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Better late than never, better little than nothing

05 Jun 2021

Things are looking bleak for a pandemic-fatigued populace, the assaults on every front contributing to the incineration of hope and testing that much-vaunted Sri Lankan resilience from every angle.  The lack of confidence in and resentment towards those that are vested with the power and authority to look after our best interests is damning, and growing. The policy failures and decision reversals at every turn have only bred further chaos and bitterness. And for that at least, there may be a simple fix – better communication. Stop with the garbled, conflicting, and unconvincing messaging delivered by too many voices. Reassure people with the truth delivered with clarity, frankness and sincerity, by a chosen few voices of reason. Extend the polity the respect it deserves by sharing with it the bitter truths about the challenges and constraints faced; they may surprise you with some moral buy-in.  It’s been over a year since our first lockdown. It is unforgivable that as we remain in the third version of lockdown, we have still not fixed the distribution systems intended to support those that need assistance the most. If concern for the daily wage earner was a reason to hold back on a lockdown for so long, then what solution has been offered to their halted livelihoods? Five thousand rupee handouts, while costly for the state, do little to meaningfully support the vast majority of daily-wage dependent families.  Similarly, having first begun Covid-19 vaccination in late January, it is outrageous that we continue to lack a well-planned, suitably prioritised, non-politicised vaccination programme. We have had enough time to learn from our own early mistakes and set up practical processes; to use the deep mobile penetration and technology at our disposal to establish a functioning system. As we prepare to inoculate 16 million of our adult population by the end of the year, it is dearly hoped that a simple process that works is put in place, at least now.  There has been much said about how Colombo’s streets have been swarming with traffic amid travel restrictions. The private sector has been criticised for arbitrarily summoning employees to work. But private business must do what it must to emerge from this protracted downturn; one year on, many have grasped the realities and shortcomings of the work from home model. Of course, if listed company results are anything to go by, things are hardly as bad as they seem. But it’s the smaller players that make up the big numbers that are drowning, with no recovery in sight.  The unforgivable lapses of the past months and weeks have as much to do with politicians as they do with civil servants and local experts. Our ministries and industries are replete with experts in every field; beyond the civil service, each industry has a number of influential professional associations and organisations that are geared to provide advice to politicians and facilitate assistance to those on the ground. It is a pity that in handling a shaky economy, widespread environmental devastation and a pandemic, many of these groups have contradicted each other, many others have chosen to stay silent, and it’s likely that some others have been silenced.  And most importantly in this democracy of ours, where is the opposition? They seem to be the only quarter that isn’t bothering our executive leaders, who are pandering to wayward political allies, disruptive trade unionists, nationalist clergy and even the backbenchers.  This all powerful presidency should not have gotten us here; but now that we find ourselves here, we must for our own sakes, hold on to the hope that its constitutionally guaranteed power together with the massive mandate that brought this Government to office will spur them into some action… any action, whether little or late.

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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!


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