Opinion
Focus more on developing tea,rubber,coconut and minor export crop plantation sector
By Jayampathy Molligoda
According to generally accepted economic theories and their practical application, boosting economic growth has been seen as the best way to create job opportunities and raise living standards of people.
However, the growth is decelerating in Europe, the United States, China, Japan, and other leading economies, as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank recently highlighted by revising their global forecasts for this year substantially downward. Sri Lanka is no exception. Development economists and social scientists know that economic growth alone is not enough to reduce the increased inequality and insecurity accompanying the transformation of work. Moreover, high debt levels, low ratio of exports to GDP, less dependence on traditional export of textile and garments and foreign exchange from travel and tourism revenue, etc., have left policymakers with fewer traditional tools to stimulate the economy in the event of another recession.
Inclusive growth models and labour-intensive industries:
Since we have to live with the Covid-19 pandemic, the government would now look at it slightly different and focus more on livelihood development and better equipping their employable work force and its people. We need to navigate the world of work, in an age of rising automation, stagnant wages, and greater part-time, temporary employment, thereby we could effectively boost the inclusive growth and economic development to improve purchasing power of the working population.
The International Labour commission recommended three practical steps – all of which involve investing more in people – that countries can take to improve social inclusion and economic growth simultaneously. Investing more in people is not only essential to strengthen countries’ social contracts with citizens at a time of rapid technological change. It can also form the basis of a new, more ‘people centric’ growth and development model that may be the best hope for sustaining the economic development and improve economic welfare of the people.
First, countries should increase public and private investment in their peoples’ capabilities, which is the most important way they can durably lift their rate of productivity growth. Sri Lanka must take a bold decision in order to reverse the negative trend of underinvesting in access to quality education and skills development. The commission called on countries to build a universal framework to support lifelong learning – including stronger and better-financed labour-market training and a universal social-protection floor.
Second, governments, together with employers’ and workers’ organizations, should upgrade national rules and institutions relating to work. These influence the quantity and distribution of job opportunities and compensation, and thus the level of purchasing power and aggregate demand within the economy. All workers, regardless of their contractual arrangement or employment status, would enjoy an “adequate living wage” as defined in the ILO’s founding constitution 100 years ago, and health and safety protection at work.
Third, countries should increase public and private investment in labour-intensive economic sectors that generate wider benefits for society. As for Sri Lankan situation, these include tea, rubber and coconut plantation sector, the rural economy, and education and training.
Developing the plantation sector
Sri Lankan plantation sector has a tremendous potential in contributing to the national economic growth and enhancing the purchasing power of the people.
Due to concerns on declining tea and rubber production, we need to focus more on sustainable agricultural practices and other development programmes of estates through infusion of increased investments/management inputs in order to implement an accelerated programme: to increase raising planting materials, to establish nurseries, model tea gardening with drip irrigation, mechanization and appropriate technology, undertake re-planting, crop diversification, agro- forestry, etc.
It appears that the plantation industry presently owned and managed by state owned institutions, RPCs, and tea and rubber small holders have not been able to adapt mitigating strategies for resilience to climate change effects to practice integrated total quality management and productivity enhancement. The writer is of the view that the potential to earn higher foreign exchange and net financial returns through optimum utilization of resources – environmental resources including human resources – has not been harnessed properly. Consequently, the role of the ‘conventional large plantations’ is gradually becoming insignificant – other players thus becoming major contributors to foreign exchange earnings and employment creation. There is a need to migrate into a new economic and business model aligning with national economic and social well-being priorities, whilst making reasonable financial returns for the businesses.
It has become necessary to promote ‘high quality’ plantations, improve sustainable agricultural practices such as use of precision agriculture technology, reducing chemical fertilizers, protecting biodiversity and technological advancements in manufacture.
The government could provide necessary incentives and encouragement in the following two important areas of developmental activities:
1. Move up in the global value chain in core crops such as tea and rubber and/or diversification into other crops such as cinnamon, coconut, coffee, commercial forestry, Other fruit and vegetable must be encouraged by the authorities.
2. Youth/worker empowerment through skill development and career development to mitigate labour shortage,
As for the last point, it is important to ensure ‘dignity’ for the estate youth and small holder. This could be done by empowering them through providing opportunities and many facilities such as;
* creating additional monthly income sources for estate youth in areas such as dairy farming, fruit and vegetable, horticulture, compost manufacturing plants, tree planting, many other vocations and interesting jobs to earn money, provide vocational training for land scaping and gardening, chefs, drivers, security, sales reps, etc.
