To overcome the problems due to the present economic crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic, the revival and development of industries in Sri Lanka is vital.
The evolution and development of human society has been a result of the application of science, technology, and research (STR), including innovation, to overcome challenges. The Industrial Technology Institute (ITI), together with other STR institutes like the National Engineering Research and Development Centre (NERD), has enabled Sri Lanka to develop from a low-income country (annual per capita income of about $ 1,000) to a low middle-income country (with about $ 3,850). But we are still an underdeveloped country (UC) and have to overcome many more challenges to become a developed country (DC).
If the much smaller Singapore could become a developed country, overcoming the normal industrial challenges, why not us? Singapore practically had no natural or agricultural raw material to develop a value-added industry, but they made full use of their human resource according to a plan to become a financial and trading hub. In addition, they imported raw material, mainly from Malaysia, to develop industries.
While Sri Lanka has abundant natural and agricultural resources, it does not make proper use of this. For example, we continue to export ilmenite rich earth, which Britain converts into titanium dioxide and titanium (which is vital for the aeronautics industry) and becomes richer, while we remain poor. The same applies for graphite, which Europe converts into graphene, the wonder base for a whole new field of valuable industries.
Overcoming normal industrial challenges
While Sri Lankan scientists and engineers have successfully overcome the many normal industrial challenges, this has been done despite the lack of funds and autonomy to effectively deliver the scientific support that industries require. In general, we lack the entrepreneurial spirit to develop value-added industries. As a former Minister of Science and Technology, I tried to get Sri Lanka the full benefit from our natural resources by setting up a centre, the Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology (SLINTEC), based on the latest hi-tech nanotechnology, but the progress has been limited. For example, though scientists there have produced nanoparticles with 40% nitrogen, without developing this, we are obtaining nanoparticles with 4% nitrogen from India. It would be far better to devote that money to developing our nano nitrogen particle industry.
In Sri Lanka, mainly the ITI, and other institutions like the NERD, provided the STR for the development of nearly 12,300 small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) through the 240 Vidatha Centres that were developed country-wide through my initiative while I was the said Minister (and more than 50,000 youth were trained for careers in computer technology). I am glad to hear that over 1,000 of the industries are exporting their products, having reached international standards. Many normal industrial challenges have been overcome during this process, thanks to the STR contribution given mainly by the ITI, which can be proud of its achievement.
Overcoming new normal industrial challenges
What, then, is the meaning of “new normal industrial challenges”, and how do we “position” STR to challenge them? While this could mean the challenge posed by new technology abroad, I presume that “new normal” refers mainly to the new challenges arising as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath. There have been much worse pandemics in the history of the world (e.g. the 1918 influenza pandemic that killed over 30 million people and infected one-third of the world’s population), but they have all disappeared in two to three years.
Chances are that this one too will fit into that pattern. Obviously, the industrial challenges due to Covid-19 will continue for some more months, probably a year or more, though persistence with variants like influenza may occur as minor epidemics periodically forever. The need for industrial development continues despite this, and the problems caused by Covid-19 and the global and local economic crisis will continue for years.
The negative impact on the industries in countries due to the Covid-19 pandemic has to be minimised. For instance, the closing down of industries or cutting down staff due to Covid-19-related problems can be reduced if the necessary structures and organisational changes are instituted. Air-conditioning increases the risk of any infected person passing on the virus to others. The use of fans and keeping doors and windows open will minimise that risk. Replacement by activated carbon air filters would further reduce the risk of virus entry, besides dust particles, into laboratories and factories.
At the same time, the distance between employees should be at least one meter, or if possible two meters. The wearing of masks all the time should be compulsory. The handlers of any material brought from outside should wash their hands with soap and water or use the sanitisers. There should be no crowds gathering for meetings or discussions. These should be limited to a few key personnel. There should be a Covid-19 committee in each institution who should have been fully informed about the virus and its behaviour. Having full awareness, the committee members can ensure that all employees are informed and that they observe the health rules mentioned above.
