK, USA, Japan, EU and even in Middle East only on skilled labour and professionals. What is requited is the need commitment and the opportunities for the trainee aspirants. Demand is so high by the world for skilled labour and we are unable to provide the requirements though the process and procedure for training is accessible available and affordable. We need vigorous campaign and it is the duty of the young to explore their mobiles that has the penetration of 110% of the population. It is the duty of the media and Employment Bureau to give vigorous publicity on this matter in all ways and means. Good news is that many countries are approaching us for skilled labour and it is the duty of the Embassies Ambassadors and the foreign Ministry to be active in this sphere. In Embassies the Employment Bureau comes under the Ambassador and they are the agents of the government to promote and communicate with the counters and employers in this endeavoured. The employer providing nation must provide properly trained staff wit given skills not to disappoint the receiving country. Israel pays high salaries for agriculture workers and the Sri Lankan side once provided unskilled in disciplined labour who organized strikes for extra facilities which disappointed the state and the employer which is only an example to be avoided. Let us learn from mistakes and sufferings and start a new leaf of life with a campaign for proper training and committed working population to bring lost prosperity to Sri Lanka. (The author of this article Ambassador Sarath Wijesinghe could be contacted on sarath7@hotmail.co.uk)
As an example emerging concept of the Blue Economy has been embraced by the Government of Seychelles as a mechanism to realise sustainable economic development based ,around an ocean-based economy.
Seychelles intention is to implement the Blue Economy concept at the national level as a framework to foster an integrated approach for sustainable development programmes.
The critical gap however, is the mechanism for its implementation at the national level. Limited, if any, practical information is currently available to countries, notably small states, wishing to implement these concepts.
This is predominately so, as information that does exist focuses primarily on land-based economic development or has a strong focus on conservation rather than on the sustainable use of the investment in an ocean-based economy for national benefit.
( Rice ,Live stock only ??? )
This roadmap will necessarily require the definition of short, medium and long-term actions across a broad range of sectors and will also require fundamental changes to the traditional institutional arrangements that exist to support management of marine sectors and resources in Sri Lanka
A coordinated, whole of Government approach will be a necessary condition for successful implementation of the Blue Economy.
Recent changes in the attitude of Sri Lankan Government should establish a dedicated agency to oversee completion and implementation for the Blue Economy Roadmap.
However, while Sri Lanka has existing capacity for some key sectors of the Blue Economy (e.g. fisheries) it lacks the overarching policy and strategic expertise required to make this transition effectively.
As such, the Government of Sri Lanka should seek the assistance of the Commonwealth Secretariat and the World Bank with the provision of a long-term in-country technical expert to assist the Government complete this transition effectively.In addition, up to two additional technical experts may be required on a short-term basis (6 months) to undertake specific technical activities that are expected to arise as the project progresses.
Goal
The project aims to assist the Government of Sri Lanka in developing and implementing a National Blue Economy Roadmap, the purpose being to establish the broad direction for future investment in and development of a sustainable ocean-based economy in our country.
The purpose of the specific request for long-term (and shorter-term) technical adviser(s), is to assist the Government of Sri Lanka to review, validate and implement the Roadmap and more importantly, to support Sri Lanka in its transition to a more integrated ocean-based economy.
Question is whether newly appointed Technocrats have any idea about the Blue Economy ?
As an example a recent visit by Japanese Delegation initiated by the Prime Ministry’s office consisting private companies have expressed willingness, to develop Fishery Industry.
Unfortunately some advisors in the PM’s office are only promoting implementation of Ice making Plants on Land to conserve fish caught in the deep ocean.
What our so called experts have failed to understand is that 70% of the fish brought on shore is rotten because Sri Lanka has not developed a Mother Vessel Concept to collect fish as soon as they are caught ,preserve them until they reach the shore .
Fishermen using Multiday fishing Vessels go to Ocean carrying few tons of Ice blocks to preserve fish .By the time they return after an almost three weeks, ice is melted and fish is not even good for making Dry Fish!
Almost all big fish you find in the market is not good for Human Consumption
When this delegation was taken to Dikovita Harbour (a grandiose western style harbour facility built with foreign funding) during wee hours of the day by my team, they were aghast and disgusted to note that the fish unloaded in the morning by fishermen is not suitable for Human Consumption!
One polite young Japanese Lady murmured to us and asked Is this fish for dogs or for making chicken feed?”
I took the liberty of calling PMs’ office and explained that installation of Hybrid Ice Making plants of Japanese Technology on land is not what we need.
We need MOTHER VESSELS to be anchored in the Ocean with Seawater Ice making Plants to collect them rather than waiting for three weeks
Mother vessels are Stationery Self sustained ISLANDS in the ocean which can not only provide Ice, but Fuel and .Emergency Assistance to multy-day fishing vessels of 40 to 55 feet which hardly have Ice Making Plants on Board ( They do not even have generators on board but use batteries for night lights !)
Impact
The successful and sustainable implementation of the Blue Economy Strategic Roadmap will ultimately deliver the following outcomes:
Ocean ecosystems and biodiversity recovered and protected.
Increased investment in existing ocean-based economic sectors.
New data and knowledge on Sri Lankan ocean space available.
Marine-based aquaculture sector and marine biotechnology products and processes developed and implemented.
Protective measures and greater use of surveillance and enforcement tools provides greater protection for Seychelles.
Fisheries and aquaculture management improved through equitable, non-subsidized and sustainable practices.
Utilization of renewable energy from the ocean, ( i,e Harnessing Wave energy )
Surveillance of offshore waters strengthened through enhanced maritime domain awareness and law enforcement. The above is expected to contribute to the goals of the Government of Sri Lanka
Capacity built and new research/data sectors developed.
Streamlined implementation with an overarching system in place.
The main beneficiaries of the project will be the Ministry of Finance, Trade and The Blue Economy. In addition, a range of government agencies/ministries that have responsibility for the management of marine resources and sectors, including Marine resources, tourism, environment management, maritime transport, economic development and investment, maritime security and offshore petroleum will also benefit. In this context Ministry of Tourism may be amalgamated with Ministry in Charge of Fishery and Aquatic Resources?
A broad range of relevant stakeholders and citizens will ultimately benefit from this intervention, including existing marine industry sectors, marine user groups and local communities.
Outputs
Implementation of accelerated blue economy program (like Mahaweli for Farmers)
Comprehensive and strategic advice provided to the Minister of Finance, Trade and the Blue Economy, Ministry Secretary and relevant stakeholders including private Sector responsible for the Blue Economy.
Relevant documentation e.g. policy papers, project management documents, project status and evaluation documents prepared and submitted.
Review of the current Roadmap ( if any) including additional improvement/amendments in the content leading to the validation of the Road Map.
Stakeholder engagement and consultation facilitated as required, including the establishment of stakeholder bodies.
Strategies, focus areas and projects for implementation of the Blue Economy Roadmap identified, approved and implemented.
Resources (financial, human capacity and technical) necessary to execute projects for implementation of the Blue Economy Roadmap, identify, solicited and secured.
Strategic partnerships between Sri Lanka and our neighbours such as Maldives and Seychelles and relevant partners including, but not limited to: development agencies, private sector organizations, and marine research institutes, established and maintained.
Consistent implementation of the Roadmap across government and its respective agencies, in particular, working closely with Sri Lankan Ministry of Fisheries , Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Energy Ministry , , Ministry of Investment, Entrepreneurship Development and National Agency for Aquatic Resources etc.
Blue Economy roadmap and policy for Sri |Lanka should be promoted domestically, regionally and internationally.
The Queen appears on the Buckingham Palace balcony with Royal Family members to watch the flypast.
Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in England were held with the pomp and pageantry, stemming from the grandeur of Britain’s unique traditions. Born to be a Queen is extraordinary, and to be the Head of the Commonwealth and the longest serving monarch in the UK is even greater accountability. Queen Elizabeth II, nee Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, was born on April 21, 1926. She became the Queen of England on February 6, 1952, after her father’s demise. King George VI of Great Britain and Northern Ireland died in his sleep at the royal estate at Sandringham after a long illness.
Local Celebrations
The Association of British Residents and Commonwealth Expatriates (ABR) celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee on June 5 at the Bougainvillea Ballroom at Galadari Hotel in Colombo with High Tea followed by a sumptuous banquet. The celebrations commenced at 5 p.m., with earlier British residents filling the Ballroom. It appeared during the festivity, like being in Britain with a British atmosphere, where everyone wore caps epitomising the Union Jack. A popular band played Western music too, which the participants enjoyed thoroughly by dancing. Sharp at 10 p.m., the celebrations came to an end after playing both the Sri Lankan national anthem and the British–God Save the Queen”.