* government could provide qualified teachers for science and computer studies and schools to have science labs and technical and vocational training classes, standard library facilities, knowledge and interest of ‘scout services’. This will even eliminate use of ‘drugs’ among the school children and increase of alcoholism’ in estates.
* Estate management to provide more opportunities to have access to participate in sports and recreation, social clubs, training centers for cultural activities (Ex: Dance, Yoga, Music and Singing)
* Provide access to banking facilities for continuing higher studies and efficient public service to obtain Identity cards, passports, driving license etc. estate management would arrange providing educational and training facilities for ‘Household cash management system’ in the families.
* Re-designating their jobs; say for an example; Pruning machine operators, mechanized male harvesters, etc., without treating them as a ‘laborer. hold national level ‘Competitions’ to motivate productive employees to recognise their expertise and talent.
By empowering estate youth, we could meet their aspirations, solve their problems including Youths’ habit of purchasing ‘Three Wheelers’ with their parents’ provident fund, gratuity money without thinking about other job opportunities to improve quality of life, etc.
Way forward, inclusive growth model:
A decade ago, leaders of G20 countries pledged to build a more balanced and sustainable growth model that embodied lessons from the economic imbalances and policy mistakes of the past. According to ILO study, the world has since made little progress toward realizing this goal. But the path it must take is clear: sustained, increased investment in people’s capabilities, purchasing power, job opportunities and above all we must have ‘inclusive economic institutions. The Chinese success story and the contrast of South and North Korea, and of the United States and Latin America, illustrate a general principle. Inclusive economic institutions foster economic activity and productivity growth. Sustained economic growth is always accompanied by technological improvements that enable people (labour), land, and existing capital to become more productive. Plantation industry in Sri Lanka could also follow this inclusive growth model to raise the living standards of people.
Nothing pleases me more than being greeted with Ayubowan by the smiling face of a beauty clad in a bright blue saree, every time I board a SriLankan Airlines Airbus to fly to Sri Lanka, which I was forced to leave during the second JVP uprising during which people were executed for doing their duty. Perhaps, SriLankan may outlast me as I am already in the departure lounge of my life! The million-dollar question is how long. Though my fervent wish is for SriLankan Airlines to flourish as a global carrier with repute, a potential it once had, omens predict otherwise. Some of the best who worked for the predecessors of SriLankan have ventured out to build very successful airlines. Successive governments have been grappling with the question as to what could be done to the loss-making carrier; ditch it or continue to fly for prestige?
One of the key decisions of the NPP government was to let SriLankan continue as a state venture. For the Marxist-orientated JVP, perhaps, any input from the private sector is an anathema although most successful airlines are private sector entities. Many countries that had state-owned carriers have opted for privatisation for reasons of economy, only countries with vast wealth to buy aircraft outright being able to maintain state airlines. Emirates Airlines, owned by a super-rich Gulf state, which started in 1985 with only two aircraft on wet-lease from Pakistan International Airlines, is a giant in aviation today. So is Qatar Airways, which started operations only in 1994 and is owned by another super-rich Gulf state. On the other hand, the UK handed over British Airways to the private sector a long time ago and India handed over Air India back to the original owners, the Tata Group in 2021. Despite the setback of the recent downing of the 787 Dreamliner, Air India is bound to prosper as the modernisation of the fleet goes on at an unbelievably rapid pace. In early 2023, Air India ordered 250 new jets from Airbus and 220 from Boeing, the largest order in modern times. The Airbus order was increased by another 100 in December 2024. This order exceeds the total fleet strength of Emirates and Qatar combined!
True to form, the NPP government made one hell of a show with the new acquisition to the SriLankan fleet, bringing the total number of aircraft to 23. Some communiques gave the false impression that it was a brand-new aircraft bought by the airline, flypast down the West coast on its way from Airbus headquarters in France to BIA adding to the show. One can understand the water-jet welcome to any acquisition but the rest of the celebrations was well over the top. It transpires that the ‘new’ Airbus A330 is actually a refurbished 14 years old aircraft, originally owned by Garuda Indonesian Airways for 12 years and then by a now-defunct South Korean Carrier. It was not bought either but is on a dry-lease. It is said that the order was placed by the previous government! NPP seems very adept at taking credit for the actions of others and to excel in words!
