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| Wednesday, 17 November 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.
People held to ransom by the bus owners As a regular bus passenger one finds that the time has come for the travelling public to take direct action against the private bus fleet who has taken the people to ransom. As they feel they declare strikes, pulls out the buses from the roads, restricts competition by compelling authorities not to issue permits for routes, overloads the buses, stops at any point on the road, never issue tickets. They are a menace to society. Why? The main reason is that many of these buses are owned either by politicians or policemen. The Minister of Transport Felix Perera and the Provincial Council should be praised for issuing new permits to break this monopoly by a few thugs backed by the Police. As a regular commuter on route 138 and 120 from Kohuwela or Nugegoda one finds that during the morning and evening rush hours the buses are overloaded with women and school children hanging on to the entrance and exit foot boards. The police ignore this as many of them own the buses. In a market economy there should be no restrictions on issue of permits. It is left for the applicant to find out if the particular route is profitable or not using the normal behaviour of market forces. If the route is not profitable then the private sector will not invest in it. The president of the Private Bus Operators Association was a candidate in the past election through the UNF Government, which advocated the market economy to the extreme end. Their economics of the market forces was only to make our farmers poorer and small and medium industrialists bankrupt, under orders from World Bank and IMF. The Minister of Transport should break the monopoly of present owners association by issuing more bus permits, to individuals. At the same time he should remove the monopoly bus owners have on negotiations over bus fares, by permitting freedom of forming other associations or permitting individual owners to discuss with the Government. After all, the policy of the UNF leadership was to break unions of workers and farmers under direction from the owners of industry. To protect the consumer the Sandanaya should break the monopolies not only of bus owners but of all other groups holding capital as a tool to exploit the consumer. There should be no minimum fare specified on buses. The fares then will come down especially during the non peak periods, when the buses are not crowded. In many countries the fares during off-peak periods are lower than the standard fare. The market oriented bus operator will try to attract the passenger by having clean buses, been courteous to passengers, not overcrowding it and above all making the passenger feel that buses are for the passengers and not for those who own and run it. They are only providing a service. People are behind you, Minister of transport Felix Perera. We will not permit a few thugs to rule the country. TISSA DE SILVA - Peoples Policy Institute, It was reported in the media that the Department of Wildlife Conservation will strictly enforce legal action against railway locomotive drivers and assistants of speeding trains which cause the death of wild elephants crossing railway tracks during the night. To my knowledge, I presume the loco drivers are not responsible for knocking against elephants or buffaloes or even human beings who trespass the railway tracks unexpectedly. The railway department has the 'right of way', since the railway track is laid on railway land, and I presume according to the Railway Ordinance, it is an offence to trespass railway tracks. Even now we see warning boards stating that the trespassers would be prosecuted. These accidents have happened at several spots along the Northern and Eastern tracks during the last so many decades, where even locos have got derailed due to the running over of buffaloes or elephants during the nights. I presume there are 'Warning' boards along these tracks at identified locations where elephants cross, where the loco drivers are expected to toot their horns to 'shoo' off these animals, if any. The locomotive drivers working these 'Express' trains have to adhere to time schedules laid out to them by the management, and they would be found fault with for losing time in the 'Sections' if they are to operate their trains cautiously along these lines as expected by the Wildlife Conservation Department officials. It may be that the animals may cross the track at a bend or sharp curve, where the driver of the train is helpless if he is to see the elephant or buffalo crossing the track just as he takes the curve. It has also to be mentioned here that the Loco driver's assistant is helpless in this matter, as it is the driver in charge of the train who operates the engine, and not his assistant. The assistant is there to 'exchange' the Tablet when entering a station and warn the driver of the signal positions when approaching a station, or to guide him when approaching a protected level crossing. I think the G. M. R. should clarify this position to the D.W.L.C. authorities early to clear any misconceptions they may have. LIONEL L. LEANAGE - Looming environmental disaster at Kinross Beach I live in Surrey, England. Almost every winter I