The Queen’s Birthday Parade together with the jubilee celebrations in London stood officially on Thursday June 2. The colour was trooped by the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards. More than 1,200 officers and soldiers from the Household Division put on a display of military pageantry on Horse Guards Parade, together with hundreds of Army musicians and around 240 horses. During the Queen’s official Birthday Parade cum jubilee celebrations, a Royal Gun Salute was fired. Once the parade ended, the Royals returned to Buckingham Palace, where Members of the Royal Family made an appearance on the balcony to watch a memorable flypast.
Royal History
Princess Elizabeth was third in line to succeed to the British throne. Still, providence forced her to become the Queen of England unexpectedly. Prince Edward was in the line of succession before Princess Elizabeth, but the Prince abdicated the throne to marry a divorcee (Wallis Simpson), which provoked a constitutional crisis.
On the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, she delivered a speech to the nation and across the Commonwealth: I know that many happy memories will be created during this festive occasion. I continue to be inspired by the goodwill shown to me. I hope that the coming days will allow me to reflect on all that has been achieved during the last seventy years. We look to the future with confidence and enthusiasm.”
The Queen addressed the Speaker of the Scottish Parliament: It is a pleasure to invite you to address this special occasion. I would also like to congratulate you and the Scottish Parliament for being able to mark the new session of Parliament in this safe and welcoming manner during what has been a very trying period. You carry the weighty responsibility of being a strong advocate for the Parliament and I know you will strive to use your judgement to lead this Parliament by demonstrating fairness, respect and impartiality. While some of you will have differences of opinion, I trust you will continue to work together. Your service is carried out in the presence of the Mace, and I encourage you to draw inspiration from the founding principles of Wisdom, Justice, Compassion and Integrity. I hope you can reaffirm the importance of everything you do as a Member of this Parliament.” It was a classic advice to current Sri Lankan Parliamentarians.
Addressing the Engineering and Technology in the UK to mark its 150th anniversary, Queen Elizabeth said: Your 150th anniversary provides an opportunity to recognise the dedication and hard work of all those working in the engineering and technology field. That made a difference to society to give equal rights to people.”
The Queen’s Travels
Queen Elizabeth II has carried all the responsibilities for the last 70 years. Over the years, she travelled to every corner of the globe, and thousands of miles in England, shaking millions of hands without devising any grip to protect her fingers.
At one time, during her reign, the Queen called for a radical overhaul of the monarchy, involving a referendum before an heir could become the Head of State. The well-known ‘Demos’ report suggested that the Royal Family send its children to State schools rather than Eton University and benefit from the National Health Service. The report showed that 66 per cent of Britons wanted a monarchy that reflected the approach of the late Princess Diana. The 35-page report written by Tim Hanes and Mark Leonard stressed the importance of modernising the monarchy stating that the Queen is ‘not the Head of State’ but ‘the head of society’. The Queen agreed that the law needed changing to give females equal rights to succeed to the throne, overturning the 800-year-old royal tradition.
The Queen celebrating her Platinum Jubilee in 2022 never forgot about her late husband- Duke of Edinburgh. She said: For me, in the months since the death of my beloved Philip, I have drawn great comfort from the warmth and affection of the many tributes to his life and work – from around the country, the Commonwealth and the world. His sense of service, intellectual curiosity and capacity to squeeze fun out of any situation – were all irrepressible. That mischievous, enquiring twinkle was as bright at the end as when I first set eyes on him.”
Prince Philip created The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which offers young people throughout the Commonwealth and beyond the chance of exploration and adventure. It will remain an astonishing success in the future. He was also an early champion of taking the Royal family of the environment.
The Queen said finally: I hope my Platinum Jubilee year will allow people to enjoy a sense of togetherness. Thank you for the enormous changes over the last seventy years of social, scientific and cultural confidence you placed in me.”
The Ministry of Public Administration says that a committee has been appointed to look into the possibility of granting 05 years of leave to government employees to work in the private sector.
Secretary to the ministry Mr. M.M.P.K. Mayadunne stated that a seven-member committee has been appointed for this purpose and that the said committee is to submit its report to the Cabinet of Ministers within two weeks.
Incidentally it has been decided at the Cabinet meeting held on June 13 to grant leave with no pay, to be spent in or out of the country, to public officers under special provisions, deviating from the provisions existing in the Establishments Code regarding the granting of leave with no pay, until further notice.
Accordingly, public officers are able to obtain leave with no pay to be spent out of Sri Lanka subjected to a total period of five years at the maximum, so as to be able to make it applicable to the seniority and pension of the officer to leave abroad or to engage in an employment in a foreign institution.
The Government of India, as a close friend of Sri Lanka, will extend its fullest support to the island nation in overcoming the current difficult situation, Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra told President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today (June 23).
The Indian Foreign Secretary made these remarks during a meeting with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the President’s House in Colombo this morning.
The Indian delegation arrived on the island to consider further financial assistance to Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka has already received essential food items, fuel, medicine and fertilizer under the Indian credit line facility. The Indian delegation noted that the Government of India and the political authorities are committed to providing continued support to Sri Lanka.
On behalf of the government and the people of Sri Lanka, the President conveyed his gratitude to the Government of India for its significant role in assisting Sri Lanka in difficult times.
Both sides discussed the future course of action of the Indian aid programme to stabilize and revive the Sri Lankan economy, at length.
The delegation also expressed confidence that the country would recover soon after overcoming this difficult period.
Indian Economic Relations Secretary Ajay Seth, Chief Economic Adviser Dr. V Anantha Nageswaran, Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay, Deputy High Commissioner Vinod K Jacob, Joint Secretary (IOR) Kartik Pande and Secretary to the President Gamini Senarath also participated in this discussion.
KRISHAN FRANCIS COLOMBO, SRI LANKA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Courtesy The Globe and Mail
Sri Lanka’s debt-laden economy has collapsed” after months of shortages of food, fuel and electricity, its Prime Minister told lawmakers Wednesday, in comments underscoring the country’s dire situation as it seeks help from international lenders.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament the South Asian country is facing a far more serious situation beyond the mere shortages of fuel, gas, electricity and food. Our economy has completely collapsed.”
While Sri Lanka’s crisis is considered its worst in recent memory, Mr. Wickremesinghe’s assertion that the economy has collapsed did not cite any specific new developments. It appeared intended to emphasize to his critics and opposition lawmakers that he has inherited a difficult task that can’t be fixed quickly, as the economy founders under the weight of heavy debts, lost tourism revenue and other effects from the pandemic, as well as surging costs for commodities.
Lawmakers of the country’s two main opposition parties are boycotting Parliament this week to protest against Mr. Wickremesinghe, who became Prime Minister just over a month ago and is also Finance Minister, for not having delivered on his pledges to turn the economy around.
Mr. Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka is unable to purchase imported fuel, even for cash, because of heavy debt owed by its petroleum corporation.
Currently, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation is US$700-million in debt,” he told lawmakers. As a result, no country or organization in the world is willing to provide fuel to us. They are even reluctant to provide fuel for cash.”
Mr. Wickremesinghe took office after days of violent protests over the country’s economic crisis forced his predecessor to step down. In his comments Wednesday, he blamed the previous government for failing to act in time as Sri Lanka’s foreign reserves dwindled.
The foreign currency crisis has crimped imports, creating severe shortages of food, fuel, electricity and other essentials such as medicines, forcing people to stand in long lines to obtain basic needs.
If steps had at least been taken to slow down the collapse of the economy at the beginning, we would not be facing this difficult situation today. But we lost out on this opportunity. We are now seeing signs of a possible fall to rock bottom,” he said.
So far, Sri Lanka has been muddling through, mainly supported by US$4-billion in credit lines from neighbouring India. But Mr. Wickremesinghe said India would not be able to keep Sri Lanka afloat for long.
It also has received pledges of US$300-million-US$600-million from the World Bank to buy medicine and other essential items.
Sri Lanka has already announced that it is suspending repayment of US$7-billion in foreign debt due this year, pending the outcome of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund on a rescue package. It must pay US$5-billion on average annually until 2026.
Mr. Wickremesinghe said IMF assistance seems to be the country’s only option now. Officials from the agency are visiting Sri Lanka to discuss a rescue package. A staff-level agreement is likely to be reached by the end of July.
We have concluded the initial discussions and we have exchanged ideas on various sectors such as public finance, finance, debt sustainability, stability of the banking sector and the social security network,” Mr. Wickremesighe said.
Representatives of financial and legal advisers to the government on debt restructuring, Lazard and Clifford Chance, are also visiting the island and a team from the U.S. Treasury will arrive next week, he said.
Sri Lanka needs Dollars. The quickest route to earning and owning dollars now are tourists and foreign remittances into the banking system , not to the money exchangers.
