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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.
 

Sri Lanka ensures:

Transparent policy on human rights issues

In an interview with the Daily News Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe speaks about Sri Lanka’s recent diplomatic triumphs. Its international human rights obligations and the way forward.

Full Story

Bad faith and apparent independence

Having just written an article on the pronouncements of the so-called independent media, I was not entirely surprised to discover that the Associated Press had deliberately misrepresented my answer with regard to the winding up of the Commission of Inquiry into several cases of violence over the last few years.

Full Story

 

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