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NERD
finds solution to paddy storage crisis It has devised
a storage facility called the Ferro Cement Paddy Bin, which can
store 2 1/2 tonnes or 100 bushels of paddy for up to four to five
months. The new bin
could be the ideal solution to a problem that has beset farmers
and authorities for decades and led to falling rice prices for farmers
who were forced to sell their harvest quickly before it perishes
due to lack of proper storage. Twice a year
after every harvest, the government sets a guaranteed price and
money is allocated to various government agencies to purchase paddy
at appointed purchasing points. Farmers say
that it is routine for them to either obtain loans or other facilities
for cultivation from private businessmen and for repayment during
the harvest, in addition to selling the harvest to these businessmen
at a low price. It was the
NERD Centre's "Agriculture and Post-Harvest Technology"
section and made a study of the various problems facing farmers.
Head of the unit, T.B. Adhikarinayake found at least 114 problems
encountered by farmers with marketing and lack of storage facilities
being among the main issues. The normal
practice is for the farmer to dispose of his harvest by selling
half and keep the balance for home consumption. The home-use paddy
is stored in a room and often attacked by insets, forcing him to
sell off his harvest fast - at any price. The NERD Bin
stores paddy in airtight conditions and prevents attack from insects.
The grain is
preserved in its original quality condition. The design of the bin
is similar to the "Bissa"- the paddy heap stacked in the
field. The cost of
a bin is around Rs. 30,000 while the feeding unit would cost another
Rs. 5,000. As the bin
is constructed with cement, the structure would last at least for
25 years with little or no maintenance. NERD plans to install around 100 bins in the Anuradhapura area, one of the major paddy growing areas on an experimental basis. Caltex
slams IOC deal, warns of tough times ahead "It is
encouraging to see the new administration's initiatives to open
up some of the closed sectors, especially, power and petroleum,
for the private sector participation," Caltex Lanka CEO Kishu
Gomes said. "However,
the government's decision to invite Indian Oil Corporation undermines
the transparency of the liberalization process undertaken by the
new government. "As a
direct result, your company stands to lose on the purchase agreement
we signed with the government for exclusivity for lubricants distribution
through the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) retail channel until
2004," Gomes told shareholders in the company's 2002 annual
report. IOC has struck
a deal with the government and the CPC under which it will take
over some of the CPC petrol sheds and lease the oil tank farm in
China Bay, Trincomalee. Gomes said
that Caltex considers it important to invite a third operator in
a more competitive and transparent process and that it "should
be done without any delay". Caltex Lanka
reported a net profit of Rs. 811.6 million for the year ended December
31, 2002 with net turnover up by 12 percent to Rs. 3.9 billion.
It paid Rs. 369 million as dividend in the year under review. Gomes attributed
the results largely to cost cutting and reduced spending. Gomes said
that apart from losing its exclusivity in the retail channel, Caltex
faces "some significant challenges" in the lubricant market
with the trend being towards reduced demand for automotive lubricants. Rising oil prices could have an impact on cost of production, he also said. Pre-clearance
approval for DHL Keells DHL Keells
(Pvt) Ltd is the first air express service in the country to be
granted such approval for inbound cargo by SLC. The move by the
Customs is part of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between
the World Customs Organization and the International Air Express
Council. Chaminda Hewamallika,
Country Manager, DHL Keells said the initiative enables the company
to further cut down the time factor in clearing cargo, which is
a critical element for a courier service. Effective March
1, DHL will submit to Customs a manifest of the entire cargo while
it is on-air. Based on the manifest that carries all the information
of the cargo, Customs will determine the consignments that need
to be detained for examination, while approval will be granted for
the rest to be cleared on arrival. These packages generally consist
of low-value items below $1,000 that do not require regulatory approval.
The process still remains within the norms of the Customs and random
checks will be carried out as well. The pre-clearance
process will enable the courier to deliver cleared packages to the
consignee in the morning of the same day of arrival. Prior to this
every package was physically checked consuming time and goods reaching
the consignee usually late afternoon or the next day. The process
also enables the courier to inform the consignee early in the case
of detention and prepare documentation in advance for a physical
check as soon as the consignments arrive. Pre-clearance
processes have been in practice in developed markets in the region
like Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia for several years. The local move is hailed as a move towards faster movement of cargo contributing to the nation’s drive towards a regional trade centre and logistics hub. Customs will also be notifying the adoption of the global initiative to the World Customs Organization, according to the Director General of Customs. (AA) Point
of View The purpose
of this short article is not to compare the two countries in terms
of their similarities and differences, either in the past or at
present. It is simply to emphasize the fact that we could have or
still could learn a lot from Malaysia for the benefit of this country. In spite of
the enormous role that this Asian state has played in its spectacular
development, both socially and economically, Malaysia has continued
to have a relatively small cabinet of ministers in the region. In
fact, today, the country has only 17 cabinet ministers and well
over half of them are highly academically qualified persons drawn
from premier academic institutions in the country. My colleagues
in Malaysia tell me that the Prime Minister there managed to get
rid of many of the lawyers who dominated the government since independence
and replace them with eminent people drawn from diverse fields.