Each tourists on average brings $1000, dollars. 3000 tourists are worth 3 milion dollars , the money required to clear one gas ship at the harbour. 6000 tourists a, a diesel ship . In March ’22 we had 100.000 tourist, enough to clear 20 oil ships.In April this went down to 60,000, May 30,000 an in June less than 1000/day.
The reduction in tourist arrivals correlated well with the length of the gas and oil queues and the misery of the people, the young and old, some paying the ultimate price. .
While the frustration that prompted the Aragalaya is understandable, but please be mindful of the negative impact of these images in the world media have on the tourists arrivals and with it their own misery and that of their kith and kin. This is alll clear toes as shown above.
Use the images and publicity Aragala receives in the world media to send a message, with appropriate banners to the world that “Sri Lanka Needs Tourists and welcomes them‘. This is the best way to help themselves and the suffering masses in the queues. Lambasing the R’s won’t bring the tourist unless the “welcome tourist” message is combined with lambasting the R’s.
Also,if foreign workers send their remittances. via the banking system , (2018, $7 billion, ie. $ 700million /month .I e100 oil ships cleared/ month and no misery for the people. Money sent through the black market ,and money exchanges .stays with them makes the black marketeers have a lot of money but they don’t clear ships, so the misery only worsens. Please send the correct message to the SLs inforeign employment.
These two measures will eliminate queues and suffering of the masses .
Be smart with the protests.The answere is in every. body’s hands.
The Cricketing success against Australia and the CricketAsia Cup in SLAugust opens up monumental opportunities to end this suffering. Let us not miss this chance
This smartness does not go contrary to voicing the justifiable wrath agains the R’s and the calls for Go Gota Go”
Business magnate Dhammika, who took oath as a Member of Parliament this morning, says he is better at bringing in dollars than taking loans.
Speaking to the media, MP Perera said he would reveal his plans to bring in foreign exchange to the country within two weeks.
With regard to his decision to enter the parliament, MP Perera expressed confidence in finding solutions to the ongoing crisis by taking up the new position.
In response to a question on accepting a ministerial portfolio, the parliamentarian said he would do his utmost to contribute to whichever ministry he is assigned to.
MP Perera, stating that he is hopeful of his ability to bring in investments, also pledged to create more job opportunities in the country, recalling his tenure as the chairman of the Board of Investment (BOI) during the civil war period.
When asked if he thinks he boarded a sinking ship, MP Perera said he does not view the country as such.
The tycoon also said he submitted his declaration of assets and liabilities and tax clearance certificate to the Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena before taking oath as a parliamentarian.
Sanjeewa Jayaweera | New Delhi Courtesy The Statesman
When employees are in fuel queues and not reporting to work, there is zero productivity.
The fuel shortage, currently being experienced across Sri Lanka, is causing severe distress and incredible frustration to the public. It has graduated to an extent previously not experienced nor seen in at least Colombo and the suburbs.
I believe most people have been in queues for as long as four to five days, and many have still been unable to purchase any fuel. That this is taking place when gainfully employed people should be at work with their shoulder to the wheel is outrageous. When employees are in fuel queues and not reporting to work, there is zero productivity. This will undoubtedly severely affect those engaged in business and the country’s economy.
The Government of Sri Lanka has decided to limit the working week of public servants to just four days, with no corresponding adjustment to their remuneration. Many working in the private sector, whose taxes foot the public sector salary bill, are not pleased.
The question is, where do we go next? Is it sensible to expect the situation to improve or further deteriorate? I recall reading and watching some TV footage about 18 months ago of the evolving fuel crisis in Lebanon, where people were waiting for several days to purchase 20 litres of fuel. There, too, people parked their vehicles in the queue and went home. Unfortunately, I believe the situation has not improved since then.
So, it may well be that we, too, in Sri Lanka, will need to learn and adapt to the fact that our dwindling foreign currency will never enable us in the future to drive to the fuel station whenever we want, pump whatever we need, and then to drive to our heart’s content.
Professor Amal Kumarage of the University of Moratuwa, a transport sector professional with over 35 years of experience in academia, government, and consulting, proposed, during a discussion on TV, that the country needs to develop a demand plan in line with supply. He suggested that the public need to reassess their travel needs, and arrive at a sensible requirement that will be in line with supply. According to the Prime Minister, the country will have fuel stocks to supply only 50 per cent of demand in the future.
In such a scenario, the requirements of industries supporting the economy need foremost priority, together with public transport providers like the Railways and Buses (government and private). We also need to ensure that the health services, be it hospitals and ambulances, fall within the priority sectors.
Whilst the above allocation must be done by the state, the most critical choices will need to be made by the public. The question is, how many of us would be willing to make that choice? Many of us have got used to dropping and picking up our children from school by either car or van. There is no doubt that in the future this will not be possible. I know most parents will find this an intolerable choice to make. This despite those of us who attended school before the 1980s traveling by bus. The world has since changed, and most parents with school-going daughters will find it difficult to reconcile with the thought of young girls having to parry away the sickos who harass females using public transport.
That many of us will have to forgo many journeys we undertook by vehicle is a fact. The sooner we accept it, the better it would be for our well-being. One can feel the raw tension when driving past fuel stations with long queues. Instances when those patiently waiting in the queue have been incensed by a few who try to jump the line, are rising. People have also resorted to blocking the roads and preventing vehicular traffic, which is not a desirable course of action. Whatever the frustrations might be, law and order need to be maintained.
A friend of mine who is a professional, has bought a cycle and pedals 14 kilometers to work, a couple of days a week. The distance is one way, and he mentioned that it takes him one hour to cycle whilst the car journey is 45 minutes. His wife, a medical practitioner, working in a hospital, does the same.
The big question is how many are realistic and sensible enough to accept the inevitable. No doubt most will not be able to cycle, but will need to depend on travelling by bus and rail. It is the responsibility of the government to improve such services. I recall an initiative to commence canal transport in Colombo a few years back. That either the government or the commuters did not vigorously pursue it is regrettable. There is no better time than now to recommence it. What priority should be given to the three-wheelers is a moot point for debate. It is a form of employment for nearly a million drivers who, in turn, will be supporting another two to three million of the population, requiring them to be considered for special treatment.
Hopefully, the industry will be better regulated, and drivers will be better disciplined.Getting back to those of us who own vehicles, the choices are limited. There has been a proposal by a former minister that vehicles with engine capacities exceeding 2000CC be banned from the road. The initial reaction of many might be adverse. However, given that the fuel consumption of such vehicles is less than desired, there is a need for greater discussion. Maybe the annual revenue license for such cars should be more than Rs. One Million? If we go that way, the President, Prime Minister, and all Ministers should be banned from travelling in such vehicles. There should be no option for them to pay the high revenue license as the taxpayer ultimately bears such expenses.
There is no doubt that whatever action is taken by the government and the public, it will be less than desirable. Many of us will be unhappy and question life’s purpose under these tough choices we will have to make. Our lifestyle will be taken back several decades. We may well need to accept that, as a country, we were pretending to live a lifestyle far in excess of our capabilities and wealth. The phrase the chickens have come home to roost ” is quite apt in the current circumstances.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe says a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the programme for a bailout package would be finalized by the end of July.
The first in-person talks with the IMF on Sri Lanka’s bailout request commenced in Colombo on Monday (June 20) and are going on for 10 days. PM Wickremesinghe met with the visiting IMF delegates who arrived on the island for talks on a bailout programme as Sri Lanka is battling its worst financial crisis since independence in 1948.
The only safe option before us now is to hold discussions with the International Monetary Fund. In fact, this is our only option. We must take this path,” he stressed, delivering a special statement in the parliament today (June 22).
He added that Sri Lanka has concluded the initial discussions with the IMF delegation and exchanged ideas on various sectors such as public finance, finance, debt sustainability, stability of the banking sector and the social security network.
PM Wickremesinghe also said the framework for Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring is expected to be finalized by the end of July following discussions with the financial and legal advisory firms Lazard Ltd. and Clifford Chance LLP.
Representatives of Lazard and Clifford Chance are now in Sri Lanka to assist us in our debt restructuring efforts. The framework for debt repayment restructuring is being formulated.”
Sri Lanka hired the two firms in May to serve as financial and legal advisors on debt restructuring as the country seeks a bailout from the IMF.
Speaking further, the Premier said three high ranking officials of the Indian government are scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka tomorrow (June 23) for discussions regarding the loans offered to the island nations in the future.
We have sought more loans from India, but India cannot continue to lend us. We also need to formulate a system to pay off loans,” PM Wickremesinghe added.
According to him, a team of representatives from the U.S. Department of the Treasury is expected in Sri Lanka next Monday.
