Archives

by Lional Gulawita, Diriya Foundation

Sri Lanka is neck-deep in its problems. It is a country in which every vital issue is unsettled and solution-pending. Under development, unemployment, crime, political filibustering, social disorder, red tape, non-productivity, incompetence are just a few of the long list of concerns afflicting the nation. The problem areas remain without being addressed for a long, long time.

The length of waiting and volume of patience has now begun to be felt to the poor and helpless, many folds over. Poverty hurts. Unemployment whacks people against the wall. Amidst all that intricacy, peace, the only blessed reward, which is now being dissected, and explored in the process of finding an enduring and stable solution. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's vision and fortitude has resulted in getting this most critical and thorny subject of peace talks on stage. Development in the meanwhile has become elusive. This, to sum up, is the exact ground situation per se and precisely where we stand.

Economic pressures

Alongwith peace,the people must have the wherewithal to live a reasonable life. With economic pressures heightening, the unemployed are for the last several years waiting to get themselves into some employment to earn their daily bread. Signs demonstrated in the countryside speak loud of a wearing-out patience in them. A feeling in them is also ripe that the bureaucrats are said to have taken many Governments on a ride are once again at work.

Development is a serious subject matter for which political party is either elected to power or banished from the power it held. The party in power should act with concerted commitment and resolve, mobilizing the countrymen into growth activity.

The missing component of concerted development of ruling politics is clear and Government should take control of the situation ruining into frustrations of youth through redoubling its commitment to a well-structured development strategy on national scale and revitalize energy of the despondent youth. A prioritized programme proves the efficacy of the government's sense of non-political approach and fairness in giving employment to the unemployed.

Tactical shift in attitude

If any Government is complacent to an extreme so as to set aside urgent economic needs of the people and getting itself involved in a complexity of numerous other non-urgent issues, it is nonchalantly and positively playing itself into the hands of the opposition. A strategically well-structured development programme vigorously ongoing, would strengthen in many areas and many ways with people's cooperation.

Agriculture - dynamic growth sector

The rate of growth and (Gross Domestic Product) GDP per capita income has more to do with the agricultural production in Sri Lanka. It is also the vast field of activity with most of the associated standby infrastructure is geared-up. Availability of traditionally trained veteran farmers ready to adopt new techniques on crop husbandry is also an asset to the country.

Government should provide missing link needed in the increase in production. Irrigation, fertilizer at a reasonable price, tractors to plough their land, credit facilities, dependable market for products and advice on modern methods of cultivation include their basic requirements. It is necessary to investigate the grievances of cultivators resorting to demonstrations in the dry zone and quickly put what is elementary into fulfilment. It is economically advantageous to acquiesce to their demands and set up the production than importing limitless basic food items for consumption.

Sri Lanka must develop agriculture sector which brings in a sizeable part of the Domestic Product, into a dynamic export industry and minimize the disparity of living standards between the urbanized and rural masses. It also becomes a strategy to augment the foreign exchange revenue potential of the State. For this it is absolutely necessary to go into large-scale mechanized cultivation. The highly populated countries such as Taiwan and South Korea have in the recent past development their agriculture into dramatic levels providing the cultivators with their needs.

Complacency - US style

Appraisal or constructive criticism is an alarm in time. It is time for corrective action and redirection into policy objectives. It is also a tail twister that propels erratic systems to regain control for trouble-free performance. Complacency is enemy of politics. Government's own inertia and lethargy is to be dreaded more than an enemy assault. Even the September 11, 2001 disaster in New York was to a good measure, responsible for the complacency of the Federal Air Force. Having received caution that an enemy attack is possible on the US, they did not pay attention to it. The Air Force could not even intercept entry of the low flying passenger airliners used as long-range (heavy duty) missile against World Trade Centre, Manhattan.

They also took time as much as half an hour to get their attack planes airborne and also failed to prevent the second attack on the other tower. The complacency that no enemy could enter the US air space caused much damage to life and property and also a devastating war in Afghanistan.

Hand over project development to NGOs

NGOs, a useful resource is hardworking, forward-looking and development oriented. Present Government, knowing their efficiency, integrity and dependability, wanted to engage NGOs in development activity. To expedite the work on hand and reduce the excessive dependence on the State officials, Government may hand over at least some of the projects to national NGOs subject to coordination by Divisional Secretary in the area.

Creating competition with NGOs could accelerate project implementation and reach the employment objectives. The Government should meet the national NGOs at a seminar and discuss with them on the subject especially when inordinate delay has now been registered in the expected economic performances. Central Bank to be

Custodian of foreign aid

The current environment of international aid and attention for development of Sri Lanka will not prevail all the time. The government should make arrangement to collect all the development aid preferably in a special account at the Central Bank and appoint an authority for the operation of the fund. Maximum caution need be taken to ensure that funds deposited are well secured and sums spent are cost effective. The government's intention to establish financial discipline on development funds received, is to be appreciated and it is fitting to keep people informed of the procedures to be adopted, as they do not want recurrence of the types of malpractices revealed.

