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| Monday, 09 September 2002 |
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Letters | |
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Please forward your letters to [email protected] in plain text format within the e-mail message, since as a policy we do not open any attachments.
Assets declarations of politicians The members of parliament are required to declare their family assets and liabilities. These declarations should be gazetted so that the public can have access to this information. After all the public has the right to know how rich or poor the politicians appointed to serve them are. Some voters may consider it nothing but fair to vote into power a candidate who is poor so that he could earn some money during his term in office. It is common knowledge that politicians have their own agenda, which does not include serving the public. On the contrary some voters may select a rich candidate with the hope that he is less likely to consider money making a priority. At the next election the voters should ask the candidates to distribute statements of wealth when canvassing for votes. No vote should be cast for candidates failing to make such disclosure. This would mean that only candidates of any party who wants to come clean would receive nominations. it will be nice to see election billboards carrying details of candidates' assets instead of their faces. This is all fantasy for sure. But let us hope that the voters can be educated to campaign for their right to know the wealth of politicians who come begging for their vote during election time. If there are checks that are a deterrent to money making of politicians, the rogues are less likely to make politics a career. C.B. GAZER - Colombo 5
It should not be in any sense an exaggeration to postulate that some deserters of the military cause havoc in the country and beyond and sometimes the damage that these individuals cause are of major consequence for society. There was a case recently when one army deserter who managed to get as far as Sweden attacked Dr. Permila Perera (reputed Sri Lankan scholar) at Uppsala University, Sweden, who due to the wounds and consequent heavy bleeding sustained at the incident, died on the spot. According to the Swedish newspapers that reported the incident, the assailant was a deranged Army deserter from Sri Lanka. Some have even taken part they saw in committing major atrocities against other individuals and/or communities that now they find it difficult to put those experiences behind and function normally. Soldiers who retire from the service have the opportunity to (perhaps obligation) to take part in group and individual counselling and therapy sessions that help them to return to normal (or near normal) civilian life. Furthermore, these people have the privilege of meeting others of similar background and sharing their experiences and thus "lighten their hearts". Still further, these people who have completed their contract in normal order have the chance to be accepted into the wider society where they may be treated as heroes and are helped, for example, in obtaining employment opportunities. All these people cannot be hiding from the authorities for ever. In order to support themselves and perhaps their families, these people have to be able to secure and maintain remunerative positions in the formal economy. All that they could do, in the best case, is to enter what has come to be known as the "grey economy of the country" whilst the unfortunate remainder would enter the parallel economy and resort to activities such as drug trafficking, kidnapping of people for ransom, and murder. Considering that these people have never had the calling or the privilege for mental therapy and counselling before they re-entered the civil society, one may ask what might happen if these people for slightest reason were to snap. We know that in highly tensed situations one does not require much to lose one's bearings. Considering the sanity of those unfortunate souls that have deserted and considering the welfare of the society at large, one may ask what conduct on behalf of the establishment is most appropriate. Is it to treat the army deserters as criminals and hunt them down and punish them accordingly or try to devise means and methods to re-integrate these people into mainstream society? DR. J.A. KARUNARATNE - Sweden
Recently I went to the Maligawatte police station. I found a notice board in Tamil that complaints will be accepted in Tamil also. This is pleasant news for the Tamil speaking people published at a
police station during the regime of peace loving Prime Minister Ranil
Wickremesinghe. I hope he will definitely bring peace to Sri Lanka.
The Department of Inland Revenue offers rewards to informants. You can therefore be the 1st to inform the Inland Revenue in writing that Ratwattas have undeclared income. But of course if they have declared the Rs. 43 million detected by the CID as income, you are not entitled to a reward. I am not certain whether rewards are paid to informants by Inland Revenue on a first come first served basis or if there are more than one informant the reward is divided equally among all the informants. The Inland Revenue spends large sums of money on press notices to tax payers and the general public, but there had never been any notice to educate the general public on their reward scheme. If the public is properly educated on this subject, on the information they receive millions of rupees can be collected as taxes. N.J. - Colombo 5.
