Friday, 14  February 2003  
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Unconscious humour or invitation to failure?

Certainly with good intention, Governments, both previous and present, based obviously on what they know, have increasingly gone out to the Northeast with missions, offers of advice, training and the lot, the latest being apparently a high level Governmental mission to the Eastern Province on an industrial development campaign, "educating" local industrialists, to provide a backdrop for a new industrial revival in the area.

It would have been at least political if those concerned had a look first at their own 50-year record of developing the South - one, by universal consent, of either inability, or other inadequacy, or both. Far better, were the Northeast encouraged to forge their own developmental strategies, certainly with the South a welcome observer and good Samaritan, possibly in 'a fresh growth model', based perhaps on success stories elsewhere.

In fact, these have been attempted to be thought out on various occasions in the past, for instance during the time of the Premadasa Peace Process; and, most recently, in a "Northeast Area Development Framework" done informally by me through the then Chief Secretary Northeast Provincial Council.

Taking off from past ideas and work, this a comprehensive framework, visibly to transform the area within a time-period in a target concept of total development, comprehending both micro and macro levels and the precise, starkly varying organizational and strategic arrangements for either.

At grass roots level it begins with people's participatory, resources based, production oriented, constellation of micro plans.

At the centre of the whole process are not NGOs and Officials and Committees, but CBOs (Community Based Organizations). At the macro level, would be highly targetted, chosen medium and larger industries with hard technological capacities creations, as much as investment development programmes, all of which together, would be the canvas then for both central government support and foreign donors participation.

As a political footnote, one might observe a similar paramount need, sadly not perceived at this stage, for direct participation by the Northeast representatives in the highest Executive and legislative positions, by Constitution, in Central Government at the Center - federalism or no federalism - if the South is serious about keeping One Country, and the North is not to feel anymore the need to make it into two! Else, under any dispensation, a Centre would be found to exercise natural overriding powers on its own as a uni-ethnic government - the bane of all our post Independence history, with consequences again, which we shall regret later, 'regretting later' being a human failing, but a specialty among us here!

Prof. C. Suriyakumaran

 

Pramuka Bank depositors

A very big injustice had been done by the Central Bank to the depositors of Pramuka Savings and Development Bank Ltd. by its closure from 25-10-2002. Bank Supervision section of the Central Bank had never publicised at any stage for the last several years through the media or otherwise about the mismanagement, frauds, losses or instability of the Pramuka Bank and the danger the depositors have to encounter on account of this.

How would the staff of the Bank Supervision section dealing in this matter feel if the withdrawal of all their individual deposits are suspended by the Central Bank and a good portion of it is robbed by somebody for no fault of theirs.

Here in this instance, whatever the law states, Central Bank had acted with absolutely no consideration towards the individual depositors.

They have not understood the seriousness of the situation and the injustice they are doing to the depositors. I understand that the Pramuka Bank had been graded by the Central Bank recently along with some other Banks as one working satisfactorily. Pramuka Bank should have been liquidated much earlier when the proceeds of the sales of the assets were sufficient to pay back the depositors in full.

Pramuka Bank had attracted depositors by the services they have rendered to the customers, such as quick withdrawals of cash when requested, prompt issuing of certificates of deposits, paying higher rates of interest by about 1 or 2%, opening Bank till 8 p.m. on week days and on Saturday morning etc.

This is the first time in independent Sri Lanka where the licence of a Bank is cancelled and depositors are penalised. Somebody had blundered. It is nothing but right that the Central Bank recommends to the Government to pay all individual depositors in full immediately by some means or other as they depend on this money for their day to day needs and it is due to no fault of theirs liquidation or handing over the Bank to another management can take place according to the decisions made.

D. D. MEEGODA
Ratmalana.

 

Tax amnesty

We are pleased to observe that at the Budget speech made on 6th November 2002 it was announced that all penalties up to 6th November 2002 would be waived off if the tax liability had been settled in full as at that date. In the past, penalties have been imposed for late payments, late/non-submission of returns, incorrect computation of tax liability etc.

In addition, Tax Amnesty Bill has been passed granting relief to all those who have not declared their income in the past.

Whilst appreciating the attitude of our Government in granting relief to Tax Defaulters, I wish to point out that genuine Tax Payers who have settled their tax liabilities with returns submitted on time, should also be looked after.

At present there are refunds due to genuine tax payers which have not been settled for years of assessment as far back as 1998/99.

Whenever, refunds are not settled on time, it upsets the cash flow of the Tax Payer.

Even though according to the law, refunds due could be set-off against subsequent tax liability, in practice it causes difficulties. i.e: Assessment Notices are served showing tax under payment in respect of overpayment claimed from previous year, together with penalties there on. This is because, Tax Returns are not audited regularly by the Dept. on year to year basis.

I suggest that the Dept. of Inland Revenue employs a team of Tax experts with past service, even on a contract basis to reduce the work load of the Department, so that Files could be updated with Tax refunds duly settled on time.

Further, similar concession should be granted by the Dept. of Revenue in respect of Tax paid to Provincial Councils.

I am aware that the Dept. of Inland Revenue has no control over the Provincial Councils. But, a governing body could make recommendations to the Provincial Council to consider granting same concessions to their Tax Payers as granted by the Dept. of Inland Revenue.

S. R. Balachandran
 Council Member, The National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka.

 

Let us follow the good and forget the bad

In the recent past many of my Tamil brethren and friends visited Jaffna along the A9 route as well as by aero-plane to meet their kith and kin, friends and see their devastated houses and land. Most of them returned with mixed feelings of their experiences.

They have seen the reality of the ravages caused by intermittent warfare for a period of over two decades. They have also seen what they called the bad side as well as the good side. Their houses, shops, stores, places of worship, highways, bridges, water tanks, means of communication, crops, fruit bearing trees, cattle, poultry and what not have been destroyed. What were once dwelling houses are presently bullet riddled walls without roofs.

