News
MONLAR: Govt. does not care to ensure food security
‘Forest lands given to big businesses’
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The government had not introduced mechanisms to ensure a stable and adequate food supply although almost a year has passed since Sri Lanka became affected by Covid-19, Moderator of the Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR), Chinthaka Rajapakshe told The Island yesterday, commenting on soaring food prices.
Rajapakshe said that if the government had worked according to a strategy, it could have increased the production of food and come up with better distribution networks last year.
“The government has shown its incompetence by not straightening up the distribution network and introducing price control mechanisms. One year is more than enough to produce 90% of the food the country needs. We also have the resources, experience and knowledge to achieve this goal. The only thing lacking is proper government planning.”
The government continued to hand over some forest land and the lands used by small farmers to large agro businesses, Rajapakshe said, adding that the government had earmarked 800,000 acres of land to be given to corporations; those lands mainly consisted of forests, chenas and pastures. “The President is facilitating this process through his Gama Samaga Pilisandara programme, which is an attempt to mislead the people by giving them false promises and some relief. Gotabaya tells people it is all right to cultivate forest land under the Forest Conservation Department and instructs officials not to punish people who send their cattle into forests. People walk away feeling good but a few months later big corporations would take over those lands.”
The MONLAR Moderator said that they had conducted a survey on the lands given to corporations by the incumbent government last year. Most of the lands are those used by cattle herders and chena cultivators.
“These big companies cultivate crops like corn and their produce does not help ensure the country’s food security. Moreover, the government cannot exert any influence over these big businesses. For example, it issued several gazettes last year stipulating prices on some varieties of rice but big millers did not heed them. We simply don’t have the power to influence the market. The government has tried to replace public servants with retired Army officers in a bid to convince the people that it has got tough with big businessmen.
The MONLAR Moderator added that early last year the government had encouraged home gardening during lockdowns. However since the government had no plan or policy to make it sustainable, the home gardening project fell through.
Addressing the 58th Annual General Meeting of The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) held on Monday (27) at Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo, President Ranil Wickremesinghe outlined a comprehensive strategy to propel the country’s tourism sector to new heights. Focused on surpassing the target of 5 million tourists and redefining traditional approaches, the President’s vision extends to achieving 7.5 million visitors in the coming years. The President emphasized the need for innovative thinking and collaboration within the industry to ensure sustainable growth.
“When I took over the government, I realized that sustainability alone is not sufficient. How are we going to earn foreign exchange? How are we going to have a positive balance of trade? In that, there were many suggestions. But what is the low-hanging fruit? And one of the low-hanging fruits was tourism. Let’s promote tourism fully,” President Wickremesinghe declared.
The President acknowledged the need to move beyond the existing framework and embrace competition to elevate Sri Lanka’s standing in the global tourism market. Drawing parallels with countries like Vietnam, he questioned why they had more tourists despite being in the industry for a shorter period. President Wickremesinghe stressed the importance of increasing the number of tourists to 2.5 million in the upcoming year and subsequently expanding on this figure.
(PMD)
Business
Free visas for nationals of China, India, Indonesia, Russsia, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan from Monday (27)
The Controller General of Immigration and Emigration has stated that nationals of China, India, Indonesia, Russsia, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan will be granted free visas from Monday 27-11-2023 to 31-03-2024 as a pilot program to rebuild the tourism industry.
Nationals of the above nominated countries possessing, Diplomatic, Official, Public Affairs, Services and Ordinary Passports are eligible to enjoy a visa free regime under this scheme.
The above mentioned nationals should apply for Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before arriving in Sri Lanka subject to granting / issuing free of charge up to 31-03-2024.
Under this scheme tourists can enjoy a 30 days free visa period and a double entry facility is permitted within 30 days from the date of first arrival in Sri Lanka.
Free ETA under this scheme can be applied up to 31-03-2024.
The free ETA cannot be extended further and is limited only to thirty (30) days. In case the free ETA period of 30 days expires after 31-03-2024, an extension of visa could be applied subject to paying the appropriate fee.
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