News

Work with people to defeat Covid-19

Published

5 years ago

2021/05/11

by Jehan Perera

The sudden resurgence of the Covid pandemic in Sri Lanka was totally unexpected by the people at large though it was expected and predicted by those in the scientific and medical communities. The people had been reassured by the political leaders and sections of the media that Sri Lanka was a success story unlike other countries, including more developed ones that had been devastated by the pandemic. However, the country had received an early warning in the second wave which had commenced in October last year with the spread that was believed to have originated in the garment industry. But much before this the country’s top medical associations had been warning that community spread of the coronavirus had already commenced. These warnings were neither heard nor acted upon by the vast majority of the population. The mainstream view, until the shock of the third wave in April, was that Sri Lanka was a success in Covid management.

Sri Lanka enjoyed undoubted success in combatting the first wave of the coronavirus, with the participation of the security forces in implementing the lockdown and tracing of persons infected by the coronavirus. This success seems to have given rise to the misperception that the country was secure enough in terms of Covid control to give priority to the revival of the economy. But there was a big information gap between the appearance and the reality that swayed the governmental decision-makers. There can be no other explanation for their failure to heed the warnings that came from the medical and scientific community in the week, prior to the New Year shopping and holiday season.

Scholars, who have studied disasters that have afflicted human beings over the millennia, have noted that lack of proper information was often at the centre of those tragedies that might have been averted. Famines have taken place in many parts of the world and have led to millions of deaths that need not have happened. There was sufficient food stocks in other parts of the world, sometimes in the country itself, that could have been sent to the areas that did not have food. The Bengal famine of 1943 in British India is an example. The policy failures began with the provincial government’s denial that a famine existed. There was a breakdown in the lines of communication that could have led to food supplies from areas, where food stocks existed, being sent to the areas with short supply. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_famine_of_1943)

Since the successful containment of the first wave of Covid by the strict policy of lockdown and curfew adopted by the government, the restoration of the economy has been its first priority. The economy and people’s livelihoods received a severe battering during the two-month long lockdown. The Covid spread was contained but the economy shrank by more than it ever has in the post-independence period. The government gained the appreciation of the general population and the international community for its success in containing Covid. But the downturn in the economy needed to be restored which is what the business advisors of the government set out to do.

Unnecessarily risky

In retrospect,some of the government’s decisions, taken to revive the economy appear to have been unnecessarily risky in terms of containing the Covid spread. One was the partial reopening of tourism industry which led to an influx of tourists from countries that had poor track records of containing the pandemic, most notably Ukraine and India. These tourists were meant to arrive in a “bubble” and depart having toured the country in a “bubble” but even with these most stringent precautions it seems to have paved the way for new Covid variants to have taken root in the country. More recently there was media exposure given to a variety of “quarantine tourism” from badly affected countries from which the wealthier people wished to temporarily take a respite. The actions of government ministers in pouring “sacred water” into rivers to forestall the pandemic and their imbibing of a special “Covid herbal concoction” to protect against the virus was not based on science, professional advice and rationality that the country needs its decisionmakers to follow.

In these circumstances, it seems unfair that the blame for the resurgence of the Covid pandemic should be put on the people themselves who are charged with being negligent in their duties to take care of themselves and of others. Shock and awe treatment of ordinary citizens who were not taking the Covid pandemic seriously was witnessed on a video clip that were released of the police apprehending people who did not wear masks in commando-style. The videoing of the operations was done with precision and widely circulated on the media for maximum impact. The videos show police personnel in Covid protective clothing going into crowded urban areas, apprehending offenders who are not using masks properly, carrying them physically and bundling them inside parked buses to be taken to be charged. Such governmental actions can breed resentments that grow with the passage of time. The danger is also that the security forces may be induced to act similarly in other situations, too.

FRAUGHT TIMES

For the past year, after the success of the government in controlling the first wave of coronavirus, the people at large have been made to believe that the government has everything under control and that Sri Lanka has certain unique conditions that will spare it the fate of other countries. The recent police operations in different parts of the country to apprehend members of the general public who were either not wearing their face masks at all, or improperly by not covering their noses, suggests an intention to instill the importance of following health guidelines in the people. It would have been better if these police actions had been done consistently throughout the period, and by police in the course of their regular duties, such as during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year festivities in different parts of the country.

