topads.lk - The Morning

RS. 80.00 PAGES 64 / SECTIONS 6 VOL. 02 – NO. 41 SUNDAY, JULY 5, 2020

UNRAVELLING THE MISSING $ 10 MILLION»SEE PAGE 5 »SEE PAGES 8 & 9

PRESIDENT CONTINUES PUSH FOR NONALIGNED POLICY

SPECIAL PRICE

Rs. 60.00

The Cabinet has officially removed the Chinese contractor from the Ruwanpura Expressway Project (REP) Section I from Kahatuduwa to Ingiriya and decided to go ahead with local funding, The Sunday Morning learnt.

The local funds are to be raised through state banks and the Ministry of Roads and Highways is yet to lay

out a mechanism for funding purposes, Secretary to the Ministry of Roads and Highways Ranjith Premasiri said.

As he confirmed to The Sunday Morning, the Cabinet has removed the Chinese contractor, the China National Technical Import and Export Corporation (CNTIC), that was awarded the construction of the

26.3 km Section I of the REP from Kahatuduwa to Ingiriya in 2016.

“The funds will have to be sought from state banks for the REP,” he said.

As per the cabinet memorandum dated 26 July 2016, CNTIC was the proposed contractor for Section I of the REP.

Contd. on page 2

China officially exits

BY SARAH HANNAN

Letters have been sent to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to retract the cabinet decision of assigning the authority of “residual forests” to local government bodies to repurpose them for cultivation and development projects in an

attempt to uplift the livelihoods of area residents.

Last Wednesday’s (1) cabinet decision to transfer state-owned residual forestland to district and divisional secretaries came under severe criticism by environmental activists, environmental lawyers, and politburos alike.

Contd. on page 2

Cabinet urged to retract decision

While election propaganda seems to have levelled up to include the now mandatory face masks, since last week, the Election Commission (EC) has requested the Police to confiscate any such merchandise bearing candidate serial numbers and political party symbols.

Contd. on page 2

Police to remove propaganda masks

The Treasury will provide the monies to finance the failing Central Cultural Fund, The Sunday Morning learnt.

Contd. on page 2

Treasury to bailout Cultural Fund

The individual who was accused of financial fraud during his tenure at the National Procurement Commission (NPC) has not been

employed by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), The Sunday Morning learnt.

Contd. on page 2

Not under SLTDA

Environmentalists urged the Government to immediately stop the alleged attempt to fill up the Muthurajawela wetland under the guise of development.

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Environmental Conservation

Trust (ECT) Executive Director Sajeewa Chamikara stressed that attempts are being made by the Agrarian Services Department to fill up a total of 50 acres of land in Muthurajawela.

Contd. on page 2

Pressure to stop filling

BY MAHEESHA MUDUGAMUWA

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is shifting back to mini-hydropower by extending a total of 38 agreements shortly in a bid to face an upcoming power shortage, also saying that a decision on diesel power plant agreements had not yet been made, The Sunday Morning learnt.

The extensions of the agreements have been delayed for nearly four-

and-a-half years due to various reasons and the CEB, by extending the mini-

hydropower agreements, is expected to add 75 MW to the national grid.

In addition, the Board is also expected to add a total of 220 MW of hydropower and 30 MW of wind power to the national grid this year with the completion of the Broadlands and Uma Oya Hydropower Project as

well as the Mannar Island Wind Farm within this year.

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, CEB Chairman Eng. Vijitha Herath said the CEB was trying to minimise the chances of extending expensive diesel power plant agreements which will come to an end next year.

“The agreements will be ended next year and before that, the CEB expects to add maximum capacity through renewable energy as well as cheap hydropower,” he said.

When asked whether the CEB would extend the diesel power plant agreements next year, the CEB Chairman stressed

that it would only consider it if the necessity arises, and added: “As of now, the CEB has not taken any decision to extend the diesel power agreements.”

Accordingly, the Government has decided to purchase 128 MW power immediately.

Contd. on page 2

CEB back to mini-hydropowerz 38 agreements to be extended z No decision on diesel plants

RESIDUAL FORESTS DECISION ANGERS ACTIVISTS MUTHURAJAWELA LANDFILL

FIND YOUR DAILY ESSENTIALS THROUGH

VISITwww.topads.lk

#stayhome #staysafe #groceryitem #vegetables #fruit #deliveredtoyourdoorsteps

STEPS

topads.lk

Search for the product you need on topads.lk

Contact the mobile number mentioned below the product

Get it delivered to your home through the seller

The Jinthupitiya neighbourhood in Colombo was disinfected on 3 July after over 150 individuals were sent to quarantine PHOTO PRADEEP DAMBARAGE

A quick fix

SUSPENSION OF SAND MINING PERMITS

BY SKANDHA GUNASEKARA

The Deputy Election Commissioner to the Eastern Province has charged that sand mining permits had been

suspended in the region soon after the general election was announced, in violation of election laws, The Sunday Morning learnt.

Contd. on page 2

Permits cancelled as favour: ECz ‘No official letter or circular’

RUWANPURA EXPRESSWAY

WPC leaves CMC in strifez Defaults Rs. 2.5 b in Stamp

Duty paymentsThe Colombo Municipal Council

(CMC) recently revealed that the Western Provincial Council (WPC) defaulted Rs. 2.5 billion in Stamp Duty payments which have accumulated for years. Although the WPC had promised to make arrangements with their Revenue and Finance Department, there has been no clear indication on when the monies would be released, the CMC Treasury Department confirmed.

Contd. on page 2

The Highways Ministry is expected to complete the Northern Highway Connectivity Project funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) by June next year, The Sunday Morning learnt.

Contd. on page 2

‘Northern Connectivity’ by June 2021

‘TAINTED’ NPC OFFICIAL

AN UPHILL BATTLE

REVIVING STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES

»SEE PAGE 4

For verified information on the coronavirus (Covid-19) contact any of the

following authorities

Health Promotion Bureau

Suwasariya Ambulance Service

1990

� Quarantine Unit 0112 112 705

� Epidemiology Unit 0112 695 112

� Govt. coronavirus hotline 0113071073

� Telephone 0114354854, 0114733600

� Hotline 0113456200-4

� Fax 0112333066, 0114354882

� Email [email protected]

PRESIDENTIAL SPECIAL TASK FORCE FOR ESSENTIAL SERVICES

GENERAL PREVENTIVE GUIDELINES

Wash hands with soap for 40-60 seconds, or rub

hands with alcohol-based handrub for 20-30 seconds

Wear a commercially available mask/cloth mask

or a surgical mask if showing respiratory symptoms

Maintain a minimum distance of 1 metre

from others, especially in public places

Use gloves when shopping, using public transport, etc. and discard into a lidded

bin lined with a bag

Use traditional Sri Lankan greeting at all times

instead of handshaking, hugging, and/or kissing

Always wear a mask, avoid crowded vehicles, maintain distance, and wash hands before and after travelling

192

ACTIVE CASES

DEATHS

11RECOVERED

1,863

TOTAL CASES

2,066 TOTAL CASES

11,033,446DEATHS

525,148RECOVERD

6,186,611

COVID-19 LOCAL CASES COVID-19 CASES IN THE WORLD

1999

THE ABOVE STATISTICS ARE CONFIRMED UP UNTIL 12.20 P.M. ON 3 JULY 2020

ALOYSIUS IN CONTEMPT OF COURT?»SEE BUSINESS PAGE 1

the sunday morning2

FOCUS/NEWSBY CHENELLE FERNANDO

At the inception, the almost taboo-like word was known to be a mere initiation to university life, characterised by friendly interactions with seniors and joyful socials organised during freshers’ week.

Former Secretary to the Ministry of Education Dr. Tara De Mel, reflecting on experiences encountered during her own university years, averred: “I remember when we entered Medical College several decades ago, that was the practice. The boys got a bit bullied, and yet, it was fun. As for the girls, it was not significant bullying in any way.”

Speaking to Dr. De Mel, it became clear that this phenomenon, given the current state of affairs, does not beg for any form of social equalisation, but a more sadistic ritual which seniors from universities subject their juniors to. It unarguably infiltrates serious political involvement in many institutions where “raggers” receive patronage from political masters in an organised manner. Dr. De Mel shared that while successive governments have invested heavily in the Mahapola Scholarship, the recipients of it are supposedly the perpetrators responsible for the crimes committed.

“This Government aspires for Sri

Lanka to become a hub in Asia for tertiary education. With a situation like this, will this ever be possible?” she questioned.

Is mere legislation enough? According to former Bar

Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) President U.R. De Silva PC, the important factor at the initial stage would be to file a complaint itself. He said that an individual grieving over the incident should lodge a complaint with the Police, because only then can the Police commence the inquiry.

“Otherwise, if they do not complain to the authorities or if they don’t do anything, then the Police can’t take action immediately. That is the main issue there,” he noted.

According to De Silva, if harm is inflicted upon the body, the

individual should be taken to the hospital.

“At the hospital, the JMO (Judicial Medical Officer) will be there to inspect it. Once they get the medical reports, if the victim is capable of relating the incident, then the JMO will inform the Police.”

The Police will then record a further statement and thereafter proceed with the case.

As far as the act is concerned, once a person is being charged, voluntary confessions will be taken into consideration. “If the person who carried out the ragging confesses to the university authority, it can be considered. It should be a voluntary statement without any coercion or any harm to the body,” he said.

If, however, a confession is made to police authorities, according to Sri Lankan law, it cannot be used as

evidence. “If the suspect comes out with

the story and informs the magistrate, then the magistrate will permit the suspect to confess; thereby giving the suspect time to rethink whether he/she is giving the statement voluntarily or not and as to why they are giving it,” he explained. “If there are no eye witnesses or circumstantial evidence, then the voluntary statement can be used as evidence.”

If the person giving evidence is the victim, sometimes, they may be reluctant to appear to identify the accused. “They say they can’t remember their name although they know who the person is,” De Silva pointed out.

Accordingly, the law stipulates that where a victim is afraid to identify the accused openly in an

identification parade, also known as a police line-up, then the court would let them proceed with the identification parade without exposing the victim’s identity.

De Silva explained: “Victims think that if they come forward and identify the person, it may affect the ragger’s future.” This is considering the three to four years a student has to spend in the university. He said: “They think that if they identify the person, they won’t be in a position to exist in the university. We should be able to control this by making them feel that they will not be harmed.”

Students, he explained, will be left unharmed for giving evidence due to the existence of the Assistance to and Protection of Victims of Crime and Witness Act, as it vests the authorities with the requisite powers and guidelines to safeguard the aggrieved. “Most people do not know this, and it is the duty of the Government and authorities to educate those people,” De Silva said. He stated that the BASL also contains an initiative for the purpose of raising awareness on these laws.

Elaborating on the importance of sharing this knowledge with Advanced Level (A/L) students, he said: “They are the people who will be studying at the university. Therefore, they should be educated on how they can give evidence and retain evidence, because when most students go through this, they destroy the evidence, specifically regarding

sexual abuse.” Given our existence in the digital

age, photographs and CCTV footage are pivotal in the recollection of evidence where ragging is concerned. “If the evidence is a telephone conversation(s) and if they’ve been threatened, they do not have to worry because there is a special unit which can obtain such evidence and then present it before the necessary authorities.”

In answering whether the mere use of legislation is sufficient to curb this long-standing practice, Dr. De Mel responded in the negative, as she believes multiple efforts may be required. She explained that it must begin with the law of the land being applied to universities.

“If violence or criminal activity is not tolerated on the streets of Colombo, it should not be tolerated on campus.”

Secondly, she reiterated that university administrators such as vice chancellors and deans are empowered through the University Act to prevent and prohibit such violence, harassment, and sexual abuse, and so are required to be proactive in bringing this menace to a halt. Finally, she said that she believes students themselves must be educated and empowered to face these unfortunate challenges with the legal provisions available. “Being submissive victims and captive targets should not be the approach utilised,” she noted.

WITH OUR READERS’ HEALTH IN MIND A SPECIAL ANTIMICROBIAL INK HAS BEEN USED IN THE PRINTING OF OUR NEWSPAPER

Re-evaluation key to moving forward

RAGGING AND THE LAW

CEB back...Meanwhile, the Committee on Public

Enterprises (COPE) last year alleged that the CEB said that emergency power purchase had been done since 2010 and that the CEB had incurred a loss of Rs. 70, 000 million only during 2017 and 2018 due to emergency power purchases, as revealed by the COPE report.

The COPE said the Treasury had provided a loan of Rs. 29 billion to the CEB during that period and most of those funds had been used for emergency power purchases.

On several occasions, the COPE has also questioned the agreements made between the CEB and the private power companies while purchasing emergency power. In the meantime, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) over the past few years canvassed against the purchasing of emergency power, claiming it should only be limited to calamitous situations with the approval of the Cabinet.

Meanwhile, PUCSL Director of Corporate Communications Jayant Herat stressed that the CEB could not extend diesel power agreements under Section 43 of Sri Lanka Electricity Act.

“The PUCSL did not grant approval for the extension made in 2018,” Herat added.

Cabinet...Speaking to The Sunday Morning,

environmental lawyer Jagath Gunawardsna stated that Sri Lanka does not have residual forests and the correct term to be used is “other state forests”.

“Over the years, in some areas that had a dwindling human population, the forest cover had improved. These forests are not recognised as forests by the Forest Department, but are home to many endemic species of flora and fauna,” he said.

Gunawardana too condemned the decision announced on Thursday (2) and informed that environmentalists and environmental activists are considering filing legal action against the Government if they repeal the 05/2001 circular.

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) National Organiser Bimal Rathnayake, in a letter addressed to the President, noted: “Repealing the 05/2001 circular would weaken the law on forest protection. In the recent past, a considerable number of animals and plants endemic to Sri Lanka have been discovered by the ecologists while in some areas, the water supply, the environmental temperature, the cleanliness of the atmosphere, and the survival of some of the endemic animals and plants of our country depend on these forests.”

Rathnayake urged the President and the Cabinet of Ministers to suspend the abolition of this circular and prevent the impending destruction, adding that action should be taken once a study is conducted by a committee of environmental experts which could submit an environmental impact assessment (EIA) before utilising it for cultivation or development projects.

In June, Environmental Foundation (Guarantee) Ltd. reported that with the Forest Department targeting to increase the forest cover of the country to 35% from the existing 24%, there was a need to develop and protect these state forest patches due to increased environmental awareness in safeguarding all such forests.

Furthermore, under the United Nations Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UN-REDD) programme, the conservation of existing forest cover has been identified as a key priority; the 05/2001 circular had been issued by the Ministry of Environment to achieve this goal, giving provision for these areas with forest patches, which were previously managed by the divisional secretariats, to be managed, developed, and protected by the Forest Department.

This circular did not affect the authority given to the said divisional secretariats to protect these residual forest patches according to the Forest Ordinance, but it did prevent them from transferring the ownership of these areas to non-state entities at their own discretion.

Sri Lanka’s forests and nature reserves are primarily managed by the Forest Department, Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), and divisional secretariats. Of these, the Forest Department is mandated to manage forest reserves, proposed forest reserves, and village forests while strict nature reserves, nature reserves, national parks, trails, and sanctuaries are managed similarly by the DWC.

However, there are areas that have not been identified under any of the aforementioned categories but are state lands inclusive of forest patches.

A state land in general is a devolved subject under the Constitution and there arises an overlapping of authority between the divisional secretariats and the Forest Department in relation to these forest patches.

Permits...Deputy Election Commissioner S.

Sudhakaran told The Sunday Morning that he had informed the Election Commission (EC) about the issue.

“Sand mining permits have been suspended, but some individuals are still transporting sand in the area. We received a complaint that a minister was behind the suspension to assist his allies in the electorate,” Sudhakaran said.

The Deputy Election Commissioner said that they had received a complaint to the effect that the Minister had instructed the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) to suspend the sand mining permits as a favour to a close associate who transports sand.

“The subject Minister had given instructions to the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau over the phone; there was no official circular or letter sent in this regard,” he alleged.

He said that he requested the GSMB to provide an explanation for the suspension of the permits soon after the parliamentary election date was announced.

“We will take action after we have received a response from the GSMB,” Sudhakaran said.

Pressure... He alleged that the officials of the

Department have already given approval to fill up the wetland, violating the National Environmental (Amendment) Act and Antiquities (Amendment) Act.

Among the limited number of wetlands in the Western Province of Sri Lanka, the

Muthurajawela Sanctuary is the largest wetland area. It was declared a sanctuary by Gazette Notification No. 947/13 of 31 October 1996 under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance. The area of the sanctuary is 1028.62 hectares. This wetland was also named one of the 41 internationally important wetlands in Sri Lanka by the Asian Wetland Inventory of 1989.

According to a study done by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Muthurajawela consists of 209 species of animals along with 194 species of trees, 40 species of fish, 31 species of reptiles, 102 species of birds, and 48 species of butterflies. In addition to that, 18 out of 22 mangrove species can also be found at the Muthurajawela wetland.

As claimed by Chamikara, a government authority cannot give permission to fill up a wetland without following the proper procedure.

“Under Section 23 of the National Environment Act No. 47 of 1980 and Gazette Notification No. 772/22 issued on 24 June 1993, an environmental impact assessment (EIA) needs to be conducted when a land area of more than 10 acres is going to be filled up,” he stressed.

Urging the Government to immediately stop the project, Chamikara said the Government should take immediate action to protect the wetland from encroachers.

– Maheesha Mudugamuwa

Not under...SLTDA Chairperson Kimarli Fernando

asserted that no such individual was employed by the Authority.

“He is not under the direct employment of the SLTDA. He has only come on as a consultant to advise on the technical aspects regarding procurement guidelines and has been hired by a foreign donor agency,” Fernando said.

She revealed that the individual in concern was hired by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to assist the SLTDA.

She noted that none of the allegations against the individual have been proven in a court of law.

“These are only claims and rumours, and there has not been a legal verdict given on the matter. Regardless, he is not a part of the Sri Lanka Tourism Board (SLTDA) cadre,” she said.

The person in question was a former Director General of the NPC.

The individual has been accused of failing to formulate the national procurement guidelines for over a year, despite having his tenure extended by six months by the Commission on the conditions that he would fulfil all obligations to the Commission including the completion of the national procurement guidelines.

In addition, the Attorney General’s (AG) Department on multiple occasions had warned the Commission hierarchy that the individual in question was responsible for financial misappropriation during his tenure.

“It has been advised that the National Procurement Commission obtain the monies that were misappropriated by this individual before he concluded his tenure at the Commission,” a senior source at the AG’s Department told The Sunday Morning.

– Skandha Gunasekara

WPC leaves...While the date to settle the outstanding

amount is not clearly communicated by the WPC, the CMC is facing a financial crisis in having to foot bills for implementing preventive measures to control the spread of Covid-19 as well.

Municipal Commissioner and Attorney-at-Law Roshanie Dissanayake, speaking to The Sunday Morning, said the pandemic control programme has added to the financial stress.

“The administration had to bear unexpected expenses over disinfecting public areas, high-risk zones, and zones that were coming out of isolation. Moreover, the Municipality was also to allocate budgets to carry out mobile sample collections in various areas where infected patients were reported,” she said.

Dissanayake further noted that the added burden of having to recover years of outstanding payments from the WPC has only made matters worse.

– Sarah Hannan

‘Northern...Accordingly, the Cabinet has extended the

period of the relevant loan granted, up to the end of this year.

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Highways Ministry Secretary Ranjith Premasiri said the project had begun in 2014 and has been delayed due to the Covid-19 situation in the country.

“There was only some development work to be completed,” he said, adding that the Ministry would complete the project by mid next year.

The renovation of national highways, provincial roads, and newly constructed bridges of the Northern and North Central Provinces is being performed under the Northern Highway Connectivity Project financed by the ADB.

Funds up to $ 98 million are provided by the ADB for this purpose. Two additional packages of contracts pertaining to the Medawachchiya-Horowpotana road have also been awarded in the month of March 2019 from the balances of the loan grant, while the construction work mentioned above could not be completed before 30 June 2020, which marks the end of the validity period of the loan grant. (MM)

Police to...Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Police

Media Spokesperson SSP Jaliya Senaratne noted: “The EC shared their observations and lodged a complaint over face masks that bore candidates’ serial numbers and political party symbols. On Thursday (2), we sent out a circular to all police divisions to take due action under the Elections Act and election campaigning guidelines.”

Accordingly, the Police is to confiscate such merchandise and file legal action against the candidate and political party in question for violating the election campaigning guidelines under the Elections Act.

– Sarah Hannan

Treasury...Co-Cabinet Spokesman Minister Dr.

Bandula Gunawardana told The Sunday Morning that the Cabinet had given its approval to provide finances for the fund.

“The Treasury will release the money required for the Central Cultural Fund to pay salaries and for other expenses,” Dr. Gunawardana said.

The Central Cultural Fund requires an estimated Rs. 135 million each month for its operations and functions.

With regard to the dilapidated state of the entity, Dr. Gunawardana said a committee had already been appointed by the Prime Minister to look into the issues at the Central Cultural Fund.

“The committee was appointed in March this year and is headed by a former Justice of the Supreme Court (SC). The committee has been tasked with investigating any instances of corruption and financial irregularities,” he said, adding that action would be taken upon the findings of the committee once its report is submitted.

Dr. Gunawardana also noted that the Covid-19 pandemic would have delayed the functions of the committee. “I expect the report will be compiled and handed over soon,” he said.

– Skandha Gunasekara

China... As reported by The Sunday Morning,

due to the economic crisis, the conditions that had been imposed by the Government included obtaining the full construction amount prior to the beginning of the project and a condition that the repayment of each loan should begin at least after five years after the construction had commenced.

In addition, the construction of the project should be completed within three years, and during that time the Government should not be obliged to pay any interest. Most importantly, the Government is focusing more on dollar loans coming into the country rather than other currencies, The Sunday Morning reliably learnt.

Meanwhile, cabinet approval was granted as per the cabinet memorandum dated 27 February 2020, pertaining to the implementation of the construction of the proposed expressway networks in Sri Lanka, to authorise the Secretary to the Ministry of Roads and Highways to request CNTIC to provide 100% financing for the cost of Section I of the REP.

Last week, the Cabinet approved a proposal presented by the Minister of Roads and Highways to proceed with the expressway construction using the funds of local banks and the services of local construction companies.

The Cabinet was of the view that even though the project is planned with foreign funds, the implementation of the project under the local funds has been found to be more beneficial to the country.

The REP from Kahatuduwa to Pelmadulla to Ratnapura (73.9 km) has been divided into three sections for implementation purposes. Section I is from Kahatuduwa to Ingiriya (26.3 km), Section II from Ingiriya to Ratnapura (26.2 km), and Section III from Ratnapura to Pelmadulla (21.4 km).

However, the Cabinet on 26 July 2016 decided to divide the expressway into four sections and allocated each section to different contractors and invited proposals from them for the implementation of the project.

– Maheesha Mudugamuwa

Contd. from page 1

Sunday, July 5, 2020

PHOTO ESHAN DASANAYAKA

SPOTLIGHTthe sunday morningSunday, July 5, 2020

3WITH OUR READERS’ HEALTH IN MIND A SPECIAL ANTIMICROBIAL INK HAS BEEN USED IN THE PRINTING OF OUR NEWSPAPER


Serious concerns have been raised over the Smart Parking Management System (SPMS) launched by the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) together with Tenaga Car Parks (Pvt.) Ltd., a pioneer parking and traffic solutions provider, a few years ago.

As learnt by The Sunday Morning, the SPMS has been launched by the CMC following the success of its pilot project, and the system is planned to be introduced to other urban areas around the country.

Nevertheless, within a few years since its launch, the project was mired in controversy as a number of motor vehicle users expressed their displeasure with the new parking system, claiming it is inconvenient and more expensive than the usual parking facilities in Colombo.

The areas that come under the purview of the CMC are the busiest areas in the country, especially during the peak times with thousands of vehicles passing through every road and byroad. As a result of the increasing number of private vehicles reaching the city on a daily basis and due to heavy traffic congestion, finding a proper parking space in Colombo has become a nightmare for the public.

The usual routine was sooner the vehicle is stopped anywhere around the city, a parking ticket would be given by a municipality worker or authorised personnel.

However, now with the SPMS in place in some areas within the city, individuals are not given a ticket but are to pay via the machine.

Smart parkingThe smart parking project

was launched in 2016 under the tenure of former Colombo Mayor A.J.M. Muzammil in order to minimise the traffic congestion, put an end to errant parking, and carry out a proper procedure when collecting fees.

But unlike the usual parking fee, with the instalment of parking machines, the drivers are slapped with late fees and fines for non-payment.

The gazette notification issued on 26 July 2017 in this regard specifies that the project was launched to make provisions to park vehicles, prohibit unauthorised parking, provide places for parking, impose a parking fee, and establish procedures in apprehending defaulters within the administrative limits of the CMC.

The project includes installation of parking metres along the entirety of Galle Road and R.A. de Mel Mawatha, and all byroads connecting to these roads. The installation of parking metres in the Phase I is completed and are now operational.

The machines are of a renowned Swedish brand Cale, while its system is supported by Dialog Axiata Sri Lanka and enforced by Canadian parking and traffic enforcement

software company gtechna.Tenders for the public-private

partnership (PPP) were called for by the CMC in January 2016 due to the high cost of implementing the project. Accordingly, the tender for the pilot project was awarded to a private company named Tenaga Car Parks which received the authority to conduct the project, the first of its kind, in Sri Lanka.

The tender for the SPMS was granted for eight years with the cost of implementation borne by the project company, during which time earnings are to be

divided at a ratio of 40:60 where 40% of the income is to be given to the CMC while the private company takes the balance.

Even though the CMC thought that introducing a smart parking machine would prevent issues related to parking in Colombo, a new set of issues pertaining to parking machines has arisen.

Complaints galore“You may park your vehicle

just to buy two panadols which cost you only around five rupees, but you will have to pay Rs. 50 to park your vehicle. It might take only 10 minutes

to buy two panadols. But ultimately, you end up spending Rs. 55 for two pandols,” CMC Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Councillor Hemantha Weerakoon told The Sunday Morning.