We ensured that we created the background necessary for the immediate arrival of these three teams in Sri Lanka. We will conduct lengthy discussions with them. Their presence in the country will now allow us to hold meetings together with all three teams. It will only further assist us in expediting our programme.”
Speaking further, the Premier went on to point out that the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation is USD 700 million in debt and that no country or organisation in the world is willing to provide fuel to Sri Lanka as a result. They are even reluctant to provide fuel for cash.”
According to the prime minister, Sri Lanka is currently in need of USD 550 million to meet its monthly fuel needs. However, in the face of the economic crisis, we are experiencing difficulties in securing the necessary funds for this purpose. As a result of this, we will take steps to import the maximum fuel stocks possible based on our dollar income. Resolving the fuel shortages will take more time. Therefore I request you to economise when using fuel.”
PM Wickremesinghe also revealed that the government has also taken steps to import 100 000 MT of liquefied petroleum gas utilising a World Bank loan of USD 70 million and USD 20 million of the country’s own reserves. We will be able to eliminate the gas shortage once we receive these LPG stocks.”
Speaking further, the Premier said Sri Lanka has plans to organise a credit aid conference which will be led by India, Japan and China – the main lending countries of the island nation.
Through the credit aid conference, we hope to arrive at a general consensus on the lending processes, he explained.
However, there have been some conflicts and disagreements between us in the recent past. We are working towards resolving these and fostering friendly relations once again. Each country has different processes for granting loans.”
If we receive the IMF seal of approval, the world will once again trust us. It will help us to secure loan assistance as well as low-interest loans from other countries in the world. We are also currently holding discussions with the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, the United States, other friendly nations and heads of state to secure interim short-term loans till we receive IMF support. We will be able to lay the foundation to ensure economic stability following the successful completion of these tasks. But this by no means will be the end. In fact, it will be the beginning of our journey. A new journey toward a stronger economy.”
Finance Minister of India Nirmala Sitharaman has assured Sri Lanka of her fullest support” and cooperation for its recovery from the ongoing economic crisis.
Sitharaman conveyed the assurance to Sri Lankan High Commissioner Milinda Moragoda when the envoy met her on Monday.
The Finance Minister of India assured the high commissioner of her fullest support and cooperation to the process of economic recovery in Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan high commission said in a statement.
It was the latest in a series of meetings Moragoda held with Sitharaman on India’s economic cooperation and assistance to Sri Lanka in view of the economic crisis. He had last met her on May 27.
High Commissioner Moragoda once again thanked Minister Sitharaman for the continuation of assistance that India is extending to Sri Lanka, and particularly for expeditiously arranging a separate line of credit of USD 55 million granted on June 10 to import 65,000 MT of urea required for the present cultivation season in Sri Lanka,” the high commission said.
In response, Minister Sitharaman assured High Commissioner Moragoda of her fullest cooperation to the economic recovery process in Sri Lanka, while expressing the hope that Sri Lanka would recover very soon given the resilience of her people,” it said.
Moragoda also met with 15 European envoys based in New Delhi, who are concurrently accredited to Sri Lanka.
The ambassadors of Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine and the High Commissioner of Malta attended the meeting on Tuesday.
Moragoda briefed the heads of mission on the current economic and political developments in Sri Lanka, especially the plans for the stabilisation and recovery of the Sri Lankan economy, the high commission said.
Youth activists Rathindu Senaratne alias ‘Ratta’, Lahiru Weerasekara and five others have been remanded until July 01 by the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court.
Social activist and YouTuber Rathindu Senaratne, the national organizer of ‘Youth for Change’ Lahiru Weerasekara and actor Jagath Manuwarna, who were wanted over the incidents unrest in early June, had surrendered to Maradana Police this morning (22).
On June 17, the Colombo Fort Magistrate ordered the police to arrest 09 suspects for their unruly and violent behaviour during protests at Colombo Fort and Thalangama on the 9th and 10th of June and to produce them before the court.
Several charges including criminal coercion, obstruction of duties of police officers, unlawful assembly, causing injuries and causing damages to public property have been levelled against them.
Demonstrators and government supporters clash outside the official residence of Mahinda Rajapaksa, in Colombo. AFP
An injured Sri Lankan Buddhist monk is being carried away who among many other anti-government protesters were injured after attacked by government supporters outside prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s residence in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, May 9, 2022. Government supporters on Monday attacked protesters who have been camped outside the offices of Sri Lanka’s president and prime minster, as trade unions began a Week of Protests” demanding the government change and its president to step down over the country’s worst economic crisis in memory. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Argentina gained independence from Spain in 1810. Like Sri Lanka, Argentina is rich in agriculture with vast fertile land. Unlike Sri Lanka, by 1913 Argentina became one of the world’s 10th wealthiest states. Like Sri Lanka, political instability became a factor for Argentina’s decline. Unlike Sri Lanka, Argentina was ruled by the military for 60 years. Agriculture production fell as a result of import substitution adopted by both governments. This created a large government, large wage increases, inefficient production & chronic inflation contributing to foreign debt for both nations. Measures taken by Argentina were to make its currency (peso) equal to US dollar & privatize state-run companies, which anyway led to default, then recovery, then again default in 2014 & 2020. Argentina has defaulted on its debt 9 times & currency devalued resulting in high inflation. Argentinians realize what went wrong & are demanding IMF be taken to international court.
Argentina like Sri Lanka had leaders following what suited their party policies instead of what the country & the people needed. The primary reasons for this was western governments & their proxies placing them in power to implement their agendas in exchange to ignore corruptions by these governments. West eventually used these corruptions as bribes to further advance agendas. Ultimately only countries & the people suffered.
Thus from an agriculture policy to industrialization to nationalism to corporate was a hallmark of governance in both countries. Argentina departed from a pro-West Catholic influence to a more state-controlled economy in the 1940s no different to what Mrs. Bandaranaike sought to achieve. That wasn’t allowed to last long.
Argentina could never control inflation on top of which an armed conflict arose in 1982 with UK over Falkland Islands just like Sri Lanka began its 3 decade of armed conflict against LTTE in 1983.
It was in 1982 that Argentina went to IMF for financial assistance just as Sri Lanka went to IMF in 1983 for a Standby Arrangement. Military dictatorship ended in Dec1983 with Raul Alfonsin elected as President who too began IMF discussions which failed. Argentina even changed its currency yet in 1986 it failed to pay debt though debt was renegotiated.
New IMF agreements were reached in 1987 & 1989 but failed resulting in high inflation leaving Argentina no choice but to privatize. Were these IMF failures part of the privatization agenda? Is this what is happening to Sri Lanka as well?
Argentina privatized almost every state owned enterprise except for a couple of banks. Privatization meant moving from public ownership to private profit and they raised prices to ensure their profits increased providing no solace to the people. These are areas that Sri Lanka has yet to experience and is likely to experience going blindly with the ‘privatization’ chant.
Argentina went again to IMF in 1999 for a $7.2b standby arrangement. Argentine debt was held in bonds & inspite of selling it could not meet debt payments. A situation no different to what Sri Lanka just experienced.
Argentina like Sri Lanka suffered an economic & political crisis. Value of the currency in both depreciated, unemployment in both countries increased, income poverty grew.
Privatization was not the answer that Argentina found out too late – they could blame economic neoliberalization because privatization proved a failure. Why is it then that the IMF worshippers and stooges of private organizations promoting privatization for Sri Lanka? It is only because a handful stand to benefit.
Privatization in Argentina was promoted by the Washington Consensus just as it is promoting same in Sri Lanka.
2002 saw Argentina appoint 2 Presidents in the space of 2 weeks, a likely scenario with the calls for present President of Sri Lanka to resign. President Kirtchner decided to liquidate Argentinian debt to IMF ($9.8b)in a single payment without refinancing with Venezuela buying Argentine bonds for $1.6b. By 2008 Venezuela held $6b in Argentine debt.
Fast forward to 2021 Argentinians are urging its government not to sign a debt restructuring deal with IMF – quite the opposite is happening in Sri Lanka.
People are protesting not to sign with IMF in one country and in the other country people protesting to sign!
The People of Argentina were well aware of the IMF & the misery it brought Argentinians with austerity measures. Argentina owed IMF $44b due since 2018. The agreement was to pay $19b each in 2022 and 2023.
IMF austerity measures generally hit only the majority poor of both countries & would be hardly felt by the richer which was why most of the upper echelons in both countries were quick to jump to accept IMF austerity measures. So long as it didn’t affect them, any bailout was acceptable.
Argentinians suffered much during the 2001 financial meltdown – currency was devalued, bank withdrawals were banned after Argentina defaulted on $93b debt. This is exactly what is happening to Sri Lanka in 2022 after Sri Lanka’s govt declared default. Both countries lacked dollars to trade. Argentinians do have dollars but they were in tax havens – this is the allegation being thrown in Sri Lanka too.
