A change of regime in this country usually results in the henchmen who assisted and supported the winning party lining up and demanding their pound of flesh for services rendered. It also results in a mass purging of the henchmen of the former regime in order to make way for the new lot. Once enthroned in their positions of power with the spoon placed in their hand, little time is wasted in serving themselves from the gravy train. While this takes place, the political bosses look the other way, pretending to not hear or see the plunder taking place right under their noses.
But there comes a time when the bosses are compelled to take note and draw the line.
However, if the foot does not come down at the right time, the result is the creation of a culture of impunity that inevitably leads to public agitation and turmoil. This just about sums up the predicament of the incumbent regime, which continues to display a distinct reluctance to bell the cat, of which there are many now. That reluctance has pushed the Government into a tight corner from which it is unlikely to emerge unscathed.
For a government that rode to power on the singular platform of strengthening national security, two years down the line, the attainment of that goal continues to prove elusive. National security as a whole is not just about strengthening the defence aspect, as provided for in the Budget currently under review in Parliament; in the post-Covid world, it is more about securing what is needed by a nation and its people to acquire and consolidate wealth and economic power.
For all intents and purposes, there is a great game of attrition afoot amongst the world’s superpowers to further their strategic interests across the globe. A modern-day war of colonisation is underway without a bullet being fired or bombs being exploded, simply through economic strangulation via debt traps. Sri Lanka, like many other nations in the same boat, is finding that out the hard way. It is in this backdrop that the top priority of the Government should be to plug the bleeding economy and tame the mountain of debt, because that is what will eventually amount to national security.
Given the new world order, a nation steeped in debt and begging for its daily bread is anything but secure, with its rulers, who are only temporary custodians of power, ever willing to sell off the country’s assets in return for foreign exchange simply to tide over matters till the next election. Therefore, if economic consolidation is the name of the game, its attainment has been severely compromised by recent events, the authors of which appear to be the regime’s henchmen in high places, acting with impunity. That the political bosses continue to turn a blind eye to their criminal activities has called into question the sensitivities of the administration and the degree to which it has lost touch with reality.
For instance, it took over a hundred cases of exploding gas cookers for the authorities to grudgingly acknowledge a problem and halt the distribution of cylinders. In the same vein, no one appears to be aware of the action taken, if any, against those responsible for the X-Press Pearl ship disaster. Then there have been so many scams that one can be forgiven for losing count. Billions of rupees are alleged to have been swindled by way of tax benefits owing to the sugar scam, then the importation and distribution of carcinogenic coconut oil, the Sathosa garlic scam, importation of nano fertiliser, Chinese organic fertiliser, etc., all of which are shrouded in controversy, but with no tangible action initiated to bring those responsible to book.
What has transpired so far in the matter of the gas cylinder issue is shocking. It was on 12 April this year that state-owned Litro Gas announced the introduction of what became the controversial “hybrid” cylinder, which, according to reports, had a drastically altered composition as opposed to what prevailed up until then. Since the 60s, when Shell began the LP gas business, the composition has remained as 70% butane and 30% propane. In the case of the new cylinder, the cheaper and heavier propane was increased to 50%, from 30%, while the more expensive and lighter butane was reduced to 50%, from 70%. This 50-50 composition was marketed as a hybrid cylinder with little or no study on the dangers it posed to the consumer. This composition also made the gas burn faster, owing to the high percentage of propane, thereby emptying the cylinder much faster than before, giving the consumer a raw deal.
For what it was worth, the then Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) Chairman had ordered tests to be carried out on the new product, and the test results were made available to the authority on 27 April. Seeing the dangers indicated in the reports, the former CAA Chairman had immediately brought it to the attention of the relevant subject ministers, to not only be dismissed offhand by them, but the CAA also allegedly be prevented from taking action against the company. The then Chairman subsequently resigned in disgust.
