Commendable achievement
The economic growth for the first quarter of the
current year was reported as 1.5 percent with gains indicated in
the agricultural, industrial and service sectors which grew at
3, 1.9 and 1 percent respectively. When the leading world
economies in the West and even Asia were still feeling the pinch
under the downturn continuing from the previous year and the
humanitarian operations in the North had impeded our economic
activity in the affected areas our economic performance could be
termed a fair achievement.
Yet it is not opportune now to become complacent by
reflecting on this fair
achievement. We have still a long way to go to reverse the
unfavourable trends that had beset the country's economic
performance. We should address our minds to the revival of some
of the dormant sectors like fishery, tourism and industry in the
north and east and modernizing other sectors where a vast
potential for economic growth exists now as the terrorist menace
had been defeated.
Agriculture in these regions was a main contributor to the
national economy before terrorism took toll of all such activity
and during recent years the farmers and fishermen had to face
impediments limiting their efforts to subsistence level.
Therefore it was now time for the economic planners of both the
public and private sectors to concentrate on developing the
north especially since the east was coming back to normalcy
making a major contribution in the agriculture sector and
fishery sector also just starting its normal activity.
There were also the industries like the Kankesanturai cement
and others like the mineral sands of Pulmodai and even the less
talked about sugar industry in addition to a large number small
industries that the enterprising people of the north had
developed. Now once again the opportunities are open, but
realistic planning and incentives had to be given for the
industries in the north to make them viable entities
contributing again to macro economic development.
The downturn in exports mainly in the tea sector, once the
main export commodity, needs to be reversed with new thinking
and planning. One of our main assets in tea was the goodwill
with the brand name Ceylon Tea that had the tea market in the
United Kingdom held captive with the assurance of the quality of
our teas. Yet today more than 150 years after the first tea
planters set foot in the highlands of the country the
international tea market and the demand for tea also had
undergone quite a transformation.
The accent today is for value added teas but our tea industry
still uses the age old methods of production with less emphasis
on manufacturing new products like instant teas or flavoured
teas that seem to enjoy popularity among tea drinkers abroad.
Our tea factories still produce the fanning or the tea dust that
was mainly exported in bulk to certain markets whereas new tea
producing nations like Kenya have concentrated on value addition
and captured the market.
Investment in modernizing the tea factories and introducing
modern technology to manufacture instant tea or flavoured tea
had become overdue some years back when the international tea
market changed. Therefore if we neglect this important aspect
any further our tea industry may face tough competition from
other producers.
The UK tea market has to be revived by not only value
addition but also new promotional activities that could
strengthen or brand name and revive tea exports as our climate
suits the tea plant and still could become a main export given
the attention and modernization the industry needs.
Sri Lanka has some of the most breathtaking scenic beaches
that still remain unpolluted and tourism in the east specially
could revive and develop a very well planned tourist industry.
New tourist arrivals and growth in this sector could be expected
given adequate promotion and investment in this sector. In the
past attention was given to arrivals mainly from the Western
countries and it was time we should promote tourist arrivals
from newly emerging affluent nations such as China, India or
Russia to achieve a greater success. Our hospitality industry
rested on the traditional Sri Lankan people whose smile and
welcome of people from any part of the world was one of the
greatest assets the pioneers of the modern tourism industry
counted as their main asset. We still have the same asset.
Besides in the case of Sri Lankan tourism it's not only the sun
and sea. We have a more rich potential as we could promote in
addition the cultural eco-tourism which only few countries could
do.
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