In looking at Argentina & IMF, Sri Lanka needs to realize that Argentina did not get anywhere from IMF bailouts on its advice. Argentinian economy did not improve – it just got worse.
In the case of Argentina, IMF was not interested in addressing the root causes of Argentina’s financial crisis, no different to the situation in Sri Lanka. Plastering the problem is not the solution, short or even long term. Both countries require to create production capacities to trigger growth.
Trade Unions, general public, human rights activists all joined with slogans against the IMF.
We don’t have to bow our heads and pay the Fund as the government of Alberto Fernández is doing.
We say that scams are not to be paid, and we say no to the impunity of those responsible for surrendering our sovereignty.
We’ve seen this story many times before in Argentina, and it always ends with an adjustment for working people.”
Myriam Bregman
IMF has given billions on credit but always with a condition – countries had to sell off valuable state assets & cut country budgets often only hitting the middle class and poor. Since 1956 Argentina has taken IMF funding 22 times as against the 15 times by Sri Lanka since 1965. Argentina took $57b in 2018.
Just like US-agents operating think tanks in Sri Lanka who had been former IMF officials and are pushing Sri Lanka to come under IMF control, Argentina’s $57b loan was as a favor because the president of the IADB was an ex-IMF board member.
Argentina’s loan came timed for elections to sway victory in favor of pro-US candidate and it will be interesting how IMF will drag discussions ahead of possible Sri Lanka’s elections in early 2023.
In Argentina, the pro-US candidate lost but it meant the winner was saddled with repayment of $20b no different to the good governance ISBs that the present govt ended up having to pay. The scenario was identical.
The IMF loan to Argentina enabled the wealthy to take their money out of the country. IMF was not bothered – they were happy that the government was agreeing to privatize and cut down on benefits to the people & IMF was not bothered that people were suffering as the government was not bothered too.
IMF issued an unprecedented report claiming its 2018 loan ($44.5b over 10 years) failed to ‘deliver on its objectives’. IMF even placed formal restrictions on Argentina’s fiscal response to Covid – 125,000 people died. Health, education, income of public workers are always what IMF wants govts to cut spending on.
Argentina then visited Russia and China & agreed to join China’s Belt & Road Initiative. That was when the trouble started just as was the case for Sri Lanka.
It is true governments are the cause, but these causes are invariably created by these international vultures who tempt governments to take loans as taking loans means their entities can give more loans as bailouts with interest.
The Argentinians are demanding IMF be held responsible for its financial colonialism and take Argentina’s case to the International Court of Justice to reclaim Argentina’s sovereignty. The People of Argentina are demanding international justice against what IMF has done & the success of this will encourage other nations to pursue same.
We understand with dismay that the Parliament of Canada has declared the 18th of May as The Tamil Genocide Day”. When this motion was introduced in the Parliament of Canada by MP Gary Anandasagari, he did not elaborate on the topic at all. The topic was not debated or discussed at all, no questions were asked, no concerns regarding the truth or accuracy were expressed before the motion was passed unanimously.
The Parliament of Canada showed total lack of concern and lack of responsibility for not looking for factual substantiation before such a drastic and unfair Bill was passed unanimously, we understand.
I wish to bring to your kind notice that the Liberation of the Vanni or the elimination of terrorism in the North of Sri Lanka, began when the Tamil Tigers captured Mavil Aru in June 2000”. This siege completely deprived water, a basic necessity of life for 30,000 people in the vicinity of Marvil Aru. No one can object to the government for making every possible effort to restore water to the affected unfortunate community living in this area. This military action against the LTTE at Mavil Aru, finally lead to the defeat of the LTTE, and the liberation of our country from a protracted war, spanning over 30 yearsYou will probably recall that it was the Sri Lanka Army who saved 294,00 Tamil civilians who were held as human shields by the Tamil Tigers in the last stages of the war. All these innocent civilians were brought from Tiger, controlled areas in Mullaiaikkal and Pudumathalan to the safety of government-controlled areas in the Vanni. This is the absolute truth, where the Tamils were saved, quite the opposite of the so called genocide of the Tamils”
It is strange that no genocide day has been passed by the Parliament of Canada with regard to the thousands of indigenous children who went missing in residential schools under the repression policies of the government of Canada many years ago. Possibly, such a motion should be passed in the Canadian Parliament without delay.Considering the total inaccuracies and prejudicial nature of the motion, and the negative image created against Sri Lanka, we urge the Parliament of Canada to retract this declaration with immediate effect in fairness to Sri Lanka. The elimination of terrorism has given all Sri Lankans the right of life and the freedom to live without fear.
Cambridge Analytica showed the world how personal information of people on social media is used to swing elections. Is the same being applied in Sri Lanka. Protests are a new norm. All types of people join affording opportunities for others who join for different reasons. What or who is psychologically motivating them deciding ‘enough is enough’?
How are people’s emotions aroused – if people are repeatedly shown footage of police attacking people, media is able to build a negative belief against the police. This is enhanced by interviews that describe the attacks. These messages either before or during a protest, automatically is able to build hate in the people against the police. Similarly, the reverse can happen too. The police can be negatively fed information about the protestors. The mind is being influenced in ways people are unaware of. It can even make the laziest of person want to go & defend whom media wishes to portray as ‘innocent’.
Social media can fan peace and protest – it depends on how it is used, by whom it is used.
It has turned into a money making operation – where people pay to manipulate people. It is a different form of marketing. It is building an ‘identification’ – what if the victim is oneself making people identify themselves with the victim.
Are we aware that our lives are being monitored & controlled digitally threatening our human rights?
What time you wake, your preference for food & beverage, what time you eat, leave home, what websites you visit are all known. Without you knowing, you have been digitally profiled.
Cambridge Analytica is just one company that manipulated people’s data from 87million Facebook accounts given by Facebook. Once a person is digitally profiled, messages are packaged adjusting to the person’s likes & dislikes. Social media is able to manipulate our emotions, it is aware of our psychological vulnerabilities & can sway our thoughts on who pays & how they want to influence people’s thoughts. Like-minded people are always profiled & packaged. Digitally profiled people pawns” to be influenced depending on who pays for what. Unknown to us, our lives have become ‘manipulative money-making’ tools. Facebook makes $22b annually.
Note the manner messages are being targeted even across Sri Lanka. The hora” theme has caught the nerve of all & no one cares about facts, evidence or requiring a court to prove guilty. Social media has become judge & jury. So if social media is being used to digitally influence people, the next question should be who is paying for it. The Trump campaign used Cambridge Analytica. The Brexit campaigners used Cambridge Analytica and there was news that Cambridge Analytica was also used by Sri Lanka in 2015.
What everyone needs to ask is
am I being psychologically manipulated”
is my social media being profiled”
when I use google maps, does it mean someone knows where I am going & who I meet”
am I a victim of fake news & false flags”
Listening to interviews by whistleblower Christopher Wylie who was the brains behind the Cambridge Analytica operation will shock you. Cambridge Analytica was used even in Kenyan election, Malaysia, Brazil & Mexico & India. The age-old honeytraps were used – sex, secrets & spies. Who to target – how to target is key. Knowledge of the Opposition & what their secrets are. Evoking people’s fears, conscious & unconscious.
Kenya’s Election: Mark Turnbull, MD of Cambridge Analytica We have rebranded the entire party twice, written their manifesto, done two rounds of 50,000 (participant) surveys……written all the speeches”…. we had staged the whole thing – so just about every element of his campaign”.
Whistleblower Wylie came to the open when his predecessor died under mysterious circumstances in a hotel in Kenya during the 2013 Kenyan elections.
Mark Zuckerberg was questioned by the US Senate for his role in the Cambridge Analytica & the use of personal data on FB to influence US presidential elections, UK’s Brexit referendum and other elections worldwide.
Trumps team wanted to create a Cultural weapon” for Trump’s victory. Each voter targeted as a personality not just a voter.
Cambridge Analytica provided that starting in 2014 & Trump won in 2016. What did they do?
They started drowning messages to people knowing the reaction they would get
Friends list were used to convey same message
Messages from facebook-owned WhatsApp was able to trigger ads (though we think our messages are encrypted (protected) – if a party can encrypt data – they can decrypt it too!
The expose came when Facebook failed to delete the information/emails used to manipulate people.
Sri Lanka’s present PM too claimed Cambridge Analytica approached him (UNP) also in 2014 prior to the 2015 Presidential Election. The PM says the UNP did not use them. Then former Secretary to Mass Media, Dr Charitha Herath claimed via tweet that the Rajapakse camp was helped by BJP’s top IT strategist Arvind Gupta but it proved a failure. That tweet was deleted.