Operational strategy

Operational strategy is required in the State Policy Framework structure at National level, Medium level and Small industries in all districts. They could be categorised as National, Regional and Township (rural) levels on the overall countrywide development fewer than 5 Economic Commissions suggested by Prime Minister. Development involves economic, environmental and social objectives. It is economically advantageous to embark upon country's overall development programme under the 5 Economic Commission proposal, in order to avoid overlapping and costly financial and managerial commitments.

A proposed Development Structure

Suggested prerequisites for accelerated development are as follows:

* Transform attitudes, outlook, organisational setup, and managerial styles to facilitate accelerated development culture.

* Only dedicated and resourceful officers with acceptable integrity should be selected as key operators of project implementation.

* Appoint 3 Boards with NGO participation to evaluate all project proposals at National, Regional and

Township levels. Completion of all projects should be with a time frame. NGOs could introduce strategic management and best performances and 'built-in development audit' concepts etc in order to make all disbursements cost effective. Wave of mismanagement, malpractices, embezzlement of funds are rampant today. NGO participation could help minimise them.

* The employees and supervisors needed should be locally trained and engaged in the development work creating project friendliness atmosphere.

* Each project proposal approved should have its environmental promotion strategy (as appropriate to the site and environs) built in as part of the project.

* People's Committees should be established in order to engage their participation in the implementation of the programmes.

* Time taking policy framework formulation exercises should stop now. Development could go on the available policy structures and any expansion fulfilled while development is taking effect.

* Every Divisional Secretariat in the rural area without a developed township should look forward to build one surrounding several villages.

* For National level and Regional level large scale and global industries need the services of experts, not excluding foreigners. Economically strategic and globally perspicacious decisions by experts are required in these levels.

* Political leadership should be closely connected to all the projects in the country. Prime Minister himself should engage in inspection visits to the development sites in order to keep the worker-morale high to speed up the performances.

Township development

Township is an expanding and widely accepted institutional strategy for the development of rural society and economy. 4 to 5 square miles per township would be ideal to allow for future expansion. Dambulla, Habarana, Polonnaruwa townships were created by the rural cultivator, village based traders and entrepreneurs backed by the private sector.

These townships should now be double promoted into Municipal status giving them more facilities for organised, large-scale investment.

A new township, a model urbanised town, could be administered by a community based committee headed by the Divisional Secretary.

Training of rural people in township management, credit arrangements, buying and selling operations, communication with outside sources etc is also an advantage the country gets in developing concept.

Amidst many economic and social advantages, township concept development generates a promising and inspiring development environment amongst the village folk.

Sample survey

Even the people with household enterprises or even a cultivator with a single vegetable plot will find a market or collection center to sell his produce at a reasonable price commensurate with his labour. Township thus becomes an expanding economic, social and commercial hub for a group of villages around it. United States has developed 6-square mile townships in the countryside.

Diriya Foundation's sample survey identified following self-employment possibilities in Hambantota, Moneragala and Tanamalwila areas, in development of vegetable/fruit cultivation, domestic coir industry, dairy products, animal husbandry etc. in Hambantota, Moneragala and Tanamalwila areas. Vegetable/fruit cultivators need water pumps on loan-pay-back system while the coir industry is developable with 50 per cent concessionary rates with small capital outlay. The areas need Veterinary institutions and collection centers for their milk products.

Develop Walawe basin

Cooperative farming units could be developed along the fertile Walawe basin each unit with a 15hp water pump and PVC material and an improvised overhead storage, connecting several smallholdings together. The cost is absolutely low for one unit with 6 smallholdings. The Government should immediately step into this kind of development at the township level. Within two months over 10,000 family employment opportunities could be generated under small-scale economic activity.

Global trading benefits

The question as to whether to accept the globalisation or not is out of context now. Our economic liberalisation, which includes information technology, free flow of capital, foreign direct investment, portfolio holdings, open market conditions etc push the country right into its path. Globalisation enables diversification of manufacture and volume expansion making it possible to maintain a lower price structure locally. It also raises the product quality in characteristics and finish to enable upmarket prices to be obtained with a high profit margin on global trading.

Global competition is another factor helping both the producer and the discerning customer to purchase superior products as fast as he desires willingly at a higher price.

Such activity in the globalisation would result in a higher rate of employment which is yet another advantage to the economy. Global trading under National and Regional levels, ipso facto, has many benefits to the country.

Communist China, Russia, Libya, North Korea and Cuba are all partners of global trade and relationship. But political hypocrisy still haunting in Sri Lanka is likely to remain so for yet another decade more.

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager