Why is it that this Government’s solutions to problems – of which there is no shortage – often end up creating bigger problems? Keeping up with that trend, the Government’s solution to the escalating shortage of essential items has been the promulgation of emergency regulations. With that singular move, what was essentially a domestic issue up to that point became an international issue overnight, making headlines across the world.
As a result of that decision, the rest of the world is now suitably shocked that Sri Lankans have to queue up for hours to secure a kilo of sugar or a cylinder of LP gas. This negative publicity comes on the back of the country’s less-than-desirable record on its handling of the pandemic, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) continuing to list Sri Lanka among “red list” nations, owing to its soaring death toll and case numbers.
However benevolent the intentions were in resorting to the emergency regulations issued under the Public Security Ordinance, which has already earned the wrath of the collective Opposition, the end result has been an unmitigated international public relations (PR) disaster. For a PR-savvy government that is hypersensitive to its persona, the fallout from its latest foray in attempting to address a domestic issue is only likely to add to its growing list of headaches and, as the Opposition continues to point out, reeks of opportunism to further strengthen the Executive at the expense of the pandemic.
If, as the Government’s spokesmen have explained, the intentions for resorting to emergency regulations were, in fact, benign and not of a capricious nature as portrayed by the Opposition, then it is nothing but tough luck that it finds itself in the present predicament, in an unforgiving world that has grown accustomed to frown on regimes that appear to capitalise on circumstance in order to overstep democratic boundaries. The Opposition had pointed out that the regulations already in place, such as the Consumer Affairs Authority Act as well as the Disaster Management Act, provide the necessary clout to address the situation at hand, and resorting to emergency regulations was uncalled for. If the negative fallout was not bad enough, the appointment of yet another military official to oversee food distribution under the new regulations has certainly not helped their cause.
There seems to be growing suspicion, at least on the international front, that the Government has been using the pandemic to acquire near-authoritarian powers. The latest round of accusations appears to give credence to the allegations that first surfaced during the passage of the 20th Amendment and the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill. This has now led an influential international human rights organisation to sound the alarm citing shrinking space for the expression of alternate views, especially when it comes to critiquing critical issues. All this, coming in the run-up to the Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva next week, where Sri Lanka is expected to provide an update on the action it has taken to rectify issues stated in the UNHRC Resolution adopted at the last session in March, is likely to pose a much bigger problem than what the Government appears to be anticipating.
The stakes at the upcoming meeting could be quite high, given that the fate of the contentious GSP+ (Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus) concessions of the European Union (EU) could well be riding on it. In a macroeconomic environment that is desperate for foreign exchange, any shift in the existing GSP+ concessions could spell further doom, notwithstanding the bravado of some ministers in government who continue to dismiss it as a non-issue.
Despite this public posturing targeting the local gallery, behind the curtain, the Government has been stealthily working towards appeasing the EU by tinkering with the Prevention of Terrorism Act. There is no escaping the fact that despite the best efforts of the spin doctors, the glut of negative publicity that has accrued due to a multitude of issues – ranging from the mounting Covid death toll, to the agriculture crisis owing to the ban on fertiliser imports, to import restrictions, to the depreciation of the rupee, to speculation on debt repayment capability, to rating downgrades, to trade imbalances and even education issues – are likely to have a significant impact on the administration, especially on the international front.
Most notable will be the impact on two of the most important sectors the country is banking on for its post-Covid recovery – tourism and foreign direct investment. Sooner than later, the administration will have to focus on the optics it projects to the world. The way forward is not through suppression and shooting the messenger, as has been the case in the past, but rather by addressing the root causes that have led to each of these issues. By any stretch of the imagination, none of the major issues confronting the nation could be described as creations of the Opposition, as governing politicians conveniently attempt to do, but are, in fact, crying out for resolution in the national interest.
For an island nation blessed with an abundance of natural resources such as being surrounded by a bountiful ocean and a landmass with fertile soil where all it takes is a seed to grow, it is inconceivable that such a thing as a food shortage should even be heard of. Enlightened leadership functioning within the democratic space with a sharp focus on the rule of law is all it took for countries like Singapore and Malaysia to thrive in the modern world. Blessed with so many natural resources, why has it been so difficult for this country to get this basic formula right?
Have we as a nation dared to think out of the box? Our economic strategy has not changed for the last so many decades. Whatever the party in power, the strategy has been to sell off national assets in order to repay debt. And the cycle keeps repeating every five years. When obtaining a loan is hailed as an achievement, we need to realise, even at this late hour, that we as a nation are on the wrong track. The bitter truth is that the only leader who dared to think out of the box was Ranasinghe Premadasa, who realised that industrialisation was the way forward. When he ascended office, he too faced similar economic prospects as today, on the back of a war in the northeast and a full-blown insurrection in the rest of the country. Foreign investment was out of the question. Yet, he had the courage to think out of the box and turn to local entrepreneurs to invest in and drive the apparel industry. The rest is history.
It is the country’s misfortune that subsequent leaders have failed to build on the foundation created by Premadasa. If local investor-driven apparel could succeed in becoming a global contender in a matter of a few years, why the export product basket remained the same over the three decades that followed is the question that begs to be answered. There is no escaping the fact that successive governments have chosen to take the easy way out and waited for foreign investors to turn up at the door. This lethargy and lack of imagination has resulted in the country banking on tourism for economic redemption, little realising that it is a highly fickle industry. It will deliver when the going is good, but quickly turn into a liability when the going is not so good. What we face today is ample proof of that.
