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DateLine Saturday, 24 November 2007

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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.

The Buddha - The True Peacemaker

AT THE PRESENT TIME, globally people talk about peace as a burning issue in our human society. Though most people very much prefer to live in a peaceful atmosphere and an untroubled environment, some unwise and uncivilised citizens, leaders, politicians and their henchmen create terrible fear and danger within our global society.

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Tissamaharamaya - the modernised monument of Magama

The Maha Aramaya and the Mahacetiya in Magama in the deep South of Ruhunu Rata was built by King Kavantissa’s father of the heroic king Dutugemunu and his younger brother Saddhatissa.

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Meditation and medicine

In the Western world of today there is a famous expression: “Living in the present moment” They also say: “Here and now!” Most of the people who use these expressions do not know their origin. They come from the ‘Satipatthana Sutta’. In Sanskrit there is the word: Kshana, the shortest possible moment.

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