Amnesty national
The government recently announced an amnesty for army deserters, and around 58,000 men are entitled to this amnesty, all to the horror of those other lads who have donned uniform and bravely served the King, the Queen and country.

The problem of soldiers vacating posts has been a very serious one. One reason for the mass exodus from the army was the lack of political leadership and commitment since the insurgency started. The other was sheer cowardice on the part of some of the men who deserted.

The previous regime was in the habit of issuing proclamations to private sector employees to desist from employing these men in private sector establishments, but that very leadership would simultaneously employ these men in private security firms managed by their families and deploy them on political missions particularly at election time.

Keeping men by force as soldiers doesn't make any sense either. One cannot hold them at the point of a bayonet and urge them to go fight a brainwashed enemy.
Downsizing the army in the expectation of peace may be a dangerous way of doing away with the problem of deserters -- but the question needs be asked 'can a job in the forces be treated like any other?'

Joining the military used to separate the men from the boys, but it seems we are intent on turning military service into another eight to five vocation. While the debate on the deserters issue remains, the Government has in the meantime, granted an amnesty to a totally different category -- this time, foreign exchange defaulters and customs racketeers.

The official argument goes that this amnesty will bring 'black' money back into the economy. But, even as Finance Minister K. N. Choksy grants this amnesty in his budget proposals, he concedes how amnesties sometimes do not work. Last week, he pointed out in Parliament how amnesties have raked in only a pittance in terms of revenue. (Rs 21 million in 1964, 38 million in 1965, 30 million in 1978, 4 million in 1989, 960,000 in 1990, no revenue at all in 1993, 258 million in 1997 and 223 million in 1998.)

The latest amnesty announced in the 2002 budget has not yet been seen in terms of revenue, and there are no figures as to whether it has worked or not. Not even Mr. Choksy has the details. The much more damning question is, why or how giving a Customs amnesty exonerating businessmen who have under-invoiced or not paid proper GST would bring in ‘black’ money back into circulation? Not just a Customs amnesty but there is a Betting and Excise amnesty pending. This beats elementary logic - except the logic of a Government’s pay-back for their financier, and an I.O.U. for future funding.

The only explanation that seems logical is that many of those who received these amnesties are businessmen who have bankrolled and financed politicians who are now in power, and who are facing jail sentences if convicted, due to customs fraud. This seems to be political cronyism at its blatant best - or worst as the case may be.
It seems ironic that a Government that seeks to introduce legislation to combat organised crime on the one hand, is allowing white collar crime and organised corporate sleaze on the other. Not forgetting that in the process the Government is imparting another message to the law abiding income tax payer and honest importer which is 'what a fool you have been all this time.''

Back to Top

Back to Index

Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Webmaster