This pandemic has shown the need for this country to diversify its export basket and bank on income that is immune to vagaries of the weather in both a literal and metaphorical sense. Innovating and adapting to the changing times is what drives nations forward. That responsibility lies solely with the Government.Changing with the times
04 Sep 2021
Changing with the times
04 Sep 2021
Why is it that this Government’s solutions to problems – of which there is no shortage – often end up creating bigger problems? Keeping up with that trend, the Government’s solution to the escalating shortage of essential items has been the promulgation of emergency regulations. With that singular move, what was essentially a domestic issue up to that point became an international issue overnight, making headlines across the world.
As a result of that decision, the rest of the world is now suitably shocked that Sri Lankans have to queue up for hours to secure a kilo of sugar or a cylinder of LP gas. This negative publicity comes on the back of the country’s less-than-desirable record on its handling of the pandemic, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) continuing to list Sri Lanka among “red list” nations, owing to its soaring death toll and case numbers.
However benevolent the intentions were in resorting to the emergency regulations issued under the Public Security Ordinance, which has already earned the wrath of the collective Opposition, the end result has been an unmitigated international public relations (PR) disaster. For a PR-savvy government that is hypersensitive to its persona, the fallout from its latest foray in attempting to address a domestic issue is only likely to add to its growing list of headaches and, as the Opposition continues to point out, reeks of opportunism to further strengthen the Executive at the expense of the pandemic.
If, as the Government’s spokesmen have explained, the intentions for resorting to emergency regulations were, in fact, benign and not of a capricious nature as portrayed by the Opposition, then it is nothing but tough luck that it finds itself in the present predicament, in an unforgiving world that has grown accustomed to frown on regimes that appear to capitalise on circumstance in order to overstep democratic boundaries. The Opposition had pointed out that the regulations already in place, such as the Consumer Affairs Authority Act as well as the Disaster Management Act, provide the necessary clout to address the situation at hand, and resorting to emergency regulations was uncalled for. If the negative fallout was not bad enough, the appointment of yet another military official to oversee food distribution under the new regulations has certainly not helped their cause.
There seems to be growing suspicion, at least on the international front, that the Government has been using the pandemic to acquire near-authoritarian powers. The latest round of accusations appears to give credence to the allegations that first surfaced during the passage of the 20th Amendment and the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill. This has now led an influential international human rights organisation to sound the alarm citing shrinking space for the expression of alternate views, especially when it comes to critiquing critical issues. All this, coming in the run-up to the Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva next week, where Sri Lanka is expected to provide an update on the action it has taken to rectify issues stated in the UNHRC Resolution adopted at the last session in March, is likely to pose a much bigger problem than what the Government appears to be anticipating.
The stakes at the upcoming meeting could be quite high, given that the fate of the contentious GSP+ (Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus) concessions of the European Union (EU) could well be riding on it. In a macroeconomic environment that is desperate for foreign exchange, any shift in the existing GSP+ concessions could spell further doom, notwithstanding the bravado of some ministers in government who continue to dismiss it as a non-issue.
Despite this public posturing targeting the local gallery, behind the curtain, the Government has been stealthily working towards appeasing the EU by tinkering with the Prevention of Terrorism Act. There is no escaping the fact that despite the best efforts of the spin doctors, the glut of negative publicity that has accrued due to a multitude of issues – ranging from the mounting Covid death toll, to the agriculture crisis owing to the ban on fertiliser imports, to import restrictions, to the depreciation of the rupee, to speculation on debt repayment capability, to rating downgrades, to trade imbalances and even education issues – are likely to have a significant impact on the administration, especially on the international front.
Most notable will be the impact on two of the most important sectors the country is banking on for its post-Covid recovery – tourism and foreign direct investment. Sooner than later, the administration will have to focus on the optics it projects to the world. The way forward is not through suppression and shooting the messenger, as has been the case in the past, but rather by addressing the root causes that have led to each of these issues. By any stretch of the imagination, none of the major issues confronting the nation could be described as creations of the Opposition, as governing politicians conveniently attempt to do, but are, in fact, crying out for resolution in the national interest.
For an island nation blessed with an abundance of natural resources such as being surrounded by a bountiful ocean and a landmass with fertile soil where all it takes is a seed to grow, it is inconceivable that such a thing as a food shortage should even be heard of. Enlightened leadership functioning within the democratic space with a sharp focus on the rule of law is all it took for countries like Singapore and Malaysia to thrive in the modern world. Blessed with so many natural resources, why has it been so difficult for this country to get this basic formula right?
Have we as a nation dared to think out of the box? Our economic strategy has not changed for the last so many decades. Whatever the party in power, the strategy has been to sell off national assets in order to repay debt. And the cycle keeps repeating every five years. When obtaining a loan is hailed as an achievement, we need to realise, even at this late hour, that we as a nation are on the wrong track. The bitter truth is that the only leader who dared to think out of the box was Ranasinghe Premadasa, who realised that industrialisation was the way forward. When he ascended office, he too faced similar economic prospects as today, on the back of a war in the northeast and a full-blown insurrection in the rest of the country. Foreign investment was out of the question. Yet, he had the courage to think out of the box and turn to local entrepreneurs to invest in and drive the apparel industry. The rest is history.
It is the country’s misfortune that subsequent leaders have failed to build on the foundation created by Premadasa. If local investor-driven apparel could succeed in becoming a global contender in a matter of a few years, why the export product basket remained the same over the three decades that followed is the question that begs to be answered. There is no escaping the fact that successive governments have chosen to take the easy way out and waited for foreign investors to turn up at the door. This lethargy and lack of imagination has resulted in the country banking on tourism for economic redemption, little realising that it is a highly fickle industry. It will deliver when the going is good, but quickly turn into a liability when the going is not so good. What we face today is ample proof of that.
This pandemic has shown the need for this country to diversify its export basket and bank on income that is immune to vagaries of the weather in both a literal and metaphorical sense. Innovating and adapting to the changing times is what drives nations forward. That responsibility lies solely with the Government.Kapruka
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!
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!