The JVP councillors, who were opposed to the project from its inception, said the project could have been conducted by the Council instead of hiring a private company. “The private company earns 60% of the profit and the CMC only earns 40%,” he stressed.

This is a lucrative business in Colombo and CMC had lost a huge sum of money due to handing over its parking tickets to a private company. They urged the Council to cancel the agreement signed with the private company and take it back to the Council.

Meanwhile, CMC Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Councillor Sharmila Gonawala charged that the CMC had lost Rs. 32 million in contract irregularities. According to her, as per the agreement between the CMC and Tenaga Car Parks, 160 terminals were to be installed by July 2016.

As it was agreed that if all terminals were not installed by 1 July 2016, a fine of Rs. 30,000 per day would be collected from the contractor until all 160 terminals were installed.

However, only 100 m have been installed, she stressed, adding that there were anomalies regarding rental payments, allowing the CMC to terminate the agreement, which it hadn’t done yet.

“There were times when terminals malfunctioned and the public couldn’t make payments. There are also no proper boards indicating where the terminals are located, which again inconveniences the public,” Gonawala said. She said residents down byroads had been charged for parking in front of their own houses.

“Why isn’t the CMC management taking any action against the company?” she questioned.

CMC silentThe numerous attempts

made by The Sunday Morning to contact CMC Municipal Commissioner Roshanie Dissanayake and CMC Director of Engineering – Traffic Design and Road Safety Champa Ganepola were futile.

The other officials including Deputy Municipal Commissioner of Engineering Eng. M.A.C.M. Fazal refused to comment on the matter. He said the approval of the Commissioner was required for him to comment.

Riding in controversy

The new parking technology has enabled motor vehicle users to pay for the parking space using a touch card introduced by Dialog Axiata PLC or by cash, while payment options will be further extended to the use of a mobile app in the near future.

It is learnt that the public has been encouraged to use the touch card as a payment option for the parking metres as the machine will not refund or give back change in case the cash option is selected as the payment method. Therefore, the public is advised to deposit the exact value in notes when the settlement is made via cash notes.

Dialog touch cards are available for purchase through Dialog merchant outlets in this zone as well as any staff of Tenaga Car Parks who would be available near the parking machines at the initial stage for the customers’ convenience.

In 2017, the CMC launched the Smart Park mobile app to enhance the services provided by Tenaga Car Parks.

Thus far, 100 m have been set up within the city, each of which has the capacity to charge fees for 20 slots.

Accordingly, Rs. 10 will be charged from motorbikes per hour, Rs. 20 from three-wheelers, Rs. 30 from vans, and Rs. 50 from buses and lorries.

MULTIPLE PAYMENT METHODS

There were times when terminals

malfunctioned and the public couldn’t

make payments. There are also no proper boards indicating

where the terminals are located, which

again inconveniences the public

CMC SLPP Councillor Sharmila Gonawala

You may park your

vehicle just to buy two panadols which cost you only around five rupees, but you will have to pay Rs. 50 to park your vehicle. It might take only 10 minutes to buy two

panadolsCMC JVP Councillor

Hemantha Weerakoon

CMC SMART PARKING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

BY SARAH HANNAN

Setting in motion one of the activities President Gotabaya Rajapaksa envisaged in his election manifesto “Vision for Progress”, the recruitment of 100,000 unskilled youths to the Multi-Purpose Development Task Force commenced during late January this year.

With Parliament dissolved and the dates for the election announced, this activity had to be put on hold as officials of the Department of Multi-Purpose Development Task Force (DMPDTF) received information that politicians were misusing this to offer job opportunities to their supporters.

The Department, headed by Maj. Gen. (Rtd.) Nanda Mallawaarachchi, had appointed a committee to investigate any foul play, only to find out that there had been some applications that belonged to persons that did not meet the criteria and were above the social category of what was defined as low-income families.

The Sunday Morning contacted Presidential Media Division (PMD) Director General Mohan Samaranayake to seek clarification as to the status of the activity and whether the recruitment was halted following the finding.

Responding, Samaranayake revealed: “President Rajapaksa never wanted to politicise his election manifesto, especially the 100,000 jobs that were on offer for unskilled persons that were allowed to apply for the opportunity. However, when the DMPDTF, which was overseeing the recruitment process, was informed of

the activity being politicised, it had to be halted.”

Samaranayake further explained that since it is the pre-election campaigning period at present, the activity will be halted, and will be revisited after the election is completed.

“Applications for the mass recruitment process were called on 20 January 2020 and were widely publicised through print, electronic, and online media outlets. Applications were also made available for download through the Ministry of Home Affairs site, and also with the local government authorities and grama niladharis of the respective grama niladhari division.

“The scheme was designed to recruit youths belonging to poverty-stricken families, and the jobs were to provide them

an income and raise the living standards of those families.”

Once recruited, they would be provided with skills training and would be deployed to different public sector institutions for employment. The deployments would be to institutions closer to their residences. Unemployed graduates would also be considered as recruits that would be able to manage the recruitment process, and would also be provided training and a job to match their skillsets.

The youths would be employed in hospitals and government offices as unskilled workers, and in other departments such as Fisheries and Wildlife after training them in the required skills. They would also be trained in skills such as carpentry, mason, and other such vocations and be deployed to the government service where such workers are required.

President’s Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera, during the initiation of the scheme, said: “This would help to reduce the annual expenditure of Rs. 2 billion spent on importing agriproducts to a minimum level. Under another phase, it is also expected to provide foreign employment opportunities based on their capabilities and skills. It has been planned to link them to a pension scheme upon completion of 10 years of service.”

Vision Just last month, a memorandum

of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Government and the National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA) to train a workforce of 100,000 people from low-income families to be employed as permanent government employees.

NAITA, DMPDTF, and the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC) entered into the MoU to provide “industrial-based apprenticeship training” for males and females recruited under the scheme aged between 18 to 45 years.

Prior to giving appointments, the

beneficiaries would be given six-month trainings in the fields of health, environment, industry, agriculture, and security, and would undergo two weeks of personality development under the MoU, which envisioned the attainment of “sustainable and exclusive strategy goals”, steered by the DMPDTF to create a Sri Lanka free of poverty.

They will be awarded Level 3 National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) certificates at the end of the training. The project will benefit the segment of regular wage earners in society, and the country would benefit from their labour and practical expertise, according to the strategy envisaged.

During the first phase, 100,000 jobs will be provided covering the entire island. Around 30,000 more indirect employment opportunities will also be generated. More than 10,000 graduates will be recruited for the positions of management and monitoring at the field level.

300-350 persons from each divisional secretariat were to be recruited under the scheme and the prospective youths were to be called in for interviews by their respective divisional secretariats. The recruitment was conducted under the supervision of Buddhist monks and other heads of religious places, government agents, and public officials.

Investing in the real futurez Committee follows stringent criteria to prevent any political influence


With President Gotabaya Rajapaksa assigning the task of recording profits from their respective institutions to the heads of all state-owned enterprises, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), and SriLankan Airlines alone accumulated a total loss of Rs. 155 billion for the year 2019, depicting the sobering reality of the state of public institutions at present.

In January this year, during a meeting with senior state officers, President Rajapaksa said that rapid economic growth was the prime responsibility of state enterprises and that it was the duty of the heads of state institutions to eliminate inefficiency and increase

profits so that they do not place a burden on the Government.

“Our country was at the forefront of Asia in terms of economic growth from 2005-2014. Economic growth has slowed down in the last few years. One of the biggest challenges we face today is the

revival of the economy. New technology must be used to rebuild the economy. Skilled labour is another important factor.

“The education system too needs to be transformed to create a strong economy. It is a top priority to get more youth into tertiary education. We need to identify areas in which we can serve the people and contribute more towards economic growth. Institutions such as the Tourist Board and the Board of Investment (BOI) have a major responsibility. These institutions should free themselves from the allegations levelled against them in the past and contribute towards economic recovery,” the President said.

However, the recently released 2019 Annual Report of the Ministry of Finance reveals the dire state of these institutions in Sri Lanka.

Losses increase for CEB According to the report in 2019,

the CEB had incurred a loss of Rs. 85 billion, in comparison to the loss of Rs. 30 billion incurred in 2018.

The last time it recorded a profit was back in 2015, which saw the CEB earn Rs. 20.9 billion, but since then, it incurred losses to the tune of Rs. 14.4 billion, 47 billion, 30.4 billion, and 85.4 billion in the years 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 respectively.

In addition, the CEB had outstanding debt owed to banks amounting to Rs. 89.4 billion in 2019 and debt of Rs 41.6 billion, 33.4 billion, 24.3 billion, and 67.4 billion in the years 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 respectively.

Its outstanding debt owed to the CPC stood at Rs. 122 billion in 2019, while its debt for 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 were Rs. 6.3 billion, 31.6 billion, 72 billion, and 71.6 billion respectively.

CPC in the redThe CPC meanwhile had an

accumulated loss over the years, worth Rs. 337 billion at the end of 2019.

“While sales to the transport sector amounted to Rs. 430 billion,

which accounts for 65% of the total revenue of the CPC, it recorded a loss of Rs. 26 billion in 2019. The balance 35% represents other sectors including aviation, domestic, industry, and power generation, recording a profit of Rs. 14 billion leading to an overall loss of Rs. 12 billion for the CPC. The continuous losses accumulated by the CPC over the years stood at Rs. 337 billion at the end of 2019 and has had a significant impact on operations, thereby weakening its balance sheet in the absence of equity infusion,” the Annual Report stated.

The CPC’s foreign currency loans and import bills payable to BOC as at 31 December 2018 was Rs. 295 billion which reduced to Rs. 293 billion by 31 December 2019.

Debt for the same to People’s Bank, as at 31 December 2018, was Rs. 266 billion and had increased to Rs. 272 billion 31 December 2019.

The total payable by CPC to BOC and People’s Bank was Rs. 566 billion as at 31 December 2019.

Steady losses for SriLankanThe national carrier, SriLankan

Airlines (SLA) has been a loss-incurring state entity for several years now and had incurred a loss of Rs. 44 billion for the financial year 2018/2019.

“Although SriLankan Airlines increased its revenue by around 12% to Rs. 180,340 million, the increase in expenditure by 24% to Rs. 228,586 million with an increase in almost every expenditure category, mainly due to the increase in exchange loss by more than fourfold to Rs. 11,805 million and the fuel cost increasing by 24% to Rs. 60,673 million, has resulted in the SLA incurring a loss of Rs. 44,023 million in 2018/19. This is almost a 156% increase over 2017/18 and the accumulated loss has increased to Rs. 230,590 million by 31 March 2019. Moreover, the rental on leased aircraft accounted for 15.3% of operating expenses in 2018/19. The company’s current liabilities exceeded its current assets by Rs. 186,339 million. Total liabilities exceeded total assets by Rs. 177,556 million, indicating material uncertainty on SLA’s going concern,” the Annual Report revealed.

Its losses for the past five years are Rs. 16 billion, 12.6 billion, 28.9 billion, and Rs 17.2 billion for the years 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 respectively.

Water Board leakingThe National Water Supply and

Drainage Board (NWSDB) too

had incurred a loss in 2019 which amounted to Rs 1.1 billion.

“The NWSDB recorded revenue of Rs. 26,079 million, a 5% increase, compared to 2018. NWSDB incurred a significant loss of Rs. 1,177 million in 2019 against the loss of Rs. 580 million in 2018, due to the increase in cost of production by 5%, personnel expenditure by 10%, and finance cost by 77%,” the Finance Ministry Annual Report stipulated.

Nevertheless, the NWSDB had made net profits of Rs 1 billion in 2015, Rs 2.9 billion in 2016, and Rs 1.8 billion in 2017 while it had incurred a loss of Rs. 580 million in 2018.

Revenue drives improvement at SEC

The State Engineering Corporation (SEC) was another public enterprise that saw notable losses in 2019 – Rs. 954 million – a decrease in loss, in comparison to the previous year.

The Finance Ministry Annual Report stated: “The State Engineering Corporation’s losses declined by 28% to Rs. 954 million in 2019 driven by the increase in revenue by 23% to Rs. 3,872 million in 2019 from Rs. 3,136 million in 2018, outweighed by an increase in expenditure by almost 8% to Rs. 4,826 million in 2019.”

The SEC’s outstanding debt to banks was Rs. 563 million, 1.2 billion, 2 billion, 2.1 billion, and 2.6 billion in the years 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 respectively.

Its losses for the same time period were Rs. 709 million, 958 million, 940 million, 1.3 billion, and 954 million.

Bad streak continues for Sathosa

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance Annual Report also disclosed that Lanka Sathosa Ltd. (LSL) had seen an increase in losses by 24% in 2019 when compared with 2018, totalling Rs 1.6 billion.

Contd. on page 14

An uphill battle

Revival will take time: Treasury Secretary

The CEB and CPC are the largest loss-incurring state enterprises. With the intention of paying

off their debt, we set up the Fuel Price Stability Fund. We will use this fund to balance the losses and debt at the CEB and CPC

Co-Cabinet Spokesperson Dr. Bandula Gunawardana

Losses in these institutions, such as the CEB and the CPC, are extremely high. They cannot be

transformed into profits overnight but it will gradually happen

Secretary to the Ministry of Finance S.R. Attygalle

REVIVING STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES

the sunday morningSunday, July 5, 2020

4

FOCUSWITH OUR READERS’ HEALTH IN MIND A SPECIAL ANTIMICROBIAL INK HAS BEEN USED IN THE PRINTING OF OUR NEWSPAPER

EMPLOYING 100,000 YOUTHS FROM LOW-INCOME FAMILIES

President Rajapaksa never wanted to

politicise any of his election manifestos, especially the 100,000 jobs that were on offer for unskilled persons that were allowed to apply for the opportunity. However, when the DMPDTF which was overseeing the recruitment process

was informed of the activity being politicised, it had to be halted

DMPDTF Head Maj. Gen. (Rtd.) Nanda Mallawaarachchi

This would help to reduce the annual expenditure of Rs. 2 billion spent on

importing agri-products to a minimum level. Under another phase, it is also

expected to provide foreign employment opportunities based on their capabilities

and skills. It has been planned to link them to a pension scheme upon

completion of 10 years of service President’s Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera

The final report of the Expert Committee appointed to review the proposed MCC Compact being handed over to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat on 25 June

WITH OUR READERS’ HEALTH IN MIND A SPECIAL ANTIMICROBIAL INK HAS BEEN USED IN THE PRINTING OF OUR NEWSPAPERthe sunday morningSunday, July 5, 2020

5


5

On 27 July 2017, MCC Regional Deputy Vice President Fatema Z. Sumar signed a $7.4 million grant to Sri Lanka with former

Treasury Secretary Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga


The final report of the Expert Committee appointed to review the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact agreement has sparked controversy with a claim that the previous Government had signed agreements to receive a sum of $ 10 million in two phases in 2017 and 2018.

The committee report raised questions over the two agreements as the funds were not recorded in any of the documents with the External Resources Department (ERD) of the Ministry of Finance.

In the final report of the Expert Committee appointed to review the proposed MCC, it was stated that two agreements on 26 July 2017 and 18 June 2018 were signed to receive $ 7.4 million and $ 2.6 million, respectively, between the MCC and the Treasury Secretary of Sri Lanka.

However, the report did not mention that the respective funds had been received by Sri Lanka as Expert Committee Chairman Prof. Dr. Lalithasiri Gunaruwan said “no accounts for the said money are to be found anywhere” and the Expert committee could not find any respective receipts in that regard either.

The US Embassy in Colombo promptly refuted this claim, stating that “no MCC grant monies were ever transferred to or spent by the Sri Lankan Government” and that “funds for preparatory activities have been cancelled or indefinitely postponed, pending the Government’s decision on whether to proceed with the grant”.

‘No one questioned delay’ Speaking to The Sunday Morning,

Dr. Gunaruwan stressed that the Expert Committee had not mentioned that the money had to come to Sri Lanka. He said it was a surprise for the committee itself, as it could not find any records for the respective $ 10 million.

“Usually when an agreement is signed to receive a sum, the money should be coming in and in this case, they have signed the second agreement to increase the initially agreed amount and therefore, it implies that money should be coming to Sri Lanka,” he said, adding that even if the money was not received, the relevant officials should question as to why that money did not come after signing the agreements.

“The two agreements were signed in 2017 and 2018 but no one has questioned the delay in receiving such funds,” Dr. Gunaruwan noted. “Maybe what the US Embassy is saying is true, but the question is why an agreement was signed with no funds being received,” he said.

“It is the ERD that holds accounts for the

foreign finances but when we asked them, they said they did not have records,” he stressed.

While Prof. Dr. Gunaruwan of the University of Colombo serves as the Chairman of the Expert Committee, former Ministry of Transport Secretary Dr. D.S. Jayaweera, President’s Counsel (PC) Justice Nihal Jayawardena, and architect Nalaka Jayaweera are the other members. Following a Cabinet decision taken on 18 December 2019, the Expert Committee was appointed with effect from 1 January 2020.

The MCC Compact agreement was to be signed towards the end of 2018, but public outcry against it and the political crisis stemming from the sudden change of prime ministers delayed it.

Soon after the new administration of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa took office, it appointed a four-member Expert Committee to review the MCC proposal. After a six-month deliberation, the Committee headed by Dr. Gunaruwan produced a detailed report with a firm “no” to the proposal in its current form. Its final report was presented to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in the last week of last month.

‘PM’s Office handled matters’When contacted by The Sunday Morning,

former ERD Director General Priyantha Rathnayake said his department did not receive such funds from the MCC while he was in office and it was the then Prime Minister’s Office which handled the MCC-related issues.

“There was a separate MCC office in Sri

Lanka and all matters with regard to the MCC were handled by those two offices,” he said.

In the meantime, when contacted, former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake denied receiving such funds from MCC during his tenure as the Minister of Finance and also said the report was baseless.

“The report should clearly say whether the MCC is good or bad for the country without levelling baseless allegations,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, issuing a media statement, the United National Party (UNP) refuted the allegations levelled against the former Yahapalana Government by the Expert Committee.

The UNP statement said, according to media reports, Dr. Gunaruwan’s report alleges $ 10 million was provided by the MCC to the then Government following the signing of two agreements with the MCC in 2017 and 2018, adding that Dr. Gunaruwan goes on to state there is no record of these finances at the Finance Ministry.

The statement adds that the US Embassy to Sri Lanka and the Maldives has categorically denied the MCC released any funds to the Sri Lankan Government.

UNP questions credibility of report

It adds, this official denial by the US Government has called into question the credibility of the report and suggests the President and the Government are using official resources to slander the UNP during an election period.

The UNP said the Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP) levelled these same baseless accusations during the presidential election, and have once again resorted to these same shameless tactics to mislead the voters.

The statement further read, during the 2015-2019 Yahapalana Government, several preparatory agreements were signed; these agreements were produced before Parliament for scrutiny and debate.

However, during the Covid-19 outbreak, the Rajapaksa Government had received financial and medical assistance from several international organisations and countries including the World Bank, the European Union (EU), and the US, the statement said.

The UNP said the Government had failed to publicly declare the exact amount they received, and what these funds and supplies have been used for.

The UNP urged the Government to publicly state whether they will be signing the MCC agreement, and if not, they must inform the public of their final decision.

According to a statement from the President’s Media Division on 25 June, the final report of the Expert Committee appointed to review the MCC agreement found the agreement itself contained many harmful elements.

Attempts made by The Sunday Morning to contact former Treasury Secretary Dr. R.H.S. Samarathunga were futile.

Unravelling the missing $ 10 millionz No records at ERD even with signed agreementz MCC handled by separate office at PM’s office

The two agreements were signed

in 2017 and 2018 but no one has questioned the delay in receiving such funds...Maybe

what the US Embassy is saying is true, but the question is why an agreement was signed with no

funds being receivedExpert Committee Chairman

Prof. Dr. Lalithasiri Gunaruwan

The report should clearly say

whether the MCC is good or bad for the country without levelling

baseless allegationsFormer Finance Minister

Ravi Karunanayake

US MCC COMPACT ON SRI LANKA


The Expert Committee appointed to review the controversial US Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact grant agreement have found that many aspects of the agreement were detrimental to Sri Lanka’s sovereignty, particularly a provision requiring the Compact be passed as an act of Parliament; it has recommended that the agreement be amended if the Government was to go ahead.

The Expert Committee, headed by Prof. Dr. Lalithsiri Gunaruwan of the University of Colombo, comprised former Ministry of Transport Secretary D.S. Jayaweera, President’s Counsel (PC) Nihal Jayawardena, and architect Nalaka Jayaweera as members.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed the Committee in January this year to conduct a thorough examination of the MCC Compact and submit recommendations.

The Review Committee report, which is available for public scrutiny, has found that an entity known as “MCA Sri Lanka” would have to be set up, which would implement the MCC programme, and despite having Sri Lankan officials, would only function on the whim and fancy of US officials.

“There are so many areas in which we have seen that it tried to encroach on the (Sri Lanka’s) sovereignty; not the MCA but the activities that are to be performed by the unit, if established. None of these things have been done because the MCC agreement has not been signed. The MCA is a suggested company limited by guarantee of which there are Sri Lankan high officials such as secretaries to various ministries who would be made board members, and they are to carry out the activities of the MCA. But the interesting part is that the activities that are to be carried out, as the project implementation agency, can only be carried out with the blessing of the American corporation. The Millennium Challenge Corporation has the ultimate authority,” committee member Jayawardana PC told The Sunday Morning.

This would apply to any procurement process followed under the MCC programme as well, which is clearly shown in the Compact’s provisions on procurements and supply.

“Even though the directors on the board of MCA would be senior government officials, the process of selecting the contractors or even the procurement process should be the MCC or American process and not the Sri Lankan process. This is in spite of provisions being there within the Sri Lankan procurement procedure to adopt certain procurement guidelines of the donor in such contracts,” Jayawardana said.

Article 3.6 of the MCC agreement states: “The Government shall ensure that the procurement of all goods, works, and services by the Government or any provider to implement the programme shall be in accordance with the MCC’s Programme Procurement Guidelines (the “MCC Programme Procurement Guidelines”). Accordingly, neither the Government Procurement Guidelines (2006) nor any other laws or regulations of Sri Lanka regarding procurements shall apply to procurements to implement the programme.”

IP rights won’t be SL’s The report also found that all Intellectual

Property (IP) rights for any data and/or information created/uncovered during the programme would be with the MCC.

“The intellectual property rights of whatever data and information that is created would lie with the MCC and they can use such information; even to alienate those rights becomes their right. That affects particularly the land programme they have discussed. They want to have a land registry bank and various things. So whatever data that is processed within this programme would be their data.

“Even during discussions with those

officials, they were either evading this matter or saying that there is trust between the two friendly nations and so it shouldn’t be a problem. But this is, in a way, the selling of Sri Lanka’s IP rights on a platter,” he said.

He also noted that as a direct result of all IP rights going to the MCC, Sri Lanka would need to request permission to utilise its own data for any economic purpose.

“If the data and information that is created and processed during this programme becomes their property, then they can use it to their economic advantage. Even if we want to use it, we might have to get their permission on an economic basis.”

Furthermore, Jayawardana also pointed out that the MCC officials would have immunity from domestic laws; he went as far as to say that it would be beyond diplomatic immunity.

“It is very unclear on how disputes would be resolved, particularly when it comes to local laws being violated. They say that the MCC is immune to various things and if MCC officials who participate in this programme break laws, even murder, no legal action can be taken from Sri Lanka’s side.

“So those were certain things that were not at all acceptable and I don’t know how anyone could agree to such things. It is similar to getting diplomatic immunity and even more.

“When you look at the previous correspondence between the Sri Lankan and MCC negotiation teams, we can see that what they (US) expect is a very high recognition for their interest. At one stage, they wanted to make this a law which was between the Constitution and the other laws. The status would be above the other laws but just below the Constitution. Of course, those things have not been agreed to, although those were suggested.

“Thereafter, in a roundabout way, they have tried to achieve the same result by making it a precondition to pass this as an act in Parliament. All these would have certain negative impacts on our sovereignty.”

Adverse impact on sovereignty Another adverse provision of the MCC

was its requirement for the Attorney General (AG) to state that the Sri Lankan Government had met its domestic obligations necessary for the Compact to be signed, which would also have an adverse impact on the sovereignty of the country.

“There is one clause that stipulates that a prerequisite to signing the Compact is that the AG gives an opinion to the effect that the Government of Sri Lanka has fulfilled the necessary conditions, including passing the Compact in Parliament. But if the AG gives such an opinion, then his hands are tied when it comes to defending the Government in the future, if the Government wants to bring in legislation that could clash with the MCC Compact provisions.”

In the event there is a law that is contrary to the provisions of this act, the AG will notify that party that wants to enact that law. This would result in the AG being unable to represent the Government in a situation where there is a legal dispute between the Sri Lankan Government and the MCC.

Contd. on page 14

A bittersweet pillz A look at the review committee report

Article 7.1 of the Compact states: The Government shall proceed in

a timely manner to complete all of its domestic requirements for this

Compact and PIA (programme implementation agreement)

to enter into force. The parties understand that, consistent

with Sri Lankan law, prior to the Government sending the letter

described in Section 7.3, this Compact is to be submitted to an

enactment by the Parliament of Sri Lanka

US MCC COMPACT DEAL


6


BY SARAH HANNAN

Schools will face practical issues once students start the second term of the academic year from Monday (6) onwards as the lack of clear and concise messaging cascaded from the Ministry of Education to the provincial and zonal education offices, which then trickled down to the schools, has now presented a problem to teachers and school administrators alike.

The initial guidelines that were issued to schools have by now undergone several amendments.

However, the amendments have not been officially communicated by way of a ministry or department circular to schools.

Moreover, some schools still have to figure out how to supply water for children to follow handwashing etiquette, as 528 schools out of the 10,200 are not located near a water source, as said by the Minister of Education Dullas Alahapperuma himself.

The Sunday Morning inquired from Ministry of Education Secretary N.H.M. Chithrananda whether these issues have now been addressed.