return to Sri Lanka and make it a point to visit the Kinross beach at Wellawatte. I have been a great admirer of the Kinross Beach ever since my childhood. It is one of the finest sea bathing spots in the country. The beach is also home to the Kinross Swimming Club. Nearby a brand new International Hotel with a global reach has been opened. The Marine Drive is attracting people to walk and exercise their limbs on the long stretch of the road, and relax by the side of the sea beach. Lately I find that this beautiful natural environment at Kinross Beach is greatly threatened by a stinking dry fish producing centre established on the beach close to the railway bridge at Wellawatte. Large quantities of tuna fish are laid on mats to dry on the beach. The sea breeze carries the stench to surrounding areas and it becomes unbearable for residents, pedestrians on the Marine Drive, users of the beach, and guests at nearby Restaurants and Hotels to stomach the sickening smell. This area of Wellawatte near the Kinross Beach has great potential to develop and attract both investors and tourists. But they will think twice of investing their money if the Sri Lanka Tourist Board in conjunction with the relevant public authorities fail to take immediate steps to have the dry fish plant re-located and put a stop to the nauseating smell that now sweeps the whole area unrelentingly. Arnold Perera - England The disastrous plight of the investment depositors What is the profitability of Financial Institutions such as Banks (Commercial), Finance companies and Project Management Organisations who accept Financial Deposits in the form of Savings Accounts and Fixed Deposits? Is it restricted to the difference between interest gained from lending this money and interests paid to the depositors? No, it is not so. Their main profitability is from secured investments in viable projects such as, Industrial, Land Development, Housing, Building Construction, Imports/Exports, Monitory Trading and B.O.I. projects (On foreign currency) etc. Their profitability ranges from 36% p.a. to 60% p.a. Twin towers of Bank of Ceylon, posh building of Merchant Credit of Sri Lanka, New HNB Headquarters, building structures of Mercantile Credit, NSB and Arpico Finance etc are monuments of their profitability. On what reasons cannot these institutions pay reasonable interests for their depositors like in the past? The Government is not allowing? It is a crime committed against an innocent segment of our people. NSB paid 24% p.a. on F.D. sometime back and managed well and prospered successfully. If it is the aim of the Government to grant loans at reduced rates for Industries, Exports and Housing, that can be fulfilled out of the profitability, but not at the expense of the poor depositors. These projects are profit motivated and profit gaining and their assets keep on appreciating with time. Hence it is meaningless to penalize the depositor (on their behalf) who has to carry on with a depreciating monitory budget due to non existence of fixed assets. Out of these persons 35% are EPF/ETF depositors and 35% are personnel returned after serving abroad, specially the middle east. These retired personnel have rendered a great service to the country in various fields, specialized, skilled and unskilled. The foreign exchange remittances mainly by the Middle East workers had been the number one Exchange earner (nett, nett wise) for the country for the past two decades or more. Many of these persons have served in the M.E. for about 10 or 15 years. On their return they are unable to secure employment over here due to factors such as age, disability and sickness and unable to survive from their foreign exchange savings due to drastically low interest factor. On conversion to SLR, it is low as 9% p.a. which amounts only to 0.75% per month. The country is losing a substantial amount of Foreign Exchange remittances due to the availability of certain private organisations abroad who offer enhanced interests. The authorities may insist the Banks to reduce interests but why insist other institutions involved in project management also to follow suit? Due to obvious reasons we are unable to go for strike action, upavasa or carry out protest marches like many others. Salary increments are on the way for public servants and the private sector as well. What is our position who are going on the reverse gear of the fast 3 years due to rapid reduction of interests regularly. We do hereby appeal to the Authorities concerned to rectify this anomaly, withdraw restrictions and pay reasonable interests as suggested below: Commercial Banks: One year F.D. SLR- 12% p.a. monthly interest basis Project Management Institutions: One year F.D SLR 18% p.a. Interests payable monthly. Please note, conditions prevailing in our country cannot be compared with those of other countries, specially the affluent one who posses various schemes of social welfare. WANNAKUWATTEGE S. FERNANDO - I have noticed over the past few years that the Unawatuna beach was reducing in width. Unless something is done to rectify the situation, there will soon be no beach remaining. Less tourists will mean financial ruin for many hard working people in Unawatuna, both the business owners and also their employees. ROD BOAKES - |
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