Sound and Light Show for Sigiriya The best bit of news I saw in the Daily News, the only paper I read daily, was about the "sound & light show" for Sigiriya. This is something I proposed in writing when the late Mr. Dharmasiri Senanayake was Minister of Tourism. He agreed wholly but was worried about the cost. I told him that the French are experts at this as they have done in Egypt at the pyramids. He said he will follow up but he passed away. I am now thankful to the sponsor. It will now see the light of day or at least night. C. S. RATWATTE - Balangoda.
Dharmasiri Peiris' article on the above theme is not only an interesting journey through 37 years of service in the public sector, but also gives a revealing insight into the working of the public service. The book contains a good collection of varied case studies which should be used by public sector training institutes in their management development training programmes. The book describes numerous problems and issues faced by executive officers in the state sector in situations such as decision making and implementation, dealing in crisis, and relations with politicians, without compromising or sacrificing principles and codes of ethics. It is a book which should be read by every executive grade officer in the public service in all disciplines. The analysis of the public service made by Minister Milinda Moragoda at the launching ceremony of the book and also his comments made on an earlier occasion, are a refreshing change from the conventional approach of politicians who use the public servant as the scapegoat and whipping boy to cover their own deficiencies. Minister Moragoda has, quite aptly described the requirements of a good public servant and has done an extremely good analysis of some of the root causes which hamper the realization of these requirements Every Government after coming into power blames previous last Government for all the ills in the public service and pledges to reform the service. They appoint administrative reforms committees which make very important recommendations. Action plans for their implementation are made. After some time they are shelved when they go up to the political level. Perhaps the best recommendations came from the report of the administrative reforms committee of 1986, popularly known as the Wanasinghe Report. which did an excellent analysis of the issues in the public service and made far reaching recommendations for reforms. If only these recommendations had been implemented, this country would have had a reformed, efficient, and leaner public service The present Government should take administrative reforms seriously and strive towards achieving the ideal public service, based on the models of countries such as Singapore and Malaysia. Only with such a service can the qualities which Minister Moragoda would like to be seen become a reality. NIMAL BHARETI - Mount Lavinia
The step taken by the LTTE to give up the war and enter into the peace process with the government towards solving their territorial conflict peacefully is praiseworthy as that is the correct path towards the development and progress of the country. The prevalence of peace is the aspiration of the entire country and it is hoped that the government will arrive at a reasonable solution of the problem. KINGSLEY W. DIAS - Wellawatte.
It is widely advertised by the Lotteries Board through the print and electronic media that the "Lotteries Board keeps to its promises", which means that they assure to the public that the first prize of a stipulated sum announced shall be paid out. However when the results are released very often the first prize is not won. How come if all the numbers are printed and sold no one is claiming the first prize? If some tickets are unsold they will remain with the agents/sellers. Hence if all the numbered tickets are sold someone should win the first prize of any type of sweep. RANJIT ATTANAYAKE - Colombo 5.
Chaos and carnage on our roads I suggest the following quick and easy remedies to curb road accidents. 1. Have three to five minute slots on National TV, twice daily or even more often, which bring home the horror on the highways. Screen the picture showing the full extent of the carnage. This will at least jolt people into action. It will be far more useful than the half hourly or even hourly spells of political garbage trotted out on the box. 2. Speed limits on all Colombo and other big town roads. These speeds, should not exceed 30, or 40 mph, and should be clearly marked every few hundred yards, on the surface of the roads in clear white indelible paint. 3. A ministry of transport test annually on all vehicles over three years old, testing vital parts and functions of such vehicles, and a MOT certificate of road worthiness issued. Without such certificate, no vehicle should be permitted on the road (as done in the UK). 4. Spot fines of say Rs. 500 to Rs. 1,000 and endorsement of driver's licence. This fine should be in relation to the minor offence committed, and payable within one month. If not paid in the said period the licence should be suspended. Furthermore if the driver has more than six such endorsements the licence should be suspended for a specified period, say two years. These measures may appear draconian, but it is a sure-fire way, of halting this ridiculous state of affairs. 5. Major accidents etc should of course carry very heavy punishment, including suspension of permission to drive, for five to ten years, in addition to the court verdict. 6. State monetary compensation to the injured, which should be graded, according to the injury, and payable immediately. This money should be legally claimed back from the insured party, i.e. the insurance agency in question. 7. Regular inspection of road surfaces, white lines, and potholes to be attended to within hours or days, and not months and years. Dr. METHANANDA FERNANDO - Colombo |
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