“What the Minister said is true. Some schools do not have a water source in the vicinity, and we suggested that the schools look at building a water storage tank or purchasing water tanks that could be fitted in the school. The local government is to then supply water to these schools by way of water bowsers as required,” he said.

Responding to the question on the guidelines, Chithrananda noted that the initial guidelines that were issued through the Ministry of Health still stand. However, minor changes have been made considering the discomfort that students might face having to wear a face mask for six to eight hours, and that temperature checks are not to

be carried out.

Not officially communicated“The Ministry has on several occasions

stated that a face mask is not required. And since the controversy over purchasing thermometers, they have now decided that temperature readings need not be taken from students and staff.

“Yet, these amendments have not been communicated officially through a circular,” Ceylon Teachers Services Union General

Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe noted.Jayasinghe also noted that, to date, neither

the Ministry nor education offices had thought it essential to have a discussion with teachers or unions in order to understand the practical issues they would face once the school term commences.

“They have asked school authorities to split the students of a class in two to maintain physical distancing. While this is a workable move, the practical issue with that is that the teacher will have to repeat the class. Say we find a way to work around

it, there are yet some schools which do not have sufficient teachers to teach subjects,” Jayasinghe pointed out.

Practical issuesWhile schoolchildren are required to

wear a face mask while travelling to school, they will have to remove it when they enter the school premises. But whether the children will be wearing disposable facemasks or reusable ones is another question. If the former, how is the school going to manage the disposable waste in

the form of face masks that get collected on a daily basis? If the child is wearing a reusable mask, what guidelines should they follow? What happens if the child catches a fever while travelling to school and how is the administration going to manage that situation?

Teacher unions have expressed their displeasure at the way the Ministry officials and the education officers at the provincial and zonal levels have been handling the matter.

“There have been so many discussions among the administrators, but at no point have they asked how we are going to manage the students when they start school.

“It is disappointing to know that the Ministry of Education had given priority to discuss matters with private tutors who conduct group classes for students. Why are they neglecting the teachers at schools?” Ceylon Teachers’ Union General Secretary Joseph Stalin questioned.

Stalin also pointed out that school teachers spend more time with children than a private tutor, and would be faced with logistical issues when having to deliver the syllabus. Some schools are yet to arrive at a decision on how they are going to manage the student populations once the entire school reopens by 10 August.

A teacher at a semi-government school in the Central Province noted that the schools have not thought about how the children will commute. If school vans and buses are restricted in transporting children to school, they would either be dropped off at school by their parents using their own vehicle or a taxi, while some students will have to use public transport to get to school.

“The school has decided to bring in students on alternative days at the moment, when grades 11-13 and grade five commences on Monday. We haven’t thought about the traffic that is going to be created around the school. Also, the school only has one entrance to the junior school and one entrance for the rest of the school. How we will be placing sinks to wash hands is also going to be another interesting exercise,” the teacher said.

He noted that the entrance at the junior school has space to fit only four sinks and the other entrance used by the rest of the school has a walkway from the main gate, which again allows only a limited amount of sinks to be fitted.

Contradictory guidelines

burden teachers

Some schools do not have a water

source in the vicinity, and we suggested that the schools look at building a water storage tank or

purchasing water tanks that could be fitted in the school. The local

government is to then supply water to these schools by way of water bowsers

as requiredMinistry of Education Secretary

N.H.M. Chithrananda

The Ministry has on several occasions

informed that a face mask is not required; since the controversy over purchasing thermometers, they have

now decided that temperature readings need not be taken from students and staff. Yet, these amendments have not been communicated officially through

a circularCeylon Teachers Services Union

General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe

BY CHENELLE FERNANDO

Sri Lanka lifted the curfew on 28 June with the aim to restore normalcy within the island. Nevertheless, Health Services Director General Dr. Anil Jasinghe, at a press conference just the day prior (27 June), raised concerns over the public’s negligence in adhering to the Covid-19-related guidelines.

He stressed that the country’s reactivation aside, certain individuals are failing to realise that the country is still facing a global pandemic and that the public must, at all times, adhere to the guidelines in order to prevent a second wave of the disease, as the risk has not been eliminated yet. Meanwhile, the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) recently raised concerns over the current state of affairs, primarily concerning the reopening of the airport and restarting schools in August, fearing the risk of a second wave.

GMOA General Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge told The Sunday Morning that a risk assessment has not been conducted due to the lack of PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests done within the country.

“If you ask me a question on the risks in a particular area, I will not have the answer, because we have not made region-based assessments,” he said, and stressed on the need to carry out random sampling in order to ascertain scientific information on the overall situation.

The GMOA has identified public transportation, the reopening of the airport, reopening of schools, and the upcoming election as potential risk factors which could contribute to a second wave of transmission.

Drawing his attention to the reopening of the airport, Dr. Aluthge stated that although the airport has partially reopened for repatriation purposes, it has not reopened completely, and the controlled environment ensures minimal risk to society.

“There is mandatory PCR testing and quarantine for visitors; if they test positive, they will be treated at hospitals and be isolated in the hospital setup. If they do not test positive, they will undergo a further 14 days of isolation once released.”

He further stated that while it is understandable that economic factors and the tourism sector of the country must be taken into account, it is important to give heed to the risk posed to the public.

‘BIA ready to open any time’

Ministry of Tourism and Aviation Secretary S. Hettiarachchi shared with The Sunday Morning that the reopening of the airport has been postponed; it was initially scheduled for 1 August.

“The main factor is health concerns, because without the approval of the Ministry of Health, we are unable to open it. However, if the health authorities ask us to

go ahead and open the airport even from tomorrow, we are ready,” he said. Hettiarachchi stated that, prior to the Covid-19 outbreak, aviation authorities handled 75-100 flights per day, which has currently plunged to two or three flights per day. Citing reasons for the postponement of reopening the airport, he confirmed the main concern is public health.

Currently, the airport is capable of handling only two flights per day with mandatory PCR testing; a potential reopening would result in an overwhelming situation due to the lack of PCR testing to accommodate the increased influx of passengers.

He then proceeded to explain that the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation has been informed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that

more than 50,000 expatriates have registered to return to the island, and that the Ministry wishes to prioritise this need.

“We have to give them some kind of priority because even their embassies are finding it hard to cope due to the fact that it is very difficult to handle their grievances. They want to come back to their motherland, and they have no other place to go, so we have to take care of them. We have to give some kind of priority to our Sri Lankans,” he explained, and assured that they hope to bring back a majority of them this month (July).

Thirdly, he explained the inability to handle both tourists and repatriates simultaneously at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), and hence, plans

to direct them to Mattala. “But the health authorities cannot support this, because before they come into the country, they have to do one PCR test. The health concern has taken priority and this is the main problem we face. But from the airport’s side, it is ready to open at any time if the health officials give the green light.”

Hettiarachchi confirmed that the Ministry of Tourism would abide by the Health Ministry’s growing concerns to prevent any possible threat, considering the country’s progress made over the past few months. “We have been maintaining the situation well due to adherence by everyone in supporting the health authority. And we want to continue giving this support.”

Considering the reopening of the airport, he stated that the authorities have plans to only bring down limited numbers to start with.

“We will not be getting down thousands of tourists at once, but will begin with very limited numbers at the start. Without doing PCR testing at the airport itself,

we will send them to a hotel close to the airport which is to be used only by incoming tourists. Then, we would be able to conduct PCR tests.”

Constant reminders to public needed

Meanwhile, with regard to the defiance of the Covid-19 guidelines in public transportation, Dr. Aluthge stated that violations are on the rise. “There are no patients being reported in society and so, they (people) think the risk is gone. They must be informed constantly to always adhere to the guidelines.”

Public Health Inspectors’ Union of Sri Lanka (PHIUSL) Treasurer D.Y.S.R.R. Mudalige also observed that with time, people have been drifting away from maintaining and adhering to Covid-19 guidelines, and urges the public to abide by the rules.

Meanwhile, Mudalige stated that although guidelines that ought to be followed by all individuals and institutions have already been drafted by the Ministry of Health, there has been a delay in issuing the gazette.

“Because of this, there is no law or legal procedure as such pertaining to Covid-19 guidelines yet. People may or may not follow it. The guidelines can even be viewed on the Health Ministry’s website, but it hasn’t been gazetted yet.”

Contd. on page 13

If you ask me a question on

the risks in a particular area, I will not have the answer, because we have not made region-based assessmentsGMOA General Secretary

Dr. Haritha Aluthge

Combating a second wave of infectionCOVID-19

REOPENING SCHOOLS


7WITH OUR READERS’ HEALTH IN MIND A SPECIAL ANTIMICROBIAL INK HAS BEEN USED IN THE PRINTING OF OUR NEWSPAPER

Site of mineral exploration in Mannar


Controversy surrounds allegedly illegal mineral exploration being conducted in the country’s northern coastal belt by an Australian mineral exploration company, with the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau of Sri Lanka (GSMB) denying it granted licences for the exploration work.

Titanium Sands Ltd. (TSL), an Australian company, has come under criticism over alleged illegal mineral exploration in Sri Lanka. The company is currently engaged in exploration around Mannar – an island of 140 sq. km in area that is connected to the mainland shore by road and rail connections over a short causeway.

According to TSL’s official website, it “holds five exploration licences for heavy mineral sands located in northwest Sri Lanka on Mannar and the adjacent mainland coast”.

However, the GSMB – the sole authority that regulates mining activities in Sri Lanka – stated that it hadn’t granted licenses to the Australian company to engage in mining in Sri Lanka or provided local components with which the TSL signed agreements.

The Mines and Minerals Act No. 33 of 1992 states that the GSMB issues licences including exploration licences, mining licences (artisanal, industrial, reserved minerals), trading licences, export licences, and transport licences for the relevant activities in Sri Lanka.

However, since the GSMB denies having issued any such licences to the company, it is still unclear as to which authority issued the licenses allowing them to engage in mining activities in Sri Lanka.

No licenseAccording to the Mines and

Minerals Act No. 33 of 1992 Section 29 (c) (i): “No licence to explore for, mine, transport, process, trade in, or export any minerals shall be issued to a firm which is not registered to do business in Sri Lanka.”

According to GSMB, foreign companies are not allowed to explore minerals in Sri Lanka alone, and can only do so by joining with a local component which owns more than 50% of the

shares in the joint venture.GSMB Director – Mineral

Tilting Hema Liyanarachchi told The Sunday Morning that the Bureau had not granted a license to the TSL or any other local company to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with TSL.

“If a local company is going to explore minerals jointly with a foreign company, that has to be communicated to the GSMB when applying for a license,” she explained.

There was no such communication with regard to the controversial company, according to Liyanarachchi.

“This company is said to be carrying out mineral explorations by using licenses issued to three local companies, but we are still investigating. We have already written to the local companies seeking explanations as they could not do such explorations jointly

with a foreign company,” she stressed.

When asked whether the GSMB will cancel the licences, she noted that firstly, the Bureau has to consider the outcome of the explanations it has sought from the local companies, after which future actions would be decided.

Section 28 (1) of the same Act states: “No person shall explore for, mine, transport, process, trade in, or export any minerals except under the authority of, or otherwise than in accordance with, a licence issued in that behalf under the provisions of this Act and the regulations made thereunder: Provided that any person who prior to the appointed date had commenced to mine, explore for, process, trade in, or export any minerals under the authority of a licence issued on issue of licences, in that behalf under the provisions of the Mines and Minerals Law No. 4 of 1973, shall continue to do so for a period of six months from that date but shall within such period apply for a licence under the provisions of this Act, and no mineral mined after that date shall be transported from the mine or disposed of unless such transport or disposal is in conformity with the terms and conditions of a licence issued under the provisions of this Act.”

Section 28 (3) and (4) state: “A licence issued to any person under this Act, to mine any mineral may transfer to the licensee the ownership of any mineral mined under the authority of such licence.

“Nothing in the preceding provisions of this section shall be deemed to require any owner or occupant of the surface of any land or the holder of a licence to explore for or mine for minerals on any land, to obtain a licence to mine for and transport any mineral used for the purpose of building, on or from such land.”

TSL explainsAs per reports, the TSL is to

continue to carry out mineral sands exploration in Mannar under its granted exploration licences, with the support of the GSMB, within guidelines already in place.

The company has reaffirmed

this commitment and outlined responses to incorrect media reporting in Sri Lanka with regard to TSL and its Mannar island project.

It explained that TSL’s tenure is owned and operated by local companies that are ultimately wholly owned subsidiaries of TSL and all activities are properly reported to the GSMB under the requirements of each exploration licence.

Furthermore, it was reported

that the company is not mining in Mannar and does not have the equipment or regulatory approvals to do so and that its activities are currently limited to that of exploration.

No proper national planMeanwhile, environmentalists

claimed the issues with regard to sand and mineral mining have increased in Sri Lanka solely due to the lack of a proper national plan.

Speaking to The Sunday

Morning, Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) Executive Director Hemantha Withanage alleged that there were several other foreign companies engaged in mining activities, especially in Puttalam.

“At present, Sri Lanka gets only a royalty fee for the mining as we don’t have a mechanism to process the raw materials and add some value to the product,” he stressed.

According to him, the country earns only a small sum of rupees from its mineral resources.

“If we don’t have the necessary resources, we should get assistance from some other countries in terms of technical knowhow or equipment, without selling them the minerals,” Withanage said, adding that as a result of a number of unwise decisions taken by the successive governments, the country is losing its valuable mineral resources.

Sri Lanka is well endowed with industrial minerals including graphite, ilmenite, rutile, zircon, quartz, feldspar, clay, kaolin, apatite (phosphate rock), silica sand, garnet sand, mica, calcite, and dolomite.

The beach sand deposit in Pulmoddai is the most important non-ferrous mineral reserve in Sri Lanka to date, and this deposit contains minerals including one of the most expensive and sought-after metals in the world – titanium.

Ilmenite (FeTiO2) and rutile (TiO2) are also found in enormous

concentrations in the Pulmoddai beach sand deposit area and several other beach mineral sand deposits of monazite, zircon, garnet, and ilmenite are found in various parts of the island and are now being exported.

Sri Lanka’s natural resources include another valuable economic mineral reserve known as apatite rock phosphate. It is estimated that the reserve consists of 60 million tonnes of apatite which is generally used to produce phosphate fertiliser.

Heavy mineral sands located in Mannar

This company is said to be carrying out mineral

explorations by using licenses issued to three local companies, but we are still investigating. We have already written to the local companies seeking

explanation as they could not do such explorations jointly with a

foreign companyGSMB Director – Mineral Tilting

Hema Liyanarachchi

If we don’t have the necessary

resources, we should get assistance from some other

countries in terms of technical knowhow or equipment, without

selling them the mineralsCEJ Executive Director Hemantha Withanage

Digging into a

CONTROVERSYDEEP

MINERAL EXPLORATION IN MANNAR BY AUSTRALIAN COMPANY

the sunday morningSunday, July 5, 2020 EDITORIAL/POLITICS

There is a game that probably every Sri Lankan has played in his or her youth, called “hora-police”. Unfortunately, some of those who play the game at a tender age develop such a strong affinity towards it that they continue to indulge in the game well past their youth. Politicians of all hues have been noted to fall into this category. If that isn’t bad enough, the situation becomes dire when policemen who should actually be playing “police”, take on the role of the “hora”. Hora can be generally defined as someone who has no qualms in breaking the law.

There was mass unrest in the US recently over police brutality that claimed the life of George Floyd, an African American by ethnicity. Floyd’s death opened up a veritable can of worms mostly to do with sustained police brutality specifically directed against people of colour over a period of time by White officers. A barrage of such cases said to have taken place over many years, even leading to death, rose to the surface overnight. This then sparked a nationwide “Black Lives Matter” campaign which has since gained mass support from both Blacks as well as Whites in the US.

In our own little neck of the woods, police brutality has remained a serious issue for many years, especially during the war when minority communities were often victimised. There was a palpable sense of déjà vu when the US erupted in protest, with Sri Lanka having been there and done that, decades ago.

However, with the end of the war, such issues have largely dissipated. But that is not to say it is nonexistent, because that’s certainly not the case; although no longer on the same scale or proportion or having anything to do with targeted ethnic profiling, it exists in the form of rank indiscipline and “cops on contract” playing “hora-police”.

Last week’s arrest of 12 officers attached to the Police Narcotics Bureau barely raised any eyebrows among the citizenry and only confirmed their worst fears that the drug lords were hand in glove with dirty cops who actually served as the couriers and errand boys of the drug bosses. There is no point in busting drug rings if the confiscated goods make its way back to the market through corrupt cops. It’s an endless cycle where what comes in from the front door goes out the back.

Therefore, if the Government is serious about its desire to rid the country of the drug menace, it must first look inward and purge the Police of corrupt elements. This purge, if and when it happens, needs to be combined with a similar operation involving the Department of Prisons which is also quite notorious among the public for its level of corruption. Even last week, mobile phones had been discovered from the cell of a drug kingpin being held in Boossa.

These events have led to a wholesale reshuffle of the Police top brass in charge of narcotics detection, with swift changes made from the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in charge, downwards. Such decisive action on the part of the Government points to a determination not seen in recent times to get to the root of the problem. One can only hope that what has been started in earnest will continue unabated without the intervention of powerful personalities as is usually the case, resulting in the status quo returning to square one in next to no time.

Although many past leaders have paid lip service to the eradication of the drug menace, no one has shown the kind of resolve to walk the talk as President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who for a welcome change has let actual action do the talking.

Needless to say, policing, be it in the US or Sri Lanka, needs to see a radical change of attitude in order to conform to the evolving times. Although the equipment and resources used for policing have seen radical change, police tactics and methods have largely remained the same. At the core of any modernisation drive should be a firm resolve to change the mindset of officers from acting on post-event crime, as in the past, to pre-event crime, reflecting the changing times. In other words, policing must change from allowing crimes to take place and then catching criminals to preventing criminal activity in the first place.

It is a well-known fact that our local Police force would rather let a crime take place and then book the perpetrator than be proactive and prevent a crime from taking place. This is usually the modus operandi to invariably pocket a bribe in return for leniency pertaining to the crime committed.

A classic example is the conduct of the Traffic Police who are known to hide behind trees and lamp posts on main roads in order to catch drivers running a red light or crossing a line. The fact of the matter is that if the Police’s presence is visible, no one will break the law in the first place, but that does not fill khaki pockets, so it is always the hora-police method that is in vogue.

The only way out of this morass is to bring in systemic change, one step at a time, starting from the very top. In this regard, the Covid-19 pandemic could be a blessing in disguise, as it provides the ideal backdrop to instil a sense of discipline among both the public as well as police rank and file. It has been well noted that Sri Lanka already has in place the legislation it needs to maintain proper law and order.

What is preventing that from happening is ignorance of the law, its selective implementation, most notably due to financial inducements or political interference, and in some cases, blatant disregard for the law.

Today, the ordinary citizen has to keep his mouth shut in the face of unlawful acts committed by the high and mighty for obvious reasons. Therefore, if all people are to be treated equally, the concept of might is right should become one that is alien to the Police.

As a first step to putting the house in order, it may be a good idea for law enforcement officers from the rank of Assistant Superintendent (ASP) upwards to annually declare their assets. The same should be applied to prison officials as well. It is well-known that the main reason for road indiscipline is because some cops own private buses and fleets of three-wheelers. In addition, some are known to own mansions and luxury apartments. Although there is a rotational policy for police officers for the very purpose of preventing corruption, it is a policy that is usually observed in the breach. Another way to minimise corruption is to automate as many aspects of policing as possible, using smart technology and CCTV. This could be used for traffic violations in the city almost immediately, as the necessary infrastructure is already in place.

However, what is of utmost importance in order to cleanse the long arm of the law, is to stop politicians from using the Police as their personal plaything. Whether the current or the next dispensation that is to be elected in exactly a month’s time will have the will to follow through with the talk, only time will tell. Until then, let’s hope for the best.

Cleansing the cops

No 91, Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 7. Fax - 011 2 673 441

General - 011 5 200 900Director Sales & Marketing - 077 3 866 143

Circulation Manager - 011 5 978 987 / 076 1 367620E-mail - [email protected]


The US Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact deal has turned into kryptonite for the United National Party (UNP), following the publicising of the MCC Expert Committee report last week and the revelation that two agreements to the tune of $ 10 million were signed under the deal.

The UNP, issuing a statement, has refuted the allegations levelled against the former Yahapalana Government by the Committee.

The UNP said that according to media reports, Committee Chairman Prof. Dr. Lalithasiri Gunaruwan’s committee report alleges $ 10 million was provided by the MCC to the then Government following the signing of two agreements with the MCC in 2017 and 2018, adding that Dr. Gunaruwan goes on to charge that there is no record of these finances at the Finance Ministry.

The statement notes that the US Embassy to Sri Lanka and the Maldives has categorically denied that the MCC had released any funds to the Sri Lankan Government.

According to the UNP, this official denial by the US Government has called into question the credibility of the report and suggests the President and the Government are using official resources to slander the UNP during an election campaign.

The UNP further charged that the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) made these same baseless accusations during the presidential election last year, and have once again resorted to employing shameless tactics to mislead voters.

The UNP statement further read that during the 2015-2019 Yahapalana Government, several preparatory agreements were signed and that these agreements were produced before Parliament for scrutiny and debate.

Going further, the UNP has urged the Government to publicly state whether they will be signing the MCC agreement, and if they aren’t, they must inform the public of their final decision.

However, the External Resources Department (ERD), which records all external transactions, does not have any record of the money despite the two agreements being signed for it.

It is in this backdrop that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo telephoned Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs Minister Dinesh Gunawardena last Monday (29) evening.

Pompeo, during the conversation, had reaffirmed the partnership between the two countries.

US State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus, speaking of Pompeo’s telephone conversation, said: “Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo spoke

yesterday (29) with Sri Lankan Foreign (Affairs) Minister Dinesh Gunawardena to reaffirm their partnership with the people of Sri Lanka and their commitment to supporting the country’s development and sovereignty. Secretary Pompeo and Foreign (Affairs) Minister Gunawardena discussed their mutual interest in combating the Covid-19 pandemic and shared commitment to economic stability and sustainable growth.

“The two leaders also discussed the US’ ongoing Covid-19 assistance to Sri Lanka, which totals almost $ 6 million to date, and reviewed the longstanding US-Sri Lanka co-operation on health and humanitarian issues,” the

Spokesperson noted.

“Additionally, the Secretary and the Foreign (Affairs) Minister talked about their shared democratic traditions, respect for human rights, and the

importance of transparency for the long-term stability and prosperity of the people,” Ortagus added.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, issuing a statement on the telephone conversation, stated that Gunawardena had briefed the US Secretary of State on the MCC Compact review report during the telephone conversation on Monday evening.

Gunawardena has also briefed his US counterpart on the forthcoming parliamentary election and thanked the US for the support extended in the reconciliation and resettlement processes in Sri Lanka.

US-Sri Lanka co-operation in their Covid-19 response, such as the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) to the US by Sri Lanka, donation of ventilators to Sri Lanka by the US, and Covid-related bilateral assistance amounting to $ 5.8 million in economic recovery initiatives, were also discussed. Defence and security matters, counterterrorism, and international economic co-operation had also featured in the conversation.

The Foreign Affairs Minister took the opportunity to convey Sri Lanka’s felicitations for the forthcoming US Independence Day on 4 July.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has meanwhile directed all cabinet ministers to submit individual proposals on the MCC Compact. The proposals are due to be submitted to the Cabinet this week.

Leaked cable By mid last week, the MCC saga

took a new twist with news websites reporting on a WikiLeaks cable detailing how in 2006, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) had lobbied to secure an MCC grant for Sri Lanka.

The respective cable was publicised through the following web link: https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/06COLOMBO1608_a.html.

The Black Box reproduces below

the text published under the above-mentioned link:

“COMPONENT OF POTENTIAL COMPACT COLOMBO 00001608 001.2 OF 002

1. (SBU) Summary: Senior Millennium Challenge Corporation and Government of Sri Lanka officials agreed to proceed with development of a proposed $ 590 million MCC Compact that would include projects on irrigation and agriculture, roads, and small and medium enterprise promotion. MCC officials explained that their due diligence process would continue for at least 12 months and that it would be at least 18 months before a compact, if one is concluded, entered into force. This time span was necessary for completion of international-standard environmental and social impact assessments related to Sri Lanka's proposed construction of dams, and would also allow time for the two sides to identify policy approaches that would ensure the proposed projects delivered sufficient economic returns and would be adequately maintained over the long term. End Summary.

“2. (SBU) Senior Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) officials met with Sri Lankan lead MCC liaison Nivard Cabraal (CBSL Governor) (on) 27 September to discuss critical elements of Sri Lanka's proposed $ 450 million MCC Compact. The MCC delegation was composed of Eurasia

Managing Director Frances Reid, Environment and Social Assessment Managing Director Margaret Kuhlow, Economic Analysis Managing Director Franck Wiebe, and Country Director for Sri Lanka Darrius Nassiry. Ambassador Blake and Econoff also attended the meeting.

“3. (SBU) The MCC delegation informed Cabraal that MCC had identified three aspects of Sri Lanka's proposed compact that would require accommodation from Sri Lanka in order to meet MCC's due diligence requirements. First, the proposed dam-supplied irrigation projects would require international-standard environmental and social impact assessments that would take 12 months to conduct. These would have to be completed before a compact could be signed. Second, Sri Lanka would need to be willing to conduct a good-faith discussion with MCC on ways to improve the economic benefits of the proposed projects, especially in the irrigation and agriculture sectors. Finally, Sri Lanka would need to show clearly how it intended to adequately budget for long-term operations and maintenance expenses for the proposed roads and irrigation systems.

“4. (SBU) MCC delegation emphasised that the overarching goal of any investment it would make in Sri Lanka would be to ensure that the investment reduced poverty and delivered economic growth. Governor Cabraal affirmed that the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) had the same desire and therefore was willing to work with MCC to satisfy its concerns. He recognised that there was no way to reduce the duration of the impact assessment process. He explained that radical policy changes would not be possible, but were not necessary in order to ensure strong economic benefits from the programmes. Instead, existing laws allowed sufficient flexibility for new agricultural practices to be pursued. Finally, he assured MCC that operations and maintenance expenses for projects that produced high returns would definitely be covered in order to ensure that the returns endured.

