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It is reported that the Department of Inland Revenue, in the process
of collecting taxes exceeding targets, was able to add 30,000 new tax
payers during the first six months of this year, (DN July 10). This
news, no doubt brings much comfort to the Government, as well as to the
people.
However, as laymen, our observations are that, there still remains a
huge potential of prospective income tax payers among the business
community in every city, countrywide. They could be identified as those
well to do business establishments, who do not issue official receipts
in respect of goods and services supplied by them.
If the Department of Inland Revenue could successfully rope in the
relevant business fraternity, even at a low level to commence with, it
should result in a massive increase in the revenue inflow, in the long
run.
G. G. J.,
Kotte
----
No Charter will work with most of our government servants and our
government offices have become the most rotten places in the country
doing little and getting everything at the expense of poor rate payers.
They don't have, from top to bottom, the simplest courtesy of
acknowledging receipt of any letters, sometimes for months.
Most government offices look like war ravaged and damaged places. No
one cares. Will the Ministers do something about this situation?
A.H. M.
RILA
----
To my amazement I read an article on a speech given by a high ranking
officer in the export promotion organisation, where he states that for
example Polish people drink tea with rum as it is a cold country. Well,
I have never heard of any Pole drinking rum in that country, nor adding
rum to tea. I have never heard of a Pole, who would drink 'hard' drinks
diluted with anything, especially tea.
This shows how much our top people, who are supposed to promote our
industry abroad knows about consumer traditions of other countries. I
strongly believe that some exporters, who know about such consumer
traditions hid knowledge or mislead these high authorities, so that
there won't be competition for any given exporter.
Lastly, most of the high authorities, who visit these countries are
mostly taken to pre-arranged places and usually do not want to
understand the marketing strategy of that country.
The officials of these countries do not want us to import ourselves,
but want their citizens to import goods from us, only if it is useful
for them.
ARIYA
----
The many red buses out-numbering the Colombo-Galle Road scenario
speaks volumes for progress and planning.
If only this planned progress effort also did go hand in hand with
the renowned Driver Training School (SLTB) following up, stressing
comfort, had cut down on bad braking/jet-age take offs and start/even
short distance speeding/body hurling swings and swerves along with a 'Nelsonian
eye' to the perilously placed standard passenger on the in/out
footboard, etc., what a spectacular complement it could have been for
the beautiful sight of the extra buses on the road.
A regular inspection squad in civvies doing systematic checks with
defaulter stints at the Driver Training School will show positive
results.
This 'behind the scenes' surveillance will prove very advantageous.
This is an humble observation of a seasoned traveller of public
transport of over 50 years.
W. Meadows,
Dehiwala
---
It is interesting to read Ravi Perera's letter (DN July 12) lamenting
about using English names to businesses and buildings.
For a start, Perera, let me begin with you. Stop writing in English
to complain, and consider changing your last name. I apologise for
making you an example.
We are all victims of colonization - willingly or unwillingly.
In your case, at least you identified the tip of the iceberg. Before
the surface, there is a deeper problem of our Western thoughts and
behaviours. It is not a clash of cultures but a deliberate attempt by
the Western countries to encroach on others. Just look around you.
TUAN RIZA RASSOOL,
USA
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Dominic Chilcotte has become a household name in the Colombo circle,
a well renowned journalist who heeds the British High Commission today.
Many writers before him have taken important places in affairs of the
State in Sri Lanka. C. P. Bell, the Commissioner of Archaeology and
Leonard Woolf, a Government Agent for Hambantota in the early part of
the 20th Century are notable English writers who have made a landmark in
their career. They have made a lasting impression in the minds of men
during their overseas diplomatic career in this country.
If we go still further in history, writers have been diplomats in
various countries. Megasthenees was a diplomat from Greece who
represented in emperor Asoka's Council of State who wrote a book on
India. Even Robert Knox - although he was a prisoner has written the
contemporary social and economic background of the Kandyan Kingdom.
The importance of appointing writers as diplomats has always brought
some reward to the country to which they are called to represent.
We hear the news on the appointment of Prof. J. B. Dissanayake of the
Department of Sinhala and Mass Media, Colombo Campus to assume duties on
the overseas diplomatic service recently.
This incident also opens our wide spectrum on the rational of
appointing journalists, administrators and professionals to the overseas
service instead of the practice of appointing retired generals from
armed services to spend their retired life overseas.
These foreign service appointments are very crucial since they
perform a considerable volume of work to present the image of Sri Lanka
abroad. The promotion of culture, civilisation, trade and commerce are
all part and parcel in the foreign service.
We won't be surprised if Prof. J. B. Dissanayake rushes into a
foreign media institution and corrects the propaganda against our
Security Forces and mechanism of power sharing devolution in Sri Lanka
in line with some practices adopted by diplomats here.
We leave the merits and demerits of this action to the diplomats
since they are VIPs. Prof. J. B. Dissanayake who is conversant in
oriental languages and a specialist in linguistics and also an authority
in Theravada Buddhism would contribute a yeoman service as a missionary
in overseas service.
Simply refurbishing the overseas mansions and residences would not
make the overseas service smart, attractive but appointing the right man
to the right job will promote Sri Lanka's image abroad.
It is fitting tribute to the Colombo Campus by the appointment of
Prof. J. B. Dissanayake to a public office in line with former academics
taking to public life from the Campus namely Prof. V. K. Samaranayake
and Prof. G. L. Peiris.
BANDULA NONIS,
Beruwela
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With reference to the above article sent in by the learned doctor
Mareena Thaha Reffai, appearing in the Daily News of 25th, I fully
endorse the opinion expressed therein where she implicates the family of
Rizana, the agent, the Foreign Employment Bureau, our Government, our
Muslim community and the Saudi employer for the crisis situation the
poor child has been put into.
In conclusion, she has a poser for all the readers of your paper -
who should be executed? which I think is the million Euro question. All
your readers, and in particular the Muslims, should know that the Laws (sharee'ah)
of Allah contains rulings that are in the best interests of people in
this world and in the hereafter, because it is a law that was revealed
by the Creator of mankind, who knows what is good for them and what is
bad for them. But the reason behind the laws may or may not be apparent
to everyone.
The believer is enjoined to submit and accept the laws of Allah
because that is a requirement of his faith in Allah as his Lord and God.
Therefore, the prolific writer cum ophthalmologist's views who seems to
possess the knowledge of that of an Islamic scholar, are in consonant
with the Islamic Shariah and hope other readers will see eye to eye with
the doctor's opinion.
M. Zahran,
Colombo 14
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