A creditable achievement
Those who say that Lanka’s
economy is one of the worst in Asia would have received a real
shock after reading our page 3 lead story yesterday, which
revealed that our island tops Asia in terms of private sector
salary hikes.
Sri Lanka has reported the highest average private sector
salary increase of 15.3 per cent this year, followed by India
(14.8%), Vietnam (10.3%) and China (8.6%). These figures were
released in the 8th annual Asia-Pacific Salary Increase Survey
by Hewitt Associates, a global human resources services company.
As the survey points out, Sri Lanka’s salary increase was
largely due to continued growth despite high energy prices,
conflict and inflationary pressures. According to the Central
Bank, Sri Lanka’s economy has done remarkably well considering
the constraints mentioned above to record the highest growth
rate in 30 years.
This once again proves that the private sector is the true
engine of economic growth. Some of Sri Lanka’s premier blue chip
companies have a worldwide reputation and earn millions of
rupees in profits after tax. The private sector in any country
to known to protect and nurture the workers.
Indeed, some of the salaries paid to top executives in Sri
Lankan companies are staggering, given that the Per Capita
Income is only around US$ 1,300.
Even lower down the scale, the salary structure is streets
ahead of that of the public sector. They also receive a whole
host of non-cash benefits and hard working employees are
rewarded even more.
Given this scenario, its is pathetic that Sri Lanka’s
education system cannot produce enough persons who have the
required job skills to fill private sector vacancies. While Sri
Lanka’s unemployment rate is very low for a developing country,
a casual glance at any Sunday newspaper will reveal hundreds of
vacancy ads from the private sector.
Thousands of youth are deprived of well-paying jobs due to
the mismatch between the market requirements and the education
system. We hope the education reforms will address this issue,
in consultation with head hunters in the private sector.
That said, the salary alone cannot ensure job satisfaction
for which a whole host of other factors come into play. On the
whole, Lankan companies have managed to keep their workforces
happy. A harmonious relationship between the employer and
employee leads to industrial peace, which is essential for a
growing economy.
A wake up call
The collapse of a brand new building in Avissawella soon
after its opening is a grisly reminder that all is not well with
the affairs of our local bodies.
This is not the first time that such an incident has happened
here or for that matter, abroad. Shoddy construction is not a
new phenomenon.
Some buildings and structures last for centuries, nay,
thousands of years. Some of the religious and cultural edifices
in Sri Lanka bear ample testimony. They have withstood the
ravages of time like silent sentinels and even now, engineers
marvel at the sheer ingenuity of the ancient builders and
craftsmen.
On the other hand, some structures face decay in a couple of
decades and as this incident proves, some are virtually still
born. Here in Sri Lanka, it is no secret that some contractors
are interested only in money and not the standards or quality of
the job.
As local bodies introduce more development projects in their
areas, these companies stand to gain much in monetary terms.
In connivance with local councillors, they use inferior
materials and unskilled personnel for constructing multi-storeyed
buildings. The result is a building that will collapse sooner
rather than later.
Multinational construction companies have a far better
record, but they generally cost more and employ expatriates who
demand exorbitant consultation fees.
Herein lies a dilemma, for the Government encourages the use
of local companies and experts as much as possible in the
construction industry. Indeed, some local companies have
constructed mega projects in Sri Lanka and if everything goes
well, they will soon be engaged in large-scale projects in the
Middle-East.
The challenge for local bodies is to separate the wheat from
the chaff. They should look out for pre-qualifications such as
ICTAD registration, previous experience, financial stability,
the number of qualified personnel etc in a given construction
firm before signing on the dotted line.
It is also necessary to keep an eye on the construction every
step of the way to ensure quality and also to prevent the misuse
of supplies.
The Government should appoint a competent team of surveyors,
engineers and other relevant personnel who could advise local
bodies and bid-winning construction firms and inspect
construction work. That will literally ensure a strong
foundation for building projects and better overall standards. |