“5. (SBU) With the two sides agreeing that they had mutual interest in identifying a workable way forward, they agreed to use the remainder of the MCC delegation's visit to discuss implementation issues in greater detail. On 28 September, (the) MCC delegation met with Mission USAID (United States Agency for International Development) staff to discuss USAID anti-corruption, infrastructure, community consultation, and local governance programmes in Sri Lanka; with Sri Lanka's Ministry of Plan Implementation and Central Environmental Authority to outline the required features for adequate environmental and social impact assessments; and with the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka, regarding the

the black boxby Capt. Vasabha


US MCC AND INDIA’S ECT WEIGH IN

By mid last week, the MCC saga took a new twist with

news websites reporting on a WikiLeaks cable detailing how

in 2006 the former Governor of the Central Bank of

Sri Lanka (CBSL) had lobbied to secure an MCC grant for

Sri Lanka

small and medium enterprise component of the proposed compact.

“6. (SBU) Comment: Post welcomes the mutual decision to proceed with MCC compact development. The MCC team's frank description of its minimum economic, environmental, and social requirements was important to ensure that Sri Lanka has a realistic understanding that seeking MCC funds for irrigation projects will lengthen MCC's due diligence process into 2008. While the GSL would have liked to get started with MCC projects sooner, it has now decided to take a slower but more ambitious course. Post will continue to assist MCC in ensuring that the GSL understands that MCC remains in its due diligence phase and that MCC will only invest in Sri Lanka when it is convinced that the investment will deliver sufficient returns in terms of poverty reduction and economic growth.

“7. (U) MCC delegation cleared this cable.

COLOMBO 00001608 002 OF 002”

Cabraal responds Responding to the news reports of his role

in initiating the dialogue with the US on the MCC, former CBSL Governor Cabraal posted on social media that at the time, he and the Rajapaksa Government explored the possibility of such an agreement in 2006, but it did not include any conditions that were harmful to Sri Lanka.

He said that in 2019, the Yahapalana Government had agreed to such conditions that were detrimental to the country, and that the present Government would not sign the agreement unless such detrimental conditions are removed.

Cabraal did not specify the nature of these detrimental conditions.

“While it is true that the US Government had offered ‘aid’ in the form of certain projects in Sri Lanka through the MCC in 2004, the discussions in 2006 merely centred on what components could be included in such a programme,” Cabraal has said.

“The alleged ‘WikiLeaks’ attributed to then US Ambassador Robert O’ Blake also indicate that the proposed components of a possible MCC agreement in 2006 were completely different to what has been agreed to by the Yahapalana Government in 2019,” he has said.

“Furthermore, there was also no mention of any terms and conditions that would govern the agreement at all at that point of time in 2006. In any event, the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government would have never agreed to any conditions that would have put our country at any risk whatsoever,” he has added.

Neighbourly love While Sri Lanka’s ties with the US have

been put to the test by the debate over the MCC Compact, Sri Lanka is engaged in a dialogue with India to finalise a debt relief loan that has already been discussed at several high-level exchanges.

The matter was taken up for discussion with the Indian Government heads during President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s first official visit to neighbouring India soon after assuming office and during Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s first official visit to India.

The Indian Government is, however, waiting for the green light from the Sri Lankan Government to go ahead with the virtual meeting to discuss and finalise the debt relief package.

A decision on fixing the Indo-Lanka virtual meeting to finalise the debt relief loan was to be taken at the Cabinet meeting last week.

Co-Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardana has said that no decision had been taken on holding a virtual discussion on the matter yet.

“The matter is expected to be discussed at the upcoming cabinet meeting and I expect a decision will be taken with regard to the meeting,” the Minister said.

Meanwhile, India is holding “close and constructive” discussions with Sri Lanka, on Colombo’s pending requests for rescheduling its debt repayment and for currency swap facilities under bilateral and South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) arrangements, the Indian High Commission in Colombo was quoted as saying last Tuesday (30 June).

Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay had held discussions “at senior levels” in Colombo last Monday and Tuesday, the statement issued by the Indian High Commission said, on taking forward ongoing discussions.

Meanwhile, the East Container Terminal (ECT), which was agreed to be a tripartite development agreement between Sri Lanka, India, and Japan during the former Government, has come under the spotlight with certain sections of trade unions affiliated to the Colombo Port demanding the Government not handover the port to the Indians.

The issue arose with the arrival of cranes to be installed at the terminal.

However, with several trade unions launching a work to rule campaign, Prime Minister Rajapaksa, mid last week, said there were no plans to handover the ECT to India.

Subsequently, last Thursday (2), the workers called of the strike as the Prime Minister promised to discuss the matter. The next morning (3), a meeting got underway between Colombo Port Workers’ Union representatives and the Premier.

Movie time Leaving aside their hectic workloads, the

President and Prime Minister last week took some time to engage in some entertainment.

Both President Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Rajapaksa last Sunday (28) attended a special debut screening of the Sinhala film “The Newspaper”. The film was screened at the One Galle Face PVR cinema.

The movie was co-directed by Sarath Kotelawala and Kumara Thirimadura and co-produced by Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardana, Ravindra Guruge, and H.D. Premasiri.

Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga and Prime Minister’s Secretary

Gamini Senarath had also attended the special screening.

Military personnel, health workers, as well as media personnel have the opportunity of receiving one screening of the movie free of charge.

CBK’s birthdayFormer President Chandrika

Bandaranaike Kumaratunga last Monday (29) celebrated her 75th birthday.

The former President gave precedence to religious observances to mark her milestone.

Accordingly, a series of meritorious observances, starting from the releasing of a cow at her ancestral home in Horagolla on Sunday (28) to religious observances in Anuradhapura, were organised.

On the 29th morning, Kumaratunga participated in a milk rice pooja at Ruwanweliseya and offered alms to the Buddhist monks at the venue. She later made her way to the Jayasrimaha Bodhiya in Anuradhapura to continue with her religious observances.

She was joined by a few friends, staff, and loyal supporters.

RW’s date with CID Last week saw UNP Leader Ranil

Wickremesinghe facing quite a conundrum and this time with the Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The CID was directed by court, following a request by the Attorney General (AG), to record statements from former President Maithripala Sirisena and former Prime Minister Wickremesinghe over the Central Bank Treasury Bond Scam during the former Yahapalana Government.

Wickremesinghe, upon being informed about the need to record his statement, had agreed to meet the CID last Friday (3).

However, when the CID had requested two dates, Wickremesinghe replied that he was able to meet with the CID only either on Thursday (2) or Friday, but not both. He had then been informed to meet with the CID on Thursday and Wickremesinghe had agreed.

However, last Monday (29 June), a message had been sent to Wickremesinghe by the CID asking him to appear before the officers probing the Bond Scam the following day, Tuesday (30 June).

Wickremesinghe’s office had then informed the CID that he was unable to record a statement last Tuesday since he had a series of prior engagements including several functions at temples.

Wickremesinghe had maintained that he was unable to change his previously planned schedule since it was made after agreeing to meet the CID on Thursday to record his statement.

The CID had not responded to

Wickremesinghe’s request and Wickremesinghe had also not met with the CID last Tuesday.

Finally, the CID visited Wickremesinghe last Friday (3) to record a statement on the Bond Saga.

MR’s ‘big picture’ Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa last

Sunday (28) called on the public to keep the “big picture” in mind when voting at the general election, faulting the Opposition for what he termed “questionable actions” in persecution of nationalist politicians, signing agreements negative to the country and paving the way for foreign interference in Sri Lanka in the past five years.

Speaking at an event on 27 June, Rajapaksa said that the actions of the previous Government, specifically its reconciliation efforts including attempts to formulate a new Constitution, were deeply problematic and were only stopped by the presidential election in 2019. He declared that the Government was seeking a two-thirds majority to establish a strong rule that would be able to bring these “foreign and domestic conspiracies” to a halt completely.

“The situation that prevailed in this country following the assumption of power by the Yahapalana Government in 2015 was akin to having been taken over by a hostile foreign invading force. They systematically persecuted the nationalist political camp in this country.

“They jailed leading Buddhist monks on trumped up charges in order to intimidate the Maha Sangha, which has always been at the forefront of protecting the sovereignty of this country. They went after the elephants and tuskers belonging to the temples in a major way, in order to put an end to the perahera traditions of the Buddhists.

“They moved to demoralise and render ineffective our armed forces which defeated terrorism and ensured the territorial integrity of the country. Selected members of the armed forces ranging from the lowest ranks right up to the Chief of Defence Staff were arrested, kept in jail for weeks, months, or years and cases were filed against them on trumped up charges.

“The intention behind all this was to create the impression in the minds of the local population and also to convey to the world the idea that these were not war heroes but thieves and murderers,” he said.

Rajapaksa went on to severely criticise Sri Lanka’s co-sponsored United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Resolution, the establishment of the Office on Missing Persons and other reconciliation efforts. He also attempted to downplay the recent controversial comments of Karuna Amman (Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan), pointing out that the UNP had also undertaken questionable actions in 1989 and argued that while Karuna Amman has given up killing people, the UNP had not given up its attempts to divide the country.

He also said issues such as social distancing at the funeral of late Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) Leader Arumugam Thondaman were “minor” points and it was important for voters to distinguish between the two.

“My request to the people of Sri Lanka is to always have the broader picture in mind when it comes to politics. Given the threats we are up against, we will be destroyed if we fail to distinguish between what is politically important and politically unimportant.

“Various things can be said about the question (of) whether social distancing was observed in the proper manner at Arumugam Thondaman’s funeral or whether someone had been guilty of fixing a cricket match back in 2011. However, these are not politically important matters.

“If we allow ourselves to be distracted and forget the broader picture even for a moment, the consequences could be disastrous. That is why I always stress the importance of the broader picture. If people cast their votes on the basis of various minor distractions, we will lose everything; our country, our nationhood, our religion, our culture, and the future of unborn generations.

“The people should always ask themselves who can rule this country effectively, ensure economic development, eliminate terrorism, and ensure the security of the nation. Who can safeguard democracy by holding elections on time? Who can build a Sri Lanka where future generations will be able to live freely and be proud of? I need not spell it out, every Sri Lankan knows the answer to those questions,” he added.

UNP goes digital UNP Leader Wickremesinghe last Sunday

(28) insisted that the UNP does not have a secret deal with the SLPP.

Speaking at the launch of the digital meetings for the 2020 general election by the UNP, Wickremesinghe said that his party supported the Government in its efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus.

He said that some people claimed that this was part of a deal with the Government.

However, he insisted that all he wanted was to save the lives of the public.

“We have not signed any deals with the

Government. We have not signed any deals with the SLPP. Our deal is with the public,” he said.

According to the UNP’s election campaign, priority is to be given to holding digital meetings where the party leadership will address several political meetings in one sitting.

The Election Commission (EC) meanwhile is engaged in a dialogue with the health authorities to explore the possibility of increasing the number of participants at political meetings attended by party leaders to 500 persons.

According to the health authorities, political meetings could accommodate only 100 persons in line with the social distancing regulations.

EC’s grief The decision to block out the former

President’s name in plaques was a regional regulation, the Election Secretariat stated.

“Blocking out candidates’ names displayed on plaques set on buildings, development projects, or places where foundation stones were laid is an impractical exercise. It is not a directive issued by the Election Secretariat. It is possible that the regional election offices took such a decision,” Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake said.

Two weeks ago, former President Maithripala Sirisena was asked to refrain from distributing school stationery that was arranged for a school in Polonnaruwa.

Media reports noted that the stationery that was to be distributed bore the former President’s name. The Polonnaruwa Election Office had advised the former President to refrain from distributing such material as it was viewed as non-adherence to election campaigning guidelines.

Nevertheless, one of the key concerns of the EC was the delay in issuing the gazette notification outlining the health guidelines to be followed during the election.

The issuing of the gazette has been delayed for several weeks since the EC and health authorities reached an agreement on the content.

The delay, it was later learnt, was on the part of the AG. The document was held up at the AG’s Department, awaiting his approval.

However, last Wednesday (1), the delay in issuing the health guidelines for the forthcoming general election was resolved with the AG granting approval for the guidelines prepared by the Health Ministry.

The Health Ministry, after preparing the set of guidelines last month, had sent the document to the AG for approval.

The gazette notification is expected to be published now since the AG has approved it.

The delay in issuing the gazette raised much concern among health authorities as well as the members of the EC, while the Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) threatened to stay away from Covid-19-related duty during the general election period.

CC to go on The Constitutional Council (CC)

meetings would be held as usual despite the resignation of one of its members representing civil society, Dr. Jayantha Dhanapala, until a new council is formed by the next Parliament, according to CC member and former Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) parliamentarian Bimal Ratnayake.

He told The Sunday Morning that the vacancy could be filled only after the next Parliament is convened and up until then, the Council would meet as usual as the quorum could be met despite one absentee.

Furthermore, Ratnayake said a new CC would be appointed under the new Parliament.

It is learnt that the reason behind Dr. Dhanapala’s resignation was the fact that he resides in Kandy and is unable to attend the meetings on a regular basis.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya is the Chairman of the CC while Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa are appointed to the Council in their official capacities. Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe was appointed the President’s Representative. R. Sampanthan and Thalatha Atukorala were appointed with the concurrence of the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader. Former MP Bimal Ratnayake was appointed the Minority Party Representative. Dr. Dhanapala, Ahmed Javid Yusuf, and Prof. Naganathan Selvakumaran are also in the CC, representing civil society.

As per the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, it is the duty of the Speaker, as Chairman, to ensure nominations for appointments to the CC-appointed seats (the non-ex officio members) are made, whenever an occasion for such nominations arises.

Members can vacate the office by resigning in the form of writing addressed to the President. The President shall, within two weeks, if there is a vacancy of any of the appointed members, appoint another person to succeed that member. The newly-appointed member shall hold office for the remainder of the unexpired term of his/her predecessor.

9

EDITORIAL/POLITICSWITH OUR READERS’ HEALTH IN MIND A SPECIAL ANTIMICROBIAL INK HAS BEEN USED IN THE PRINTING OF OUR NEWSPAPER


US MCC AND INDIA’S ECT WEIGH IN

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, First Lady Ioma Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, and Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardana at a special debut screening of the Sinhala film “The Newspaper” last Sunday (28)


10

VIEWS

Fighting off the virusRoshan Senaviratne –

Managing Director at Motor Care Solutions (Pvt.) Ltd.

Sri Lanka has already been alerted about a second wave of the Covid-19 virus, in spite of its unpredictability and rapid spread, through close contact between people. As of now, the only preventive method available is to maintain social distancing and wear masks consistently. Therefore, the responsibility of ensuring a Covid-19-free community is in our hands.

Despite the devastation due to the pandemic, our country was impacted less when compared to India and other major countries; small-scale businesses and students’ educational routines have come to a halt to an extent. It is very apparent to me now that Sri Lankans neglect the potential danger of a second wave. Most hotels are being occupied with more guests now than more, for the simple reason of being offered amazing discounts, which is risky under the circumstances. Last week, I was shocked as I drove past the Mount Lavinia Beach and saw crowds of people disregarding the rules imposed by the Government and health officials.

Yes, the Police and other task forces are being stern in enforcing people’s safety and it should continue to be resilient against the virus. In spite of the majority standing against the Covid-19 pandemic by adhering to the above, there are a handful showing negligence, and unfortunately, few people are sufficient to start a new cycle of this deadly virus. Sri Lanka has been strong during these difficult times and will be in the future, if we follow the prevention methods of sanitising our hands and limiting our movements. As a nation, let’s fight this battle and become immune to Covid-19.


Have your guard up

Troy Bartlet – business analyst

In my opinion, we the general public have to adhere to what the authorities are saying. If they feel that a second wave is about to hit the country and they need to tighten the regulations, then we as responsible citizens must adhere to those rules. I personally dislike wearing masks as it is uncomfortable, but I do it because it is my responsibility to maintain my own safety as well as that of the others around me.

I think it is good that the authorities have imposed stringent rules because we cannot drop our guard if there is a possibility of a second wave emerging. Furthermore, the general public needs to be educated on why they need to follow such health guidelines so that they will actually follow them. This way, we can overcome the pandemic.

A limit for everythingC.N. Rathakrishnan – independent

management consultantEven though we do not have a cure for Covid-19

as of yet, what I have noticed is that people’s habits have changed. Therefore, even if there is a second wave to come, I feel as though it will not impact us drastically.

With regard to the authorities getting stricter with the health guidelines, I feel that if they make it too strict, it may disturb the general public. They should know the extent to which these guidelines must be imposed.

Lagging behindSandaruwan Madduma Bandara –

CEO at 3CSOnce the airport is reopened, there is

always going to be a risk that the virus could spread again in Sri Lanka. While taking every precaution to prevent it, our Government and businesses should be prepared for a second wave. Even if there is no second wave of Covid-19, there will be other similar disruptive events and pandemics in the future. Sri Lanka has been lagging behind the rest of the world in ecommerce, remote working, and proper investment in information technology systems and infrastructure. We were woefully unprepared for the pandemic and the lockdown.

Lockdowns have caused permanent change in people’s outlook and behaviour around the world. The Government and businesses need to take note and make fundamental changes to the way they operate.

Sweden is a great example of a country that was ready for Covid-19, because they were so far ahead of the world in terms of social systems and work patterns. Wearing masks, regularly washing hands, and social distancing are good health practices adopted in the complex world we live in, even outside the context of Covid-19. These changes in behaviour should ideally come from the people themselves, rather than due to the fear of police enforcement.

Shock and painTanushree Samaranayke – student

Director General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe had stated that “the risk of Covid- 19 isn’t over yet”. This statement is true. The risk of a second attack still lingers. However, many people are ignorant of this. People have forgotten about the gravity of Covid-19 and act recklessly, doing as they please.

We need to fully understand the potential threat of a second wave and act wisely. We have to wait patiently to celebrate like we used to and we have to understand that we are unable to go back to the way life used to be, at least not immediately.

Due to our immaturity, the Police will have to step in and take stern action. This is very much needed to ensure that all people wear masks correctly and maintain social distancing. As of now, not many follow these measures correctly. It is our responsibility to follow the rules given to ensure the prevention of a second wave of the deadly virus, which has crippled and left the world in shock and pain.

Covid-19 was a new experience on a global level within our lifetime. Nothing can be predicted with regard to the future for sure. I must agree with Dr. Anil Jasinghe’s statement that the risk of Covid-19 is not over. We cannot celebrate thinking that it’s over, and at the same time we must not be depressed, overthink, or waste time putting off our day-to-day essential activities. Instead, we must take steps to follow the health instructions stipulated by the authorities.

With airports opening and increased mobility in the future, surely there is a threat of a second wave, according to my understanding. The only solution is to understand the threat, take precautions, and play it safe. Thus, we will have to follow the basics such as wearing face

masks, washing hands, and keeping distance whenever possible. Still, people will have to work, walk, talk, play, and move ahead. Some may interpret olice interference on wearing

face masks and maintaining social distance as harassment, but knowing Sri Lankan nature, I do not expect a majority of the public to follow these health guidelines if there was no one to enforce it.

In this situation, the so-called developed countries with the most capable health sectors have shown to be the most pathetic in containing the pandemic due to the lack of precautions taken at the correct time and at the correct stage. Thus, I believe the only available option for us is to live our lives while being aware of the possibilities and abiding by the basic rules. This is applied to all humans – adults, kids, youth, and seniors. The Government must expect the same and be ready to take immediate action against any cases arising at any location, to control the situation.

Controlled situation

Buddhi Bandara – senior client leadership manager

Mental preparationJanuka Kularathna – quality assurance

headAlthough we see some headway being made in

terms of controlling the spread of Covid-19, it’s too early to relax and celebrate. Instead, we need to be ready for long-term mental and physical preparedness to prevent second or future waves. Otherwise, we may have to pay a price which will be too much for a country like Sri Lanka to bear.

In my opinion, mental preparedness is more important. We have to accept that this type of sickness could possibly never end and even if scientists find a vaccine for Covid-19, there may be a spread of a different kind of virus. Knowing that truth, we should be prepared to obey the health instructions, rules, and regulations imposed in order to maintain our wellbeing. As responsible citizens, we should not wait till the Police approach us and request us to wear masks. It’s our social responsibility. Furthermore, this mental preparedness needs to be constantly spoken about through mass awareness campaigns by public and private sector organisations.

Physical preparedness for a pandemic is the next important factor. Inherently, Asian people like Sri Lankans are willing to have a close relationship with their families and society. It’s not easy to adapt to keeping physical distance from others within a very short time. But it is high time to start practising it now, within reason.

The authorities have long-term and short-term plans to encourage and facilitate people to maintain reasonable physical distances and physical wellbeing, which have a definite cost. How ready we are to bear that cost is a question yet to be answered.

However, the optimistic factor here is that we have adopted a high degree of personal and environmental cleanliness, which we have to further optimise as a long-term disease prevention tool which will be backed by the health and education system of Sri Lanka.

Be on the lookout

Harendra Galappaththi – finance manager at a leading manufacturing

companySri Lanka as a country has

been able to control the spread of Covid-19, owing to collective efforts of the Police and health and military authorities, backed by strict decisions taken by the Government. However, we must not forget that most other countries that had controlled the spread were hit by a second wave because those countries relaxed the strict controls in the face of national economic setback.

Hence, the reason Sri Lankan health authorities have given strict warnings to the public is because personal healthcare instructions must be adhered to even though the curfew and

social distancing rules are being relaxed. Also, the risk will be even higher when the airports resume operations in August. Therefore, the global risk of Covid-19 is still prevalent as there is no permanent medicine or vaccine developed to combat it yet.

Moreover, wearing a face mask is a basic requirement and nowadays we see that some people are not adhering to this, even though they were made aware of this for the past three months repeatedly. In such a context, there is no other option other than to enforce the laws.

Ultimately, these laws are instilled to save people’s lives and to reduce the possible spread of the virus. As the public, the least we can do is to abide by these laws and take care of our personal hygiene in order to protect ourselves against the virus.

In my opinion, if we are to move forward as a country, we need to eradicate the Covid-19 virus. Taking into consideration what the Government or law enforcement authorities have done, they have basically implemented these guidelines in a manner that will have a very low impact on human life. Furthermore, Sri Lanka only has very few deaths caused by Covid-19, which is a huge feat in itself. Therefore, I think the actions the authorities have taken thus far are great.

With regard to whether there will be a second wave, the fact that nightlife has resumed and many bars, pubs, etc. have recommenced operations, I fear that social distancing will not be followed at all in these places. Furthermore, I heard that they are going to reopen the airports and let the Sri Lankans who were abroad return to the country. So, based on that, there is a possibility of a second wave; it all depends on how we handle the situation and the regulations put in place.

It depends on usVinal De Silva – wealth

planner

VICTORY ON HOLDBY DIANDRA ANNE

Sri Lanka came out of its nationwide lockdown on 28 June, and almost all

government and private sector employees as well as daily wage earners are travelling

back to work. It would be fair to say that Sri Lanka has things relatively under

control. However, in an interview with The Indian Express, Director General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe cautioned that

what Sri Lanka has achieved is not a victory as no one can claim a victory against the

Covid-19 virus as of yet. With that being said, could there be a

looming threat of a second wave? Or is that merely paranoia? In order to test this out,

we asked the general public their thoughts pertaining to the matter, as well as what

they thought of the authorities taking stricter actions/measures on those who

violate the health guidelines.

PHOTO PRADEEP DAMBARAGE

COVID-19 RISK STILL PREVALENT


11hot seatWITH OUR READERS’ HEALTH IN MIND A SPECIAL ANTIMICROBIAL INK HAS BEEN USED IN THE PRINTING OF OUR NEWSPAPER


The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) does not expect an increase in election violence at the upcoming parliamentary election and has started new initiatives such as deploying disabled persons to monitor elections and the campaigning process.Below are excerpts of The Sunday Morning’s interview with CMEV National Co-ordinator Manjula Gajanayake.How do you see the election campaign on the ground at present?

I think the election campaigns haven’t started. Considering the past elections, this time period is the time for elections, but we did four field visits and have deployed 100 long-term observers to specific areas. We can say confidently that political parties and candidates have not started their campaigns. But there are two issues. One is that the health guidelines must be gazetted so that health and other officials can enforce the guidelines. The second issue is the Election Commission’s (EC) decision to stick with the Parliamentary Elections Act,

which means they may not issue any circulars regulating the election campaigns.

Earlier, there was such a wonderful mechanism followed by them, but this time, they will not do that. My problem is that this is one of the most outdated elections acts. There should be amendments or at least a circular. I don’t see why there is an EC if they’re going to follow an election act that was introduced in 1981.

There have been a number of incidents of election violence reported in various parts of the country. Why do you think this is?

We haven’t received (complaints of) any major incidents of (election) violence, although we have received over 60 reports of election law violations. I’m not expecting much violence, but I’m expecting abuse of power and other violations like the use of government funds or public officials for election campaigns. I suspect there maybe intraparty conflicts over preferential votes.

Do you think there’ll be an increase in violence at this election in comparison to previous elections?

No, I don’t think so due to Covid-19 and the laws being strictly enforced. I must commend

the EC and the Police because the authorities have taken strict measures.

How do you view the health guidelines for the election? Do you think they are practical?

I don’t think they’re practical, but from the side of the EC, I can say they have taken many proactive steps and the polling centres could be some of the cleanest and safest places. Apart from that, the number allowed at election campaign rallies has been limited to 100 people, but now the Director General of Health Services has said this number can be increased to 500. However, my problem is that if the Prime Minister attends such a rally, his security team would be over 200 persons.

We have also seen house-to-house campaigns being carried out in the peripheries with no health guidelines being followed. Once the health guidelines are gazetted, this issue can be curtailed.

With the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) warning of a second wave of Covid-19, do you expect a lower voter turnout?