I have been on board a brand-new aircraft during its inaugural flight. A grateful patient of mine, who happened to be a travel agent, passed on his invitation for the maiden voyage of a new Swissair aircraft on the Zurich to London sector. I cannot recollect the type of the narrow-body jet, as it was so long ago, but I distinctly remember that there was no tamasha at all, the only difference to a routine flight being the addition by the captain that it is a brand-new aircraft in his welcome announcement! SriLankan, as well as its predecessors have added brand new aircraft to the fleet but I cannot remember any tamashas like this. In fact, SriLankan was the first Asian airline to operate the four-engined Airbus A340 in 1994.
SriLankan can trace its ancestry to Air Ceylon, which was established in 1947 as the state-owned flag carrier which ceased operations in 1979, to be replaced by Air Lanka. Rebranding as SriLankan happened when Emirates Airlines took a 43% share of Air Lanka together with a 10-year management contract. With the end of the management contract SL government decided to buy back the shares, more due to political reasons. Though there was an operational profit during the Emirates period, it is claimed that SriLankan lost in many other ways to Emirates including valuable routes.
Srilankan could have been a success story, if not for political interference, the worst offence being handing over the chairmanship to those without adequate experience. JRJ appointed a pilot to the top job whilst Mahinda appointed his brother-in-law. Some CEOs were totally corrupt, one of them hitting the headlines when Airbus settled a graft scandal with British authorities. Worst crime, among his many others including the idiotic agreement on Hambantota port by Ranil on SriLankan Airlines was the cancellation of the order to purchase four A350 aircraft, one of the most advanced aircrafts in the skies. Perhaps, he cancelled the order to spite the Rajapaksas rather than renegotiating to buy a fewer number instead of paying hefty cancellation charges with no aircraft. If the cost involved in establishing service facilities for a new type of aircraft was deemed unjustified, SriLankan could have purchased the A350s and dry-leased them, using the funds to dry-lease a few more A330s to expand services. Puny actions of this nature together with rampant corruption at the top has made SriLankan Airlines a liability to the nation. The previous government had drawn plans for a sale and there were interested parties. AKD decided that SriLankan should remain a state venture and appointed a person from one of the interested parties as the new chairman. If he steadies the ship and the IMF demands that SriLankan be privatised as a condition of one of the future tranches, a miracle could happen!
by Dr Upul Wijayawardhna
All the print and electronic media report that a huge branch of a large tree has fallen on a school in Balangoda, killing a 17-year-old student and causing severe injuries to 16 students.A mother of a student whose son is studying with the victim, giving a voice cut to the media disclosed in a heart-rending story that the repeated reminders on this hazardous threat made to the Principal and the Regional Education Office for the last five years have not been heeded to until this tragedy claimed the life of an innocent student.
This is not the first time that students have perished in the school premises. A sixth-grade student died when a discarded iron pipe of a soccer goal post fell on his body at Thopawewa Maha Vidyalaya, Polonnaruwa. Senith Wijesinghe, a bright student at Ananda College, Colombo, perished on the spot when the turf roller fell on his body. Another student at Wellampitiya Maha Vidyalaya met his untimely death when a part of the parapet wall connected to the water pipeline fell on his body. Another unfortunate death of a student was reported from the south when a Hume pipe brought for road development work rolled out accidently killing a student in the school premises.
A careful analysis of the statistics of fatal and grave accidents to students disclose a shocking revelation. According to NHSL, 2,691 schoolchildren have been treated, out of which 274 were related to accidents in the school premises. Health Ministry sources say that 10,000 to 20,000 students are being treated for accidents annually.
Educational authorities should bear in mind that parents send their children to school on the basic premise that the school provides an accident free safety environment to their children. School Principals as well as the Regional/Zonal Education Directors have an inalienable duty to provide this basic protection to the students, leave aside the education. What the Education Ministry and the Department should do is not to resort to knee-jerk reaction when a fatal accident occurs and issue precautionary guidelines. Their hunky-dory attitude does not bode well for the wellbeing of the student community. What is required is a well-planned institutional strategy to face this calamitous situation.
My recollection says that the Ministry of Education had issued directions by way of circular instructions to the Zonal Education Directors to visit schools periodically and identify the hazardous situations and unsafe structures and trees with a view to taking on the spot remedial measures. If the authorities heeded such directives, the life of a Balangoda student could have been thwarted.