Social media has negatively impacted harmony in Sri Lanka. It has been intentionally used to build hate between communities via false FB accounts and trolls. The flipside of this is when the creators end up the one’s bringing new laws that curb people trying to expose the truth and not prevent those spreading hate. Almost all times, counter-measures end up creating more problems than providing solutions.
Anyone trying to raise awareness against possible misadventure or informing the real dangers of agreements etc gets ‘reported’ and their account is either blocked or suspended for a time period, which is usually until that topic is done & dusted or forgotten.
In the case of Sri Lanka, notice how much pro-LTTE, separatism and anti-Sinhala/Buddhist posts never fall into the community standards” and blocked but the moment any responds nullifying the pro-LTTE, separatism etc – they get reported and are blocked by FB and other social media.
The real success of this company can be tested if they can use their manipulative tools to make the present PM the President of Sri Lanka by an electoral victory for the payment they take!
The manner a foreign company can manipulate a foreign election and digitally intimidate voters & their emotions is not only shocking but scary.
Every campaign is done subtly so even protestors do not think they are being manipulated but they are, this is what everyone needs to take cognizance of. Sri Lanka’s protests are no different to protests that are now staged all over the world for which someone somewhere is funding for a reason.
ෂුමාකර්ගේ ස්මෝල් ඊස් බියුටිෆුල් (Small Is Beautiful: Economics as If People Mattered, Ernst F. Schumacher, 1973) යන අදහසෙන් ආරම්භවී, කර්ක්පැට්රික් සේල්ගේ හියුමන් ස්කේල් (1980), හා Human Scale Revisited: A New Look at the Classic Case for a Decentralist Future (2017) මතවලින් ඉදිරිපත්වූයේ මිනිසාට මේච්චල් කරගත හැකි භූමි ප්රදේශවල මිනිසාගේ කටයුතු පරිපාලනය කරගැනීමට ඉඩ සළසා දීමේ යෝග්යතාවයය. තිරසර සංවර්ධන මාවත එයය. ෂුමාකර් බෞද්ධ ආර්ථික විද්යාවක් ගැනත්, මහජන සුභසිද්ධිය පිළිඹඳවත් ඉදිරිපත් කල අදහස්, ගාන්ධිගේ සරල දිවි පැවැත්මට අදාල ප්රායෝගික දර්ශනය සමඟ හොඳාකාරවම ගැලපුණේය. ඉන්දියාවේ ප්ලෑනින් කොමිෂමට වාර්තාවක් සපයමින් ෂුමාකර් 1962 දී පෙන්වා දුන්නේ ශ්රම බලකාය බහුල එහෙත් ප්රාග්ධනය හිඟ රටවල් තෝරා ගතයුතු <අතරමැදි කාර්මික තාක්ෂණ> intermediate industrial technology ක්රමවේද බවය. දැන් මෙය සුදුසු, <ගැලපෙන> appropriate technology ක්රමවේද යනුවෙන් හැඳින්වේ.
ගම අගය කල කර්ක්පැට්රික්, අවුරුදු 50 ක් පුරාම ලියුවේ ලෝකය, ලෝකය විසින්ම විනාශ කරගන්නා ආකාරය ගැනය. ඔහු සැළකුවේ UNO එක නිෂ්ඵල ආයතනයක් ලෙසය. 2020 වනවිට ආපදා තුනක එකතුවක් සිදුවනවා යයි ඔහු 2020 දී ලියූ ‘The Collapse of 2020’ යන කෙටි, සැර, පොතේ සඳහන් කර ඇත. ඒවා නම්, ලෝක මුදල් ආර්ථිකය කඩා වැටීම, දුප්පතුන් හා පොහොසතුන් අතර යුද්ධ හා විශාල පරිමාණයේ පරිසර ආපදාත් ය. …Sale believes the world is destroying itself. In a piece for LewRockwell.com Sale wrote, the government we have in this country is too incompetent, inept, corrupt, wasteful, and inefficient, too centralized, undemocratic, unjust, and invasive, and too unresponsive to the needs of individual citizens and small communities, and all because it is too big.”
Map Source: Inviting Failure – Nature of the spatial unit of devolution, V. K. Nanayakkara, Island, November 8, 2017, (දුඹුරුපාට-වියළි කලාපය, දම්පාට-අතරමැදි කලාපය, කොළපාට-තෙත් කලාපය)
The fuel and gas crises continue unabated. People stay in unending queues not for hours but days without drinks or food. A few have died in the queues and the crowds are becoming to be restless and violent. There is no light at the end of the tunnels. This tragedy is not due to a natural disaster or a sudden occurrence but due to a lack of vision and political expediency of our rulers over decades. The immediate scarcity of dollars blew it up. It is useful to examine the calamity from the angle of availability of fuel and gas the management of the scarce resource and the series of poor decisions which aggravated the problem.
India began exploration of hydrocarbons in the Cauvery Basin, in 1958 and found both oil and gas. The closest oil well in the Indian sector is only 24 km West from the Sri Lanka maritime boundary in the Mannar basin, Petroleum exploration in Sri Lanka began approximately late 1960s. The explorations done by Russia during that time were not successful. The next effort in oil and gas exploration of 2D seismic surveys were conducted in Mannar basin only in the next century during 2001 and 2005 and the first international licensing round was held in 2007 for three exploration blocks (M1, M2 and M3) in 2007, and one exploration block was awarded in 2008 to Cairn Lanka Pvt Ltd, subsidiary of Cairn India.
For the first time, two natural gas discoveries were made in two wells out of the three wells drilled in Block M2 by Cairn in 2011.
Sri Lanka’s Petroleum Resources Development Secretariat (PRDS) with the assistance of regional experts estimated that the Mannar basin alone could have the potential to generate over two billion barrels of oil and over nine trillion cubic feet of natural gas(9 TCF), which would be sufficient to fulfil a substantial portion of Sri Lanka’s energy needs for the next 60 years.
It took another 10 years to enact Petroleum Resources Act, No. 21 of 2021 to provide for the establishment of the petroleum development authority of Sri lanka; the formulation of a national policy on upstream petroleum industry and regulation and management structure capturing the maximum economic value of domestic petroleum resources.
The present estimate of the Mannar Bay oil and gas resources is claimed at US$ 267 billion. Cabinet approved the proposal of the then Minister of Energy to invite investors to exploit the resources on a fifty/ fifty basis. He was planning to present the proposal to a forum of oil explorers on the 15th of March 2022 but before that the Minister was sacked.
It is noted that the government policy and action on oil exploration was entirely erratic. The last act of preventing the presentation of the present proposals to the international oil interests at this moment when oil prices at their peak is criminal.
We should have offered one well in 2011 to an investor for 20 years on a Build Operate and Transfer basis. This was the formula for FDI that Gunnar Myrdal suggested to SWRD in 1957. When this well was in operation other investors could have been invited on our terms.
So, the present crisis is a result of all governments from 1960 onwards for lack of a vision and inability to exploit a proven resource.
Another failure in the determination of development priorities was on the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery built in 1969 with a capacity of 35,000 bbl/d. This was expanded thereafter to a processing capacity of 50,000 bbl/d to meet the domestic requirement of Petroleum fuel. Singapore, which does not produce a drop of crude oil, developed a refinery capacity of 1.51 million bpd by 2018. Our vision was to build a refinery capacity to meet only the domestic demand whereas Singapore went into the export of refined products.
Sapugaskanda refinery also had a facility for the production of urea.It had a capacity for an annual production of over 294,000 tons of granulated urea valued at US $ 79 million. This facility was sold to an Indian buyer and it is mentioned that there is no information in the public domain as to how much this urea plant was sold by the Sri Lankan Government to the Indian company. (https://www.ft.lk/Agriculture/The-saga-of-the-fertiliser-industry-in-Sri-Lanka/31-700789)
If all the refined petroleum products could be produced in our own refinery we would have cheaper products and avoid waiting anxiously the arrival of a refined products ship.
On the management of resources Sri Lanka had a golden opportunity of holding a reserve of crude oil which even the USA does, using the Trincomalee oil Farm which we got for a pittance from the British. While Sri Lanka did not realize the vital importance of the Oil Farm India was so cognizant that in the subterfuge of the Exchange of Letters in the Indo Sri Lanka Accord It was included at item three as -III) The work of restoring and operating the Trincomalee Oil Tank will be undertaken as a joint operation between India and Sri Lanka. Yahapalanaya gave the Oil Farm to India on a platter.
A government with a vision could have made use of these tanks to stock oil when the prices were down.