I don’t think so. Sri Lanka has experienced not only a pandemic, but also the 1983 violence and the 30-year civil war, during which time periods the voter turnout has been fairly high. At the last election, around 76% came out and I think the percentage would be the same this time.

The EC has requested that all name boards of former President Maithripala Sirisena be removed in Polonnaruwa as he is contesting from that electorate. Should this be done only in the Polonnaruwa District or in the entire country?

It should be applied all over the country. Projects don’t require the name or picture of a politician. Therefore, this should be applied to all parts of the country.

Contd. on page 14

Manjula Gajanayake

POLL CAMPAIGNS

YET TO FULLY KICK-START

The People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) said they do not expect a violent election campaign and expect a high voter turnout despite the pandemic conditions.Below are excerpts of The Sunday Morning’s interview with PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi.

How do you see the election campaign on the ground at present?

Compared with the number of candidates, there isn’t a serious election campaign in the country. There are about 7,452 candidates, out of whom at least 2,000 candidates are quite serious people who are trying to get elected. At the ground level, we haven’t seen many cutouts or posters, even though we made complaints against a couple of places for election law violations. But there isn’t any real competition between the political parties yet. However, this can change within a week or two because the campaigning period this time is a little longer due to the Covid-19 pandemic and we expect the competition to heat up closer to the election.

There have been a number of incidents of election violence reported in various parts of the country. How do you respond to this?

With regard to violence, there have been very few cases. Only three cases of assault were reported, and that too concerned intraparty violence. I don’t think there’s much violence for a couple of reasons. One is that there isn’t much competition between the parties. The second reason is that instances of violence usually took place when supporters went around pasting posters and putting up cutouts of candidates in the night. But this has changed because campaigning methods have changed now

and most candidates use social media as their

main tool. Another reason is that because these candidates forget their constituents once elected to Parliament, they lose the loyalty of their supporters. There is no political cadre anymore like there was around 10-15 years ago where supporters would volunteer to campaign for their candidate. Another reason for the reduction in violence is the enforcement of the laws by the Police and the Election Commission (EC).

Do you think there’ll be an increase in violence during this election in comparison to previous elections?

Not really. Even at the last election there wasn’t much violence. If you look at the 2010 election or even before, there were shooting incidents, assault, and murder. Now, the political culture has changed and we don’t expect much violence closer to the election, but propaganda and election violations could be high. Nevertheless, there might be some clashes between intraparty candidates. At present, we are getting complaints that ministers are using government functions for their campaigning but the junior candidates from the same party don’t have these advantages, which is causing stiff competition.

What do you think about the health guidelines for the election?

I don’t think some of the guidelines are practical but we cannot object as these guidelines are there for the safety of the

people. It is important for the health guidelines to be gazetted, because without doing so they have no legal value. We have seen through media that some candidates don’t care about the health guidelines and the officials have no power to enforce them until the guidelines are gazetted.

Will restrictions of the health guidelines for elections give an undue advantage to certain candidates?

With the pandemic situation, it is very difficult to do a door-to-door campaign or hold public rallies. But those who have financial power can use it to gain major publicity through conventional and social media.

With the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) warning of a second wave of Covid-19, do you expect a lower voter turnout?

Generally, in parliamentary elections and presidential elections, the turnout is quite high – around 75-85%. I think supporters of both the main parties will come out and vote. Maybe a small percentage of the elderly and pregnant mothers might be scared to come out and vote but looking at the presentation made by the EC this week, I think the polling centres could be the safest locations when it comes to the Covid-19 pandemic. I think if there is a change in the Covid-19 situation, voter turnout could be different.

Contd. on page 14

Rohana Hettiarachchi

MANY CHALLENGES

FOR MONITORS

The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) believes that there will be a spike in election violence in the coming weeks due to a rise in hate speech.Below are excerpts of The Sunday Morning’s interview with CaFFE Executive Director Manas Makeen.

How do you see the election campaign on the ground at present?

Starting from this weekend, all parties should start their campaigns at the grassroots level. The problem is that politicians are not following the health guidelines; it is important that the health guidelines are followed and enforced properly.

There have been a number of incidents of election violence reported in various parts of the country. How do you view this?

We saw intraparty violence increase within the last few days. We saw such an incident during a meeting of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). This time, we see that there is a big challenge for the United National Party (UNP) because a majority of their local council members are supporting the UNP, following a decision taken by the UNP high command that all local council members should support the elephant symbol, lest they face disciplinary action. However, there are also

local council members from the UNP who want to support (Samagi Jana Balawegaya [SJB] Leader) Sajith Premadasa but are afraid to come out because of the decision of the UNP high command.

Do you think there’ll be an increase in violence at this election in comparison to previous elections?

It is a possibility. We are seeing a gradual increase in hate speech. Hate speech is the starting point of violence because at the election stage, the candidates are accusing other candidates. One particular area is the Digamadulla District – this region has the most number of candidates contesting in one area with over 54 parties and independent groups. We have identified several hotspots for violence, which are Akkaraipattu, Sainthamaruthu, Kattankudy, Kinniya in Trincomalee, Kotapola in Matara, Puttalam, and Kurunegala.

How do you view the health guidelines for the election?

There are so many things that need to be followed up with regard to political parties, supporters, counting centres, officials, etc. when implementing the health guidelines. Most aspects are practical, but the issue is that the cost will increase due to these guidelines. Initially, the Election Commission (EC) said it’ll need Rs. 7 billion, but recently, the (EC)

Chairman said it could reach Rs. 10 billion. Furthermore, I feel the guidelines must be gazetted as soon as possible.

Will restrictions of the health guidelines give an advantage to certain candidates?

Some of the decisions taken

at the all-party meeting with the EC are questionable. The campaigning regulations are very important as there are many restrictions on election propaganda. Therefore, we see that this time, it is more difficult for small parties and poor independent candidates to contest.

With warnings of a second wave of Covid-19, do you expect a lower voter turnout?

Of the five types of elections, the most interesting is the parliamentary election. With provincial members carrying out campaigns on behalf of their candidates, more than 8,000 grassroots-level members are looking to contest. I think we can expect a normal voter turnout.

The EC has requested that all name boards of former President Maithripala Sirisena be removed in Polonnaruwa as he is contesting from that electorate. Should this be done only in the Polonnaruwa District or in the entire country?

I think islandwide enforcement is required because only in Sri Lanka do we see a former President step down and then contest for Parliament once again.

If so, shouldn’t this same rule apply to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa too?

Yes, definitely. It must be

enforced in Kurunegala. The problem is that we are seeing the ruling party politicians getting indirect promotions and advertising various government projects. But I think this being limited to their electorate districts is adequate.

What challenges are election monitoring groups facing in carrying out official duties under the pandemic conditions?

We are facing two types of challenges. One is that international monitors are not coming to observe the election at the ground level. The second is that we are facing high costs and expenditure as we have to take additional methods and provide health equipment in compliance with the Covid-19 guidelines. We have a strong monitoring cadre, so we must ensure their health and safety.

Are there any new initiatives taken by your organisation for this general election?

We are hoping to conduct a programme on a violence-free election. We have seen an increase in hate speech on social media platforms and the media. This is a precursor to election violence. We will go to all the districts and invite all party supporters, candidates, and all religious leaders to one place and pledge to conduct a violence-free election.

(SG)

Manas Makeen

INCREASE IN HATE

SPEECH IN CAMPAIGNS

GENERAL ELECTION

2020


12

FOCUSBY SARAH HANNAN

Women in Sri Lanka have been engaged in politics since the First State Council of Ceylon held from 1931-1935 with Adeline Molamure, who was elected from Ruwanwella, along with Naysum Saravanamuttu from Colombo North.

From 1931 to 2020, Sri Lanka has seen 124 seats allocated to women with Sirimavo R.D. Bandaranaike taking the reigns as the world’s first female Prime Minister on 21 July 1960 and her daughter Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga being appointed as the Executive President of the Third Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka on 12 November 1994.

Women’s equal participation in politics and their representation is recognised by the UN Convention on Eradication of all Forms of Discrimination against Women, of which Sri Lanka is a signatory state. The law in Sri Lanka states that women enjoy equal opportunities and equal rights as men, yet it is argued that in practice, the woman is only a second-class citizen in the country.

Female representation in people’s representative bodies in current Sri Lanka stands at 5.8% in Parliament, 1.9% in local authorities, and none at the provincial council level.

In this backdrop, the Election Commission (EC) is in the process of implementing a series of awareness programmes for representatives of political parties and women activists on the empowerment of women politically, amendments to the laws of local authorities’ elections, representation of women in local authorities, and issues thereof. The quota system of 25% representation in local authorities and issues of women’s participation in politics too will be discussed during these awareness programmes

Most of the political parties contesting this time have included at least two female candidates per political party for each electoral district.

This week, The Sunday Morning spoke to a few of the candidates and activist groups on how female representatives could impact the development of the country.

WOMEN SHOULD BE EMPOWERED TO HOLD OFFICE

Jathika Handa Co-convener and Stop Child Cruelty Trust Founder/Chairperson Dr. Tush Wickramanayake

52% of the population in Sri Lanka is women who carry the financial burden of a nation in their hands – the labour workforce of women in the Middle East is the main contributor for the economic stability of Sri Lanka. Yet, women form the most vulnerable and overlooked community as well. The grave situation of the women stuck in the Middle East is a classic example of how the Government of Sri Lanka treated our “golden girls”.

Sri Lankan politics have a rich ancestry with pedigree politics taking the lead. Female politicians become overnight sensations when they step into their dead father’s, husband’s, or brother’s roles. Although there may be few successful features in each of their careers, the abysmal depth in the quality of female representation is because they are transformed overnight into the political arena. Unlike in the developed countries, these females have no formal training in politics or experience in working up the ladder of the state service machinery or social services. Hence, the following statistics prove that we should be super intelligent to leave the wrong women out and be courageous to vote the right women in – quality vs. quantity.

During the term of the last Parliament, there were 13 (later 12) female MPs. There were 400 parliamentary sessions but they only spoke on matters relating to women on 15 occasions in total – a shocking 0.28%. Some did not even speak once and some never spoke even on their subject matter.

A prime mistake that successive governments have made is to amalgamate the two most vulnerable communities in society, women and children, into one ministry; Ministry of Women and Child Affairs. Even though 52% of our population are women and are the main income generators from Middle East employment, women have lost their

voice not only in Parliament but also in society at large, attracting lower income than their male counterparts in the job market in the professional/corporate field, in entertainment, and sports. They are imprisoned in their own homes due to domestic violence, a subject still taboo in our society. We must be more outspoken and endorse zero tolerance of abuse by any politician on any platform to make it a fair playing field.

A woman has the natural skills of management and organisation. They are gifted with the natural emotions of sympathy and empathy. They are stronger mentally. However, most women are deprived of coming forward in a male-dominant political arena because of a lack of funding, lack of support from their families, and the current pungent state of politics. Therefore, we must encourage our sisters with moral support, defend them against discrimination, increase awareness and training, and empower women to hold office.

DEVELOPMENT FROM A HUMANE PERSPECTIVE

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Gampaha District candidate Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle

56% of the country’s registered voter population is female and 52% of the population of Sri Lanka is female, yet we have not been duly represented in Parliament. By appointing a female representative to Parliament, the women of Sri Lanka will have the opportunity to change many laws and regulations that are hindering the progression of careers and personal wellbeing of women; laws and regulations that are at present used to discriminate against women.

For decades, we have been struggling to amend the minimum age of marriage that is set out in the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA). Furthermore, there are several personal laws which discriminate against women which need to be looked at and amended as well. This can only be achieved if there is a woman’s voice in Parliament who can bring these issues to light.

We need to also look at bringing in

clauses to the Shop and Office Employees (Regulation of Employment and Remuneration) Act and amending other labour laws which will empower women to progress in their careers and serve in top managerial positions. If we do not address the discrimination that is faced by women, we are only using half of the population to develop the country.

If women representatives are elected to Parliament during the decision-making process in prioritising sectoral development, they will look at it from a more humane perspective and focus on improving human resources, increasing quality, and adding emotion to the country’s development – for instance, improving the quality of education and providing vocational training, which will not require many budgetary allocations.

REAL ISSUES OF WOMEN HAVE NOT BEEN RAISED IN PARLIAMENT

National People’s Power (NPP) Matara District candidate Saroja Savitri Paulraj

We call upon all Sri Lankans to look to the future of their children and not to make the same mistake. Use your vote for the betterment of your child’s future. Vote not for only women of decorum, but also for women who are able to make a real difference in your problems and struggles to make your child’s future better.

It was our country that produced the world’s first female prime minister; the country that produced the world’s first female executive president. But think of the plight of women in our country. Among women, 52% of the population, 40% of the pregnant mothers suffer from anaemia. Nearly 50% of schoolchildren suffer from undernourishment; of the 100 babies born, 16 have low premature birth weight; we are the second most in inherited malnutrition in Asia; our country places fourth in poverty; one in every 50 persons is addicted to drugs; and one out of every 50 families is imprisoned. All of them are the children of our mothers.

Rulers have brought the country to a state of tragedy, which has become a culturally serious matter. Therefore, we invite you to make a decisive turn in the

2020 general election and make a wise decision for the future of your children, instead of the politics of promises. Vote for the representatives of the entire nation from the nationalist movement and elect a representative who does not betray the mandate. Today, there is 5.8% female representation in Parliament. The country with the highest female representation in the Asian region is around 32%. We don’t have a problem with the number of people, but it is necessary to question whether the Parliament has so far received representation of women who could embody the voice of the real people of our country.

We condemn situations where people’s representatives are taken for a joke. A woman should be able to stand for her mandate. Harassment or verbal abuse and sexual harassment on social media are condemned with contempt. This is a major obstacle for women in Sri Lankan politics.

Politics of politicians, descended from powerful families, are undermining women’s politics. This is a serious issue. Adolescence is a time when we should take up challenges and stand up against stealing, cheating, and corruption. But now, the young generation has become a society that often defends criminals and protects them.

The younger generation is kneeling beside the politicians. There is no social progress or advancement in such a country. So, give your mandate to the women who see the offence as offensive; stand up against injustice, stand up against stealing and thuggery, and compete for the compass of the national force. If your child has to go behind a politician for education and employment, we propose to end that political culture in 2020. I invite all politicians who are not sold under a systematic and systematic programme to rally on a path of pride and dignity.

ELECT STRONG-MINDED FEMALE REPRESENTATIVES

United National Party (UNP) Kandy District candidate Shrima Shanthini Kongahage

The UNP, being one of the oldest political parties, this time too will have our loyal supporters who will intelligently use their right to vote during the upcoming

election. As a people’s representative and as a council member who has served the Kandy District for over 15 years, I believe that once elected, one must keep the political biases aside and look for ways to uplift the country’s citizens’ livelihoods.

Our party has a trusted governing mechanism which has always looked at developing not only the area that we get elected from, but the country as a whole. While the SLPP will have the upper hand in this election, we too should be ready to support the vision of the ruling party. After all, we get elected to Parliament to be the voice for the thousands of people that vote for us.

For a country’s government to efficiently function, a strong opposition needs to be established. That means, the parliamentarians that get elected should closely observe the development work that the ruling party will continue once the new parliament is elected for 2020.

Today, political parties select their candidates based on not their ability to do grassroots-level development work, their social service rendered, or their political experiences and contribution to the country’s development, but rather on what their net worth is and whether they are able to finance the political party’s election campaign. It is a sorry state of affairs that we have to deal with.

Presently, our country’s political atmosphere is built on fear-mongering and attempts to influence the law of the country through thuggery. This needs to be changed and it is the people of the country who have the power to do so.

I would urge the voters to take an intelligent decision when exercising their votes this time, regardless of the political party that is represented. This time, I have observed that in most districts, we have well-read and highly skilled female candidates that have joined in.

It is the responsibility of the citizens of Sri Lanka to elect strong-minded female representatives to Parliament, so that there is a visible female representation that can voice out the pain points that women face in this country and find solutions for long-standing issues that need to be addressed.

I would also like to commend the work done by female parliamentarians during the last Parliament’s ruling.

Firstly, the sexual education book that was to be distributed to Grade Seven students, “Hathe Ape Potha”, was a publication designed by Dr. Thusitha Wijemanne while she was serving at the Ministry of Health. That was something that the education system was lacking all these years. Creating awareness among adolescents about their sexual and reproductive systems in turn improves their quality of education and can contribute towards improving their quality of life too.

Secondly, Dr. Sudharshani Fernandopulle, representing the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) while serving in parliament committees to address issues of violence against women, issues of children, and issues faced by state sector workers, was seen as an instrumental figure that became the voice for these sectors. Dr. Fernandopulle has also contributed immensely to develop children’s health and education and improve the level of education in poverty-stricken rural families by offering scholarships to deserving children.

AN IMPORTANT DECISION

Social activist and entrepreneur Vraie Cally Balthazaar

Over the last five years, we have repeatedly shared our concern about the very small number of women who have represented us in Parliament. I also find it very problematic that only one woman below the age of 40 holds office.

Having more women in Parliament is important to be able to create a future that is representative of us, as citizens. If we are to create a system that is truly responsive to our needs, it makes more sense to have people who understand and empathise with our concerns, specifically as women.

The list of women contesting at this general election is sadly not very long, but I hope we are able to take some time to study about the women in our respective districts. The push to have more women on the list must be a proactive one and should begin well before nominations.

We must remember that too many decisions about women’s rights, work, and bodies are taken by a group that does not represent the majority of our population. This is what we must strive to change.

Case of QUALITY VS. QUANTITY

zWill we succeed in fulfilling the 25% quota?


FEMALE REPRESENTATIVES TO PARLIAMENT


13

FOCUSthe sunday morningSunday, July 5, 2020

13

BY SARAH HANNAN

The Government is to consider the recommendations that were presented on the report that was published recently by the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) South Asia titled “Lives upended: How Covid-19 threatens the futures of 600 million South Asian children”, and will be conducting its own study to identify the gaps the pandemic has created, and provide solutions to solve such matters.

The UNICEF report highlighted that 30% of the families surveyed had reduced expenditure on food.

Responding to the recommendations made by UNICEF in the report, Government Spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella noted that, at the outset of the lockdown, the Government distributed the Rs. 5,000 allowance to low-income families and elderly persons regardless of the criteria that was set forth.

“What was estimated to be 58,000 families soon turned out to be 7.8 million persons. Altogether, Rs. 80 billion was allocated as the Covid-19 relief allowance, which was never banked and was in circulation during the lockdown.”

Rambukwella believes that while there would be a temporary setback, the measures taken by the Government and the activities being done to follow up, will address the recommendations suggested by UNICEF.

Commenting further on the statement of the drop in food consumption, Rambukwella noted that not only Sri Lanka but countries around the world would have reported a drop in food consumption.

“People’s consumption behaviour experienced an impact; some drastically reduced eating out or ordering takeout and opted to cook meals at home. In the Sri Lankan context, people were unable to purchase their regular consumables as movement was restricted and supplies, especially of imported brands, were reduced.”

He also took note that while the Government did address most of the essential issues during lockdown, there would have been oversights in certain areas.

The Government is adjusting their mechanism in rebuilding the country’s economy whilst making sure that the people are facilitated adequately to ensure a healthy citizenry, he added.

“We are definitely going to make a serious note of the findings that UNICEF has presented and will take the necessary steps to transition from ‘response to Covid-19’ interventions towards ‘sustainable climate-resilient development’ interventions which will safeguard the nation’s most vulnerable child,” Rambukwella stated.

He added that when it comes to the nutrition and wellbeing of pregnant mothers, newborns, toddlers, and children, the Government will seek the advice of the health authorities to take a call on ensuring the health of the vulnerable groups that are highlighted in the report.

Nutrition and educationAs the report points out, the

school lockdown affected more than just lessons.

There are many rural and urban schools that provide midday meals to students that hail from poverty-stricken families. These schools have the bare minimum facilities to educate the children that attend. Many children attend school with the prospect of being able to eat one square meal per day.

Moreover, the students lacked access to technology for the teacher to share lessons through online platforms.

This has visibly created a gap in the country’s education system where a smaller percentage is afforded the ability to continue studies even during lockdown. This has in turn affected a majority of the school population that does not have access to educational programmes that are aired on TV and radio.

The Ministry of Education proposed that lessons and activities be sent through the postal services. However, the restrictions on movement and lack of a lesson dissemination mechanism hindered any efforts, leaving the children from the poverty-stricken families in the dark throughout the lockdown.

Owing to the health guidelines, schools will now be restricted in providing the midday meal for the children as well. School canteens too will not operate until the Ministry of Health issues proper guidelines to commence its operations, which will push children back to unhealthy food consumption habits.

Overcoming challengesz Mechanisms to be amended as required

GOVT. CONSIDERS UNICEF RECOMMENDATIONS

UNICEF requests governments to commit to strategies from 2021 to transition their responses to post-pandemic sustainable climate-resilient development interventions, as mentioned below:

y Ensuring the short-term Covid-19 response leads to the development of a stronger long-term health system that provides universal, accessible, affordable, and quality primary healthcare for all

y Continuation of positive child protection practices developed during the Covid-19 response, including promoting alternatives to detention and diversion, the closure of institutional care, and reduction of alternative care

y Additional investment in education systems (including improved reach of distance learning modalities) that comprise universal access to early childhood development, quality basic education, and secondary education that allows adolescents to develop the necessary skills for active citizenship and employability

y Creation of opportunities for the participation of young people (particularly adolescent girls) that foster their capacities

for innovation and social entrepreneurship

yBirth registration for every child as the basis for the provision of a full range of vital health and other services

y Alignment of long-term economic recovery plans with climate goals and targets enshrined in the Paris Agreement to promote sustainable development approaches with a focus on increasing the resilience of the most vulnerable groups

y Fostering a broad partnership embracing public and private sectors, corporations, religious leaders, and community-based organisations of women and young people committed to building a better future for children

2021 AND BEYOND

We are definitely going to make a serious note of the findings that UNICEF has presented and will take the necessary steps to transition from ‘response to Covid-19’

interventions towards ‘sustainable climate-resilient development’

interventions which will safeguard the nation’s most

vulnerable childGovernment Spokesperson

Keheliya Rambukwella

Explaining incumbent obstacles faced by PHIs, he spoke of the inadequacy of power conferred to PHIs through the Quarantine and Prevention of Diseases Act that has also not been gazetted.

“We have continuously urged the Minister to follow up on our request. We spoke to her last week, where they wanted a few more days. We are hopeful that they would take some action in the coming days,” he said.

Mudalige also noted that the guidelines pertaining to the

forthcoming election have not been gazetted yet.

The Sunday Morning spoke to Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) Deshabandu Tennakoon on law enforcement pertaining to the current situation.

He said the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has instructed all police personnel around the country to send individuals travelling without masks to quarantine centres.

“Accordingly, those who do not wear masks in public places and public transport, and who behave in a manner which increases the risk of their nasal droplets entering another’s body, will be sent to quarantine centres.”

He further said that upon receipt of the information, the authorities will investigate those who fail to comply with the Quarantine and Prevention and Diseases Act and also those who, for whichever reason, fail to comply with the guidelines provided by the Ministry of Health, and enforce the law as per the Act with regard to these individuals. Meanwhile, he also stated that some people were still under self-quarantine within the Western Province.

Apart from this, he stated that while Covid-19 patients have not yet been found amongst the community, the authorities will remain vigilant of areas previously regarded as high-risk zones.

Contd. from page 6

Combating...



14


MANUFACTURING UNIBUFFELS

“But it must be categorically stated that the AG has not given any such opinion. That opinion is a prerequisite to signing the MCC,” Jayawardana said.

Detrimental to pass as act in Parliament

However, Jayawardana noted that the most detrimental feature of the MCC agreement was its requirement to have it passed in Parliament as an act.

“That complicated the whole situation and it has a direct effect on the legislative rights of the citizens of Sri Lanka. Legislative rights that citizens can exercise are exercised through Parliament. If we agree to sign this, we undertake to enact this in Parliament. If enacted, then the importation of various foreign laws can happen,” Jayawardana said.

He noted that Article 7.1 provided for the requirement to be enacted by Parliament.

“The MCC Compact also has a lot of references and cross-references to US laws, so those US laws will be indirectly imported to Sri Lanka through this. That is how the question relating to sovereignty being breached is reached. There are so many other instances where

questionable situations could be created relating to sovereignty.”

Article 7.1 states: “The Government shall proceed in a timely manner to complete all of its domestic requirements for this Compact and PIA (programme implementation agreement) to enter into force. The parties understand that, consistent with Sri Lankan law, prior to the Government sending the letter described in Section 7.3, this Compact is to be submitted to an enactment by the Parliament of Sri Lanka.”

Jayawardana also noted that several other countries, such as Nepal, have had to face adverse effects of entering into the MCC agreement.

“In Nepal, there is an issue because the Nepali Government is now refusing to pass this as an act of Parliament. The US is putting immense pressure on them through various sources. I don’t know why that is. If the state is not willing to accept what is sent along with this so-called grant, why are they coming and saying that this has to be done?”

When The Sunday Morning questioned as to whether Nepal should have reviewed the

agreement before entering into it, Jayawardana agreed that that should have been the case.

Another country was Madagascar, which saw the implementation of the MCC programme abruptly stopped.

“Madagascar is another country which has seen a negative impact as a result of entering into the MCC Compact. They entered the agreement and implemented the programme when the MCC suddenly stopped from their end and they began making some changes to the Compact.

“There are so many other countries that have suffered adverse effects. Let’s put it this way – only one or two countries would have been about 0.5% better off as a result of this agreement. Most of the countries have been worse off.”

Two prev. agreements not directly part of MCC

Meanwhile, Expert Committee Head Dr. Gunaruwan clarified that the two agreements mentioned in their report, which had been signed by the former Government, were not part of the MCC agreement itself.

“The Yahapalana Government had agreed to

other agreements by the MCC group. These two agreements are not directly part of the MCC compact itself.”

According to the report, two agreements had been signed in 2017 and 2018 amounting to $ 7.4 million and $ 2.6 million, respectively.

