{"id":154691,"date":"2026-02-12T17:58:16","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T00:58:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=154691"},"modified":"2026-02-12T17:58:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T00:58:16","slug":"what-really-went-wrong-pattern-over-20-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/02\/12\/what-really-went-wrong-pattern-over-20-years\/","title":{"rendered":"What really went wrong (pattern over 20 years)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr Sarath Obeysekera<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

Ex samples Galle yacht yard, Beruwala \/ Mutwal boat yards, Trincomalee offshore engineering hub\u2014all show the same failure <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Policy approval without policy protection<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Projects are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Approved politically<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Launched with fanfare<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • But never insulated legally or institutionally<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    So when:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • A port authority changes leadership<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • A ministry changes<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • A public corporation enforces rent mechanically<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Or a geopolitical concern arises (Trinco\u2013India sensitivity)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Permissions get cancelled, leases revoked, or files frozen<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Investors don\u2019t fear Sri Lanka\u2019s skills or location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      They fear reversal risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      2. Public institutions acting in silos<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      • SLPA cancels permission without a national FDI lens<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • CFHC sues for rent without assessing export earnings<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • EDB promotes projects but cannot protect them<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Line ministries hesitate because no one owns the final decision<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        No single authority is accountable for project continuity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        3. Fear culture inside government<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        You are absolutely right here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Today:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • Officers are more afraid of future allegations than present losses<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Do nothing\u201d is safer than do something right\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Files are delayed intentionally<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Decisions are pushed upward until they die quietly<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          This is not corruption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          This is paralysis caused by anti-corruption fear without protection for honest decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Why marine & offshore projects suffer the most<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          Marine engineering, shipbuilding, and offshore fabrication:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          • Need ports, coast, state land<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Need long-term leases<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Need foreign partners<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Need customized approvals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            Which means:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            • More signatures<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • More exposure<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • More risk for officers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

              So officers avoid them, even though they bring:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n
              • USD inflows<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Skilled jobs<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Export earnings<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Strategic value<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                What the Committee of Development Ministers MUST do<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                Not another policy paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Not another task force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                1. Create a <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                National Strategic Projects Shield<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                A legally binding framework where:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \n
                • Once Cabinet-approved, a project cannot be cancelled by a single agency<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Any dispute (rent, lease, compliance) goes to fast-track arbitration, not shutdown<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Port authorities, corporations, and ministries are bound by Cabinet decision<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                  If this existed, Galle Yacht Yard would not have died<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  2. Introduce Good Faith Decision Protection\u201d for officers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                  This is critical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  A legal provision stating:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    \n
                  • If an officer approves a project following approved procedures,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • Acting in good faith,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • They are personally immune from later prosecution<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                    Without this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                      \n
                    • No officer will ever sign another FDI project<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                      Singapore, UAE, Vietnam all do this quietly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                      3. Single Ownership of Strategic FDI Projects<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                      Each large FDI project must have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        \n
                      • One owning ministry<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      • One accountable Secretary<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      • One empowered Project Commissioner<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                        No SLPA vs CFHC vs EDB games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        If the project succeeds \u2192 credit<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        If it fails \u2192 responsibility<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        Right now, responsibility is diluted to zero.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        4. Separate geopolitics from industrial development (Trincomalee case)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                        Projects cannot be frozen indefinitely because of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                          \n
                        • Indian sensitivities<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        • Strategic anxiety<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                          Solution:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                            \n
                          • Ring-fence civil offshore engineering, ship repair, fabrication<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                          • Explicitly exclude military or dual-use activity<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                          • Make it transparent and rules-based<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                            Otherwise Trinco will remain a map location, not an economy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                            5. Publish a Projects Killed by Inaction\u201d White Paper<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                            This is uncomfortable\u2014but necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                            List:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                              \n
                            • Projects approved<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                            • Investments promised<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                            • Jobs lost<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                            • Forex lost<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                            • Reasons for shutdown<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                              Name institutions, not individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                              Sunlight will do what sermons never did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                              The uncomfortable truth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                              Sri Lanka does not lack:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                \n
                              • Investors<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                              • Skills<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                              • Location<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                              • Demand<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                Sri Lanka lacks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                  \n
                                • Decision courage backed by legal protection<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                  Until the Development Ministers protect honest decision-making, not just punish corruption,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                  Regards

                                  Dr Sarath Obeysekera<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                  Dr Sarath Obeysekera Ex samples Galle yacht yard, Beruwala \/ Mutwal boat yards, Trincomalee offshore engineering hub\u2014all show the same failure  1. Policy approval without policy protection Projects are: So when: Permissions get cancelled, leases revoked, or files frozen Investors don\u2019t fear Sri Lanka\u2019s skills or location. They fear reversal risk. 2. Public institutions acting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[116],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-154691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dr-sarath-obeysekera"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=154691"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154691\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":154692,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154691\/revisions\/154692"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=154691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=154691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=154691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}