Now with explosions occurring across the country, the Minister in charge of the subject has gone on record that he suspects “meddling” with the gas composition. There is also the matter of ethyl mercaptan, the odour agent used in the composition to help identify leakages – tests have revealed that its level, which should be 14, has been deliberately brought down to 5 by the gas company concerned. It is clear that all this amounts to prima facie criminal negligence on the part of the company, but no one has yet been held accountable for this grave threat to public safety.
In what amounts to closing the stable door after the horse has bolted, it is only now that steps are being taken to diligently test samples of LP gas obtained from supply ships arriving in Colombo. It is indeed inexcusable that the main culprit in this fiasco is a state entity which, under normal circumstances, should be the one setting the benchmarks. When, on the one hand, the state sector remains bloated to the limits, it is unfathomable that key government institutions, such as those that should be carrying out critical testing, remain dysfunctional.
Given the unprecedented degree of impunity enjoyed by scammers and criminals aided and abetted by an indifferent bureaucracy, it is little wonder that there is lukewarm interest among investors to pitch tents here. To put it another way, what assurance does an investor have on their number one concern – the rule of law – when impunity appears to be the order of the day? The lukewarm response to the Port City, which was touted as the turning point in the country’s economy, is a prime example of the state of play.
Consequential to its economic woes, Sri Lanka has become a testing ground for all manner of dangerous products, the gas cylinder issue being just one. There are other examples such as the introduction of nano fertiliser and Chinese organic fertiliser, with Sri Lankan farmers being the guinea pigs. Now, we have upon us another disaster in the making, with the Cabinet giving the green light for cannabis cultivation for export. How the distinction will be made as to what is for export and what is not is up to the authorities to figure out, but given local ingenuity, there is good reason to assume that a fair share of the produce will find its way to the local market, much the same way that apparels that are produced exclusively for export through bonded warehouses find their way even to high-end shopping malls.
The danger is that while the Government is desperately seeking ways and means of sourcing foreign exchange, the ganja proposal carries with it risks. According to reports, the illegal hooch industry grew by 300% last year alone. What is there to prevent hooch being replaced by the more easily accessible ganja, which would eventually make this nation one big smouldering pot?Impunity and its perils
04 Dec 2021
Impunity and its perils
04 Dec 2021
A change of regime in this country usually results in the henchmen who assisted and supported the winning party lining up and demanding their pound of flesh for services rendered. It also results in a mass purging of the henchmen of the former regime in order to make way for the new lot. Once enthroned in their positions of power with the spoon placed in their hand, little time is wasted in serving themselves from the gravy train. While this takes place, the political bosses look the other way, pretending to not hear or see the plunder taking place right under their noses.
But there comes a time when the bosses are compelled to take note and draw the line.
However, if the foot does not come down at the right time, the result is the creation of a culture of impunity that inevitably leads to public agitation and turmoil. This just about sums up the predicament of the incumbent regime, which continues to display a distinct reluctance to bell the cat, of which there are many now. That reluctance has pushed the Government into a tight corner from which it is unlikely to emerge unscathed.
For a government that rode to power on the singular platform of strengthening national security, two years down the line, the attainment of that goal continues to prove elusive. National security as a whole is not just about strengthening the defence aspect, as provided for in the Budget currently under review in Parliament; in the post-Covid world, it is more about securing what is needed by a nation and its people to acquire and consolidate wealth and economic power.
For all intents and purposes, there is a great game of attrition afoot amongst the world’s superpowers to further their strategic interests across the globe. A modern-day war of colonisation is underway without a bullet being fired or bombs being exploded, simply through economic strangulation via debt traps. Sri Lanka, like many other nations in the same boat, is finding that out the hard way. It is in this backdrop that the top priority of the Government should be to plug the bleeding economy and tame the mountain of debt, because that is what will eventually amount to national security.
Given the new world order, a nation steeped in debt and begging for its daily bread is anything but secure, with its rulers, who are only temporary custodians of power, ever willing to sell off the country’s assets in return for foreign exchange simply to tide over matters till the next election. Therefore, if economic consolidation is the name of the game, its attainment has been severely compromised by recent events, the authors of which appear to be the regime’s henchmen in high places, acting with impunity. That the political bosses continue to turn a blind eye to their criminal activities has called into question the sensitivities of the administration and the degree to which it has lost touch with reality.
