Letters to the Editor
View(s):Squandering dollars and living in Alice in Wonder-land
‘Indian credit lines to set up 14,000 home shops favouring SLPP supporters’ states the headline of the Business Times of March 27.
I looked again, in disbelief, and read on…the US $one billion credit line is to be used for this purpose!
Are we living in Alice in Wonder-land, and is the Mad Hatter our Finance Minister?
Can our economy be strengthened by this irresponsible and frivolous dispersion of dollars?
These shops are to be set up in rural areas. Shades of “Divi-neguma”, where party supporters were given live chicks and calves in rural areas!
Our villager is to some extent self-sufficient – they have home gardens where vegetables and manioc are cultivated, there may even be a coconut tree or two, and a Kos tree. My domestic aide sometimes brings us good quality turmeric. This is grown and processed by her sister in the gama. It is the urban poor who find it really difficult to survive – the daily wage earner and the small scale entrepreneur. Despite the IMF report implying gross mis-management of finances, do we continue our slide down a slippery slope?
Surely projects should be prioritised so that these hard won dollars are put to optimal use?
Dr. P. Amerasinghe
Via email
Points to remember when trying to address economic crisis
Both the Government and the Opposition parties have diverted their attention to the financial and economic problems affecting the country.
Whatever the remedies suggested, two factors inhibit their practical implementation. The fundamental problems are national reconciliation and large scale corruption and wastage especially in the government sector.
I appeal to both sides to consider the following suggestions and incorporate them in their programme of work:
n To address the Tamil and Muslim communities with practical programmes of reconciliation and rehabilitation in the Northern and Eastern provinces aimed at a massive party membership drive. The programme should not only be based on their constitutional and legal rights as citizens, but with a view to integrating them socially with the Sinhala community.
n A programme to educate their Sinhala youth members on the Hindu and Muslim religions and cultures so that they can organize webinars and meetings with Tamil and Muslim youth. Such activities will help them understand the local and global problems they all face.
K.S. Ekanayake
Pannipitiya
Kept in dark over unkindest cut
I read with much interest and amusement H.A. Ratnayake’s ‘Diary of a Powercut Citizen’ in the ST Plus of March 13.
I am a senior citizen going through a miserable time due to so many ‘cuts’! The unkindest cut of all is the power cut, the duration of which is increasing every week. Yesterday the evening power cut was at 9 p.m. – 1 ½ hours. The day before it was at 8 p.m. – again 1 ½ hours. Why oh why can’t those who plan the cuts give a proper schedule? Why are we kept in the dark?
My kind friends and relatives bring me cooked meals. Now most times I have to throw them away as they spoil in the ‘fridge’ with the long power cuts.
Gas ne
Kiri ne
Light ne
Beheth ganna salli ne
What to do – as senior citizens we have to endure it all.
Mrs R. Goonewardene
Nugegoda
A gentle giant from whom we can learn many lessons
March 7, 2022 was a day of great sadness to Buddhists in particular and to the people of Sri Lanka in general, because it was the day Nedungamuwe Raja, the bearer of the main casket containing the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha at the Esala Perahara, passed away at the age of 69 years at Nedungamuwa, Weliveriya.
Nedungamuwe Raja had superhuman qualities. The majestic elephant performed the important function assigned to him which was to carry the casket bearing the Sacred Tooth Relic with dignity and decorum each year for 13 consecutive years. The Government thought it was proper for a security detail to accompany him considering him as a national treasure.
Each year he was seen walking on the road from his residence to the venue of the Perahera with a dignified gait, being led by his caregiver the mahout Kalu Mama with whom he had an extraordinary relationship, obedient to his commands, without any inclination to disobey. As Kalu Mama says there was neither any arrogance nor was there a display of any violent behaviour and both he and Kalu Mama dwelt in perfect harmony and understanding with each other. After performing his duty in Kandy, Nedungamuwe Raja went obediently back to his residence and lived a life of seclusion and contentment eating the usual diet of coconut palm fronds and other choice vegetation.
Nedungamuwe Raja was born in Mysore, India in 1953 and was gifted to Sri Lanka. There are a lot of lessons we human beings could learn from this gentle giant and qualities that we could emulate which were visible in Raja. The two most outstanding qualities which were quite evident were humility and obedience. He was dignified in the performance of his responsibility and did it with total commitment and dedication. Once he had performed this onerous task he was content to step back and live his ordinary life. Sri Lanka has indeed lost a noble and exemplary creature and we Sri Lankans are all the poorer by his death
Ridley Casie Chitty
Via email
Carry out assessment of overseas missions before shutting them
We learn that the Foreign Ministry is making arrangements to shut down some of our embassies and consular offices in the wake of the dollar crunch.
For all intents and purposes this move is tantamount to a knee-jerk reaction. Hence we suggest that in the best interests of the nation, the Ministry undertakes a study of all overseas missions in collaboration with the relevant heads to ascertain their usefulness in terms of diplomatic, economic and other benefits that accrue to our country and in tandem carry out an exercise with regard to staffing and recurrent expenditure before a decision to close down missions is taken.
Roy de Silva
Via email
Maintaining Baghdad embassy at minimal cost would be of benefit
I urge the Foreign Ministry to reconsider their decision to shut down the Baghdad Embassy.
We learn that there are many advantages and benefits that accrue and will gain momentum in the future by maintaining the embassy.
Iraq has emerged as the No.1 buyer of Sri Lankan tea. Moreover Iraq is fast returning to normalcy from the violence and mayhem that impacted the country and its people in the aftermath of the Iraqi war and sectarian violence.
Presently there are nearly 10,000 Sri Lankans gainfully employed in Iraq. The potential for considerable larger numbers is greatly evident.
Iraq is an oil-rich country and reportedly possesses the second largest oil reserves in West Asia. Cordial relations may ensure considerable oil imports from Iraq.
In addition to tea, possibilities of exports of many items of merchandise such as spices, coconut fibre, ceramic etc could be promoted.
Tourism is another sector that Iraqis will be interested in.
Iraq poses great opportunities for trade enhancement. Therefore the Ministry should continue to maintain the Baghdad embassy even at minimal cost.
Rizwan Cader
Via email
Drug shortage: Stop pointing fingers and take action
The shortage of pharmaceuticals is the latest and most distressing topic appearing in the media. It is being blamed on banks’ delays and administrative delays at the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA).
While agreeing with the above blame to some extent, I wish to bring to the notice of the NMRA authorities and the general public that the biggest culprit causing this inhumane shortage of drugs is the peon at the NMRA.
This person is in charge of all Drug Registration Files (computer data issue now forgotten) which need to be evaluated by the pharmacists prior to issuance of the Registration Certificates. These Registrations or Re-registration Certificates need to be validated and certified to enable imports of medicines in the market and the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC).
But this peon hides files on the excuse that they are ‘missing’ which is a common excuse given to the importer as a result of which particular drugs cannot be imported.
Most helpless officers in charge of drug registration in the companies are compelled to bribe this person to fetch the files before they are submitted for approval.
It is a great pity that the heads of the NMRA are only professionals in healthcare and have minimum administrative experience to manage and control such staff in order to facilitate the smooth working of the office.
I trust the Ministers in charge will take this matter seriously without blaming each other for the serious issue of the drugs shortage in the market.
A.D. Premaratne
Colombo
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