The wooden portions of their houses, the roofs, windows, doors, window panes, door frames have been used as firewood. Hooks, hinges, electrical fittings, items of crockery and cutlery, furniture etc have been vandalized and stolen. What was a house then, there remains the charred remains which look like a skeleton. There are new owners for the houses that have escaped destruction.

These new owners who are not the legal owners have sub let the large houses under their control to tenants and charge them rents. Most of the ladies and gents who confided in me have no intention of getting back to their traditional homes and lands. Firstly they can ill afford to pay exorbitant taxes to those who are controlling them.

Secondly they also fear forcible conscription. The people who are there presently belong to the upper middle, middle and lower classes and they have no option, and any other ostensible means of subsistence except to till their lands and engage in petty trade and remain there for the rest of their lives.

However, there is one aspect which my Tamil Brethren like in the Wanni which is the law and order situation. The laws formulated by the controllers are carried out to the letter without any breaches whatsoever. If laws are violated the consequences and punishments are severe. Offences against person and property are rare. Any person violating the laws is punitively and deterrently dealt with through the Kangaroo Courts and the formulated Police. A young woman could walk in any part of Wanni at any time by day or night. Is this not refreshing - something that does not exist in the South. I am also told that politicians do not interfere into Police work which I believe is the cause for its success.

It is about time that we in the South specially the Police emulate what their "Counterparts" do in the Wanni - I am referring to the law and order situation only. If they do so the South will be a very safe and happy place to live. So let us follow the good and forget the bad.

Bandula Senewiratne
Colombo 8

 

Poisonous fumes

It is heartening to see the Police authorities are now checking the belching vehicles. This is being done in order to ensure that these lorries and buses do not emit obnoxious fumes thus polluting the environment.

Both diesel and petrol fumes are a positive danger to our health. According to medical opinion lung cancer, skin afflictions etc are some of the resultant diseases.

The Police should therefore nab these vehicles that send out clouds of poisonous fumes. But they should not succumb to any pressure and of course the common allegation against the Police - bribes. They should apply the law without any fear or favour.

D. F. FERNANDO-
Ratmalana

 

Cost of living

Cost of living is in the news again, the Opposition is organising protest meetings in the country. Since Independence in 1948 the Cost of Living is one of the main issues at every elections campaign.

We Sri Lankans have a short memory, in our history, every Government has promised to bring down the cost of living, if it returns to power, but what happens as time goes on add more burdens to the poor, and make excuses due to various reasons prevailing at that time.

No government will ever bring down the Cost of Living now or in the years to come.

With the population explosion, and the prices of all imports we need in Sri Lanka have to depend on like fuel, gas, flour, fertiliser, sugar, industrial machinery, vehicles etc. which have a chain reaction on the economy of our country, due to international market forces.

If anyone thinks they can bring down the CoL they must be nutty or living in another world. All these are political gimmicks. We must not forget the promises made by the two leading parties since Independence the SLFP and UNP coalition parties to make Sri Lanka a Singapore etc. this is all now history.

A small poor country like Sri Lanka cannot dictate to the International market to bring down their prices. It is true the housewives in Sri Lanka have to battle in the kitchen to keep the home fires burning, particularly the middle class wage earners and Samurdhi card holders, the affluent are not worried about the CoL, they have several other sources of income, and can afford to go to the super markets for their needs.

All what the people want is Peace, everyone should join hands and bring a final settlement so that the Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and others can live once again in harmony in a united Sri Lanka, then the economic problems will also solve by itself.

In the meanwhile the Government should maintain the Rule of Law in the country, anyone found acting against the Law, should be punished, whosoever they may be.

Thereby winning the confidence of the people and take the country forward towards peace and prosperity.

F.A. RODRIGO 
SATHIANATHEN, Kelaniya.

 

Bumper paddy harvest

Due to a fairly good rainfall and the cultivation of additional 250,000 acres of paddy lands in the Northern and Eastern provinces, a bumper paddy harvest could be expected for the Maha season.

The paddy crop expected is around two million bushels. This is a good news since previous years due to drought conditions and war situation in the Northern and Eastern provinces not only paddy but also other subsidiary crop farmers had to face immense problems and the impact has been felt by not only farmers but also the entire country as a whole.

We have to realize the fact that in spite of many constraints faced by the farming community it is to be appreciated that they have done their part in bringing in a good paddy crop this season.

Now it is the responsibility of the Government to organize a good marketing programme to buy their produce without encountering any problem. It is heartening to note that the Minister of Agriculture and Samurdhi Development has already taken some measures to purchase their paddy, giving a guaranteed price of Rs. 13.50 a Kilo.

It is a good move by the Minister, otherwise middlemen who exploit the situation and fix their prices as they like. However, we have experienced in previous years that there has been many marketing plans worked out, but when it comes to implementation there were many problems faced by the farmers.

Therefore the authorities concerned should go in to these areas and meet the members of the farmer organizations and work out a practical marketing plan taking into consideration storage, payments, transport, purchasing points etc. This need to be done now and arrange everything in co-ordination with the connected institutions.

We have seen how the so-called middlemen go into these areas during the harvesting time and buy their harvest, prices fixed by them at the lowest rates possible and reap the major share of profits during a shorter period. So the farmers who have sweated for a longer period facing many problems from land preparation up to the sale of paddy were not getting what they deserve.

We as an agricultural country where the rural population comprising 65% need to give them every assistance possible to improve their quality of life which will benefit them and also the country. If this is done effectively for all Agricultural crops I am sure it will give a good Image to the Government as well.

ASOKA NAVARATNE
Kandy

 

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