Wednesday, 12  February 2003  
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Whither the private sector?

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce recently organized an experts seminar on rebuilding public trust and the immediate past president of the Chamber, Chandra Jayaratne castigated the private sector for a number of sins it has perpetrated over the years in this country.

Let me highlight these sins: Lack of accountability to stakeholders; Not being most conscious about productivity,quality,consumer interest and that of the environment; Corrupt,unethical and not transparent; Not entrepreneurial but has been risk averse; Uncaring for the society at large and being irresponsible; Not forward looking or long-term; Believes in networking with whom you know and not on the basis of capability. The above areas highlighted by the immediate past President of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce is a telling indictment on the private sector. The recent scandals in the SEC and the fiasco at Pramuka Bank lend credence to the very strong assertions made by the erstwhile president.

What the President did not say, however, is that all what he says adds up to a very inefficient private sector. The governments in Sri Lanka want the private sector to be the engine of growth. How can we believe that they would deliver. We the consumers are very aware of the inefficiencies of the private sector when we deal with them in our day to day activities. Take a very simple instance when you call a private sector firm to inquire about its products or services.

You have to call a minimum of three times to reach out to a person who can give you a reply. In the meantime, your calls are put on hold and you listen to music whilst your telephone bills rise. Recently, I bought a new car from a Prestigious Automobile Co. Believe it or not, I was given the brand new car with a tire pressure of 50 when the correct pressure should have been 30.Such are the ways of the private sector in this country.

Sometimes, I wonder whether they are good at one thing only,namely one night stands. Wake up both the Government and the Private sector. The people of this country will not have patience to tolerate your lackadaisical ways.The country cannot be taken for rides all the time.

W. S. NANAYAKKARA, 
Colombo 5.

National Science Foundation racial or discriminatory?

About 10 days ago there was an advertisement by the National Science Foundation in the Daily News on a "Graduate Survey" to be conducted with the aid of the Asian Development Bank. This notice was repeated in the Silumina of 12.1.2003.

NSF has invited the graduates from all the Universities except Jaffna, Eastern & South-East, Anuradhapura & Sabaragamuwa etc.

Now the questions arising to anyone reading this notice are -

a) Is the NSF so out of touch to be not aware of existence of other Universities in Sri Lanka?, b) Is the NSF discriminatory against Tamils in not including Universities from North & East?, c) Is the NSF not aware of the list of Universities functioning under University Grants Commission?, d) Can the NSF imagine how would the graduates of other Universities feel, when such a responsible institute like NSF acts in this manner?,

e) Or is it that NSF has no regard for the Graduates from the Universities of less facilities & remort corners of the Island?

I feel the NSF should publish an apology in the newspapers for its oversight. People who read such notices get a good measure of the institution which publish it.

JAYANTHA SAMARASINGHE, 
Kotte

Pay hike or price reductions?

These days there are many hints of a salary increase for Government Servants in five to six months.

During the past 20 years there have been several salary increases for Government Servants and also adjustment of anomalies.

With all such increases announcements were made that the Private Sector employers must follow suit. However it seldom happened.

A certain group of Private Sector employees were lucky to get a small marginal increase in allowances as a result of the inevitable increase in the COL that follows each and every salary increase. These were employees who were directly covered by Collective Agreements or those working in firms traditionally following such practice.

These salary increases for Government Servants never benefitted a vast number of workers not under such Collective Agreements as well as those engaged in day-to-day living but make the lives of everybody miserable in the melee of skyrocketing COL.

Therefore it is suggested that to be fair by all rather than increase the income of one Sector of the population, whatever quantum that is estimated to meet the increase be used to allow significant subsidies for rice (and extend to green gram, soya, sesame, etc.,) through the Government purchasing agencies.

This measure will help the people to substitute consumption of wheat flour with rice and save on foreign exchange and help the local farmer as against the foreign farmer.

In this respect the attention of the readers maybe referred to the Daily News of 23.01.2003 featuring on page 21, a Cairo datelined news report quoting the World Bank chief economist Nocholas Stern as "sin" the massive "300 billion dollars a year in agricultural subsidies" given by the affluent nations like United States, European Union and Japan to their farmers, saying "they hampered economic growth in poor countries."

Let us put our act together. Make our farmer the supreme liberator, pep up our industries. Today one of the pioneering industries of this Country, the manufacture of refrigerators is dead. That is just one example. Let us not sleep over these realities.