The entire staff should be immunised with safe vaccines. I consider the Pfizer-BioNTech and Modena vaccines as unsafe, as they are based on the use of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) which are only composed of viable genetic material. This type of vaccine has never been used on humans before and it is uncertain as to how their mRNA will act once they combine with genetic material in the cells of our bodies.
Due to scientific observations and thinking, the outcome of the mixture of foreign virus genetic material with human genetic material is unpredictable and may give rise to undesirable genetic changes. This is why the European Union (EU) has banned the importation of genetically modified (GM) foods. Here, this foreign genetic material is being directly injected into our body, so the danger is even greater.
Other vaccines that are on the market are based on accepted vaccine production procedures and are free of these dangers. For instance, Sinopharm is a whole virus which has been killed so that there is no live matter in its makeup. But it must be remembered that vaccination only prevents the individual from developing severe disease and dying. The vaccinated person can get infected while developing no symptoms (over 80%) or developing a mild cold-like illness (20%). During the infectious period, they can infect other people.
Thus, it is imperative that everyone is given a safe vaccine while ensuring that they do not infect others or get infected by observing the health rules against virus transmission. If the work in the workplace, factory, or office is organised in this way, then the Covid-19 challenge is minimised or even nullified. Then, it will be possible for all industries to function despite the “new normal challenges”. Once these precautions have been taken in all workplaces, the relevant industry could return to normal working conditions.
In Sri Lanka, plantation industry employees are very vulnerable due to the poor housing conditions. The employees and their families, which include persons over 60 years of age as well as those with co-morbidities (the vulnerable group), are in danger. People living in line rooms/houses, which have several families crowded together, are prone to get infected, with severe Covid-19 disease affecting the vulnerable group. The Government must take urgent action to separate the families by temporarily moving them into individual family separated housing, and proceed to intensify their housing construction programme.
Another factor related to the Covid-19 pandemic is the fact that a significant amount of the labour force elsewhere went back to their villages and has not returned. One factor is that some of them fear that they may be exposed to the Covid-19 infection if they return to work. The lack of labour has affected major manufacturing industries in Sri Lanka as well as abroad, affecting the manufacturing sector in particular globally. This has delayed economic recovery. The government health authorities may need to look into the question of helping these industries to recover by removing the fear complex among the employees through health education programmes.
An important aspect is to change the behavioural pattern of people throughout the country to understand the true nature of the virus and the effect of getting infected, so that people will overcome the fear complex that has arisen as a result of the frequent shutdowns. A result of this situation is that the majority of the people have got poorer and are facing economic problems which are worse than the Covid-19 threat itself.
This is the problem of hunger. Latest figures indicate that about 60% of the Sri Lankan population is living below the poverty line and that there are many people who have to manage with only one proper meal per day. The level of malnutrition too has increased and is a little above 18%. This means that nearly one out of every five children under five years of age is suffering from malnutrition. They will grow up to be shorter and thinner, and worst of all, their mental development will be retarded. The other children too will be affected, but to a lesser extent. This augers badly for our future generation.
Another factor that has been the outcome of the Covid-19 problem is the disruption of the education system. Children have suffered by missing nearly two years of schooling with serious consequences. Some of them have developed mental problems. A majority have lost the habit of regular schooling. Some of the children at higher grades have been badly affected and their preparation for critical examinations has been badly disrupted. Some of the children have been corrupted due to idleness and even turned to the consumption of addictive drugs.
In my view, the problem of hunger should receive first priority and money should be devoted to ensuring that people get adequate nutrition. I would like to suggest that highways and other development projects that are not essential be delayed and the money diverted to ensure that everybody gets adequate nutrition. The successful solution to the causal factor for the high cost of living is to bypass the whole chain of profiteering middlemen. This can be done by adopting a new economic system that is gathering momentum in both developed countries, especially in Europe, and in developing countries, eg. Argentina. This is the concept of the solidarity economy. The basic idea is that all institutions that are running at a loss, both government and private, should be made into companies that belong to the employees. This entitles them not only to get their salaries, but also for everyone to have one share in the company. In this way, the profit is divided equally. Where this has been done, there has been a conversion of loss into profit for the enterprise.
A good example relevant to Sri Lanka is what has been achieved in Kerala, India, e.g. 63 hectares of tea owned by TATA (one of India’s leading enterprises) was running at a loss. The Government took back the land and ran it on the solidarity principle. One of the members of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) Agriculture Committee, who has retired from the post of the State Plantations Corporation (SPC) General Manager, visited Kerala and gave us a report. Where TATA had failed, under the new set-up, the tea plantations were running at a good profit and the employees were happy. The idea of being the owners while they were also the employees had caused a big change in their mental attitude. They did not return from work by midday but went on until evening. All robbing and other illegal activities had stopped. The Employees’ Council had chosen professional managers on merit (not on relationship and personal factors that have corrupted Indian society).
I wish to propose that the plantation industry and all loss-making government and private enterprises in Sri Lanka too turn to the solidarity principle. This can be applied to farmer organisations as well, so as to bypass the middlemen who have them caught in a debt trap and exploit them so that they do not get a proper price for their paddy and vegetables. These farmer solidarity organisations can deal directly with the solidarity shops set up islandwide. Initially, it may be wise to make use of government wholesale establishments in the agricultural sector like the Paddy Marketing Board, the Co-operative Wholesale Establishment, and Sathosa to facilitate the process.
Globally too, there has been considerable disruption of industry due to Covid-19. In particular, the shutdown in China has led to the shortage of manufactured goods. China and many eastern countries took to the manufacturing of goods, supported by outsourcing from the developed countries, due to their cheap labour and lower production costs. Now, as a result of Covid-19, the US and most developed countries that had earlier shifted to the service industries as the mainstay of their economies are dependent on goods which could be obtained cheaper from countries like China. The result has been that with the Covid-19 shutdown in China, these countries have now had to restore their manufacturing capabilities to produce the goods that they need but cannot import from China. This tendency has also had some impact on developing countries like India. Therefore, in both developed and developing countries, there is a tendency to restore or develop their manufacturing industries to achieve some degree of self-sufficiency.
Globally, there is an economic crisis which has been exaggerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. This economic downturn is continuing and having an adverse effect on global trade. The drop in trade has led to an adverse impact on shipping and transport by air, globally. The disruption of shipping and flight schedules has led to the disruption in global trade. This has affected both developed countries as well as developing countries, with the effect being greater on the latter. Items required for industries are behind schedule and supply chains have been disrupted. This disruption of trade associated with the impact on the global transport system has badly affected manufacturing industries worldwide.
The agriculture industry has also encountered many problems during this Covid-19 period. Much of the problems are the result of the monopoly situation which has affected the availability of rice and vegetables. With the reluctance of the Government to intervene on behalf of the farmers and the consumers, the situation has been exploited by ruthless mill owners and traders to raise prices sky high. In a situation where people are without a source of income, the high price of food has been a major factor that has led to a fall in the nutritional status of the people.
The fact that they were suffering from serious health problems like kidney disease and cancer due to the use of toxic chemicals received a sympathetic response from our President. During the time of the Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga presidency, I reacted in the same way when she made me the Chairman of a committee to identify the causes of these illnesses among farmers. I too made the same suggestion about shifting to organic farming, but no action was taken. I am glad that the President has taken a firm decision to do away with the use of harmful chemicals in agriculture. But I would appeal to him to make the transition a gradual one so that there is minimal disruption.
I have laid emphasis on the main causal factor to be the Covid-19 pandemic and its economic and social impact. The impact may last for a shorter or longer period depending on the duration of the pandemic. Once the pandemic is over, it will take considerable time to restore normalcy. This may vary from country to country and from town to village. What I have said above may also vary accordingly. As a scientist, I can only generalise, but future events and outcomes may confirm or refute what I had said above. Only time will tell.
(The writer is a virologist, government parliamentarian, the Committee on Public Accounts [COPA] Chairman, and the LSSP General Secretary)
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication.
