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| Tuesday, 3 February 2004 |
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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.
Recently I went for a walk on Galle Face Green. There were many others who were also walking and enjoying the peace and quiet of the green and the sea breeze. The setting sun was breathtakingly beautiful. There have been many, many articles to the newspapers recently on the lease of Galle Face Green by the UDA and I was very happy to read that the Environmental Foundation Limited is contesting the sale. What right has the UDA to lease the Galle Face Green to the EAP Group or to anyone else for that matter? Firstly, I feel that the public have a right to know what ideas the EAP Group has in the development of the Galle Face Green as it is a public place and a landmark in the city of Colombo. Or is the UDA just not interested in anything other than the money? Is it going to be a permanent carnival with blaring loud speakers, giant screens, food stalls etc. ? On a Saturday or Sunday we can hardly find a place to park in an evening as it so crowded with people. There are more and more apartments coming up in Colombo so there are more and more people using the Galle Face Green for exercise, for their kids to run about and play or just to sit and relax. So are we going to allow someone to spoil it all in the name of development? IROMI SALGADO, Colombo. Handing over the peace process The President taking over the three ministries was the need of the hour. She being the legitimate heir to the J.R.J's Constitution was compelled, to save her PM's life by hair's breadth. Everybody knew the Tigers have asked for the impossible. Most people shared this view. Mr. Armitage too, expressed his surprise and views over the proposals. Our PM was doing their best to accommodate the Tigers to save the peace process. They turned a blind eye to their unlawful activities. The MoU, was broken many times. PM being a gentleman to his fingertips wishes to hand over the peace process to the President. It is the wisest move on the part of the PM, which enables him to escape the wrath of the South and of the North. If the PM wishes to hand over the above process on a platter to the President, he must fulfil the following: a) Get the Tigers to return all the transmitting and media equipment imported illegally, after the MoU, was signed. b) For LTTE to return all the shipment of weapons from December 2001 to 2003 October, smuggled into the country, after he assumed power. c) Clear all the unlawful camps sprung up during the MoU, period. d) Withdraw all the Tiger cadres in the South along with the explosives they smuggled into the South, during the above period. e) Disband the baby brigade of the LTTE increased during the peace talks. A.V - Colombo South. The Insurance Industry is fast developing with a number of new companies being established and new competitive products being introduced by most Companies who are in business. The Agents, who are labelled and called as Associates, advisers, Consultants etc. bring over 85 per cent of the business for the Insurance Companies. Without this field force business cannot be achieved and Insurance Companies cannot exist competitive nor be in business. Has the Insurance Board of Sri Lanka or the Ministry of Finance or any responsible Government Organisation looked into a proper retirement scheme for these workers who do not contribute to the EPF or ETF? These Agents roam all over the country looking for prospects and explain the benefits that their Companies offer in return for the premium that they pay towards the promised benefits of a suggested policy. On the performance of these workers, their Supervisors or Managers - in short whoever is in charge of them - get elevated, paid, sent on trips abroad, or properly compensated - in other words properly looked after for the performance of the agent who toils in the field. Why don't the relevant authorities formulate a proper working condition for these ignored workers and draw up some sort of duties and benefits which will take them to a respectable, acceptable and recognizable positions. After all, we must not forget that the Insurance sector is very important, and as good as, the banking and Financial Services sector. If these Insurance Companies are honest and are sincere with their field force, I suggest that they enlighten the public about the facilities and other benefits that they offer their agents. I am also an Insurance Agent who is labelled in a most accepted and respectable title. Even after fifteen years of continuous service with an international Insurance Company there is no sight of a proper and acceptable provident fund or pension scheme formulated. But, promises and assurances are unlimited in this Company. I hope this letter will catch the eyes of those who dominate the market and give them the heart to implement a pension scheme without strings tied, or make these neglected workers contribute to the EPF and ETF. U. C. - Matale. Business leaders are not the country Our top business leaders always get together to feather their own nests. Country's leaders should not think or tell us that these business leaders are the country or country is the business leaders. If their pockets are filled, they will not hesitate to take part in or carry out any anti-people or anti-country action. Although there is a myth that the private sector business is the growth engine of the country - it never happened that way and it was only the growth of a few top level businessmen and their top bureaucrats. They were never bothered about average worker of theirs or the average man of the country. Their motto was more work and less facilities. Their agitation for less holidays in one of their squeezing the neck of the worker tactics. Do these leaders know how useful these holidays to an average Sri Lankan who does not have domestic servants, own transport and such facilities? Many use these holidays not to have pleasure trips or parties but to attend to their family and social commitments. How many of these business leaders who travel in BMWs and Benzs have even thought of providing common transport to their workers between homes and work places which would help them to save their time and energies they spent by using public transport? These business leaders are the only people who praise every Budget forwarded by every government which usually put heavy burden on the masses. Our rulers should not take these business leaders seriously and use them as the yardstick of the country's financial situation because their theme is "Business First" although the cover is "Sri Lanka First". D. RAJAPAKSHA - Colombo 6. 