In fact, three cabinet ministers there have Ph.D's in economics.
Now compare this situation with our experience. Here we have had
historians, constitutional lawyers, etc. in charge of economic affairs
and industrial development. Few choices
One the other
hand, we could have at least got some knowledgeable people to advise
and guide the ministers. Even here what our leaders have done is
to appoint their friends, personal acquaintances, and defeated candidates
as advisors. Many public institutions were filled with party supporters
with scant attention being paid to their background and experience.
This was the practice of the last regime and it appears to be the
case with the present regime as well. What is ironical
however is that the leaders who no doubt have a real difficulty
in identifying suitable persons to be appointed as ministers nevertheless
appoint a large number of ministers as if to substitute quantity
for quality. In fact, the present government has applied the "Cluster
Principle" in appointing ministers. What we have
today in the country are clusters of ministers dealing with different
subjects. In fact it
is amusing to see the list of ministers and the subjects assigned
to them. As I mentioned in an earlier article a government should
not only appear to be legitimate but also have the capacity to deal
with various public issues effectively. While the legitimacy
of a regime depends on how democratic, inclusive and accountable
it is, its effectiveness and efficiency depend on how technocratically
and policy oriented it is in dealing with development and social
issues. In spite of
criticisms of the Malaysian regime with respect to democracy and
human rights, there can be little doubt about its technocratic and
long-term policy orientation. It is also due to this technocratic
orientation of the leaders that the country's public service has
also become invigorated and efficient. An efficient and committed
public service would no doubt have contributed to the socio economic
advancement that Malaysia has achieved. On the other hand, our experience
with regard to the state bureaucracy has been a sorry tale over
the last several decades. Public servants
pushed around, sidelined and humiliated by many politicians, have
become demoralized but largely self-seeking and defensive rather
than active participants in the development process. Deterioration This deterioration,
coupled with social and political instability, economic hardships,
etc. has resulted in a steady brain drain and the consequent depletion
of much needed expertise in the country. While the universities
have been the hardest hit, there is also a shortage of experienced,
technically qualified people in the country in general. This situation
makes it difficult for political leaders to hand pick such people
to be appointed to various positions. Going by some of the recent
appointments that the government has made both within and outside
the university system, it appears that it is not easy to find people
of standing to be considered for such appointments, let alone finding
persons with expertise from within political parties to be considered
for ministerial appointments. The solution to this serious situation
is not what the previous and the present regime has done, namely
the appointment of perhaps the largest cabinet in the world, appointment
of defeated candidates and friends as advisors and sending old and
retired people to other countries as our diplomats. Tender
furore He dismissed
allegations that Mobitel violated tender procedure as "baseless"
and also said Ericsson's price was more competitive than the others. Unsuccessful
bidder Siemens, the German electronics and electrical engineering
company, has lodged a formal complaint with the government alleging
improper dealings on the part of Sri Lanka Telecom and Mobitel. Ericsson Sri
Lanka Chairman Jan Campbell said the first installations in the
new network were scheduled to begin in the second quarter and that
when complete Mobitel would be able to provide islandwide coverage. In its complaint
to the Finance Ministry, Siemens alleged that despite being rated
best in the technical evaluation as well as offering the most competitive
prices it had not been called for commercial negotiations. Siemens alleged
that Ericsson was rated second in the evaluation, and that there
was a lack of transparency and fairness in the tender evaluation
process. If the tender
was awarded to Ericsson, Mobitel, and ultimately the Sri Lankan
government, would have to bear an additional burden of up to around
$10 million, Siemens alleged. According to the evaluation report Siemens was ranked first with a score of 46.63 percent and Ericsson second with a score of 44.47 percent. First
Capital's high dividends on lower interest He said First
Capital Treasuries recorded a significant growth posting the highest
profit so far since incorporation at Rs. 214 million from Rs. 157
million in 2001. Attributing
this success to the company's skilled staff and technology, Devasurendra
said: "Our focus last year was to consolidate already automated
systems, with the lest amount of human intervention from deal entry
up to accounting. This year our plan is to contribute our best to
develop the country's money markets." His report
said that inflation showed a gradual decline with consumer price
levels showing some sort of stability. Annual average inflation
dropped to 9.6% from 14.2% in 2001. Though money supply has been
growing at 16%, inflation has been edging down. Devasurendra
said that the absence of a central depository system to facilitate
scrip-less trading of securities continued to hamper operations.
"The proposed installation of the Scrip-less Securities Settlement
System (SSSS) and the Real Time Gross Settlement System (RTGS) by
Logika UK Ltd by September 2003 will result in vast increases in
market volume by eliminating the drag of physical conveyance of
securities. It is believed that volumes may increase by at least six times compared to present levels during a two-year period, as experienced by countries who have implemented RTGS and Central Depository Systems." |
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