Positioning science, tech, and research for ‘new normal’ industrial challenges
15 Nov 2021
Positioning science, tech, and research for ‘new normal’ industrial challenges
15 Nov 2021
To overcome the problems due to the present economic crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic, the revival and development of industries in Sri Lanka is vital.
The evolution and development of human society has been a result of the application of science, technology, and research (STR), including innovation, to overcome challenges. The Industrial Technology Institute (ITI), together with other STR institutes like the National Engineering Research and Development Centre (NERD), has enabled Sri Lanka to develop from a low-income country (annual per capita income of about $ 1,000) to a low middle-income country (with about $ 3,850). But we are still an underdeveloped country (UC) and have to overcome many more challenges to become a developed country (DC).
If the much smaller Singapore could become a developed country, overcoming the normal industrial challenges, why not us? Singapore practically had no natural or agricultural raw material to develop a value-added industry, but they made full use of their human resource according to a plan to become a financial and trading hub. In addition, they imported raw material, mainly from Malaysia, to develop industries.
While Sri Lanka has abundant natural and agricultural resources, it does not make proper use of this. For example, we continue to export ilmenite rich earth, which Britain converts into titanium dioxide and titanium (which is vital for the aeronautics industry) and becomes richer, while we remain poor. The same applies for graphite, which Europe converts into graphene, the wonder base for a whole new field of valuable industries.
Overcoming normal industrial challenges
While Sri Lankan scientists and engineers have successfully overcome the many normal industrial challenges, this has been done despite the lack of funds and autonomy to effectively deliver the scientific support that industries require. In general, we lack the entrepreneurial spirit to develop value-added industries. As a former Minister of Science and Technology, I tried to get Sri Lanka the full benefit from our natural resources by setting up a centre, the Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology (SLINTEC), based on the latest hi-tech nanotechnology, but the progress has been limited. For example, though scientists there have produced nanoparticles with 40% nitrogen, without developing this, we are obtaining nanoparticles with 4% nitrogen from India. It would be far better to devote that money to developing our nano nitrogen particle industry.
In Sri Lanka, mainly the ITI, and other institutions like the NERD, provided the STR for the development of nearly 12,300 small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) through the 240 Vidatha Centres that were developed country-wide through my initiative while I was the said Minister (and more than 50,000 youth were trained for careers in computer technology). I am glad to hear that over 1,000 of the industries are exporting their products, having reached international standards. Many normal industrial challenges have been overcome during this process, thanks to the STR contribution given mainly by the ITI, which can be proud of its achievement.
Overcoming new normal industrial challenges
What, then, is the meaning of “new normal industrial challenges”, and how do we “position” STR to challenge them? While this could mean the challenge posed by new technology abroad, I presume that “new normal” refers mainly to the new challenges arising as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath. There have been much worse pandemics in the history of the world (e.g. the 1918 influenza pandemic that killed over 30 million people and infected one-third of the world’s population), but they have all disappeared in two to three years.
Chances are that this one too will fit into that pattern. Obviously, the industrial challenges due to Covid-19 will continue for some more months, probably a year or more, though persistence with variants like influenza may occur as minor epidemics periodically forever. The need for industrial development continues despite this, and the problems caused by Covid-19 and the global and local economic crisis will continue for years.
The negative impact on the industries in countries due to the Covid-19 pandemic has to be minimised. For instance, the closing down of industries or cutting down staff due to Covid-19-related problems can be reduced if the necessary structures and organisational changes are instituted. Air-conditioning increases the risk of any infected person passing on the virus to others. The use of fans and keeping doors and windows open will minimise that risk. Replacement by activated carbon air filters would further reduce the risk of virus entry, besides dust particles, into laboratories and factories.
At the same time, the distance between employees should be at least one meter, or if possible two meters. The wearing of masks all the time should be compulsory. The handlers of any material brought from outside should wash their hands with soap and water or use the sanitisers. There should be no crowds gathering for meetings or discussions. These should be limited to a few key personnel. There should be a Covid-19 committee in each institution who should have been fully informed about the virus and its behaviour. Having full awareness, the committee members can ensure that all employees are informed and that they observe the health rules mentioned above.