It needs to be kept in mind that these are very fraught times in which the majority of people are struggling to make ends meet. Due to the economic downturn many of them have lost their jobs or are getting only a part of their salaries. According to the World Bank, “With jobs lost and earnings reduced, especially in urban areas and among private sector employees and informal workers, the $3.20 poverty rate is projected to have increased from 9.2 percent in 2019 to 11.7 percent in 2020.” (https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2021/04/09/sri-lankan-economy-recovers) Daily wage labourers find it harder to get daily work as potential employers do not wish to give them work and hire them for fear of Covid infection. Those who are fortunate enough to have their children attending schools with online teaching have all to meet extra expenses such as phone data charges for their children’s education.

At the same time as there is public resistance to a lockdown there is fear and apprehension about contracting Covid and the health consequences in a situation where the hospitals are full and not able to accept more patients. In these circumstances there can be pent up anger within society that can suddenly come to the fore. The government needs to take these tensions within people into account when it designs its responses to the unfolding crisis. Instead of demonstrating the punitive powers of the state machinery there could be an emphasis on messages of care from the government to the people. The government could take the people into its confidence and educate them about the true situation with regard to Covid spread and what can be done in partnership to mitigate it. It needs to come up with economic support schemes, such as the Rs 5000 dole or food coupons for the poor, that will make the people ready for a lockdown. A democratic polity will seek to inform, educate and work with the people to overcome any crisis the country faces.

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News

Discussion on Sri Lanka Customs’ contribution for National Export Development Plan

Published

6 hours ago

2026/06/18

Priyan

A discussion on the modernisation initiatives required within the Sri Lanka Customs and measures to encourage exporters in support of implementing the National Export Development Plan (NEDP) 2026–2030 was held on Wednesday (17) morning at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.

The meeting, organised by the Revenue Administration Reform and Modernization Bureau established under the Presidential Secretariat, focused extensively on the modernisation measures required within Sri Lanka Customs to facilitate the expansion of exports.

During the discussion, the Secretary to the President instructed Sri Lanka Customs to enhance the capacity, facilities and modernisation of the Export Facilitation Centre, where export containers are inspected, in order to create a more efficient and exporter-friendly environment.

Attention was also drawn to developing a programme aimed at encouraging exporters across the country to enter the export sector. The Secretary to the President further emphasised the need to review the Temporary Import for Export Processing (TIEP) scheme currently operated by the Customs Industrial Facilitation Division and to introduce a programme to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that have not yet engaged in export activities.

The meeting also explored the possibility of decentralising customs operations to support the expansion of the export sector, with particular attention given to establishing a Customs Export Centre in Jaffna.

Discussions were also held on removing barriers affecting exports conducted through e-commerce platforms. It was decided to hold further discussions with the Department of Posts on measures that could be taken jointly to streamline these processes.

Participants also discussed introducing digital systems to expedite document processing, thereby reducing both, time and costs, as well as implementing a risk-based assessment mechanism that would provide greater facilitation for low-risk exporters.

It was further decided that Sri Lanka Customs, the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) and other relevant institutions would meet monthly under the leadership of the Revenue Administration, Reforms and Modernisation Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat to review progress, identify challenges faced by exporters and discuss appropriate solutions.

The National Export Development Plan has been formulated in line with the national vision, “A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life”, with the objective of enhancing Sri Lanka’s export competitiveness and achieving an ambitious yet realistic export revenue target of USD 36 billion by 2030.

Director General of Customs Wimal Liyanagama, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) Mangala Wijesinghe, Additional Directors General of Sri Lanka Customs T. Loganathan and L.K.S.D.K. Arewatta, Director of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board Dr. Sanjeewa Rathnasekara, Director of the Revenue Administration, Reforms and Modernisation Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat W.L.C. Thilakasiri and senior officials from Sri Lanka Customs and the Sri Lanka Export Development Board were also present.

[PMD]

News

Military held land: Govt. trying to maintain balance between security and civilian needs

Published

9 hours ago

2026/06/18

Sahan Weerasooriya

Deputy Defence Minister Maj. Gen. Jayasekera receiving a field briefing during a recent visit to the Jaffna peninsula (pic courtesy MoD).

The NPP government is trying to maintain a balance between continuing demands for releasing north-east land held by the military and post-war security requirements, says Deputy Defence Minister Major General Aruna Jayasekera (Retd), who has undertaken a series of visits to the northern and eastern provinces in the recent past to explore ways and means of releasing the land, without compromising national security requirements.

Since the armed forces brought the war to a successful conclusion in May, 2009, releasing of both privately- and state-owned land began cautiously in October, 2009, and by now over 90 percent of both categories have been released. At the height of the war, before the launch of Eelam War IV, in August 2006, Jaffna peninsula had the largest concentration of troops assigned to four Divisions.