For instance, it took over a hundred cases of exploding gas cookers for the authorities to grudgingly acknowledge a problem and halt the distribution of cylinders. In the same vein, no one appears to be aware of the action taken, if any, against those responsible for the X-Press Pearl ship disaster. Then there have been so many scams that one can be forgiven for losing count. Billions of rupees are alleged to have been swindled by way of tax benefits owing to the sugar scam, then the importation and distribution of carcinogenic coconut oil, the Sathosa garlic scam, importation of nano fertiliser, Chinese organic fertiliser, etc., all of which are shrouded in controversy, but with no tangible action initiated to bring those responsible to book.
What has transpired so far in the matter of the gas cylinder issue is shocking. It was on 12 April this year that state-owned Litro Gas announced the introduction of what became the controversial “hybrid” cylinder, which, according to reports, had a drastically altered composition as opposed to what prevailed up until then. Since the 60s, when Shell began the LP gas business, the composition has remained as 70% butane and 30% propane. In the case of the new cylinder, the cheaper and heavier propane was increased to 50%, from 30%, while the more expensive and lighter butane was reduced to 50%, from 70%. This 50-50 composition was marketed as a hybrid cylinder with little or no study on the dangers it posed to the consumer. This composition also made the gas burn faster, owing to the high percentage of propane, thereby emptying the cylinder much faster than before, giving the consumer a raw deal.
For what it was worth, the then Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) Chairman had ordered tests to be carried out on the new product, and the test results were made available to the authority on 27 April. Seeing the dangers indicated in the reports, the former CAA Chairman had immediately brought it to the attention of the relevant subject ministers, to not only be dismissed offhand by them, but the CAA also allegedly be prevented from taking action against the company. The then Chairman subsequently resigned in disgust.
Now with explosions occurring across the country, the Minister in charge of the subject has gone on record that he suspects “meddling” with the gas composition. There is also the matter of ethyl mercaptan, the odour agent used in the composition to help identify leakages – tests have revealed that its level, which should be 14, has been deliberately brought down to 5 by the gas company concerned. It is clear that all this amounts to prima facie criminal negligence on the part of the company, but no one has yet been held accountable for this grave threat to public safety.
In what amounts to closing the stable door after the horse has bolted, it is only now that steps are being taken to diligently test samples of LP gas obtained from supply ships arriving in Colombo. It is indeed inexcusable that the main culprit in this fiasco is a state entity which, under normal circumstances, should be the one setting the benchmarks. When, on the one hand, the state sector remains bloated to the limits, it is unfathomable that key government institutions, such as those that should be carrying out critical testing, remain dysfunctional.
Given the unprecedented degree of impunity enjoyed by scammers and criminals aided and abetted by an indifferent bureaucracy, it is little wonder that there is lukewarm interest among investors to pitch tents here. To put it another way, what assurance does an investor have on their number one concern – the rule of law – when impunity appears to be the order of the day? The lukewarm response to the Port City, which was touted as the turning point in the country’s economy, is a prime example of the state of play.
Consequential to its economic woes, Sri Lanka has become a testing ground for all manner of dangerous products, the gas cylinder issue being just one. There are other examples such as the introduction of nano fertiliser and Chinese organic fertiliser, with Sri Lankan farmers being the guinea pigs. Now, we have upon us another disaster in the making, with the Cabinet giving the green light for cannabis cultivation for export. How the distinction will be made as to what is for export and what is not is up to the authorities to figure out, but given local ingenuity, there is good reason to assume that a fair share of the produce will find its way to the local market, much the same way that apparels that are produced exclusively for export through bonded warehouses find their way even to high-end shopping malls.
The danger is that while the Government is desperately seeking ways and means of sourcing foreign exchange, the ganja proposal carries with it risks. According to reports, the illegal hooch industry grew by 300% last year alone. What is there to prevent hooch being replaced by the more easily accessible ganja, which would eventually make this nation one big smouldering pot?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!