Dr. Gunaruwana however noted that these two agreements would only come into effect if the monies had exchanged hands.

“We could not find any receipts for these two agreement transactions and recently, we saw the US Ambassador state that they had not made any payments to the Sri Lankan Government. If that is the case, then those agreements would not come into force.”

Dr. Gunaruwan reiterated that the MCC agreement should not be signed in its current form.

“This agreement will be seriously harmful to the sovereignty of the country. If the Government needs to sign the agreement, then it must be properly amended to ensure all negative aspects are omitted. Then the amended agreement must be reviewed before taking any decision to sign it,” he said.

A bittersweet...Contd. from page 5

BY SKANDHA GUNASEKERA

A new milestone was reached this month by the Sri Lanka Army when it manufactured and handed over nine air-conditioned Unibuffels to the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) headed by United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping under an urgent operational requirement.

The landlocked West African nation of Mali has been plagued by ethnic strife, which has required the deployment of the UN Peacekeeping Force to maintain a semblance of law and order, along with Sri Lanka-made Unibuffels, three containers, and one recovery vehicle for the Combat Convoy Company (CCC) of the Sri Lankan UN Peacekeeping Force.

Presently, 243 Sri Lankan UN peacekeepers, including 20 officers and 223 other ranks, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Nihal Gallage, with 65 vehicles, are serving the Mali combat squadron.

In this context, Sri Lanka had taken the notable endeavour to produce and manufacture a number of Unibuffels solely through the domestic industry.

The Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Regiment (SLEME) of the Sri Lanka Army is responsible for completing the landmark project.

A Unibuffel is a a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) armoured personnel carrier, which is a modernised, modified version of the Unicorn. MRAPs are specifically designed to transport personnel and have the ability provide protection from various explosive devices such as improvised explosive devices (IEDs) commonly used by terrorist or extremist militia groups.

These vehicles and equipment were closely inspected by Directorate of Overseas Operations Director General Major General W.A.S.S. Wanasingha on 25 June at the base workshop in Katubedda before it was handed over to the Commander of the Army the next day.

At a ceremony on 26 June, Army Commander Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva handed over the convoy of vehicles to be shipped to the West African nation.

Potential for more demand“We are very happy to have been

able to ship this consignment of nine Unibuffels and one foreign-manufactured recovery vehicle for use by 243 heroic Sri Lankan CCC troops serving the UN Peacekeeping missions in Mali for the last two years.

“We have reached an understanding with the UN over the number of such vehicles that should be made available to those troops. Earlier,

imported WMAZ vehicles, which are very expensive, each costing about Rs. 40 million, were purchased for those UN troops.

“Those combat squadrons are generally supplied with those vehicles, but our skilled SLEME troops, spending nearly one-fourth of that expenditure, managed to produce those vehicles in an impressive manner even before this stock.

“Our troops, who have expertise

in demining roles, are performing commendable duties in Mali and other overseas assignments. During the Covid-19 crisis, our great Sri Lankans, without wasting time being confined at home, produced an assortment of innovations and new products which would save millions for us, if we continue to produce these here.

“We believe that once this message of our capabilities is communicated, there could be a demand for it even from foreign nations in the future, since a Unibuffel serves as a very essential accessory to infantry troops,” the Army Commander said at the event.

Military Spokesman Brigadier Chandana Wickramasinghe told The Sunday Morning that the Sri Lanka Army had reached new heights with the manufacture of these state-of-the-art military vehicles.

“The Sri Lanka Army is always centred on self-reliance. We were able to manufacture these Unibuffels with a clear understanding of the tough terrain and conditions in the African continent, particularly in the Sub-Saharan region of West Africa.”

Designed to specificationsBrigadier Wickramasinghe said the

vehicles were designed according to the specifications of UN standards and were fully air-conditioned unlike older models, thereby allowing troops and personnel to withstand

the scorching desert heat while being transported.

“The number of troops that can be transported is higher than previous versions, and most other such armoured personnel carriers do not have the added comfort and protection provided by our Unibuffels.”

The Media Spokesman pointed out that the new Unibuffels had two mounted gun turrets while the Unicorn and other similar vehicles only had room for a machine gun turret; this is in addition to being comfortable enough for troops to travel 1,000-plus kilometres for various military operations.

“We used to import such military vehicles in the 1980s from South Africa. But in the last decade, we have begun officially manufacturing these vehicles ourselves, maintaining high standards but at low cost.”

He pointed out that while it would cost around Rs. 40 million for a similarly refurbished armoured personnel carrier, the Sri Lanka Army was able to manufacture these for just over Rs. 5 million.

“We now know that we have the technology, knowhow, and the capability to invent and manufacture such equipment and vehicles, and we expect to produce more in the future. Once word spreads of the high standards of such products and the tremendous cost benefit, we are certain more requests will come to produce more of these.”

A new milestone for ArmyThe fleet of Unibuffels

Invitees and guests at the handing over ceremony on 26 June

“Even though the company’s gross profit ratio remained at 13% in 2019, the same as the previous year, it has struggled with a significant operating loss amounting to Rs. 1,643 million in 2019, which is an increase of 24.7% over 2018. Revenue declined by 13% to Rs. 25,492 million in 2019, compared to Rs. 29,166 million in 2018, mainly due to LSL’s failure to meet the customers’ demand for essential food items. Although other expenditure has reduced by 4%, this benefit has not been capitalised due to loss of margin through revenue reduction and increased interest expenses, which led to an increase in net loss by 32.5%, compared to 2018.”

Going back five years, Sathosa had only recorded a profit in 2015 – a total Rs 1.2 billion while the following years 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 saw losses of Rs. 5.1 billion,

Rs. 2.7 billion, Rs. 2.2 billion, and Rs. 2.9 billion respectively.

Plan for debt payments

Co-Cabinet Spokesperson Dr. Bandula Gunawardana said the Government had already formulated a plan to pay off the debt of the CEB and the CPC.

“The CEB and CPC are the largest loss-incurring state enterprises. With the intention of paying off their debt, we set up the Fuel Price Stability Fund. We will use this fund to balance the losses and debt at the CEB and CPC,” Gunawardana said.

He explained that the Government would maintain domestic fuel prices despite reductions in global oil prices and use the profits earned by this process to finance the fund.

“Whenever there is a drop in global fuel prices, the profits earned by the Government domestically, by maintaining the local prices, would not go to

the Treasury. Instead, they go to a separate account at the Bank of Ceylon set up to feed this fund,” Gunawardana said.

He said that the Government expects to collect Rs. 200 billion for the Fuel Price Stability Fund.

With regard to state institutions such as SriLankan Airlines and Sathosa, Gunawardana said that heads of such entities must introduce new business models to increase profits.

“It is the responsibility of the heads of the state-owned enterprises to revive these institutions and bring in a new business plan so that they can make profits once again,” he noted.

Meanwhile, the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance S.R. Attygalle, said that an economic turnaround would take time.

“Losses in these institutions, such as the CEB and the CPC, are extremely high. They cannot be transformed into profits overnight but it will gradually happen,” Attygalle said.

An uphill...Contd. from page 4

Contd. from page 11

The EC has requested that all name boards of former President Maithripala Sirisena be removed in Polonnaruwa as he is contesting from that electorate. Should this be done only in the Polonnaruwa District or the entire country?

The law must be applied in the entire country in the same manner. In general, I think law enforcement authorities are taking action.

If so, shouldn’t this same rule apply to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa? Not only is his name on cutouts, but it is also appearing on school names and buildings. Isn’t that also an unfair advantage?

He was the President of this country and he is now the Prime Minister. He has been a prime minister for a long period and in his official capacity, his name will appear in various places. It

should apply in the same manner to Maithripala Sirisena but there will be some sort of effect if it is in Kurunegala as it is Rajapaksa’s electorate.

In that sense, I think this should only apply to their individual electorates. In reality though, I don’t think that we should do that in every district as former presidents’ names can appear in various places.

What challenges are election-monitoring groups facing in carrying out official duties under pandemic conditions?

Administratively, we are facing a lot of challenges at the ground level. We have to get prior approval for our workshops and training programmes; when we select our observers, we have to have specific criteria considering the Covid-19 situation. This is all added work. Earlier, we would have elderly election monitors

but because of the pandemic, we have to avoid recruiting them. There are also added expenses because we have to provide extra equipment such as sanitary items and personal protective equipment (PPE). So our expenses went up by about 30%. But we must understand that if we can carry out day-to-day activities with Covid-19, then we must conduct the elections the same way.

Are there any new initiatives taken by your organisation for this upcoming election?

There is nothing new, but for the 12 March Movement, we urge the candidates to publicise their assets and liabilities documents. If they are genuine and want to show that they’re clean and qualified people for public office, then they should reveal their assets and liabilities. They can publish it on their Facebook page or even send it to us so that we can publicise it. But they don’t have to send it to us if they are willing to publish it themselves.

(SG)

Many challenges...If so, shouldn’t this same rule apply to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa as well?

If his image is in polling stations, then it should be applied islandwide.

What about his name boards on schools and buildings?

Yes, I agree that this is controversial. The problem is that thousands of schools are being used as polling stations. But so many schools are named after presidents such as J.R. Jayewardene or R. Premadasa, and so we requested the EC not to use these locations, but they pointed out that it wasn’t practical as they have a limited number of options.

What challenges are election monitoring groups facing in carrying out official

duties under the pandemic conditions?

In the beginning, we were under the impression that election monitors wouldn’t volunteer, but all of those who we worked with earlier have agreed to work with us. But at the same time, the problem with working under Covid-19 conditions is providing health insurance and other health measures, so our expenses have doubled as a result. Another problem is that election campaigns are being carried out on social media even more this time and we are facing challenges adapting to that; we are using the Right to Information (RTI) Act in this regard. We are also changing our strategies. We have a new unit at the CMEV where over 35 people are working on election campaign monitoring. Another

problem is the lack of a level playing field for the candidates.

Will restrictions of the health guidelines for elections give an advantage to certain candidates?

If the health guidelines are gazetted, I don’t think it will be a big advantage for the candidates contesting under the ruling party. Regarding the guidelines though, I don’t think anyone can get an unfair advantage.

Are there any new initiatives taken by your organisation at this election?

Yes, a couple of things. Apart from our traditional monitoring missions, we have introduced an election campaign unit to monitor campaign financing. Second is the heavy use of the RTI at the elections. Third is inclusive elections – as mentioned earlier, we are going to deploy disabled persons as observers to carry out monitoring.

Poll campaigns...

The coronavirus pandemic has already created havoc in the world of professional tennis. The French Open has been rescheduled and the Wimbledon tournament has been cancelled. However, the US Open organisers are hoping to go ahead with their tournament in late-August at Flushing Meadows. Of course, with the world being as it is, there will be unprecedented methods and actions which will be in effect if the tournament does go ahead.

Czech Tennis President’s Cup tournamentIn this regard, it is important to note that

there was a tournament which was held in Czechoslovakia in the last week of May which followed some extraordinary rules. This tournament, which was won by former Grand Slam winner Petra Kvitova who defeated Karoline Muchova in the final, could be used as an example for the US Open.

The above tournament, named Czech Tennis President’s Cup tournament, was held with all the line judges and ball kids wearing masks, without spectators, no handshakes allowed, and the ball kids barred from handling the towels. Only a few officials wearing masks observing social distancing was present at the matches. As Kvitova observed after winning the final, “It was strange but it went off well”.

The US Open However, in fact, the US Open is hoping

to go even further in implementing safety measures for their tournament. Whilst nothing has been finalised as of yet, the following actions are being discussed in terms of having a safe tournament for the players:

y Special flights for playersIt is envisaged that special chartered flights

for the players using the tournament partner

airline, Emirates will be arranged. It is also further predicted that the players would be asked to stay in a hotel “bubble”, where only the tournament players would be staying, perhaps even at the JFK Airport Hotel.

Players will undergo coronavirus tests and have to produce a negative result before they are allowed to board the service, with Paris or perhaps Madrid mooted as Europe’s hub given its accessibility by road from other cities.

y No line judgesLine judges might not be officiating at the

tournament. Instead, a computerised line-calling system could be used. With several cameras around the court to deem whether a shot is in, an automated voice will be able to call out within a tenth of a second of the ball landing.

y Ball personsBall kids are an integral part of Grand

Slam events. Some of their mishaps have become legendary. But in this tournament there might be no ball kids. Instead, there might be ball persons. Adults are expected to do this job so that kids would not be exposed to any danger.

y Only one coach allowedAll the top players in the world travel with

entourages. But in this case, only one coach might be allowed to be with the player.

y Limiting practice facilitiesIt is also being mooted to limit practice

facilities for the players on the days that they have no matches. That way, players who have to be onsite at Flushing Meadows for their matches will be more protected, while players on down days will be asked to keep away from certain areas of the grounds.

The above-mentioned actions have not been universally approved, with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic all expressing reservations. Djokovic described the protocols being suggested – which includes being billeted at airport hotels and having only one support team member – as

“extreme”. However, with him having tested positive for Covid-19 only this week, his participation is now very much in doubt anyway.

The ‘big’ three riftBut a rift is opening up between the big

three of men’s tennis and their lower-ranked counterparts. British No. 1 Dan Evans was undoubtedly speaking for many other players when he called for the international circuit to return as quickly as possible – even if it means playing in front of no spectators and having reduced entourages.

Evans’ view is that the three mega millionaires should be prepared to give back to the game by committing themselves. He believes the best way they could help less wealthy, lower-ranked players is by making sure a major earning opportunity is put forth for their income-starved colleagues. “If the US Open were to go ahead, I would hope that everyone would support it and be out there,” said the world No. 28.

“Genuinely, it wouldn’t even bother me if the top guys were allowed to take two people or three. For tennis it would be great to get back out there. This might be tennis for a little while now, with no crowd. How long are we going to wait? Are we going to wait until we can have perfection?

‘I would be happy to go there with one coach; I’ve even heard people talking about sharing a coach or a physio(therapist). There’s an opportunity to get it out there on TV and there would be no bigger support for lower-ranked players financially than helping them with a Grand Slam (the US Open is likely to offer around $ 50 million prize money). There’s a player relief fund, but the first or second round of a Grand Slam, there’s nothing bigger than that; you can’t compare a player relief fund to that,” he said, further underscoring the strength of feelings among the lower-ranked players.

Tennis an “outlier”Tennis has now become an outlier among

other major sports in still having failed to come up with a cohesive roadmap for a return to action as the Covid-19 crisis begins to ease in many countries. There will be compromises and once it becomes evident that the tournament will go ahead, the top players will overcome their reluctance to travel, fearful that fellow competitors might steal a march.

Coronavir-US Open amidst the pandemic

The fundamental laws of physics indicate that perpetual motion would occur if there are no external unbalanced forces. As it turns out, these “external forces” are everywhere in our universe, making perpetual motion an impossibility. Fortunately, Sir Isaac Newton’s famous laws of thermodynamics have no jurisdiction in the realm of chess. When set in motion, some events on the chessboard may contain continuous periodic movement.

White to play and draw Moravec (1924)

The general rule of thumb is that two connected passed pawns on the sixth rank win against the lone rook. Here, with the black pawns already on the seventh, the white rook has to pull off a miracle to save the game. White must either give a check or threaten a checkmate every move.

1.Ra1+ Kb8 2.Rb1+ Kc8 3.Ra1 (threatening 4.Ra8#) Kd8 4.Kd6 Ke8. The black king reaches for the relative safety of g8, when the white king can’t keep up with the excellent “shouldering” job. 5.Ke6 Kf8 6.Kf6 Kg8.

The black king reaches g8

White mirrors his earlier plan with 7.Ra8+ Kh7 8. Ra7+ Kh6 9.Ra8 and soon it becomes clear that black king’s around the board journey is ad infinitum. 9... Kh5 10.Kf5 Kh4 11.Kf4 Kh5 (11...Kh3 12.Rh8#) 12.Kf5 and the draw is achieved.

The principle of continuously attacking the king – perpetual check – is a well-known drawing method in chess. Usually seized by the inferior side to salvage a game, this ends the game as a draw either by threefold repetition or under the 50-move rule.

The famous “Djaja study” contains one of the most surprising perpetual checks of all time. The drawing method is so delightfully simple yet elusive. Even the modern computer engines fall under the spell of the Djaja study and have a hard time deciphering its secrets. The legend has it that many famous Grandmasters could not find the solution after spending hours and hours wrestling with it.

The critical position of this infamous “whi te - to -p lay-and-draw” s tudy comes after black’s third move.

White to play and drawConclusion of the Djaja study (1972)

The position may appear complicated. Yet, all you have to do is find a single move and then you can explain your way to a draw.

The counterintuitive idea that many a Grandmaster failed to find is 1.Nh6!! Now after 1...Rxh6 2.a8=Q, white has an easier draw. But what if black simply ignores the knight and plays 1...a2? That’s the real point of the study. Incredibly, starting with 2.Rg7+, white rook simply has a perpetual check on the g-file and the black king simply has nowhere to hide.

White has a perpetual check on the g-file

ChessBase founder Frederic Friedel once asked the retired Gary Kasparov to solve the Djaja study saying that it took over a minute for Rybka– the strongest chess engine at the time – to solve. Kasparov reasoned that if Rybka takes “that long” to find the solution in an open position, then it must be a perpetual check, and came up with the correct solution in a couple minutes.

The following position may appear somewhat nonsensical, but it features one of the finest achievements in chess problem composition, so bear with me.

White to play drawMeyer (1882)

Desperately down in material, white saves the day by starting with 1.Nf5+ and using the two knights in tandem to force the black king on an elliptical path around the board.

1.Nf5+ Kd7 2.Ne5+ Kc8 3.Ne7+ Kb8 4.Nd7+ Ka7 5.Nc8+ Ka6 6.Nb8+ Kb5 7.Na7+ Kb4 8.Na6+ Kc3 9.Nb5+ Kd3 10.Nb4+ Ke2 11.Nc3+ Kf2 (11...Ke1 12.Nd3#) 12.Nd3+ Kg3 13.Ne4+ Kg4 14.Ne5+ Kf5 15.Ng3+ Kf6 16.Ng4+ Ke7 17.Nf5+

After 17 moves, it ends exactly the way it started!

WITH OUR READERS’ HEALTH IN MIND A SPECIAL ANTIMICROBIAL INK HAS BEEN USED IN THE PRINTING OF OUR NEWSPAPERthe sunday morningSunday, July 5, 2020

5

SPORTSthe sunday morningSunday, July 5, 2020

15

THE CHESS CORNER

by Dulan Edirisinghe

Attacks of the perpetual kind

Dinith Pathiraja

ON COURT

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old,

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn,

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.– Laurence Binyon

Major General Ananda Sri Sisira Kumara Hamangoda, RWP, RSP, USP, was a brave, smart, and efficient army officer who made the supreme sacrifice 24 years ago.

The Brigade Commander of the 51-2 Brigade based in Jaffna, Hamangoda was killed on 4 July 1996, when an LTTE female suicide bomber detonated explosives strapped to her waist as the motorcade he was in stopped at Stanley Road in Jaffna town.

His dedication towards the Artillery Regiment, judged by all that he did, was commendable; he has gone on record as a warrior who rendered a yeoman service to the Regiment with the help of his ocean of

knowledge and experience.His sporting prowess in cricket, volleyball, as

well as in boxing contributed to the promotion of sports activities in the Army.

Hamangoda was married to Indrani Hamangoda, a teacher at Royal College, Colombo and they had two daughters, Buwani and Maheshni, and one son, Dulshan.

A brave officer, gentleman, and a sportsman par excellence

Maj. Gen. Ananda Hamangoda

BY REVATHA S. SILVA

(Special thanks to Mahendra Mapagunaratne in Ontario, Canada)Sudat (also spelled as Sudath) Pasqual is the youngest to have played One-Day International (ODI) cricket for Sri Lanka. Following are excerpts of an interview The Sunday Morning Sports had with Pasqual.

What are you doing these days?I’m living in Calgary, Canada these days

with my wife and two daughters.

What about your early days?I’m from Matugama. My father is

Ananda Pasqual who was an educationist. My mother’s name was Lakshmi. Daya T. Pasqual, who was Matugama Member of Parliament from 1956 to 1977, was my grandfather.

I have two brothers, Ajitha, who captained Royal College in 1973, and Pramith. My sister is Ayomi who now lives in New Zealand.

I moved to Royal for my studies when I was in grade five. My cricket coaches there were one Senanayake, Col. H.T. Gunasekara, Gamini Salgado, and Mahes Rodrigo.

What about your early cricketing carer?

I was selected to play for Sri Lanka Under-

19 in 1979 to play in the Ali Bhutto trophy encounter against the Pakistan Under-19 team. The team included Ranjan Madugalle, Rohan Buultjens, Arul Muszaphar, Rumesh Ratnayake, Ravi Ratnayeke, and Vinothan John. In 1980 I played for Sri Lanka Schools against the Indians which featured Ravi Shastri.

On your career with Royal College?I played our Big Match against S. Thomas’

in the years of 1978, 79, and 80. In the year 1979, I fared well for the school in the then Exide Trophy Tournament scoring 700-plus runs and taking over 40 wickets. I was born on 15 October 1961. So, when I was 17 years old, I was picked for the Board President’s XI that played in the Robert Senanayake Trophy domestic tournament.

Then you were picked for the Sri Lanka team?

Yes. That was for that long tour of England to play in both the International Cricket Council (ICC) Trophy for the associate member and the World Cup that year. We had to qualify for the World Cup by entering the ICC Trophy finals. We won that beating Canada in the finals.

Then our victory against India in the World Cup justified our cause to get Test status subsequently.

Sudat PasqualThe youngest ODI cricketer of Sri Lanka

SUDAT PRAJIV PASQUAL Born: 15 Oct. 1961 Current age: 58 Batting: Left-handed Bowling: Right-arm mediumRecords Batting: 2 ODIs, 24 runs (highest 23 n.o.) at an

average of 24.00(Played in the 1979 Prudential World Cup in England for Sri Lanka in two ODIs, against New Zealand and India. Sri Lanka beat India in Manchester on 18 June 1979 to record their first-ever win over a Test-playing country in an ODI match. In that game, Pasqual scored 23 n.o. in 26 balls having a decisive partnership for the fifth wicket with Duleep Mendis for 52 runs. In his debut match on 9 June 1979, played against New Zealand in Nottingham, Sudat set a record as the youngest-ever to play ODI cricket for Sri Lanka, a record which still remains intact) First-class cricket: Seven matches, 250 runs (highest

101 n.o.) at an average of 35.71; in bowling, three wickets with the best being 3/34

THE YOUNGEST IN ALL FORMATS (IN BOTH SL AND THE WORLD)IN TEST CRICKET

World: Hasan Raza of PakistanDebut: 14 years and 227 days(Vs. Zimbabwe in Faisalabad on 24 October 1996)SL: Sanjeewa WeerasingheDebut: 17 years and 189 days*He is the 25th youngest in the world(Vs. India in Colombo on 6 September 1985)

IN ODI CRICKETWorld: Hasan Raza of PakistanDebut: 14 years and 233 days(Vs. Zimbabwe in Quetta on 30 October 1996)SL: Sudat PasqualDebut: 17 years and 237 days*He is 40th in the world(Vs. New Zealand in Nottingham on 9 June 1979)

IN T20I CRICKETWorld: Meet Bhavsar of KuwaitDebut: 14 years and 211 days(Vs. Maldives in Al Amerat on 20 January 2019)SL: Akila DananjayaDebut: 18 years and 359 days*He is 130th in the world(Vs. New Zealand in Pallekele on 27 September 2012)

Sudat Pasqual with his family now in Canada

Sudat plays for SL U-19 in 1979 against Pakistan in a 50-over match at P. Sara which SL won by 47 runs

sportsSunday, July 5, 2020

No Davis Cup, Fed Cup finals this yearInitially scheduled for 23-29 November, the virtual World Cup of men’s tennis, the Davis Cup’s finals were postponed until 22 November 2021, it was reported last week. Its corresponding women’s event,

the Fed Cup’s finals were due to take place in April

but they too were postponed. All 24 ties of World Group

I and World Group II (in which Sri Lanka is

taking part) of the Davis Cup too were deferred to 2021. Spain is the title defender of the Davis Cup.

Another FIFA official bannedFormer FIFA Deputy Secretary General Markus Kattner was banned from football for 10 years, insidethegames.biz said last week. He has been found guilty of conflicts of interest and abusing his position. Kattner, who also served as the world governing body’s Finance Director, was additionally fined $ 1 million (Rs. 185 million) by the adjudicatory chamber of FIFA’s Ethics Committee. FIFA’s sixth President Sepp Blatter of Switzerland, 84, too was banned in 2015 for eight years.

Clay Court Nationals restart on 18 JulyThe Sri Lanka Clay Court Tennis Nationals, one of the highest-rated tournaments here, was postponed early-March due to the pandemic. It will now restart on Saturday, 18 July, about two weeks from now, said Ganendran Subramaniam, the Tournament Manager on Friday (3).

Printed by the Kalukodayawa, Malwana Press & Published by Liberty Publishers (Pvt.) Ltd. 91, Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 7


Last Friday (3) , International Cricket Council (ICC) Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) General Manager Alex Marshall explained why the global watchdog was not investigating the matter.

“The ICC Integrity Unit has looked into the recent allegations regarding the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Final 2011,” Marshall said in a media release. “At this time, we have not been presented with any evidence that supports the claims made or which would merit launching an investigation under the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.

“There is no record of any letter regarding this matter sent by the then Sri Lanka Sports Minister to the ICC,

and senior ICC staff at the time have confirmed they have no recollection of receiving any such letter which would have led to an investigation,” Marshall said. “We have no reason to doubt the integrity of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Final 2011. We take all allegations of this nature extremely seriously and should we receive any evidence to corroborate the claims, we will review our current position.”

Now the Sri Lankan Police is swiftly shutting down its investigation over lack of evidence as well. Over the past few days, as cricketers were hauled in for questioning, public opinion also seemed to have strongly opposed the investigation.

