Monday, 2 August 2004  
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Putting the poor in the picture

As another, major initiative in multilateral economic cooperation got under way in the Asian region in the form of the BIMST-EC Summit in Bangkok, President Kumaratunga took the timely and enlightened step of reminding the group of its most important objective: taking economic growth to the people.

"Growth without equity, where its benefits do not reach the periphery will neither be meaningful nor sustainable, as amply demonstrated by the voice of our peoples at recent elections in some of our countries," President Kumaratunga reminded the BIMST-EC meet on Saturday.

This pronouncement indicates the need for policy-makers and rulers of this part of the world to focus on the longer picture, as regards economic development and empowerment of peoples. To be sure, economic globalization has released "growth synergies" in even South Asia, but all this would be in vain if the people at the grass roots are not economically empowered and enabled to enjoy a greater measure of economic prosperity. In fact, the two recent general election verdicts in India and Sri Lanka reminded us afresh of the need for this people-centred perspective on development. In the case of Sri Lanka, for instance, the "engine of growth," we were told, had picked over the past three years, but the people decided on April 2, that they needed a change of government, based on the disillusioning experience of not enjoying the fruits of growth on an equitable basis. The ruling elite of Sri Lanka was thereby reminded that growth without equity was of no consequence.

Asiatic governments need to keep these basics in mind as they endeavour to "fast-track" development. From now on, we would be progressing towards, what is called a "Free Trade Area" in the BIMST-EC region but the prime challenge is to ensure that this ground-breaking trade regime issues in equitable development. That is, the people at the grass roots should be the beneficiaries of any resultant growth.

It is these principles of development which make us deeply appreciate President Kumaratunga's comment that importance should be attached to small and medium scale enterprises development. These enterprises go to the heart of the development experience, because they possess the potential to release the creative and entrepreneurial energies of the people, the great majority of whom are poor. As the Report of the Independent South Asian Commission on Poverty Alleviation reminded us in 1992, the poor of South Asia, are not constitutive of the problem of poverty but are part of the solution to this crisis. The poor should not be considered a burden but be motivated by our rulers to release their entrepreneurial and creative energies to enable them to emerge from the poverty trap on the basis of their endeavours.

Hence, the correctness of President Kumaratunga emphasising the need for small and medium scale entrepreneurial development.

While the President's suggestions on regionwide co-operation have come in for praise - the rules of origin criteria applied in GSP regimes being one of these - it is equally significant to act on her proposals for pro-poor growth.

Hailing the trams

Hong Kong, as they say, is a blend of the old and the new, the East and the West. Hong Kong is a splendid example for a region that has preserved its past while looking forward to the future. And in most cases, the past has seamlessly mingled with the present.

The Star Ferry, the Peak Tram and last but not least, the trams are living proof of Hong Kong's love affair with the not so-modern. Indeed, the trams seem slightly out of place as they gently weave their way through the streets amid the frenetic pace and futuristic architecture of Hong Kong's financial district.

One hundred years after they first entered service, the clattering double-deckers remain a best-loved mode of transport in the city of skyscrapers. There are only six routes, serving the north of Hong Kong Island and covering a distance of just 30 kilometres. The trams are an endearing icon of Hong Kong's heritage and many events have been lined up to mark their centenary.

It is true that slow-moving trams are no match for subway systems and even buses. But there are other reasons that attract passengers to the trams, which many countries are now looking at reviving.

Tram fares are low, the ride is unhurried and best of all, there's no pollution, which is an important criterion in an increasingly environmentally-conscious world. And one can watch the world slowly pass by. Making a tram journey evokes a sense of nostalgia for an era in which life was not so stressful. These features make it a tourist attraction as well. No wonder that cities around the world from Helsinki to San Francisco are actively maintaining and popularising tram lines. Some others are starting anew - Manchester and several Japanese cities have just installed new tram systems.

Many countries are now ruing the decision they made several decades ago to axe the trams, which were then seen as clumsy contraptions that held up road traffic. Colombo itself had a good tram network, whose rail lines still surface from time to time in some parts of the City due to road deterioration. The trams, had they continued in service, would have been an answer to our chaotic public transport system.

Our City planners should seriously consider a tram service or a similar arrangement to supplement conventional trains and the buses. As Hong Kong's 163 trams - which carry more than 240,000 passengers daily - have proved, trams need not be mere curiosities. They can be utilitarian too.

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