By Sanath Nanayakkare

Leader of the National People’s Power (NPP or Jathika Jana Balavegaya) Anura Kumara Dissanayake has said a future NPP government will deploy Sri Lanka’s diplomatic service across the world – in an international marketing drive – to increase the market share of Sri Lanka’s unique agricultural products in the export market.

“Our diplomats don’t have much to do. They are not trying to topple governments in the host country, bring new governments into power there or handling power and energy plant deals or port deals with the host country. So, we will make a comprehensive marketing plan to promote Sri Lanka’s unique agricultural products across the word and get the diplomats involved in implementing it,” he said.

The JVP leader made these remarks addressing the Kandy District Convention of the NPP held at the Hindu Cultural Hall in Kandy last week.

While affirming his party would continue to embrace key democratic fundamentals going forward, he emphasised that they would rely on an economic model based on developing the rural economy and expanding export crops unique to each region.

Dissanayake said that Sri Lanka had the hottest pepper and best smelling cinnamon in the world and the potential of those products need to be maximised.

“Recently an academic presented me with a book, whose content showed the extent that we can develop Sri Lanka cinnamon as a value- added commodity. Our economic plan comprises ways to develop pepper, cinnamon, cardamom etc. unique to different regions of the country. We have plans to expand our tea product portfolio in the export market as well. There is scope for that. We need to create a great enthusiasm in the people to engage in the cultivation of these crops by connecting their main source of income to the lucrative export market. Today the farming community is not connected to the country’s main economy and its infrastructure. This valuable human resource is aloof from the economy. Although Suriyawewa has broader roads than Baseline Road in Colombo, children in those areas are selling mangoes on the roadside after school.

The farming community in the country is failing to make the most of the agricultural resources they have in their areas. We have a plan to utilise them and let the country and the people benefit from it.”

“Another key area is our IT products. Although the government has targeted foreign currency earnings of USD 5 billion from exporting IT products, it is still about USD 1.5- 2 billion. The world has a massive market share for software products, so we can go up to USD 15 in this industry. We will launch an education revolution to empower our youths to realise that earnings potential in the IT products export segment.”

Notably he said that Sri Lanka could not acquire a market share with industrial and technological products.

Citing an example, he said,” A Chinese phone manufacturer makes phones at the cost of USD 7 per unit and exports it at USD 6.5. He sells lower than the cost. Then the Chinese government pays him one USD for each phone exported, and so the manufacturer gains half a dollar profit from each unit. Can we compete in such a sphere? We can’t. Can we make Volkswagen cars here? We can’t. So our plan is to win the global market with the products unique to Sri Lanka. There are 14,000 grama niladhari divisions in the country. If we can produce one SME agri- entrepreneur in each division and if he/she can create 10-15 jobs that will amount to a huge number of jobs countrywide.”

“If we give it all we have got, we can pull the country out of the current economic crisis in 1 -2 years. If we continue to do so for 4- 5 years, we can stabilise the economy. If we exert ourselves in this endeavour for 7 -8 years, we can make the country a developed state in the world.” he said.

The NPP leader added that the NPP’s economic plan should effectively work as it would create a non-corruptible government with no privileged politicians in the political system, and said that all politicians would be made to descend to the ground from their balconies.