The entire staff should be immunised with safe vaccines. I consider the Pfizer-BioNTech and Modena vaccines as unsafe, as they are based on the use of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) which are only composed of viable genetic material. This type of vaccine has never been used on humans before and it is uncertain as to how their mRNA will act once they combine with genetic material in the cells of our bodies.
Due to scientific observations and thinking, the outcome of the mixture of foreign virus genetic material with human genetic material is unpredictable and may give rise to undesirable genetic changes. This is why the European Union (EU) has banned the importation of genetically modified (GM) foods. Here, this foreign genetic material is being directly injected into our body, so the danger is even greater.
Other vaccines that are on the market are based on accepted vaccine production procedures and are free of these dangers. For instance, Sinopharm is a whole virus which has been killed so that there is no live matter in its makeup. But it must be remembered that vaccination only prevents the individual from developing severe disease and dying. The vaccinated person can get infected while developing no symptoms (over 80%) or developing a mild cold-like illness (20%). During the infectious period, they can infect other people.
Thus, it is imperative that everyone is given a safe vaccine while ensuring that they do not infect others or get infected by observing the health rules against virus transmission. If the work in the workplace, factory, or office is organised in this way, then the Covid-19 challenge is minimised or even nullified. Then, it will be possible for all industries to function despite the “new normal challenges”. Once these precautions have been taken in all workplaces, the relevant industry could return to normal working conditions.
In Sri Lanka, plantation industry employees are very vulnerable due to the poor housing conditions. The employees and their families, which include persons over 60 years of age as well as those with co-morbidities (the vulnerable group), are in danger. People living in line rooms/houses, which have several families crowded together, are prone to get infected, with severe Covid-19 disease affecting the vulnerable group. The Government must take urgent action to separate the families by temporarily moving them into individual family separated housing, and proceed to intensify their housing construction programme.
Another factor related to the Covid-19 pandemic is the fact that a significant amount of the labour force elsewhere went back to their villages and has not returned. One factor is that some of them fear that they may be exposed to the Covid-19 infection if they return to work. The lack of labour has affected major manufacturing industries in Sri Lanka as well as abroad, affecting the manufacturing sector in particular globally. This has delayed economic recovery. The government health authorities may need to look into the question of helping these industries to recover by removing the fear complex among the employees through health education programmes.
An important aspect is to change the behavioural pattern of people throughout the country to understand the true nature of the virus and the effect of getting infected, so that people will overcome the fear complex that has arisen as a result of the frequent shutdowns. A result of this situation is that the majority of the people have got poorer and are facing economic problems which are worse than the Covid-19 threat itself.
This is the problem of hunger. Latest figures indicate that about 60% of the Sri Lankan population is living below the poverty line and that there are many people who have to manage with only one proper meal per day. The level of malnutrition too has increased and is a little above 18%. This means that nearly one out of every five children under five years of age is suffering from malnutrition. They will grow up to be shorter and thinner, and worst of all, their mental development will be retarded. The other children too will be affected, but to a lesser extent. This augers badly for our future generation.
Another factor that has been the outcome of the Covid-19 problem is the disruption of the education system. Children have suffered by missing nearly two years of schooling with serious consequences. Some of them have developed mental problems. A majority have lost the habit of regular schooling. Some of the children at higher grades have been badly affected and their preparation for critical examinations has been badly disrupted. Some of the children have been corrupted due to idleness and even turned to the consumption of addictive drugs.
In my view, the problem of hunger should receive first priority and money should be devoted to ensuring that people get adequate nutrition. I would like to suggest that highways and other development projects that are not essential be delayed and the money diverted to ensure that everybody gets adequate nutrition. The successful solution to the causal factor for the high cost of living is to bypass the whole chain of profiteering middlemen. This can be done by adopting a new economic system that is gathering momentum in both developed countries, especially in Europe, and in developing countries, eg. Argentina. This is the concept of the solidarity economy. The basic idea is that all institutions that are running at a loss, both government and private, should be made into companies that belong to the employees. This entitles them not only to get their salaries, but also for everyone to have one share in the company. In this way, the profit is divided equally. Where this has been done, there has been a conversion of loss into profit for the enterprise.