During the last few years fuel consumption has swelled rapidly due to the surge in the import of vehicles, mainly high-powered gas guzzling vehicles. It is known that more vehicles were allowed to be imported to collect a higher amount of customs duty. The surge of imports and the over concentration of economic activities in the city has led to a severe traffic congestion. It was estimated in 2005 that the average speed on Colombo roads falls below 15 kms per hour. It must be much lower today. At such speeds, fuel consumption doubles, consequently increasing air pollution as well. In addition to the direct cost of fuel there is also the opportunity cost to the commuter of the time lost on the roads.
Colombo roads have been widened as much as possible and it is impracticable to widen the present roads any further. There are several actions that could be taken to ease the traffic congestion marginally. These include introducing flexi hours in officers thus smoothing the traffic peak. In many countries heavy goods vehicles are kept away from the center during peak hours. Charging a fee on single passenger vehicles induces passengers to use vehicle pools. Another method is the use of park and use of public transport is being presently tried out. The improvement of public transport is perhaps the best way to wean away commuters from using private vehicles.
When all countries in the world were encouraging the use of electric vehicles, Sri Lanka in the 2015 interim budget’ imposed a prohibitive tax on hybrid vehicles of 92 per cent of the total value of the vehicle. One wondered whether it was a scam to induce the import of Indian makes. It is estimated that if all vehicles in Sri Lanka were to move to hybrid, we could save 25% (or more) on the total import value of fuel for motor vehicles.
In Sri Lanka motor cars have become a status symbol. In India until recently all political VVIPs used the India made unostentatious Hindustan. Some of the luxury vehicles cannot be accommodated on our narrow roads. A poor country like Sri Lanka cannot afford to have a plethora of makes and provide funds for their spares. A sensible proposition is to standardize in a few makes and move for the progressive manufacture of those vehicles in the country. In the current it should be on electric cars.
In 1964 when Anil Moonesinghe was the Minister in charge of CTB all new purchases of buses were standardized in three makes and the Fiat company agreed for the progressive manufacture of small buses and cars in Sri Lanka.
But all these measures are only short-term solutions. When the transport system is made more efficient more commuters will use the system producing a vicious circle.
It is time that long term sustainable solutions to the traffic and fuel problems be planned now. In radical terms what is required is to dismantle Colombo by removing the over concentration of Administrative activities from Colombo which should be developed only as a commercial city. Unfortunately, our first step in moving out the Administration out of Colombo was colored by the anxiety to perpetuate the name of a living national leader. The capital city was located in a new city named the Jayawardhane Pura, in a marsh, at a short distance from Colombo. This move has not reduced the population or traffic congestion.
In this context there are two main measures which need careful attention.
First is to locate the main government Departments in the Districts where the relevant activities are dominant. For example the Irrigation Dept and the Mahaweli Authority should be located in Anuradhapura. Paddy Marketing Board could be moved to Polonnaruwa. More Departments could be moved to District centers. What is the logic of the Department of Surveys or the Malaria Control Division being located in Colombo District? It should be noted that the Department of Agriculture, a major Department has been functioning effectively in Peradeniya from British times. Such a move would also meet the objectives of the decentralization of governance.
The other strategy is to establish satellite secretariats in the periphery of the Colombo City. There is already a working model in the Kacheri system (now District Secretariats) where several Departmental units operate under the nominal supervision of the Government Agent. The large Departments and other Public Enterprises in the City could locate sub units in such a common secretariat. With fiber optic communications and advanced technologies most of the work could be done online. If physical monitoring is a must CCTV systems could also be installed. Such offices could reduce the time wasted in travel by office workers at least by 50%,and drastically reduce traffic congestion. The cost of time wasted by road users is not normally considered, but it is enormous.
Other than the attraction of Colombo as the business, cultural, health and recreational center, the location of the best schools in Colombo generates the worst traffic congestion with one way traffic towards Colombo in the morning and a reverse movement in the afternoon. One good example was the sophisticated Panagoda Army cantonment which was underutilized due to Army Headquarters being located in the heart of Colombo. At least now it has shifted to Akuregoda still in the capital city. Improvement in the schools in the periphery will attract children to those schools and reduce the traffic congestion and also the grueling time in crowded vehicles spent by young children .
In the long run, Colombo should be dismantled by developing regional centers. This is where the development of Hambantota with the infrastructure and other facilities is well justified. Such regional development should be considered as investments for the future.
Any move to dismantle Colombo will be strongly resisted by vested interests who like to retain the advantages of living in Colombo. Investment in satellite secretariats and shifting major departments to the districts will be cheaper than investing in mass transport systems.
Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister of India Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman assured the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India, Milinda Moragoda of her fullest support and cooperation to the process of economic recovery in Sri Lanka.
The Finance Minister of India gave this assurance when High Commissioner Moragoda called on her (20th June) evening at the Ministry of Finance in New Delhi.
This was the latest of a series of meetings High Commissioner Moragoda has had with Minister Sitharaman on Indian economic cooperation and assistance to Sri Lanka in the context of the present crisis. He had last met her on 27 May.
High Commissioner Moragoda once again thanked Minister Sitharaman for the continuation of assistance that India is extending to Sri Lanka, and particularly for expeditiously arranging a separate line of credit of 55 million USD, granted on 10 June to import 65,000 MT of urea required for the present cultivation season in Sri Lanka.
In response, Minister Sitharaman assured High Commissioner Moragoda of her fullest cooperation to the economic recovery process in Sri Lanka, while expressing the hope that Sri Lanka would recover very soon given the resilience of her people.
Earlier in the day, High Commissioner Moragoda had also met with the External Affairs Minister of India Dr. S. Jaishankar to discuss the way forward with regard to Indian assistance in stabilizing and recovering the ailing Sri Lankan economy.
China’s envoy to Bangladesh has applauded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s leadership for building Padma bridge with the country’s own finance and described the Awami League-led government’s achievements in Bangladesh during the last decade as “extraordinary.
Li Jiming, the Chinese ambassador in Dhaka, has lauded Prime Minister Shekh Hasina’s decision to proceed with the Padma Bridge project using local money despite the failure of outside funding, expressing doubts that an average leader of any country could have done so.
He emphasized Bangladesh’s progress and development during Hasina’s 12 years as Prime Minister, including economic growth, infrastructure development such as the Padma Bridge.
‘I wonder, I truly doubt, if any typical leader of any country could have made such a difficult decision as she did,’ he told a small gathering of journalists at the Chinese consulate in Dhaka on June 19.
Without mentioning names, the ambassador stated that several international development partners did not believe the Bangladesh government could ever build such a megastructure with its own funds.
“Despite all the uncertainties, pressures, and claims,” he continued, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opted to build the bridge using Bangladesh’s “own money, 100 percent Bangladesh’s own money.” The decision, according to the ambassador, needed “extreme courage and a great sense of political responsibility” on the part of any government leader.
The ambassador stated that under the leadership of Bangladesh’s prime minister, the bridge became a solid reality arising from a vision, and that “nobody will ever question that Bangladesh can achieve it.”
Chinese ambassador has uttered and unveiled the truth. Thank you, China, for showering praise on a reality. On July 4, 2001, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina lay the foundation stone for the Padma Bridge, which will benefit more than 30 million people in 21 districts throughout southern Bangladesh. The 6.15-kilometer bridge, which includes a four-lane highway and a one-lane railway, is now a reality.
PM Sheikh Hasina made it a reality today in the face of hundreds of difficulties, obstructions, bogus claims, and World Bank machinations.
On July 8, 2012, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stated unequivocally in this great National Assembly that the Padma Bridge would be built at Bangladesh’s own money. Leadership is critical in all areas of life where human resources are utilized, including organizations, entrepreneurship, corporations, politics, societies, and states. Leaders perform the most important function at the state level in setting directions, encouraging people, boosting morale, allocating responsibilities, and improving satisfaction in order to steer a nation forward. The people of Bangladesh are fortunate to have a leader who has nearly all of these characteristics and has been guiding the country in the path of realizing her father’s dream of becoming the country ‘Sonar Bangla’ (Golden Bengal). Sheikh Hasina’s imaginative, daring, indomitable, and cautious leadership is exemplified by the construction of the Padma Bridge.
Everyone is familiar with the bridge’s history. Because of the prime minister’s unwavering determination to achieve her objectives, the bridge is now visible. She did not limit herself to giving commands during the entire era, from the planning of the bridge to the present day; rather, she became involved in the megaproject and provided vital counsel when needed, as well as boosting the morale of the project’s workers. Now, with the bridge ready to open to the public in a few months, the prime minister has paid a personal visit to the bridge and walked for two hours across it.
Her choice to build the bridge on the country’s own funds gives the Bangladeshi people the much-needed motivation to overcome obstacles and grows themselves without relying on outside assistance. It has and will continue to assist the country in becoming self-sufficient in all areas. She has successfully instilled in the general public the concept that we can do anything if we have a strong will and resolve to do so, which is undoubtedly a significant victory for her as a leader. At the same time, having a dreamer as a leader is a question of pure luck for a country.
