The country is in turmoil, politically, economically and socially, owing to
incohesive planning and policies adopted by the government. There
have been contradictions and confusion in every sphere of government
activity since day one of when it took office whether it is related to
managing Covid, food security, education or ensuring the continuous
supply of fuel and electricity. The current situation with the shortage of
fuel and interruptions to the electricity supply has affected businesses
and households and brought the country to a virtual standstill
The inability of the state apparatus to navigate the country spans a
period of nearly two and a half years after its pompous victory through
deceptive electoral strategies. The political project of the Sri Lanka
Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) came into being following the Easter Sunday
explosions that rocked Colombo and elsewhere. The SLPP thought it
was the most advantageous moment to put forward their political
project. The devised theme, national security with a communal flavour
embodied in it, caught the electoral market in no time. People from
across the spectrum rallied around the SLPP with faith and trust that
they would deliver a better country for them to live in without fear and
suspicion. The Sinhala Buddhist tribal tendencies were also on display,
with Buddhist monks who were into politics more than the dhamma,
playing a vital role in village-level campaigns and stressing the
importance of electing a Buddhist leader with a clear Buddhist majority
for the country to forge ahead.
“Vistas of Splendour and Prosperity, “ the government election
manifesto, was put forward as a policy document which spelt out the
policies of the new government. But it’s shelf life has been short-lived
because of the failure of the administration to live up to the proclaimed
standards. At the SLPP’s recent rally which was held in the Salgado
grounds in Anuradhapura, a litmus test to gauge its popularity, the
president reiterated his pledge to deliver everything that is
incorporated in the manifesto without any shortcomings. However,
since the famous Salgado meeting, the people have been experiencing
daily power outages that have been lasting nearly four to five hours.
These power cuts, the hours of which have varied, have brought upon a
cumulative effect on the people. It had especially affected students
preparing for their crucial Advanced Level examination, traditionally
considered the gateway to higher education. Former Prime Minister
Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing parliament said it has affected
immensely, the progressive development of these students and
stressed they could seek redress from the Courts by asking for it to
intervene. There appears to be no redress either from the Ministry of
Energy or the Ceylon Electricity Board. On the contrary, they have
increased the duration of the power cuts in the last few days.
It is vital to explore the power generating capacity of the power
stations operating under the Ceylon Electricity Board. The total volume
as it stands today amounts to 4888 megawatts. The daily requirement
is less than 300 megawatts and hence the argument that the present
crisis is due to the failure of the previous government to construct
power stations is an assertion that will not hold water. The reason, in
reality, is that most of the power stations have ground to a halt for
want of either diesel or furnace oil. The bare truth is that the
government does not have adequate money, even after scraping the
bottom of its coffers, to purchase fuel stocks. It has prompted an
unusual situation because it has never happened in the post-independence era up to date.
It is a shame on the people who are in the driving seat and handling the
financial matters of the state. The financial pundits of the state
probably think they are implementing a recipe to avoid disaster and are
taking all meaningful steps available for a quick economic recovery, but without seeking the assistance of institutions such as the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank. The critical and contentious issue is whether they are doing their best for economic recovery or otherwise.
If they are doing their best to repair the ailing economy,
the question that arises is, why did the financial pundits have to honour the payment of the sovereign bond of US$ 500 million when the country is facing a critical phase of an economic avalanche?
All the numerous economic experts believed that the government could have negotiated and differed the payment for some time. These are pertinent questions that people need comprehensive answers and explanations about the government’s economic management plans.
Coming back to the IMF or other financial institutions, the contention put forward by the so-called more progressive elements
within the government is that it should not seek the assistance of the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) at any cost.
The left-oriented members of the coalition government opine that the
IMF may lay down conditions that are unfavourable for the people
because they will involve measures that will call on them to go through
many a hardship.
If the involvement of the IMF comes to pass and the government relies
on it to restructure the economy, there could be political hiccups in the
ruling coalition. Although the eligible time for IMF support may have
lapsed and may be too late now, there could still be a way out for the
country to ease the burden.
The people now mock the politicians who think that the involvement of
the IMF would spell disastrous consequences for Sri Lanka. At the same
time they question if there can be a worse situation than what they
have been currently put into by the present set of politicians in the
government.
This government, after all, mixed up its priorities from the very
beginning. Having assumed office in late 2019, the government invited
disaster by writing off taxes of big-time business tycoons to the tune of
six hundred billion rupees. This step may have had a knock-on- effect
on the country’s financial stability, forcing the authorities to print
money and draw the fixed assets of state banks. Now it has come to a
point where the government has begun to show its incapabilities in
implementing financial discipline.
Under the yahapalana government the people enjoyed many benefits.
Petrol prices stood at Rs 117, domestic gas Rs 1250, rice and other
essential foods were in plenty and at affordable prices. The
fundamental rights of the people were upheld far better. The freedom
of movement and expression was guaranteed and no white vans or
state terrorism was visible in any form. The ground situation was
amenable for anybody to engage in any protest. On top of all these,
government servants enjoyed a large salary increment.
Notwithstanding the benefits, the people thought they could have a
better ruler to reap more benefits and opportunities. Eventually, the
people have had to unreservedly lament their mistakes for having faith
in an unyielding government. They feel they are doomed.-ALAKESWARA