This short note would not be complete if it does not cover the numerous safety hazards frequently confronted by the student community in a school setting. In laboratories where students are called upon to deal hazardous chemicals. They should not be mixed together and stored separately. Students should handle chemicals under the direct supervision of the teachers. Unsafe and unregulated pits and trenches should be identified and barricaded with tiger tapes immediately with prominent wordings and luminous colors. Unsafe old structures such as old buildings, rusted iron structures, unsafe roofs and materials, heavy rollers should be identified and they should be immediately discarded/dismantled before such structures cause any harm to the students.
During sports activities- dehydration and heart related injuries should be prevented by proper re-hydration and avoiding vigorous outdoor practices in hot sun during hot periods of the year. In this country, school athletic meets and big matches are held in the month of February and March during which period, heat temperament is relatively unbearable. For long distance running, medical certificates from a medical doctor should be mandatory.
School principals are the custodian of the children’s safety and a competent safety team should be formed to avoid unsafe accidents with the collective support of the teachers and school prefects. The creation of a safety conscience and culture should be inculcated across the board. When questioned by a Principal of a leading girl’s school in Nugegoda, she was very complacent about the safety arrangements of the school by delegating this function to a lady PTI instructor, which is most unsatisfactory. The Principal or the Vice Principal should personally and directly take over this prime responsibility. It is utmost paramount to analyse everything from a safety eye and the PTI is woefully lacking this trait.
Last but not least, I could render my support to the Prime Minister who is in charge of the Education to create a hazard free safety environment in the schools with the expertise I have obtained locally and globally for over five decades voluntarily. What I emphasise for the hazard-free school environment is that the safety aspect should be institutionalised within the main system of education. It would be a desirable step to establish a safety branch in each Zonal Education Zone, considering the adverse trend of tragic accidents. Essentially the present adverse trend of accidents in schools has to be arrested as a utmost priority.
It is much regretted that my comprehensive article published in a leading newspaper have not had the desired effect for the last six months.
J. A. A. S. Ranasinghe
Productivity Specialist and Management Consultant
(The writer can be contacted a49@gmail.com)
If any material has a commercial value people will be motivated to collect, and sell it in return for some additional income. From this perspective, even cow-dung when presented in the form of suitable fertilizer for agriculture can be a good source of income for the owners of livestock farms. When concerned about the present-day economic hardships many people in the low-income range are badly in need of money for their day today struggling for a living while facing an atmosphere of skyrocketing cost of living. Hence, the duty of the state and the media is to enlighten and educate the public about the available avenues and encourage them to engage in the business of the waste recycling industry.
At present there is a lack of information or frequent publicity about any collecting centers that accept and pay for polythene and plastic wastes. Therefore, the public are not interested in collecting them. As a result, tons and tons of plastic and polythene wastes are dumped, burned or thrown into waterways. It has become a widespread menace that wherever and whenever a mass gathering such as a procession, political rally, musical show, protest march, demonstration, a get together party is held, tons of waste, particularly, polythene and plastic items scattered in heaps on roadsides are an ugly sight to see. For example, Annual events like the Sri pada pilgrimage, numerous religious processions countrywide, new year celebration sites, sports meet, hotels and reception hall-based events etc. during the last tooth relic exhibition period in Kandy too, piles of waste were left to the annoyance of the municipal authorities. This is an everlasting environmental disaster which causes further and further degradation and destruction to the entire country.
In a recent news item, I happened to notice an entrepreneur, Sulalitha Perera from Bandaragama, is becoming successful in a polythene recycling scheme. He has expressed that he hopes to expand his business in all districts if he gets help from the government and other stakeholders. This is, indeed, a praiseworthy effort which should be encouraged and assisted by all concerned authorities, mainly by the ministry of environmental affairs. The media particularly the television and social media like YouTube must highlight the value of such environment friendly businesses which protect the environment, bring in forex to the economy, and provide employment opportunities to the community.
In this regard, the main responsibility of all media particularly the electronic media (specially TV+ you tube) is to glorify the recycling industry by creating new dramatic episodes and new songs encompassing the environment cleanliness and benefits of recycling industries as well as to encourage the communities to collect and sell all polythene and plastic products to the collecting centers to earn an additional income instead of throwing or burning them in the neighborhood. For anybody, rich or poor, it is no shame to take back the collection of polythene and plastic that gathers in one’s homestead to the place where one purchases daily needs. A certain amount of deduction of the costs by the trader in lieu of the returned waste material is also profitable for the customer. This is the greatest contribution that all of us can make to sustain a Clean Sri Lanka.
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