In the first week of June, Deputy Minister Jayasekera visited the Trincomalee District to ascertain the situation. The Defence Ministry said that the Deputy Minister had assessed the current status of such lands and received briefings from senior military officers and relevant officials on security and administrative aspects regarding the properties.

Following the field inspection, the Deputy Minister chaired a meeting at the Governor’s Secretariat Office where the discussion focused on what the Defence Ministry called a balanced and practical approach to address land-related issues, protect the livelihoods of the people, and ensure that national security requirements were properly managed.

Jayasekera, with a career spanning well over three decades, retired in November, 2019, after having last served as the Eastern Commander for about a year.

During his June visit, the Deputy Minister visited various security forces establishments, including the 22 Infantry Division.

A senior retired military official said that those who had been demanding that all security forces held land, both state- and privately-owned, be released, have conveniently forgotten that this was made possible due to the eradication of the LTTE.

The Deputy Defence Minister conducted a series of field visits in the Jaffna and Wanni regions to assess the security situation and operational commitments. According to the Defence Ministry, the Deputy Minister addressed senior tri forces personnel at the Security Forces Headquarters – Jaffna (SFHQ-J) and the Security Forces Headquarters – Wanni (SFHQ-Wanni).

The Deputy Minister chaired civil-military coordination meetings in the Mannar and Jaffna districts to the ongoing land ownership issues, fostering socio economic growth, and streamlining local infrastructure layout in close cooperation with the regional administrative mechanism. The Ministry said that the Deputy Minister inspected agricultural zones, private residences and public common areas, presently placed within the operational infrastructure of the Sri Lanka Navy across several locations, in Mullikulam, Silawathura, Talaimannar, Wankalapadu, and Pallimune.

Members of Parliament for the Vanni Electoral District, Selvam Adaikalanathan, Kader Masthan, Thurairasa Ravikaran and the District Secretary for Mannar were also present at the meeting where matters related to socio economic grievances, local infrastructure demands, and land rights of the local residents were central topic in the agenda.

The Deputy Minister of Defence chaired a second meeting at the Governor’s Office in Jaffna where the main focus was existing land issues in the districts of Vavuniya, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, and Jaffna.

The Jaffna proceedings were co-chaired by the Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources and Chairman of the District Coordinating Committee for the Jaffna and Kilinochchi Districts Ramalingam Chandrasekar and Deputy Minister of Co-operative Development Upali Samarasinghe.

The Defence Ministry said that stability depended on striking an optimal balance between prioritising national security obligations and resolving outstanding issues related to both state owned and privately used lands. “We are implementing a transparent mechanism to swiftly transition designated lands back into the hands of local communities for housing, fishing, and agriculture.”

The participation of the Commander of the Army and the Commander of the Navy underscored the importance of the discussions held in the north.

In the Mannar region the focus was on lands, presently used by the Navy, in the areas of Mullikulam, Silawathura, Talaimannar, Wankalapadu, and Pallimunai.

Authoritative sources said that since the end of the war, the military had given up held areas and what remained occupied were essential for security purposes. The depletion of the area under direct control should be examined taking into consideration gradual overall reduction of combined security forces strength over the years. At the end of the war, the Army had approximately 205,000 officers and men, both regular and volunteer. That figure has been reduced to 150,000 to 160,000. In line with the government thinking the Army strength would be brought down to 100,000 by 2030, a plan first announced by President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

By Shamindra Ferdinando

News

Yoshitha granted bail, travel ban imposed

Published

9 hours ago

2026/06/18

Sahan Weerasooriya

Ex-Navy officer Yoshitha Rajapaksa, second son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, being taken to the Colombo Chief Magistrate's court yesterday.

Colombo Chief Magistrate Lahiru de Silva yesterday granted bail to Yoshitha Rajapaksa, second son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, on three sureties of Rs. 5 million each, and imposed an overseas travel ban.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) arrested Yoshitha yesterday morning when he called over to make a statement regarding an ongoing investigation into his recruitment to the Sri Lanka Navy and training at the UK Royal Naval Academy.

CIABOC said that the arrest had been made in connection with an investigation into the 2006 recruitment of cadet officers to the executive branch of the Sri Lanka Navy.

It has been alleged that individuals were recruited without meeting the required qualifications and state funds were used outside established procedures for their training at the Royal Naval Academy in the UK.