Empowering the provinces in equal measure

Development has been variously defined but we now know with some certainty that where there is no empowerment of the common people there could be no development. This observation could take some of the shine off those often cited figures on a country’s GNP per capita. For, a country could have a highly impressive per capita income but still be saddled with tens of thousands of persons who are doing battle against poverty and material hardships. It should be plain to see by now that a country’s GNP per capita is only a general statistic and that it is no reflection on how equitably a country’s wealth is distributed among its population.

Fortunately for Sri Lanka, President Mahinda Rajapaksa is fully cognizant of these truths. It is, perhaps, for this reason that he observed on the occasion on which the Sri Lanka Central Bank’s Annual Report 2011 was handed over to him that the dividends of the current development drive must reach the farthest nooks and corners of the country. While poverty in Sri Lanka has shrunk steadily over the years, it is the progressive economic empowerment of all that could indicate that this country is making steady advances in the direction of development. Like most other things, poverty alleviation too is a process and the authorities could not rest content until all sections of our people are equally empowered, general economic advancement notwithstanding.

However, even with regard to provincial development, we are told, there is much that is satisfying. For instance, more than 55 percent of current growth is concentrated in the rural areas. While, the Western Province is still in the forefront in terms of economic productivity and dynamism, the Northern Province is forging ahead as a fast growth region. Meanwhile, the Eastern Province is witnessing notable development with the state investing more than Rs 125 billion in development ventures in the province. Apparently, the ‘Uthuru Wasanthaya’ and ‘Negenahira Navodaya’ projects, for instance, are showing good results and our hope is that the provinces would be tangibly touched by the state’s development efforts.

A troubling feature of our times, nevertheless, is youth unemployment and if we are having development in the truest sense of the word, there should be a reduction in the rate of youth unemployment as we go along. It must be ensured in particular, that our mega development programmes translate into more and more employment opportunities that would enable every working age adult to satisfy his or her essential needs. That is, the purchasing power of the people must not only improve but such capability must be more equitably distributed.

We urge the state as well the local business community to explore the possibility of generating entrepreneurship and job opportunities in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, besides keeping the wheels of development humming in the country’s South. We urge that the possibilities for investment, commerce and trade be increasingly tapped, besides other areas, in districts such as Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi too.

The overall policy direction should be to close the wealth gap between the centre and the provinces. It was habitual to speak of a ‘centre-periphery’ polarity in this country. Well, our process of generating economic prosperity should prove to be so equitable that it should render such characterizations completely unjustified. Economic justice should be so deep-rooted that it should not be possible to resort to labels and categories of this kind in describing the country’s socio-economic structure.

It is now quite well established that economic inequalities had much to do with our youth revolts in both North and South. So, we need to get back to basics and ensure that economic growth is truly inclusive. That is, growth should benefit all. It is development thus conceived and executed which would enable every citizen of this country to identify closely with the state and it is such identification which would seal national unity.