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The Minister of Investment Promotion Sarath Amunugama has set a
target of US dollars one billion for the year 2007 by way of foreign
direct investments into the country and instructed the BOI to get
cracking with the job. The Minister himself has given the lead by
approving several proposals which were held up for no worthwhile
reasons.
One billion dollars is not a tall order when compared to what other
countries in the region are getting by way of foreign direct
investments.
Investment flows to countries like Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand
are so large that what Sri Lanka attracted last year - dollars five
hundred million - is only a trickle by comparison. With the Board of
Investment established more than three decades back with the sole
objective of attracting foreign investments, our performance has been
dismal and one begins to wonder, if the BOI has been equal to its
mandated task.
Whatever it is, sitting at the very door step of a burgeoning
economic power (India) with a market of more than 1.3 billion, it may
not be so difficult to achieve the one billion dollar target in FDI, if
our authorities concerned would get about it with imagination, diligence
and enthusiasm.
Foreign investors do not come simply on account of fiscal incentives
like duty-free imports, tax holidays etc. All other countries also offer
these incentives. More important is to offer a conducive environment for
foreign investments to prosper without being hampered by political
interferences and industrial unrest.
Modern infra-structure facilities, a disciplined work force and their
productivity level may be other important factors. It is heartening to
note that due attention is now being paid by the Government for the
improvement of infra-structure facilities specially the road network,
energy sector and capacity increases of harbours and airports.
President has already signed an agreement with the Chinese Government
for the construction of an industrial port at Hambantota which hopefully
would be completed by the end of 2011 or so. Our telecommunication
facilities are among the best in the region, thanks to foreign
investors. They are being up-graded further almost by the day.
But the one stumbling-block in the way of attracting foreign
investments to our shores, is the low productivity and the indiscipline
of our work force. Industrial unrest due to trade union belligerence has
been on the increase in recent times scaring away both foreign and local
investors.
The strike at the Colombo Port sometime back and the planned general
strike in the public sector which was averted at the last moment and the
ever present wild-cat strikes affecting the health sector are nothing
but attempts by scheming political parties to destabilise the economy
and gain power at whatever cost.
The Government must therefore be forewarned and be armed with
necessary counter measures to deal with these belligerent trade unions
and their scheming masters. Once the trade unions are disciplined and
brought under control foreign investments would start flowing in without
much effort on our part.
One hopes that the Minister of Investment Promotion who is very
outspoken when it comes to matters of economic and the economic
development of the country in particular, would pay his attention to
this aspect of the matter as well, and ensure that necessary legislation
is in place to protect investors from trade union mafias.
Of course, there are certain guarantees in the Constitution on
investments but that is not enough. There must be legal provision to
take recalcitrant trade unionists to courts and make them liable for
payment of damages to equipment and machinery at work places during the
course of strikes.
Strikes should be totally banned in vital areas of the economy like
banking, health, ports and aviation, telecommunications and energy
sectors etc.
P. G. A. Henry,
Matara
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At this crucial stage National interest comes first. The only people
who at least is successful in handling the terrorists are the Sri lankan
soldiers (Army, Navy, Air Force and others). (Reference DN March 8).
Even the Americans are having difficulties in fighting terrorism. We
are fortunate because of co-operation with the public.
This team work is vital in the extermination of terrorists. The Tamil
people have learnt their lesson.
Others have to realise that terrorism is not the way for Nation
building. Anyone supporting the terrorists is betraying the Motherland
and this is tantamount to treason. So follow the right path and together
we will build Sri Lanka's future.
EDDY,
via email
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Very laudable, indeed! (Reference DN March 9) who will police this
corrupt officers who turn a blind eye to the suffering of the poor
people, in return for favours from those who deliberately bleed the
poor.
The Government authorities should strive to ensure that the prices of
essential items are reasonable all year round, so that the poor can
enjoy a decent standard of living every day of their lives.
ERROL C. FOENANDER,
via email
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In his review of the book Irshyakarayage Ana (The Commandments of the
jealous one) by Dr. Harischandra Wijayatunga, (DN March 03), W. T. A.
Leslie Fernando opines that denial of Jesus Christ as a historical
person, is far-fetched. But a non-dogmatic writer as he usually is, he
leaves room for discussion.
Hence this letter with all respects to his erudition and devotion to
his Apostolic Church.
The earliest references we have about Jesus Christ are in the
Epistles of Paul, written probably about 50 CE (Common Era) but could be
much later. Of the 13 letters attributed to him he wrote only seven of
them.
When early Christian writers like Paul speak of their 'Christ Jesus';
they sound as if they are describing a mythological figure - not a flesh
and blood human being. Paul never talks about Jesus' death, the Lord's
Supper, or any of the events of Christ's life as though they actually
happened to a real man from Galilee who lived on Earth just a few years
ago.
If you look for biographical information on the late Jesus of
Nazareth from Paul or from any non-gospel Christian writer in the entire
first century, you are out of luck- no one has anything to say on Jesus
the human being. The words Bethlehem, Nazareth and Galilee never appear
in the New Testament letters, and the word Jerusalem is never used in
connection with Jesus.
There is not a hint of any of the sacred sites, let alone
pilgrimages. What about holy relics? Jesus' clothes, the things he used
in his everyday life, the things he touched?
There is nothing of the sort until the 4th century, when pieces of
'the true cross' begin to surface, Jesus' tomb is 'discovered', the
first shrine on the supposed mount of Jesus is set up, and the
pilgrimage business gets kicked off, and is still going strong today.
The 20,000 sects mentioned by Mr. Fernando were there then as now.
Some of them are today complete religions with their own Bibles,
history, traditions and forms of worship.
Any one of them claiming to be 'original' would be instantly
repudiated. The deeper we probe into the History of Christianity we come
across Christian communities, never to an original teaching of Jesus -
much less to a reliable biography of this supposed founder of
Christianity. In other words, there is no Jesu-ism to start with.
According to Albert Schweitzer, the only distinct and unique doctrine
one could attribute to the Gospels is the imminent Apocalypse (End time)
during which Jesus would return to the Earth to take with him the
baptised to Heaven and send the rest to Eternal Damnation.
ANURUDDHA TORADENIYA,
Kandy, via email |
