Vote of Confidence in Sri Lanka

The IMF’s recent endorsement of US $ 218.3 million under its Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) for Sri Lanka, could be considered a veritable Vote of Confidence in this country by the international community. Regardless of what the Prophets of Doom in particularly the political Opposition may be opining, Sri Lanka’s economic fundamentals are sound and the world community is quite convinced of this reality. This is the message sent out by the IMF decision.

In other words, Sri Lanka is very much on the mend and shows every possibility of earning for itself a brave new future. The 30 year war notwithstanding, the country is amply displaying an ability to recoup its losses and to measure up to the challenges of the times. Dr Koshy Mathai, the IMF’s Country Representative was quoted by us as saying that, ‘the country’s economy is making further progress under the Fund-supported program. Inflation remains in a single digit and reserves are at a comfortable level. Fiscal position of the country is on the right track and stable growth can be seen in the financial industry.’ This is a positive assessment that should be noted by all concerned. This extract alone bears testimony to the healthy state of the country’s economy.

This decision by the IMF, while being proof of the confidence the international community continues to repose in the Government steered by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is also the evidence at hand that Sri Lanka could confidently forge ahead in strengthening cooperative links with the world outside. It speaks, therefore, of the triumphs Sri Lanka is achieving in the foreign relations sphere too.

In fact, Foreign Minister G L Peiris is currently in Britain and as we reported yesterday, economic relations between Britain and Sri Lanka are not only in a state of perfect health but are set to grow. The possibility has been raised in talks Minister Peiris held with Britain’s Minister of State for Trade and Investment Lord Green, of a British business delegation visiting Sri Lanka in the near future.

Therefore, there is more than meets the eye in Sri Lanka’s relations with the world. It is not the case that the entirety of the West is daggers drawn with Sri Lanka, nor have Sri Lanka’s primary foreign policy principles proved useless in the current juncture. Come what may, Sri Lanka cannot deviate from the policy of Non-alignment and the unruffled nature of Sri Lanka’s ties with the West in general, proves the advisability of adhering to this time-honoured principle.

The need of the hour is continued friendly and positive interaction between Sri Lanka and the states of the world and it is gratifying to note that the Sri Lankan Government has not lost sight of this priority. We urge the Lankan state to persist with this policy paradigm of Non-alignment, which is proving so beneficial.

All in all, the point needs to be taken cognizance of that Sri Lanka is forging ahead satisfactorily in most spheres of importance, although much remains to be done in terms of national rejuvenation and development. Sri Lankans, have, over the years, shown abundantly that they could bounce back into contention even in the face of the most adverse circumstances and our current economic performance is only one aspect of this resiliency of spirit.

Even in those times when terror stalked this country, Sri Lankans gave ample proof of their ability to move ahead and it goes without saying that this ample resourcefulness could only be expected to grow in the present times when terror has been completely eliminated under the able leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Fortunately for Sri Lanka, the state is attaching primacy to the policy of national reconciliation. Sri Lanka’s economic fundamentals are strong and with the state persisting with the policy of taking development to all parts of the country, one could be certain that the basic conditions for sustainable development would be in place on a countrywide basis. It is up to the communities of the land to seize these openings to harvest a degree of prosperity and well-being for themselves. The need is great for our communities to shelve the prejudices and biases of the past and to establish stronger ties among themselves to forge ahead as a single, united people. May community leaders seize this great opportunity.

Hopefully, a pragmatic spirit would begin to prevail among our communities in these post-conflict times. If our communities are to seize this moment, they should come to grips with reality. It is by seizing the openings for individual and collective growth that aspirations and ideals could be fulfilled at the personal and group levels. The narrow, parochial mindsets of the past need to be abandoned. Such practical wisdom should be part and parcel of the thinking of even our diasporic communities; sections of which are yet to come to terms with the present. Let us not be slaves of the past but visionaries of a wholesome, united future.