METTHANANDA WIJEKULASURIYA, 
Polgasowita.

Smoking and drinking on television

We can see that so many complaints have been made by people about the quality of the programmes telecast on TV channels.

Recently, I noticed another kind of bad example on TV which may mostly affect the young children of our country, i.e. the telecasting of the scenes of smoking and drinking (liquor consumption) in advertisements and telly dramas.

It is very pathetic to see that they sometimes show , the parents take liquor in front of children in tele dramas. And very sadly, in one of our tele dramas, they showed that three girls smoke in public wearing men's costumes.

The impact of such things will definitely harm our good culture which is being damaged through past few years. The main purpose of the people who make such programmes is to destroy our culture and future generation. (Please note that various elements are in force to do that).

It's true that we have to show the bad behaviour of people in some instances. But why not present good things people do ? Why some directors are trying to show that smoking and drinking is a normal thing and part of life of our individuals ? The children of this country may take it as that, unless properly educated.

Therefore, I appeal to the relevant authorities to consider of banning the showing of smoking and liquor consumption on TV. I hope that they will have courage to face the challenges they may meet in doing same, in order to protect our younger generation.

SAGARA TENNAKOON, 
Kandy.

Stray dogs and cats

The domesticated dogs and cats have been returned to the roads by many animal haters. They roam urban neighbourhoods scavenging for garbage. Several readers wrote letters about the problem of stray dogs and cats and suggested ways to solve it. Actually the media could help to a great deal to prevent domestic pups and kittens being thrown to the roads which is the root of the problem. Some animal haters entertain the hope that animal lovers would pick-up the helpless animals. That era has ended. A single animal welfare association in Kandy is doing a marvellous job looking after the strays. Actually such cross-bred dogs are much better and useful than the pure bred white elephants to guard a home - if this is what is expected from a dog. In many homes dogs are kept chained the whole day. Some rear alsatians in small cages.

The powerful electronic media could also help much in reducing the cruelty meted out to domestic animals and the contemptuous habit of disposing puppies and kittens on the highways.

These are mostly done in urban areas. Some take home adorable puppies or kittens and when they grow up and develop skin rashes or other minor diseases they are taken away and dumped far from home.

Sometimes a faithful dog which has lived in a house for several years is transferred to a friend's or relation's house saying the animal is uncontrollable. Some physically chase away the dog when they want to bring a better looking pure bred dog that gives the new rich some status. Some sick or old dogs are tied to a corner and left to die saying that it is old age. It's funny that people lack basic knowledge in looking after faithful dogs. How will they treat human beings who are not so faithful?

SUNIL J. PEIRIS, 
Moratuwa

Activated charcoal

This is with reference to Dr. Riley Fernando's message about activated charcoal (Healthwatch DN 31st January). We fully agree with him. Although activated coconut shell charcoal which we make is not the "ideal" as a broadbased toxic absorber, unlike a wood or peat based product, it is indeed effective. We frequently have people calling at our Offices wanting to buy this material from us because some relation has attempted suicide by swallowing poison and none of the hospitals or dispensaries appear to be stocking activated charcoal.

We have, on numerous occasions, not only given kilo quantities of specially made pharmaceutical type activated carbon free of charge to such people, but sometimes even provided transport to the hospital where their patients were, due to the urgency of their needs. The gratitude we see on their faces when a patient is saved is enough reward for us.

We, in fact, gave 2000 packets of powdered activated charcoal to Dr. Asitha de Silva of Ragama Hospital, who was conducting a research on its effect on Kaneru seed poisoning in various parts of Sri Lanka. He has commented that tests have been very successful.

We spoke to the Pharmaceuticals Corporation offering to donate bottles of powdered activated charcoal labelled free of charge, for distribution to the various hospitals. We were referred from one department to another and we gave up in disgust.

For information, we export over 10,000 tonnes per year of activated coconut shell carbon in different grades for various purposes - very little really as a pharmaceutical product. The uses are mainly air and liquid purification and gold recovery.

If anyone could direct us as to how we may be of service to our country by providing carbon as a life saving device, please do write to us at Haycarb Limited, 400 Deans Road, Colombo 10. We do not want anyone commercialising our offer. Could Sumithrayo help?

R. YATAWARA, 
Managing Director, Haycarb Limited

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