15 per cent tax on share trading Many investors feel that the proposed 15 per cent tax on share trading profits is unjustified and would have a very damaging effect on the stock market. This proposal comes at a time when the market has come down badly due to the political situation in the country. People take a big risk when they invest in the share market. Sometimes they lose badly. If subsequently when they gain they are taxed, I am afraid they may think of other investments. A number of investors may pull out. As a result if the market is depressed, the government may not get the desired amount when privatising state ventures. With the loss of business confidence etc., the government may loose more over a period of time, than what they are getting by way of this tax. Companies too may find it difficult to find the funds through rights issues for expansion of their business. This will have an indirect bearing on employment. As for revenue collection, it would be very difficult for the Inland Revenue Department to keep a track of all the transactions and find out who should pay the tax (300,000 a year is exempt). It is also difficult for the investors who trade regularly, to keep a record of all the purchases, sales etc. Even if some genuine mistakes are made, they may be harassed by the officials of the Inland Revenue Department. They may then have to seek the help of a tax consultant and pay him what he demands. Instead of all this hassle, it may be better, the investors may feel, to stay out of the market. How will this promote a share owning democracy? The Colombo Stock Exchange, I am informed, has many plans to develop the share market but with this unfair tax pending, very little would be achieved. There is another important point I wish to make. Foreign individuals and institutions are exempt from this tax. Is this a level playing field? We are discriminating against our own people. What will sadly take place finally is that our locals would be selling at a loss and getting out of the market. Who would be the buyers? The foreigners and the foreign funds would be happily picking up the bargains, knowing very well that when they sell at a good profit subsequently, there will be no paying taxes for them. I am reminded of the former South Africa, rules by the whites. All their laws were favourable to them. Here in good old Sri Lanka we as usual are discriminating against our own people. RANJITH FERNANDO - Panadura. Shortcomings in the English Department The Instructors at the English Department of the University of Colombo seem to be undergoing a very difficult time now. The few so-called 'academics' are bent on making life really miserable for the instructors, who are not only a majority but also the backbone of the department. The Instructors serve five faculties of the University (around 2,500 students a year) while the 'others' (the so-called academics) teach only about 50-75 students. But as the others are in authority they are oppressing the instructors to the maximum. One clear example is how the instructor were instructed by the Head to write up a proposal to establish an English Langauge Teaching Department and then at the Board meeting at which it was presented they were demoted to observer status and could not defend their own proposal. The Head and her stooges quite happily sat at the meeting opposing the proposal after manipulating the Dean to find the loophole and silence the instructors. The bulk of the work which includes not only teaching but also lesson preparation, administration, co-ordination, setting, marking papers, training, etc. are all carried out by the instructors. But they are treated worse than servants' according to one of them and no authority or recognition is given to them. At present our country is in need of English and the UGC is trying to help out by upgrading all English Language Teaching Units into Departments. Four staff members at the University of Colombo see this as a threat to their survival, but is it correct to squash the life of thirty odd others? P.T.S. PERERA - Piliyandala. The Budget speech by the Finance Minister on 19/11/2003 was very promising to all importers by reducing the VAT and surcharge with effect from 1/1/2004. As a small importer of motor vehicles, I too was very happy according to the new duty. I worked out my cost and imported two vehicles which were to be shipped end of Dec. 2003 and to reach here in January 2004, so that I can enjoy the new benefit. I received the shipment and when I went to my clearing agent to handover the documents for clearing I came to know that the duty and excise duty had been increased from 1/1/2004 without prior notice. I can understand that one should discourage the import of vehicles which are flooded on the roads, but this is not the way. An importer like me after obtaining a facility from the bank with all difficulties had good hopes for the New Year 2004. But suddenly I see an unbearable increase of more than Rs. 175,000 for a vehicle. What can I do? Why was this increase not proposed in the budget? Is the budget to show only the reduction of VAT and get the good faith of the people? Or the Finance Minister was wrong in his calculation and after the budget suddenly realized that the duty will come down by reducing the VAT and surcharge? A.J. - Panadura. |
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