“We know that if Bangladesh claims they’ll do it with your money, they’ll be able to do it… “Do we believe that and that we are correct?” he stated “Not everyone is thrilled, but Chinese people are,” the envoy said, adding that some people may not like seeing Bangladesh’s historic achievement over the bridge.
The envoy expressed his pride at the bridge, not only because it was built by a Chinese company, but also because it will serve as a watershed moment in China-Bangladesh cooperation and serve as an everlasting connection of brotherhood between China and Bangladesh and two peoples by heart, guiding the route to common prosperity and a shared future.
No one can deny it, and everyone recognizes that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s heroic action has transformed the Padma Bridge from a dream to a reality. Sheikh Hasina’s bravery has undoubtedly resulted in the construction of the Padma Bridge. The Padma Bridge is the most significant gift commemorating the birth centenary of Bangabandhu, the Father of the Nation. It is not simply the bridge across the Padma; it has raised the Bengali nation’s confidence to such a level that they can achieve anything. And it was their bold Prime Minister who reawakened this confidence. The father provided independence for the country, while the daughter provided prosperity.
China praised the Premier for successfully completing the much-needed bridge despite all the intrigues. China knows to evaluate the right person.
PM Sheikh Hasina announced the construction of the Padma Bridge during the country’s acute image crisis following the World Bank’s loan cancellation due to corruption allegations.
Bangladesh has proven to the world its capacity under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s leadership by building a 6.15km bridge over the country’s second-toughest river using its own money. Bangladesh’s finance ministry gave Bangladesh Bridge Authority with a credit of 3 billion USD.
The construction of the bridge is viewed as the most significant achievement of the Awami League government, which has had to deal with “conspiracies” that led to the World Bank canceling a pledged fund in 2012 due to a corruption charge that was eventually proven untrue.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on the other hand, has been able to clear up all of the ambiguity while also overcoming all of the financial and technical obstacles.
The Padma Bridge is made of more than just concrete. It combines People’s love and pride. It was built with its own money by Sheikh Hasina. She has bravely put it into action for the love of people.
Bangladesh’s dignity in the world has improved as a result of the bridge’s building using its own funds. The bridge has brought the Bengali nation’s dignity and respect to the world’s attention.
True happiness comes from the satisfaction of well-done deeds and the excitement of creating something new… well done, Bangladesh, under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s capable and vibrant leadership. Congrats! She’s put in the finest effort…China’s praise on Bangladesh PM for building Padma bridge is recognition of Bangladesh success story.
Minister of Power and Energy, Kanchana Wijesekera, on Sunday, told the media that giving the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) the monopoly over the oil industry was a mistake and the government was taking steps to allow multinational oil companies to recommence operations in Sri Lanka. The petroleum sector was nationalised in the early 1960s and the CPC was given a monopoly.
Addressing the media in Colombo, the Minister said that several other companies must get involved in fuel distribution in the country as it had become obvious that the CPC couldn’t do it alone.
We need a few companies like Lanka IOC. Soon, I will present a Cabinet Paper on this matter. Not only the CPC and the LIOC, but also companies of other oil producing nations must be given the chance to supply and distribute oil. Companies like Shell and Caltex were in Sri Lanka earlier. We made a serious error when we gave the CPC a monopoly,” he said.
The Minister also insisted that many oil companies had shifted to Singapore after Sri Lanka nationalised the petroleum sector. The Minister said that Singapore had become a petrochemical hub thereafter.
” We want a company which can give us oil at least for one year on credit––a company that could use its own funds to import fuel. The purpose will be lost if they too start tapping into the dollars that local banks have. If the IOC wants to expand, we must allow that to happen. We have taken a decision to allow oil producing companies to start operations in Sri Lanka,” he said.
The Minister also said that two ships carrying petrol and diesel would arrive on the 23 and 24 June. Sri Lanka had enough stocks of diesel for 10 days and the CPC was supplying to the market more than it usually does, he said.
The LIOC has 10,000 MT of petrol in its stores in Trincomalee. It only issue 300 MT a day but we asked it to release 1,000 tonnes a day in the coming days. We urge people not to queue up for petrol in the coming four days unless it’s an emergency,” he said,
The Minister also insisted that the CPC officials were following procurement guidelines to the letter when making fuel purchases, as they feared that they would be hauled up before various probe commissions and therefore they were hesitant to take prompt action. The Cabinet is now contemplating laws to give officials some legal cover to protect themselves, when officials take proactive decisions during emergencies.”
The minister said: The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) needs fuel to ensure that power cuts do not exceed three hours. The train services also need 150 tonnes of diesel a day. State and privately owned buses, engaged in public transport, need 600 tonnes of diesel a day. We have instructed depots to pump diesel to buses with route permits from Sunday (19). The police have been instructed to provide security. Tourist coaches, staff transport services and school services, too, can queue up at sheds. There is fuel for everyone. I urge drivers of these vehicles not to queue up in gas stations from now on.”
The Minister also said that in the next week the police and divisional secretaries would come up with a list of full-time three wheeler drivers and allocate them specific gas stations for refuelling.
We will divide the vehicles so that each vehicle has two days a week to obtain 20 to 30 litres of fuel. Health workers can also get fuel to their vehicles at selected gas stations every Friday. We will get three crude oil shipments on 29 June and 10 and 14 July,” the minister said.
The Supreme Court has rejected granting leave to proceed with the five fundamental rights (FR) petitions challenging the appointment of business magnate Dhammika Perera as a Member of Parliament.
The petitions were taken up by a three-judge bench comprising Justices Priyantha Jayawardena, Yasantha Kodagoda and Arjuna Obeysekera.
Delivering the verdict, Justice Priyantha Jayawardena, who leads the three-judge bench, said that it would not grant leave to proceed with the petitions pursuant to the decision of the majority the bench.
Earlier this month, several individuals and organisations including the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and its Executive Director had filed FR applications challenging the appointment of Dhammika Perera to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of former Minister Basil Rajapaksa, as a Member of Parliament elected under Article 99A of the Constitution (the National List).
Later, Dhammika Perera undertook not to take oath as a Member of Parliament or a Minister until the Supreme Court decides on granting leave to proceed with the petitions filed before courts against his appointment to the parliament.
The overall rate of inflation as measured by the National Consumer Price Index on Year-on-Year basis is 45.3% in May 2022, according to Sri Lanka’s Department of Census and Statistics.
The Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) on Tuesday released the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) and the inflation rate for the month of May 2022.
The NCPI for all items for the month of May 2022 is 208.7 and it records an increase of 18.4 in index points compared to the April 2022.
The overall rate of inflation as measured by NCPI on Year-on-Year basis has increased to 45.3% in May 2022 from 33.8% in April 2022. The moving average inflation for the month of May 2022 is 16.3%.
Core Inflation increased to 37.7% in May 2022 from 27.9% in April 2022. The general price level has increased by 108.7% compared to the base year (2013).
Year-on-Year Food inflation is recorded as 58.0% while the Year-on-Year Non-Food inflation is 34.2%.
The NCPI is a macroeconomic indicator compiled to measure inflation which is defined as a sustained increase in the general level of prices for goods and services and it is measured as an annual percentage increase by NCPI.
The government of the United States has announced the third tranche of new funding today to address the immediate needs of people hardest hit by the economic crisis in Sri Lanka.
This humanitarian assistance, totalling USD 5.75 million, will provide cash assistance, short-term jobs, and agriculture supplies such as seeds directly to crisis-affected people to meet their basic needs, the U.S. Embassy in Colombo said in a press release.
This new grant funding through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) builds on last week’s announcement of USD 6 million in grants through USAID and USD 120 million in new loans through the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to meet the needs of Sri Lankans during the economic crisis.
The recent United Nations appeal to international donors warned of an ‘unfolding multidimensional food security crisis’ in Sri Lanka,” explained U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung. The new assistance that we’re announcing today will address some of those complex issues. We are working hard to ensure that these funds directly reach the Sri Lankans who have been most severely affected by this crisis.”
The funding announced today will also support microenterprises in communities that traditionally experience high poverty rates and are especially impacted by the crisis.
In addition, it will provide for community-based disaster management committees to help prepare for, respond to, and ultimately recover from crises.
Over the coming months, the United States plans to add to its significant ongoing investments and assistance projects in Sri Lanka that help the people of Sri Lanka meet their immediate and long-term needs, the embassy said further.
These efforts build on six decades and over USD 2 billion of foreign assistance from the American people that have strengthened tourism, small businesses, renewable energy, climate adaptation, and civil society in Sri Lanka.
