The National Operations Centre for the Prevention of the Covid-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) yesterday (17) decided not to allow consumers to purchase liquor online through supermarket chains, according to NOCPCO Task Force Head Army Commander Gen. Shavendra Silva. This was after the Finance Ministry approved the request made by the Excise Department to allow the sale of liquor online on 16 June.
While the Finance Ministry said that the matter would require final approval from the NOCPCO Task Force, it begs the question of how disconnected this Government is, especially when the Finance Ministry is headed by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Task Force is headed by the Army Commander, and whether a decision could not have been made as a collective by the Government to permit or disallow online purchase of liquor prior to the Finance Ministry’s approval, which would not have necessitated the Task Force’s rejection.
This is just the latest in a series of moves that show a rather indecisive trait of this Government. It has reneged on promises and plans on several occasions, and the reasons behind these mood changes are manifold, ranging from ignorance to pressure exerted by various parties. Sometimes, it failed to fulfil its duties because it lacked the competence to handle certain situations and to identify the priorities of the country and the people.
Whether these proved beneficial or detrimental is not really the main concern. The biggest issue is the fact that the lack of a strong and confident stance on what needs to be said or done should not be the defining trait of any Government.
The recent fuel price hike was a clear instance of where what the Government pledged was miles apart from what it delivered. After coming into power, the present Government saw world oil prices decrease to record lows due to the travel restrictions brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, instead of passing on the benefit of these low oil prices to the people in the form of a fuel price decrease, the Government promised to provide canned fish and dhal at controlled lower prices, arguing that it would be more beneficial to people than a fuel price reduction amidst a nationwide curfew. However, shortly thereafter, the Government went back on its word, and removed the set maximum price for canned fish and dhal, leaving the people with no benefit from the reduced fuel prices.
There have also been many instances over the past 18 months when various members of the Government have made contradictory statements about the Covid-19 situation, especially with regard to mixing and matching of vaccines, with some saying that this would be carried out, while others stated there were no such immediate plans.
Unfortunately, that is not the most disturbing fact as far as the Covid-19 situation is concerned. The prevailing lockdown, or travel restrictions, seems to serve no purpose other than to keep a portion of the population, especially those working in the informal sector, at home. This might be just an observation and an opinion. But the number of Covid-19 cases and deaths, despite the lockdown and the ongoing vaccination drive, also suggest that these travel restrictions have not contributed to any considerable decrease in the number of cases or deaths. On the contrary, they are on the rise.
In this case also, the Government seems to have forgotten its commitment to actually restrict the people’s movements. It is true that the country’s economy has to continue; but a lockdown that does not really restrict movement is nothing short of an insult to those actually adhering to the travel restrictions. Furthermore, the weekly extensions being announced towards the end of each week also leave little room for planning, and only add to the lack of stability in people’s lives.
Changing the Government’s stance when the potential benefits outweigh the potential harms, or when it realises that what it had been doing up to a certain point was not the best thing to do, is a progressive move. However, how progressive it is depends on at what point it starts taking the right path. The best example is the Government’s stance on permitting the burial of people who died of Covid-19.
The Government so ardently and stubbornly defended its stance, disregarding scientifically proven facts and requests by many, and by the time it eventually decided to change its mind, it was too late; irreversible damage had already been done. It was also not a very confident decision. After the Prime Minister said in Parliament publicly that the Government would allow burials, other sections of the Government denied that there had been a decision to permit burial. After this, it took some time for any kind of official steps to be taken in that connection.
Another good example is the fate that befell the tripartite agreement between Sri Lanka, Japan, and India to jointly develop the Colombo Port’s East Container Terminal (ECT). Sri Lanka, after having promised the ECT to India, reneged on the agreement following pressure from trade unions and nationalistic forces within the Government. This no doubt tarnished Sri Lanka’s image on the international stage, making it seem an unreliable partner that cannot be trusted to follow through on its commitments.
The success of a Government is not only measured by what it did right, but also by what it did not do right, or failed to do. Be it because of Sri Lanka’s political culture, power struggles within the Government, or varying opinions, losing stability and harmony among its different elements are weaknesses, and they need to be addressed before the country collapses further.Make up your mind
17 Jun 2021
Make up your mind
17 Jun 2021
The National Operations Centre for the Prevention of the Covid-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) yesterday (17) decided not to allow consumers to purchase liquor online through supermarket chains, according to NOCPCO Task Force Head Army Commander Gen. Shavendra Silva. This was after the Finance Ministry approved the request made by the Excise Department to allow the sale of liquor online on 16 June.
While the Finance Ministry said that the matter would require final approval from the NOCPCO Task Force, it begs the question of how disconnected this Government is, especially when the Finance Ministry is headed by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Task Force is headed by the Army Commander, and whether a decision could not have been made as a collective by the Government to permit or disallow online purchase of liquor prior to the Finance Ministry’s approval, which would not have necessitated the Task Force’s rejection.
This is just the latest in a series of moves that show a rather indecisive trait of this Government. It has reneged on promises and plans on several occasions, and the reasons behind these mood changes are manifold, ranging from ignorance to pressure exerted by various parties. Sometimes, it failed to fulfil its duties because it lacked the competence to handle certain situations and to identify the priorities of the country and the people.
Whether these proved beneficial or detrimental is not really the main concern. The biggest issue is the fact that the lack of a strong and confident stance on what needs to be said or done should not be the defining trait of any Government.
The recent fuel price hike was a clear instance of where what the Government pledged was miles apart from what it delivered. After coming into power, the present Government saw world oil prices decrease to record lows due to the travel restrictions brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, instead of passing on the benefit of these low oil prices to the people in the form of a fuel price decrease, the Government promised to provide canned fish and dhal at controlled lower prices, arguing that it would be more beneficial to people than a fuel price reduction amidst a nationwide curfew. However, shortly thereafter, the Government went back on its word, and removed the set maximum price for canned fish and dhal, leaving the people with no benefit from the reduced fuel prices.
There have also been many instances over the past 18 months when various members of the Government have made contradictory statements about the Covid-19 situation, especially with regard to mixing and matching of vaccines, with some saying that this would be carried out, while others stated there were no such immediate plans.
Unfortunately, that is not the most disturbing fact as far as the Covid-19 situation is concerned. The prevailing lockdown, or travel restrictions, seems to serve no purpose other than to keep a portion of the population, especially those working in the informal sector, at home. This might be just an observation and an opinion. But the number of Covid-19 cases and deaths, despite the lockdown and the ongoing vaccination drive, also suggest that these travel restrictions have not contributed to any considerable decrease in the number of cases or deaths. On the contrary, they are on the rise.
In this case also, the Government seems to have forgotten its commitment to actually restrict the people’s movements. It is true that the country’s economy has to continue; but a lockdown that does not really restrict movement is nothing short of an insult to those actually adhering to the travel restrictions. Furthermore, the weekly extensions being announced towards the end of each week also leave little room for planning, and only add to the lack of stability in people’s lives.
Changing the Government’s stance when the potential benefits outweigh the potential harms, or when it realises that what it had been doing up to a certain point was not the best thing to do, is a progressive move. However, how progressive it is depends on at what point it starts taking the right path. The best example is the Government’s stance on permitting the burial of people who died of Covid-19.
The Government so ardently and stubbornly defended its stance, disregarding scientifically proven facts and requests by many, and by the time it eventually decided to change its mind, it was too late; irreversible damage had already been done. It was also not a very confident decision. After the Prime Minister said in Parliament publicly that the Government would allow burials, other sections of the Government denied that there had been a decision to permit burial. After this, it took some time for any kind of official steps to be taken in that connection.
Another good example is the fate that befell the tripartite agreement between Sri Lanka, Japan, and India to jointly develop the Colombo Port’s East Container Terminal (ECT). Sri Lanka, after having promised the ECT to India, reneged on the agreement following pressure from trade unions and nationalistic forces within the Government. This no doubt tarnished Sri Lanka’s image on the international stage, making it seem an unreliable partner that cannot be trusted to follow through on its commitments.
The success of a Government is not only measured by what it did right, but also by what it did not do right, or failed to do. Be it because of Sri Lanka’s political culture, power struggles within the Government, or varying opinions, losing stability and harmony among its different elements are weaknesses, and they need to be addressed before the country collapses further.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!