No evidence to support claims: ICC ACU

Sri Lankan cricketers and selectors have been cleared of fixing allegations and the investigation into the 2011 World Cup final dropped, after no evidence was found to support former Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage’s allegations. On Friday (3), the ICC’s (International Cricket Council) Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), too, said that it had “no reason to doubt the integrity” of the match, which was won by India.

Kumar Sangakkara (Captain of that World Cup side), Aravinda de Silva (Chief Selector), and opening batsman Upul Tharanga were summoned to appear before a special investigation unit set up by Sri Lanka’s Sports Ministry. They were each questioned for hours. Mahela Jayawardene, who scored a 100 in that game, was also due for questioning, but the

investigation was halted before he appeared before the unit.

No investigation by ICC either

“From the three statements we’ve got, it was clear to us that the 14 points brought forward by Mahidananda Aluthgamage could not be substantiated,” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jagath Fonseka told Lankadeepa. “Although it was said that a complaint letter had also been sent to the ICC, the ICC itself has not indicated that. The ICC hasn’t opened up their own investigation either.”

Aluthgamage’s allegations had largely but not exclusively focused on selection. In particular, he had made the point that Sri Lanka had made four changes to their XI for the final. Sangakkara, Jayawardene, and de Silva, however, had always maintained that those changes were precipitated by injuries to Angelo Mathews and Muttiah

Muralitharan in the semi-final. Muralitharan did eventually play the final, but has since said that he was not fully fit. Mathews, the all-rounder who provided balance to the XI, could not play.

Why the team was changedAluthgamage had also alleged

that Sanath Jayasuriya’s omission from the World Cup squad was suspicious. As the Sports Minister at the time (Sri Lankan sports ministers have sway over the selection process, under the 1972 Sports Law), Aluthgamage is understood to have tried to get Jayasuriya into the squad. Jayasuriya had been dropped for poor form in 2009, however, and had not played a single ODI in 2010 or the start of 2011. The investigators are believed to have asked de Silva at length about why Jayasuriya was left out.

“All three of the statements we took provided reasonable explanations (as to how that game panned out),” Fonseka said. “They

especially gave explanations as to why the team was changed. The other thing is this happened back in 2011.”

Run-up to the electionsThe fact that the investigation

was even launched was due to anti-corruption legislature which was only passed last year. The notion that the corruption, which allegedly occurred years before the legislation was passed could be investigated under that Act, has been a shaky legal concept in any case.

Aluthgamage, who was the Sports Minister during the 2011 World Cup, made the allegations in the run-up to the 5 August parliamentary election, in which he is seeking re-election. Although he claims he has evidence in hand, no substantial proof has ever been made public. While he has stated that he made a complaint to the ICC at the time, the ICC has never confirmed this.

(Cricinfo)

Sri Lanka Police drop corruption probe

2011 WORLD CUP FINAL FIXING PROBE

Srimathie was the fourth of my family of five. Her 20th death anniversary falls today, 5 July 2020.

I’m the last in my family with the other elder siblings being Susil, Padmini, Cyril, and Srimathie. None of them are living now.

Out of them all, Srimathie akka (elder sister) was the most innocent in our family. She attended Sacred Heart Convent and Southlands College, Galle.

She was married on 30 May 1960. Her beloved husband was Percy Wejegunasekara, who was Head of Finance at the Colombo Municipal Council then. Percy was an old boy of Holly Cross Collage, Kalutara and St. Peter’s College, Colombo.

Srimathie akka followed in the footsteps of our parents as well as her elder sister Padmini by taking to a career of teaching.

She became a trained English teacher and taught at various schools including Revatha Vidyalaya in Balapitiya, Sri Subhuthi Vidyalaya in Kalutara,

St. Paul’s Girls’ School in Bambalapitiya, and St. Joseph’s Convent in Nugegoda before retiring from Musaeus College in Colombo.

Srimathie’s children are Shamini de Almeida, a Visakhian who is now a senior state attorney at the Attorney General’s Department. She used to call me “Jolly Uncle” when she was very young. Shamini’s husband is Dr. Marius De Almeida, an orthopaedic surgeon. Srimathie’s four grandchildren are Amanda, Lasini, Hiruni, and Yalinda.

A Sanghika Dhana (an almsgiving to the Buddhist monks) in her name will be held on today at her former residence in Nugegoda.

I earnestly wish that she may attain the supreme bliss of nibbana!– Ever loving malli (younger

brother) Percy Abeysekera

She was the most innocentz Srimathie Wejegunasekara, née Abeysekera,

20th death anniversary

Late Srimathie Wejegunasekara

Former Australian batsman Michael Hussey is fearful of the prospect of Australia hosting the T20 World Cup in October/November. He says a 16-team event amid the raging Covid-19 pandemic could prove to be a logistical nightmare, Indian Express reported on Friday (3).

Cricket Australia itself has said that it is a bit “unrealistic” to stage the T20 World Cup as per schedule in the current circumstances but the ICC is yet to take a final call on the matter. Hussey too doesn’t see the showpiece event taking place this year.

“I am really fearful about the T20 World Cup to be honest and the reason for that is I think it is okay to bring out one team to play international cricket and get them to isolate and stay safe and prepare well for a series,” he said on a podcast called HotSpot.

“But having to bring a number of teams and getting them to isolate to prepare and then move around the country to different venues, I think, will be a logistical nightmare. From what we are hearing, perhaps the T20 World Cup will have to be postponed for 2021 or even 2022,” said the southpaw.

The India tour of Australia that has been scheduled after the T20 World Cup is likely to go ahead as per the plan, according to Hussey.

“I am a lot more positive about

the Indian tour of Australia going ahead, and the reason is bringing one team to tour here and getting them to a hub is easier.” For example, the Adelaide Oval has just built a hotel connected to the stadium, so that the Indian team could base themselves there, train and prepare for a series, and play against Australia.

“We have all got our fingers crossed, as we know that this pandemic keeps throwing these curve balls and we need to adapt and move quickly,” said Hussey.

England is currently hosting the West Indies for a three-Test series starting on 8 July, marking the resumption of international cricket after a four-month hiatus caused by the pandemic.

Talking about cricket in a biosecure environment, Hussey said the series would have to be called off in case a player tests positive for Covid-19, the possibility of which is high.

“Because of how contagious this virus is, you would think if one person has got it or is affected, with how close everyone is in proximity, it is probably going to be passed on to a number of people in the team. What are you going to do? You will have to replace five, six, or seven members of the team; that will be very tough. If someone does test positive or shows symptoms, they have to immediately call off the game,” he added.

T20 World Cup could be logistical nightmare: Hussey

T20 World Cup unlikely this year

2011 World Cup

BY REVATHA S. SILVA

The Asia Cup cricket tournament, which was earlier planned to be held in Sri Lanka in September, has been postponed till mid-next year. The decision was made at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting held yesterday (3).

“It was postponed till mid-next year. The main reason is the Covid-19 situation in the region. Even in Sri Lanka, the guidelines are still very much stringent even for us to start our domestic tournament.

This hesitation is the main reason for the postponement,” a senior official of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) told The Sunday Morning Sports on Friday (3).

Although it was Pakistan’s turn to host the Asia Cup this year, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) offered to swap hosting years with SLC in an ACC meeting held last month. The ACC Asia Cup is a T20 international cricket tournament, in which Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka participate.

Asia Cup postponed till mid-next yearz Uncertainty created by pandemic takes its toll

Sri Lanka has to wait another year for Asia Cup

businessHOW SRI LANKA

REALLY PRICES FUEL

»SEE PAGE 7


THE PETER PRINCIPLE IN A BUREAUCRACY»SEE PAGE 5

APPLE INC. TRADEMARK CASE

YALA PALATUPANA LAND CASE

BY MADHUSHA THAVAPALAKUMAR

The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) termed the allegations of conflict of interest against their Chairperson by Lanka Realty Leisure (Pvt.) Ltd. as “mischievous”, before the Colombo District Court extended an enjoining order against the SLTDA.

The extension of the enjoining order was made by Colombo District Court (DC) Chief Judge Amali Ranaweera on 30 June, when the defendant

SLTDA submitted arguments of their side in the Yala Palatupana land case. The enjoining order was initially issued on 16 June.

The land is owned by the SLTDA and was leased to Ascot Leisure Ltd. (as Lanka Realty was earlier known) in 2014. Lanka Realty Director Hisham (Hardy) Jamaldeen filed the case against the SLTDA last month, alleging that SLTDA Chairperson Kimarli Fernando is attempting to give the seven-acre plot of land in question to another

investor arbitrarily. The plaintiff company in the

lawsuit alleged that Fernando was doing this to support her husband Malik Fernando’s hotel business, Wild Coast Tented Lodge Ltd., which is situated in a property adjoining the said land. The plaintiff stated that there was a conflict of interest.

According to the arguments from the plaintiff company, even though they were behind schedule in developing the land they leased for 99 years, the SLTDA was willing to provide another chance before the appointment of Fernando as the Chairperson.

Contd. on page 2

SLTDA denies conflict of interestzEnjoining order extended


Complaints levelled by Sri Lanka’s alcohol manufacturers against the quality and quantity of locally produced ethanol were dismissed by Lanka Sugar Company (Pvt.) Ltd., the government body that manages two state-owned sugar distilleries at Sevanagala and Pelwatta.

Following the ban on imported ethanol, alcohol manufacturers had to purchase ethanol from the two aforementioned distilleries, but the manufacturers were not too in favour of local ethanol as they complained that the local production is inferior in quality and that the production is nowhere close to cater to the local demand of ethanol.

Rejecting these complaints, Lanka Sugar Company Chairman Janaka Nimalachandra, speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, stated that the two state distilleries are capable of catering to the national ethanol demand, yet they were not producing ethanol at their full capacity due to lower demand from local alcohol manufacturers for local ethanol.

“Sri Lanka requires about 30-35 million litres of ethanol per year; this is the national requirement. We supply about 80-85% of that. There is no question about whether Sri Lanka has the capacity to produce 35 million litres. Of course we can. We were performing at less than half the actual potential of our distilleries because certain alcohol manufacturers were purchasing ethanol abroad at substantially higher prices for no distinctive reason,” Nimalachandra stated.

He added that the two distilleries have budgeted to collectively produce 12 million litres of ethanol this year, which could be expanded if required.

Terming the complaints made by the alcohol manufacturers over the quality of the ethanol “funny”, he noted that Lanka Sugar Company had not received any complaints from consumers or alcohol manufacturers so far in this regard, but such complaints were seen only in the media, which according to him is itself proof that the complaints are “utter lies”.

Furthermore, Nimalachandra noted that the second largest alcohol manufacturer in Sri Lanka has been fulfilling 100% of their ethanol requirement through the said two distilleries for years and the manufacturers and its consumers have never complained of the local ethanol.

Moreover, he stated that alcohol companies that are complaining now were purchasing large amounts of ethanol locally for their production two years ago and added that those companies were more than satisfied with the quality of local ethanol at that point. Hence, he questioned the newfound issue with the quality.

“This is basically one manufacturer who has been complaining about the local ethanol. How is it that customers who have been drinking the same blend for years are complaining now? My question is are these consumers not the ones who have been consuming arrack from the second largest alcohol manufacturer?” Nimalachandra questioned.

Nevertheless, here stated that even if there is an issue with the quality of the local ethanol, Lanka Sugar Company is willing to upgrade its plants to match the requirements of the alcohol manufacturers.

“In terms of the alcohol percentage in ethanol, we are already there, matching the requirements. But, if manufacturers seek better ethanol in terms of purity, we are ready to make a change and match the requirement. The reason this had not happened over the years was because there was no guarantee they will buy from us,” he added.

According to him, instead of strengthening local industries by purchasing ethanol locally and trying to solve issues with the local ethanol amicably, certain alcohol producers have been giving up on local ethanol increasingly over the last few years which resulted in Lanka Sugar Company incurring a net loss of Rs. 1.4 billion, last year.

He added that a leading alcohol manufacturer in Sri Lanka was purchasing 12 million litres of ethanol locally in 2016 which dropped to just 6 million litres last year, affecting the profitability of Lanka Sugar Company directly.

As a move to rescue the state-owned company, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, along with the relevant authorities, had a number of meetings with the alcohol manufacturers, where the President requested the manufacturers to purchase ethanol locally.

Contd. on page 2

Ethanol maker dismisses alcohol lobby complaintsz Complaints only after imports were

banned: Lanka Sugar Company

Lanka Sugar Company Chairman Janaka Nimalachandra

BY UWIN LUGODA

Both The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) and the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) have voiced their support towards the decision to postpone the reopening of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).

Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, THASL President Sanath Ukwatte and SLAITO President Mahen Kariyawasam expressed their support towards the postponement as the safety of the country comes first.

Ukwatte stated that it was a good thing that the reopening was delayed due to most of Sri Lanka’s biggest markets like India and Europe experiencing its second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. He explained that considering the challenges that those countries are facing and the general election that is coming up on 5

August, it was a good decision overall.According to the 2018 Sri Lanka Tourism

Development Authority (SLTDA) Annual Report, India was Sri Lanka’s biggest tourism market, bringing in around 424,887 tourists to the country, and European countries like Germany were in the top five, with around 156,888 tourist arrivals.

Contd. on page 2

Tourism industry understanding of postponement

THASL President Sanath Ukwatte

SLAITO President Mahen Kariyawasam

BY UWIN LUGODA

Stassen Exports (Pvt.) Ltd., which is being sued by US tech giant Apple Inc. over the use of their iconic logo, said that Stassen Exports is in a different trademark classification and therefore the use of a similar logo is not an issue.

According to President’s Counsel (PC) Nihal Fernando, who is representing the defendant, the company used the logo on one of their tea brands, which put the company under the Class 30 trademark classification that is mainly used for types of food,

drinks, and cooking ingredients. Speaking to The Sunday

Morning Business, he explained that since Apple Inc. did not fall under the same classification, the

use of a similar logo should not be an issue as it would not create any confusion between the two brands.

All attempts to reach Stassen Exports for further comments

on the matter proved futile as multiple officials of the company we spoke to said they were not aware of such a lawsuit or issue and failed to direct us to anybody in the company who was informed of the matter.

Trademark classifications are used to register trademarks depending on the goods and services the brand is offering, and also help distinguish the goods and services of different enterprises. These will also protect a company’s identity under its class.

Contd. on page 2

Stassen makes ‘different class’ argument

SLTDA Chairperson Kimarli Fernando

BY CHARINDRA CHANDRASENA

Controversial businessman Arjun Aloysius has been served with a contempt motion for failing to honour an enjoining order issued against him, barring him from interfering in the management of alcohol producer W.M. Mendis & Co. Ltd.

The motion has been served by Jayasiri Holdings (Pvt.) Ltd., to which Aloysius handed over W.M. Mendis & Co. for a 10-year period in 2018, while he was in

remand custody over the Central Bank Bond Scam, The Sunday Morning Business reliably learnt.

The enjoining order was originally issued on 9 June, and

subsequently extended on 16 June and 2 July respectively. According to Jayasiri Holdings, Aloysius has continued to engage in the management of the company in breach of the enjoining order. For instance, Jayasiri Holdings said that Aloysius had instructed them not to make any payments over Rs. 500,000.

Contd. on page 2

Aloysius in contempt of court?zOffshoot of Mendis ownership casezSummoned to appear on 10 July

the sunday morning businessSunday, July 5, 2020

2

NEWSWITH OUR READERS’ HEALTH IN MIND A SPECIAL ANTIMICROBIAL INK HAS BEEN USED IN THE PRINTING OF OUR NEWSPAPER

To honour frontline healthcare workers, integrated digital marketing company ADA Sri Lanka has raised a private donation of Rs. 0.5 million via employee contributions and adopted an innovative approach to make the most impact by engaging Sri Lankan youths through their most consumed content medium – videos.

“As a team, we were determined to support the healthcare workers in the fight against Covid-19 in our own capacity. We established an internal fund under ‘ADAFORGOOD’ that had very soon amassed Rs. 0.5 million,” commented ADA Sri Lanka Managing Director (MD) Rozy Laxana. “We simply wanted to ensure this donation created the impact it was intended to. We wanted to do what we do best – connect with people across multiple digital platforms – so that we could make this donation more meaningful, collaborative, and highly impactful.”

Upon careful consideration and evaluation, ADA said it selected the Colombo East Base Hospital (CEBH) Mulleriyawa for the donation; the hospital is one of the six main hospitals treating Covid patients in Sri Lanka, including most

of the patients diagnosed within the Navy cluster. The hospital reported its rapidly increasing need for a range of medical supplies including face masks, gloves, and goggles – basic personal protective equipment (PPE) that’s essential for the safety of all first responders during the pandemic.

“We know the power and reach of digital platforms, and as a leader in our field, we took the responsibility of spreading a message of encouragement

and empowerment to our frontliners,” explained ADA Sri Lanka Director – Client Leadership Sanjini Munaweera. “We brought in our digital, data, and creative experts together to identify how to best utilise these online platforms that had become the most consumed medium during the pandemic. That’s where our message had to be.”

ADA’s insights showed that online videos and music streaming was ahead in terms of media consumption. Adding the company’s

unrivalled data and advanced analytics expertise to this equation, ADA launched “DIRIYA”, a musical tribute to frontline heroes. Lyrics to the song, written by Malini Liyanage and Lucky Lakmina, were brought to life by talented young artists Hirushi Jayasena, Piyath Rajapakse, and Tehani Imara. The music video production was carried out in collaboration with Dice Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd. and Digital Content (Pvt.) Ltd., with the support of Pasan Liyanage of Redfox Productions.

“It was important that the content was appealing to the young masses of Sri Lanka who are our largest demographic online,” Dice Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd. Co-founder/Director Fahmee Oowise commented. “We brought together a team of young talent for the production of the song, and by understanding the variables in the equation thanks to ADA’s digital capabilities, we reached a much wider target audience than first anticipated.”

Next came engagement. ADA invited Sri Lankans to do their own rendition of the song and upload it on their channels tagging #ADAFORGOOD. In return, ADA pledged to donate Rs. 5,000 of its private fund

under the participant’s name. In a matter of days, the song surpassed 100 cover renditions, resulting in the Rs. 0.5 million pledged by the company. The covers were uploaded across YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok, resulting in over 500K-plus campaign views and counting. Close to 30 more young artists supported the campaign alongside the ADA team members.

“Connecting with the right audience across the right medium and the right platform resulted in the huge success of the DIRIYA campaign. I want to congratulate everyone that volunteered their talent and time to support us in this effort. We utilised our own resources to make a significant impact during a time when people are looking for inspiration. We sincerely hope that is what we provided through the DIRIYA campaign,” Laxana stated.

To conclude the successful campaign in appreciation of all talented Sri Lankans who sang their hearts out in gratitude to the healthcare workers, ADA has produced a final mash-up video with all uploaded cover videos, now available for viewing and sharing on the @adaasia.lk Instagram page.

From left: CEBH Mulleriyawa Deputy Director Dr. Muditha Perera, ADA Sri Lanka Director – Reach Ruzni Izath, ADA Sri Lanka Campaign Specialist Janith Gamage, ADA Sri Lanka Country HR Lead Iresha Wijayasiri, and Dice Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd. Co-Founder/Director Fahmee Oowise witnessing the donation being handed over to CEBH Mulleriyawa on 12 June 2020

ADA salutes health workers with donations and viral song

Aloysius...The application made by W.M. & Co.

Mendis to set aside, vacate, or vary the enjoining order was refused by the court. The court fixed the date 10 July 2020 for Arjun Alosius and a fellow director to plead to the charge of contempt.

When contacted for comment, Aloysius refused to discuss the matter over the phone.

“This is a matter that is in court. I can meet you and discuss this, but it’s a court matter so I will not talk over the phone,” he said.

Aloysius is the central figure in the Bond Scam, for which he spent nearly a year in remand custody, and is the owner of primary dealer, Perpetual Treasuries Ltd. He is the son-in-law of disgraced former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran.

He was arrested in February 2018 and in April 2018, while in remand custody, he had a management agreement signed between W.M.Mendis & Co. and Jayasiri Holdings, handing over the management of the former to the latter for a 10-year period. However, a short while after he was released on bail in January 2019, Aloysius had repeatedly attempted to assert himself over Jayasiri Holdings by constantly entering the premises located in Welisara and interfering in the affairs of the management, according to Jayasiri.

As the ownership of the company still lay with Aloysius, this had created several complications, both legal and interpersonal. Furthermore, the controversy surrounding Aloysius and his company Perpetual Treasuries Ltd. had resulted in bad publicity for W.M. Mendis & Co., with rumours spreading that Aloysius had taken back control of the company, Jayasiri said.

Therefore an enjoining order was obtained by the company on 9 June from the Commercial High Court to prevent Aloysius interfering in the management of W.M. Mendis & Co. M.U.M. Ali Sabry PC with Attorneys-at-Law Buddhika Illangatillake and Samhan Munzir appeared for the plaintiff company instructed by Attorney-at-Law Dhammika Jiminige.

Up to now, Jayasiri Holdings said it has made millions of rupees worth of investments into reviving and developing W.M. Mendis & Co., particularly since its liquor license was cancelled and the company had gained a bad reputation. The expenses borne by Jayasiri Holdings in settling overdue staff payments, the reactivation of the liquor license, and general improvements to the company alone amounted to over Rs. 800 million, the company said.

Aloysius gained control of W.M. Mendis in 2011 when his company Perpetual Capital Ltd. acquired a controlling stake in the popular liquor producer for reportedly over Rs. 1 billion. It was at the time the most significant acquisition made by Aloysius.

W.M. Mendis & Co. is one of the four players in the alcohol industry, which is led by the Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka and also includes Rockland Distilleries and International Distilleries Ltd.

Ethanol maker...However, the request was denied by

certain manufacturers. Nimalachandra noted that the alcohol

industry cannot say that the ban on imported ethanol was announced out of the blue as

there was a number of meetings held on this matter in December last year, and the President had to resort to the ban as certain manufacturers were adamant to not comply with the request made by the President.

Meanwhile, former State Minister of Export Agriculture Janaka Wakkumbura too denied the complaints over local ethanol, labelling the complaints as propagating rumours, and upheld local production, stating that the local ethanol is of the same standard as the imported ethanol. He added that if manufacturers are encountering any issues with regard to the taste and smell of their product, that is certainty not because of the local ethanol, but rather due to a manufacturing issue.

SLTDA...The plaintiff has charged that Fernando

then decided to terminate the contract arbitrarily.

However, the defendant SLTDA in their submission stated that the plaintiff’s allegation against the Chairperson of the defendant is “mischievous and devoid of clean hands for collateral purposes”.

The SLTDA stated that Lanka Realty maliciously, fraudulently, and wrongfully made the allegation and misrepresented to the court that the decision to terminate arose due to a conflict of interest in the Chairperson and stated that the SLTDA and the Chairperson reserve the right to seek appropriate remedy against the plaintiff for the damages caused.

According to the defendant’s submissions, the decision taken to terminate/cancel the leasing agreement the plaintiff entered with the SLTDA was prior to December 2019. The current Chairperson was appointed on 12 December 2019 and the appointment was accepted on 20 December 2019, and thus all decisions in any event pertaining to the cancellation and the subsequent decisions to grant the lease to another investor was done before her appointment, the SLTDA said.

The SLTDA further said that after the presidential election in November 2019, the President and the Cabinet of Ministers had not changed the previous Cabinet’s decisions to endorse the termination of the lease of Lanka Realty and award the lease to a foreign investor. Furthermore, they stated that the Board of the SLTDA and the Ministry of Tourism do not have faith in Lanka Realty and do not desire the company to be in possession of this land anymore.

Meanwhile, SLTDA Director General (DG) Dhammika Wijesinghe, defending the Chairperson, told The Sunday Morning Business a few days ago that this matter is beyond the control of Fernando and if there is a cabinet decision, the SLTDA is obliged to pursue it.

“The investor was supposed to commence commercial operations by 2018, within 24 months. All this time, they have been more or less silent. No development has commenced. They have gone to the court and said there is vested interest, but there is no vested interest. This decision was taken in 2019,” Wijesinghe noted.

Another allegation made by Lanka Realty is that Fernando should have kept completely out of this matter, considering her personal connection.

However, Wijesinghe noted that this was not possible as during the interim period

between the resignation of former DG Chandani Werapitiya and the appointment of Dhammika Wijesinghe as the new DG in March, Fernando had to attend to matters which would otherwise have been handled by the DG.

BackgroundThe seven-acre land plot in the Yala

Palatupana Tourism Zone was leased to Lanka Realty (formerly known as Ascot Leisure Ltd.) for 99 years on 13 May 2014. Lanka Realty made a down payment of Rs. 29.3 million for the land and has settled taxes for the period until 20 December 2020 and has been paying an annual fee of Rs. 10,000 every year, according to the plaintiff.

However, a cabinet memorandum dated 18 July 2019 stated the company failed to pay any single monthly payment. Furthermore, even as of 26 February 2018, when the implementation time frame given for Lanka Realty by the SLTDA had expired, no construction work had begun on the site.

Due to the long delay in developing the land, a proposal was made by then Minister of Tourism Development, Wildlife, and Christian Religious Affairs John Amaratunga to lease this land to One Nature (Pvt.) Ltd., a Dubai-based wildlife hotel chain that has hotels in Tanzania. The proposal was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers on 9 August 2019.

Accordingly, the SLTDA Board at the time had terminated the lease agreement and taken physical possession of the property under Clause 12 of the agreement, which was given to One Nature in August 2019 for an investment of $ 15 million.

Nevertheless, Lanka Realty stated that its reasons for delay were duly communicated to the SLTDA. Lanka Realty has attributed the delay in commencing construction work to a dispute between the shareholders of the company, the Easter Sunday incidents, and the latest Covid-19 pandemic. As per what was communicated to the SLTDA, Lanka Realty had been under the impression that an extension to complete the project was acknowledged.

In a letter dated 13 November 2019, the SLTDA informed Lanka Realty that they are treating Lanka Realty’s project as abandoned due to the lack of progress.

