Monitoring NGOs

The call by Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa for an audit of the funds of all NGO/INGOs should be considered seriously by concerned authorities given the recent expose of the some of the doings of these ‘good samaritans’ that has had a bearing on national security.

Today it is no secret that large amounts of funds are available at the disposal of these NGOs for ostensible use of welfare projects. How these funds are utilised needs to be monitored. We say this because some of these NGOs have made deep inroads into the social fabric of this country and have even succeeded in changing life patterns of people.

Besides there are NGOs who operate under the guise of fundamentalist sects who engage in unethical conversions using the unlimited funds at their disposal.This while causing discord and friction among communities could in turn lead to the destabilising of society.

The Defence Secretary has made particular reference to the Ceasefire period from February 2002 following the discovery by the Army that little or no work had been done in the areas they had regained from the LTTE, for which the NGOs received massive funds.

He has quite rightly called for an investigation by both the Government and those who funded these NGOs which he says could give a true picture of the frauds and rip offs that had occurred. He stressed that all NGOs-INGOs including UN agencies should be brought under the microscope and their funds and other assets including vehicles accounted for.

The Defence Secretary who is prosecuting the war in earnest should naturally be concerned following the recent discovery of NGO vehicles in possession of the LTTE. It seems some of these NGOs are providing sustenance to the Eelam lobby in various guises. There are even NGO representatives masquerading as newspaper columnists who fail to disguise where their sympathies lay in their writings.

This is not to say that all NGOs should be hauled over the coals. There are some who are doing yeoman service in the sphere of social development and have been in the forefront assisting the country in times of tragedy and peril.

But taking cover under the good Samaritans there are also others who come out of the woodwork and attempt to destabilise the country.It is such NGOs that need to be exposed for their questionable conduct and their sinister role.

The Government which is now on the course of victory on the warfront cannot afford to have fifth columnists scuttling the effort. All those NGOs with dubious credentials should be exposed and hounded out. The probe into the sources of the NGOs could give the authorities an inkling into their activities and help shift the grain from the chaff.

he revelation by Colombo Municipal Council’s Chief Health officer Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam that contrary to popular belief the quality of food items sold at certain supermarkets is below par may perhaps provide food for thought to our health authorities that have hitherto trained their guns only on small eateries.

According to media reports an inspection of some supermarkets in the city have found that overnight switching off of refrigerators as a cost cutting measure has affected the quality and taste of foods - especially meat varieties.

It has also been found that food subject to such conditions invariably lose their nutritional value. Action is to filed against the supermarkets under the Food Act against improper storage leading to a drop in quality.

Today these supermarkets have become a rage representing the real face of an overindulgent consumerist society.

The coming season will see them in their element. This however does not detract from the role played by these supermarkets which have provided a boon to the public not just the affluent but also the ordinary folk who go for quality notwithstanding the price.

Some supermarket chains have also taken the lead to promote local products under the Ganna Apey Dey (Buy Lankan Products) campaign and by going directly to the farmers to buy their products.

Impressive adverts and attractive blurbs have drawn not only the superrich but also the ordinary folk to these supermarkets.

They do not mind the extra costs but go for quality. In this context, supermarkets must strive to offer the best quality products to their consumers and ensuring proper storage conditions overnight is essential. They should be equipped with generators to cope with any power loss which may affect frozen and refrigerated food.

There are even mini supermarkets modelled on the worldwide 7-11 concept that have virtually sprung at every street corner catering to the less affluent. It is therefore incumbent on the authorities to maintain a constant check on these supermarkets and make them conform to all quality standards. There is also a need to keep a close tab on pricing at supermarkets as they reach out to the remotest corners of the island.