A good example relevant to Sri Lanka is what has been achieved in Kerala, India, e.g. 63 hectares of tea owned by TATA (one of India’s leading enterprises) was running at a loss. The Government took back the land and ran it on the solidarity principle. One of the members of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) Agriculture Committee, who has retired from the post of the State Plantations Corporation (SPC) General Manager, visited Kerala and gave us a report. Where TATA had failed, under the new set-up, the tea plantations were running at a good profit and the employees were happy. The idea of being the owners while they were also the employees had caused a big change in their mental attitude. They did not return from work by midday but went on until evening. All robbing and other illegal activities had stopped. The Employees’ Council had chosen professional managers on merit (not on relationship and personal factors that have corrupted Indian society).
I wish to propose that the plantation industry and all loss-making government and private enterprises in Sri Lanka too turn to the solidarity principle. This can be applied to farmer organisations as well, so as to bypass the middlemen who have them caught in a debt trap and exploit them so that they do not get a proper price for their paddy and vegetables. These farmer solidarity organisations can deal directly with the solidarity shops set up islandwide. Initially, it may be wise to make use of government wholesale establishments in the agricultural sector like the Paddy Marketing Board, the Co-operative Wholesale Establishment, and Sathosa to facilitate the process.
Globally too, there has been considerable disruption of industry due to Covid-19. In particular, the shutdown in China has led to the shortage of manufactured goods. China and many eastern countries took to the manufacturing of goods, supported by outsourcing from the developed countries, due to their cheap labour and lower production costs. Now, as a result of Covid-19, the US and most developed countries that had earlier shifted to the service industries as the mainstay of their economies are dependent on goods which could be obtained cheaper from countries like China. The result has been that with the Covid-19 shutdown in China, these countries have now had to restore their manufacturing capabilities to produce the goods that they need but cannot import from China. This tendency has also had some impact on developing countries like India. Therefore, in both developed and developing countries, there is a tendency to restore or develop their manufacturing industries to achieve some degree of self-sufficiency.
Globally, there is an economic crisis which has been exaggerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. This economic downturn is continuing and having an adverse effect on global trade. The drop in trade has led to an adverse impact on shipping and transport by air, globally. The disruption of shipping and flight schedules has led to the disruption in global trade. This has affected both developed countries as well as developing countries, with the effect being greater on the latter. Items required for industries are behind schedule and supply chains have been disrupted. This disruption of trade associated with the impact on the global transport system has badly affected manufacturing industries worldwide.
The agriculture industry has also encountered many problems during this Covid-19 period. Much of the problems are the result of the monopoly situation which has affected the availability of rice and vegetables. With the reluctance of the Government to intervene on behalf of the farmers and the consumers, the situation has been exploited by ruthless mill owners and traders to raise prices sky high. In a situation where people are without a source of income, the high price of food has been a major factor that has led to a fall in the nutritional status of the people.
The fact that they were suffering from serious health problems like kidney disease and cancer due to the use of toxic chemicals received a sympathetic response from our President. During the time of the Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga presidency, I reacted in the same way when she made me the Chairman of a committee to identify the causes of these illnesses among farmers. I too made the same suggestion about shifting to organic farming, but no action was taken. I am glad that the President has taken a firm decision to do away with the use of harmful chemicals in agriculture. But I would appeal to him to make the transition a gradual one so that there is minimal disruption.
I have laid emphasis on the main causal factor to be the Covid-19 pandemic and its economic and social impact. The impact may last for a shorter or longer period depending on the duration of the pandemic. Once the pandemic is over, it will take considerable time to restore normalcy. This may vary from country to country and from town to village. What I have said above may also vary accordingly. As a scientist, I can only generalise, but future events and outcomes may confirm or refute what I had said above. Only time will tell.
(The writer is a virologist, government parliamentarian, the Committee on Public Accounts [COPA] Chairman, and the LSSP General Secretary)
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication.
Kapruka
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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!