In response to the letter mentioned above, Lanka Realty sent letters and had discussions with the then DG of the SLTDA and the Minister of Industrial Export and Investment Promotion, Tourism and Aviation Prasanna Ranatunga. Fernando was appointed the Chairperson of the SLTDA a few days after these meetings. On 3 February, Lanka Realty had a meeting with the Chairperson of SLTDA.

According to the lawsuit filed by the Lanka Realty, the SLTDA, without providing any response to their meetings with the Lanka Realty, had “fraudulently” taken steps to execute a deed of declaration for the cancellation of the lease deed. Subsequently, the SLTDA had lodged a complaint on 2 June 2020 with the Hambantota Police against Lanka Realty, stating that they had made an illegal construction at the site. An inquiry was held on 10 June 2020 at the Hambantota Police Station. It was recorded that this is a civil action and that the Police cannot intervene. The Police directed to settle the issue amicably or in court.

In the aforementioned circumstances,

Lanka Realty sought action and an injunction preventing the SLTDA from cancelling the said lease and if such steps have been already taken, to make such action null and void ab initio and prevent the SLTDA from granting the rights of the land mentioned in the lease to another third party or taking any further steps to terminate the lease.

Tourism...According to Ukwatte, Sri Lanka is not

the only country that is postponing their reopening as countries like the Maldives, for which tourism is 28% of their GDP, has also delayed their reopening from 1 July to 15 July, which is also not finalised.

Speaking about bookings, he stated that they have not received a lot for the month of August, and the ones they have received are from independent travellers, as local tour operators are yet to start operations.

“Countries like India, Germany, the UK, and Australia, some of our biggest markets, are experiencing new challenges and imposed lockdown in certain regions, so we have not received too many bookings or inquiries for the month of August,” he noted.

Ukwatte explained that from what they have seen, most of the tourists in European countries are opting to go on trips closer to their home countries. He went on to state that because of this, they are not expecting a huge number of tourists right now and are instead preparing for Sri Lanka’s main tourist season of December.

“Right now, the European market is choosing short-haul travel, so long-haul travel probably will only develop towards the end of the year,” he said.

For now, he stated that the THASL is planning to maintain Covid guidelines and get the hotels certified by an independent authority. He also stated that they are planning to advise visitors on the proper procedures to follow when entering Sri Lanka, such as doing a PCR test before leaving their respective countries, the PCR test conducted when landing, staying in a hotel until they receive their results, and the two PCR tests conducted after the next five and 10 days.

“It is a good thing we have these procedures, because we want to ensure that the people who enter the country are Covid-negative, and the foreigners understand that. These procedures also make the foreigners feel safe and secure when they are in Sri Lanka,” he reiterated.

Speaking for SLAITO, Kariyawasam stated that at the moment they are supporting the plans to postpone, as he believes that the correct protocols should first be in place to protect the health of the people of the country. He explained that there needs to be one verified voice that can add clarity to the protocols that are currently in place, before opening the airport.

“The priority has to be the health of the nation; we need to make the correct decision at the correct time before opening Sri Lanka to tourists. So the protocol for the tourists coming into the country has to be clearer, because there are some grey areas right now,” he noted.

Kariyawasam also suggested that the country should observe the other countries that are slowly opening, and look into opening a few corridors down the road, to countries that are currently less affected by

the pandemic, like South Korea and the UK. He stated that the industry here should start talking to the governments of these countries and get on their safe travel lists.

After more than three months of closure of the BIA, following President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s decision on 17 March to ban the entry of visitors for one week in a partial shutdown of the airport in order to contain the spread of the virus, the Government aimed to reopen the country on 1 August. However, speaking to The Sunday Morning, Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) Assistant Secretary Dr. Naveen de Zoysa said that it has been postponed as the return of expats posed a risk.

“If foreigners also start entering the country soon after, it could make matters worse. There is already a risk of a second wave as a result of a Sri Lankans returning from overseas,” he explained.

He stated that several countries that had supposedly contained the pandemic were now experiencing a resurgence of cases. He explained that countries like China and Australia have seen a sudden spike in cases due to the reopening of borders and easing of lockdowns.

Dr. de Zoysa said that a date to reopen could only be decided upon considering the conditions of the pandemic.

Stassen makes...However, upon further research carried

out by The Sunday Morning Business through the National Intellectual Property Office (NIPO) archives, we learnt that a logo owned by a famous international brand overrules the classification system.

In the case file found in the NIPO, it stated that Stassen has been using the logo since 2013. While the NIPO had initially rejected the logo, the file stated that the company appealed to the NIPO with evidence of the logo being used, and managed to get it registered.

Apple Inc. first filed the Intellectual Property (IP) action in the Commercial High Court of Colombo by way of plaint on 21 January 2020 against Stassen Exports, in line with a strong stance taken in protecting their IP rights worldwide.

This was due to Stassen Exports applying and obtaining the registration to use a logo that resembled Apple’s iconic logo, consisting of an apple with a leaf slanting to the right and a distinctive bite taken out of the right-hand side, and using it on their products. The plaintiff pleaded that the defendant’s mark ought to be nullified under Section 134 of the Intellectual Property Act No. 36 of 2003 as well as on the grounds of the registration amounting to an act contrary to honest trade practices in contravention of Chapter XXXII of the Intellectual Property Act. The defendant appeared in court on 17 June 2020, the summons returnable date, and the learned High Court Judge M. Ahsan R. Marikkar fixed 19 August 2020 as the date for the defendant to file its answer.

Apple Inc., the plaintiff, was represented in court by Dr. Harsha Cabral PC, who appeared with Nishan Premathiratne and Migara Cabral, on the instructions of Juanita Desiree Perera.

The defendant, Stassen Exports (Pvt.) Ltd., was represented by Fernando, with Harshula Seneviratne, on the instructions of Upendra Gunasekara.

Contd. from page 1


3

INSIGHT/FINANCEWITH OUR READERS’ HEALTH IN MIND A SPECIAL ANTIMICROBIAL INK HAS BEEN USED IN THE PRINTING OF OUR NEWSPAPER

The East Container Terminal (ECT) has come into the limelight again.

A strike was ongoing by a few members of the trade unions demanding to install gantry cranes, which were ordered a few years ago and which are now in the Colombo Port, at the ECT.

This was followed up with the Cabinet Spokesperson stating that it was “allowing the respective line Minister to conduct discussions at a diplomatic level on changing (the) Colombo Port Terminal deal with India and Japan”, according to Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide.

Subsequently, the Colombo Port workers decided to temporarily call off their strike on Thursday (2), following the Prime Minister promising a discussion.

The ECT is one absolute failure in terms of “getting things done”.

Sri Lanka has been running it continuously and like many other economic issues, we have failed at getting our act together. This is despite being located at the heart of a strategic maritime route. Rather than taking advantage and converting the ECT to an operational level, we have lost a reasonable amount of credibility in the business world by opening the ECT for bidding and cancelling the bidding process on multiple occasions, thereby creating years of operational delays based on political favours. We hope, at least this time, Sri Lanka will be able to convert shop talk into actionable outcomes.

Understanding the shipping business

The shipping business is a technical subject and is very complicated. Ports are strategic geographical locations which are situated at the edge of oceans, seas, rivers, or lakes. These locations are then developed to provide facilities for the loading and unloading of cargo ships. The facilities provided for a port depends on the purpose for which the port is being used. A terminal refers to the set of facilities at a port where the loading and unloading of the cargo/container takes place. Terminals are named on the basis of the type of cargo that can be handled by it. Some of the most common types of terminals are container terminals, bulk cargo terminals, and LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminals.

Simply put, in one port, there are multiple terminals and the Port

of Colombo has a few container terminals (CICT – Colombo International Container Terminal, JCT – Jaya Container Terminal, SAGT – South Asia Gateway Terminal, and UCT – Unity Container Terminal).

Global trade and most merchandise exports and imports account for a greater share of container terminals. The main factor that drives this business is efficiency and the networking ability to bring as many vessels as possible to the respective terminal. Simply put, when a ship enters the port/terminal how fast we can handle the containers and cargo (efficiency) and how networked we are to bring more vessels into the terminal are the two main determinants of making the business profitable.

Like most businesses, the price or the cost is a key determinant. To be profitable and bring the price down, over the years, shipping vessels have advanced to a point where there is capacity of more than 10,000 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) in one vessel and those models (New Panamax – 12,500 TEUs | Triple E – 18,000 TEUs) have become popular with the development of global trade. These gigantic vessels can only be managed by deepwater ports which have a depth of more than 18 metres.

What’s all the fuss about the ECT?

There are two deepwater ports in the Colombo Port. One is CICT (85% owned by the China Merchant Port Holdings [for a period of 35 years, starting in 2013] and 15% by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority [SLPA] [owned by the Government]), which contributes to a higher share of the capacity and efficiency of the Colombo Port. The other deepwater terminal is the ECT. This is why the level of interest in this port is very high.

Geopolitical rivalries China, Japan, and India continue to seek operational ownership of the ECT through companies of their respective countries. The JCT (owned by the SLPA), SAGT (owned by John Keells Holdings – 42% , Mearsk – 26%, SLPA – 15%, A.P. Moller – 7%, Evergreen – 5%, and other investors – 5%), and UCT (owned by SLPA) are all shallow water port terminals which can only handle

smaller vessels (not economical compared to larger vessels) with about 10,000 TEUs capacity.

The ECT’s value is very high as it’s the only other deepwater terminal in the Port of Colombo except for CICT. As an additional benefit, it is located in the middle of the old port and the modern port, providing an added advantage for the movement of inter-terminal cargo, given its proximity to other terminals.

Despite the ECT having significant strategic value, consecutive governments have been just sitting on this, calling for bids and cancelling them, while competition is increasing every day – notably, the new Sagarala port development initiative by India, the construction of the Enayam Port in nearby Tamil Nadu, and also the Kerala Port, which is soon to be the world’s deepest multipurpose port.

With the agreement with SAGT due to expire in 2030 and with India developing their ports, the ECT has become a vital business asset as never before. Another deepwater port terminal operator adjacent to CICT will create more competition. However, the networking and other variables will matter to whoever gets the bid for the ECT.

At the same time, with the growth of global trade (not considering the effects of Covid-19) the Colombo Port is nearing full capacity of handling containers. The Port of Colombo moved to the top position of the Fastest Growing Port Index in the first half of 2018 by industry analyst Alphaliner and is one of the most connected ports in the entire world, handling about seven million

TEUs in total. It is vital that the ECT is developed to maintain this growth.

Despite being situated in the centre of the Indian Ocean, and even though we are one of the most connected ports in the world, we are far from becoming a maritime hub. The root cause lies in our inability to be competitive and inadequacy to provide ancillary services such as logistics, bunkering, marine lubricants, freshwater supply, offshore supplies and ship chandelling, warehousing, and many more.

Our rules, regulations, and legal structures on the ownership of some shipping-related services and excessive government intervention, with the government acting as a player in the market and a regulator at the same time, has closed the space for private investment which could propel the Colombo Port to becoming a key global player.

Most experts have become weary of speaking about the same issues, while the opportunity of becoming a maritime hub in the Indian Ocean is slipping out of our hands.

Since the shipping business is

based on efficiency and networking, the ECT has to be operated by a private operator and the Government should play a regulatory role and facilitate businesses by being the landlord of the port. This must be done while keeping the ownership of the port rather than trying to engage in the business and be a container terminal operator. Container terminal operation requires sizable capital investments. Private investments, which take the risk for the capital they invest, is the only possible way to create the right incentive structure and create the drive for efficiency and a very competitive business model.

Selecting a good terminal operator

After going back and forth, the previous Government signed a Memorandum of Co-operation (MoC) between Sri Lanka, India, and Japan. According to media reports, the current Government expects to discuss changes to the initial agreement, claiming that the previous deal was unfavourable for the country, and move to a new agreement.

At the same time, the SLPA unions claim that gantry cranes worth $ 25.7 million have been purchased for the development of the ECT, but concerns have been raised over the specifications of the cranes.

We really don’t know the truth. However, His Excellency the

President, who received 6.9 million votes for a system change, should explore a method to select a proper operator. Undoubtedly, rather than handpicking operators based on introductions given by individuals, it has to be on a competitive bidding process, based on cost and pricing to ensure the competitiveness of the port with proper specifications. That’s the best system we can employ to find the most suited operator in a price-competitive industry.

Generally, Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) agreements are provided with long tax holidays and the taxpayer has to be protected and prioritised as it is the people who gave the mandate for a system change.

At the same time, when the existing terminal operators bid for the project, their existing capacities and advantages need to be reflected in their pricing, investment, and proposal structure. The system

change expected by the taxpayer in this case is to set up a system to ensure accountability and that things get done, while getting the maximum benefit to the port and by establishing a level playing field for businesses and investors.

In countries like Sri Lanka where discussions revolve around high-value government transactions, there is a higher risk of such projects being influenced by many powerful businessmen and bureaucrats, leading to irregularities and corruption.

The President and the Government now have an opportunity to prove such assumptions wrong and set a prime example of how such a high-level transaction can be transparently managed. A single transaction with a conflict of interest can make a regime unpopular faster than anyone can expect. The Central Bank Bond irregularity is the most recent example.

On the verge of a crucial election and with the prospect of forming a fresh government, we hope Sri Lanka would move forward instead of dragging its feet on the ECT by ensuring and implementing a competitive bidding process (which will help avoid most of the geopolitical pressures) without getting sandwiched in between two global economic powers vying for regional dominance.

(Dhananath Fernando is the Chief Operating Officer of the Advocata Institute and can

be contacted at [email protected] [learn more about

Advocata’s work at www.advocata.org. The opinions expressed are

the author’s own views. They may not necessarily reflect the views of

the Advocata Institute or anyone affiliated with the institute]

and Shanaka Paththinigama has served as an Assistant

Government Ship Surveyor [Navigation] for the Ministry of

Port and Shipping [Colombo], a Navigation Officer for Mitsui

OSK Lines [Tokyo/Hong Kong], an Assistant Designated Person

Ashore [Coastal Fleet – Colombo/Hambantota], a maritime business

development advisor, and a Maritime Strategic Research Fellow, and he holds a COC

Navigation [SL], MBA [UK], and MSc [CN])

Sri Lanka Insurance, at the recently held Annual General Meeting (AGM), declared that the company has closed the year 2019 on a positive note, recording phenomenal growth with exceptional service innovations.

Sri Lanka Insurance, the premier insurer to the nation, recorded stellar performance in 2019, reaching profit before taxation of Rs. 8.2 billion for the year, a 15% growth and a marked improvement on the Rs. 7.1 billion in the year 2018.

In 2019, Sri Lanka Insurance reported 12% growth in life insurance premium, with it increasing to Rs. 14.8 billion, whilst general insurance premium grew to Rs. 18.9 billion. The company achieved a combined Gross Written Premium (GWP) growth rate of 6.5% during the year. General insurance contributed 56% towards the total GWP whilst life insurance contributed 44%.

Sri Lanka Insurance in 2019 surpassed its own record to declare a sum of Rs. 7.6 billion as bonus to policyholders. The cumulative life insurance bonus paid out during the past 10 years tops a massive Rs. 50 billion, making the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC) bonus payout unmatchable.

“Sri Lanka Insurance further strengthens its strategy of diversification that is largely attributed as the key catalyst for

the company’s precipitated growth during the year. Over the past years, SLIC has diversified its investment portfolio in banking and finance, healthcare, power and energy, travel and leisure, and construction and engineering. Whilst the growth in our core business contributed towards greater profitability, we are cognisant of the contribution from SLIC’s diversified portfolio in achieving a consolidated profit that is in fact unprecedented.

As the pioneering insurance company in Sri Lanka, we are in the forefront to inculcate the importance of insurance to the masses as a national responsibility on our shoulders. We will further strengthen internal capabilities to serve the nation through innovative and affordable insurance solutions which cater to all Sri Lankans. Sri Lanka Insurance will be shifting paradigms in the insurance industry and we strive to continue providing the best protection for Sri Lankans,” noted SLIC Chairman Jagath Wellawatta.

“In 2019, we remained the largest and the strongest insurance provider in Sri Lanka. Our performance during the year has reaffirmed our status as the most robust insurance company in the industry,” noted SLIC Chief Executive Officer Chandana L. Aluthgama. “Our progressive business approach has enabled us to proactively benefit from the opportunities that arose, and which will continue to arise, even though the times are defining. We are confident that going forward, our strategy will continue to accelerate the momentum of growth of SLIC,” he further stated.

Established in 1962, SLIC is a government-owned insurance company in Sri Lanka with a managed asset base of over Rs. 211 billion and a life fund of Rs. 116 billion, the largest in the local insurance industry.

Sri Lanka’s largest bank Bank of Ceylon (BOC) and China Development Bank (CDB) entered into a $ 140 million long-term facility where drawdown will be under two tranches of $ 70 million each. The signing ceremony for the facility agreement was held on Tuesday, 30 June 2020. The strength that was built over 80 years and ownership of the strongest balance sheet in the country, paved the way in obtaining this facility at a favourable rate for BOC, the bank said.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the signing ceremony was held through an online video conference. The ceremony was witnessed by Chinese Embassy Economic and Commercial Counsellor Yang Zuoyuan, BOC Chairman Kanchana Ratwatte, BOC General Manager D.P.K. Gunasekara, BOC Ex-officio Director R.M.P. Rathnayake, and CDB Guangxi Branch General Manager Mei Shiwen.

CDB is the world’s largest development

financial institution and the largest Chinese bank for financing co-operation, long-term lending, and bond issuance. BOC and CDB have established a long-term partnership ever since 2010, with this year marking the 10th anniversary of co-operation between the

two banks.Partnered with BOC,

CDB has also provided the first CNY (Chinese yuan) on-lending facility in Sri Lanka. The signing of this facility agreement will be a milestone for more comprehensive and enhanced co-operation between the two banks, which will also promote

the co-operation between financial institutions of Sri Lanka and China under the Belt and Road Initiative. The facility will be utilised to supplement BOC’s general lending requirements, which will provide much-needed support during Sri Lanka’s fight against Covid-19.

BOC and China Development Bank in $ 140 m facility agreement

Sri Lanka Insurance records profit before tax of Rs. 8.2 b

SLIC Chairman Jagath Wellawatta

SLIC Chief Executive Officer Chandana L. Aluthgama

The pre-election opportunity ECT presents the President

by

By Dhananath Fernando

and Shanaka Paththinigama

The ECT is located in the middle of the old port and the modern port providing an added advantage for the movement of inter-terminal cargo, given its proximity to other terminals

The signing ceremony for the $140 million long-term facility agreement was held on Tuesday, 30 June 2020

BY UWIN LUGODA

While Covid-19 and the lockdown that followed had a negative impact on many sectors in Sri Lanka, it has driven the need for sustainability, with industries like dairy now looking to the Government for greater support.

According to Pelwatte Dairy Industries Sales and Marketing Office Managing Director (MD) Akmal Wickramanayake, this support should come in the form of lands and new livestock for local dairy farmers.

Founded in 2006, Pelwatte Dairy Industries (Pvt.) Ltd. is a local milk processing and dairy company that is responsible for producing a range of products including powdered and liquid milk, ice cream, butter, and yoghurt.

“We work with smallholder farmers across the country, so we feel that there is a lot of room for growth in the dairy farming sector, and the milk production segment. The dairy farmers actually need a lot of support from the Government in terms of lands for cultivation of grass and fodder, and they need new cows to increase the capacity of their farms and to increase outputs. This will drive self-sufficiency in this country,” said Wickramanayake when speaking to The Sunday Morning Business.

He stated that the Government has already made plans to import over 2,500 dairy heifers to strengthen the local dairy industry.

The proposal to import over 2,500 dairy heifers from Australia was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers during the latter part of May, according to Co-Cabinet Spokesman Dr. Ramesh Pathirana. This venture was initiated in 2014 by then Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, and aimed to achieve self-sufficiency in milk production by 2020. The agreement for $ 73 million was signed with Wellard Rural Exports (Pty.) Ltd. of Australia to import 20,000 heifers from Australia, under the previous Government in 2014.

The project was then later revived by Minister P. Harrison and continued by Minister Vijith Vijayamuni Soysa. The Government had brought down 2,000 heifers from New Zealand on 12 May 2017 following Cabinet approval obtained on 24 March 2017; again in December 2017, 3,000 heifers were imported.

The most recent approval from the Cabinet was given in hopes to increase the amount of daily milk production

by 100,000 litres as a result of this investment, according to Dr. Pathirana.

The project however has been met with criticism by local dairy and livestock farmers, who stated that almost all the heifers and their offspring brought down to Sri Lanka from Australia under the previous project have died, causing massive losses for the owners.

However, Wickramanayake stated that the Government still has around 3,000 cows from their previous project, and explained that the previous cow deaths can be attributed to the lack of experience on the part of the farmers.

“So it comes down to the lack of experience running such a farm or handling these animals. However, the Government has now learnt from their mistakes and they are directly importing the cows to farms being run by the National Livestock Development Board (NLDB) Project, and then the next-generation offspring are being sold to selected farmers who can handle the animal.”

Wickramanayake went on to state that as of now, local dairy production is averaging about 1.3 million litres a day, but in order for Sri Lanka to be self-sufficient, this needs to increase to about three million. He stated that this is a large scope of work for the industry, and that without the inputs and support of the Government, it will be very difficult.

“The current distribution of dairy products in the local market is somewhere between 30-35% being produced locally, and 60-70% imported products. So in order to enhance the local segment and industry, a lot of effort should be put into developing the dairy farmers.”

He stated that if the local manufacturers were to bridge this gap, it would all depend on the initiatives taken by the Government to support dairy farmers, and also how much of that support is given towards building and scaling production.

“If the dairy farmers are given this sort of support, I feel that the industry can even overcome this importation matter in a short period of three to five years. But all this depends on whether the relevant resources and support needed are given by the Government.”

Furthermore, Wickramanayake stated that the Government should continue to prioritise locally manufactured products over imported dairy products post Covid, by levying the relevant taxation so that there is a price difference between local and imported products. He explained that this would really help local companies build their market and also become more sustainable.

He stated that there has been more awareness among consumers when it comes to local dairy products since Covid; a lot of consumers are specifically looking to buy local brands instead of imported brands.

According to Wickramanayake, the industry has also not been affected by the current import restrictions that have been put in place, as the Government has exempted manufacturers of essential commodities such as milk powder and dairy products from these restrictions.

“If we have certain equipment or material that is directly related to the manufacturing process that we need to import, the Government has given us priority in Customs; we can clear Customs with no restrictions.”

He went on to state that this also meant that their factories and outlets continued operations throughout the whole crisis, without ever shutting down. He explained that they were lucky, because their factory was situated in Monaragala, with all their factory workers living in close proximity to the plant, therefore enabling them to report to work without any issues.

Furthermore, he stated that the Government also promptly provided the necessary support via curfew permits to

their staff, thereby removing any further restrictions that may have affected workflow.

Wickramanayake stated that they ensured the safety of their employees in both their factories and outlets by adhering to all the protocols given to them by the Ministry of Health (MoH). He explained that this meant that their premises met all the sanitation standards that were provided; they installed sinks for employees to wash their hands, disinfected staff before they come into the factories and outlets and took their temperatures, and also adhered to the other standards set out by the MoH.

“During the crisis period, we were audited by the PHIs (Public Health Inspectors) on a weekly basis, so had we not adhered to these standards, we would have probably been shut down.”

However, he stated that due to the safety concerns and regulations of the MoH, the company-run outlets could not sell their dairy products. So instead, they provided a delivery service to their customers via the outlets.

The delivery service covered the three districts of Colombo, Kalutara, and Gampaha, where they managed to reach around 30,000 families during the nine-week lockdown. Wickramanayake stated that this delivery service was somewhat of a substitute to their usual sales via supermarkets and general trade; the sales were high even during the lockdown period, and remained consistent following the lifting of the lockdown.

As for their non-essential dairy products such as ice cream and yoghurt, Wickramanayake stated that those sales are continuing to increase, and will most probably be back to the normal levels by the end of July. He stated that during the last few months, some of their customers, including small restaurants and juice bars that usually bought a lot of ice cream, had to close down due to the various restrictions by the MoH. However, since the lockdown has been lifted, they have now begun to reopen and in turn, the sales of chilled and frozen products are set to return.

Wickramanayake stated that the company is currently doing the best they can to bridge the gap between locally manufactured dairy products and local demand, in terms of capacity and output. However, despite them doing their part in bringing Sri Lanka to a stage of self-sufficiency, he stated that it cannot be achieved without further government support.


4

EDITORIALWITH OUR READERS’ HEALTH IN MIND A SPECIAL ANTIMICROBIAL INK HAS BEEN USED IN THE PRINTING OF OUR NEWSPAPER

It seems a committee has recommended that public and private sector working hours must be changed from next month to ease traffic congestion. While the public sector hours have reportedly been approved already, we hope it remains the choice of each private business to adopt any such recommendation based on how well it suits the nature of their work, the sectors and markets in which they operate, and the demographics of their workforce.

The Minister in charge announced the recommendations on the basis that they would lead to reductions in fuel wastage, pollution, and traffic, and achieve daily savings to the tune of Rs. 1 billon. There seems to have been no account of the actual impact on productivity or a quantification of the added costs to the private sector and communities of longer working hours that stretch beyond daylight. These recommendations are a great example of the linear thinking and myopia that clouds ad hoc decisions made by the public sector. Sweeping recommendations that are made

with haste without engaging the right stakeholders would obviously fall short of being practical and realistic.

It would be interesting to see which stakeholders were consulted by that consultative committee in drawing up their recommendations. There certainly seems to be a heavy bias towards impacts on the transportation sector alone in the recommendations. It seems unlikely that there was much of a voice given to important stakeholders such as private business owners and working parents, who’d certainly bear the

brunt of such recommendations if implemented.

The suggested new hours of operation for the private sector are from 9.45 a.m. to 6.45 p.m., a nine-hour span compared to the current eight hours. That works out to 45 hours of work from Monday to Friday. This comes at a time when there is a growing conversation in places like Canada, New Zealand, and Finland to adopt a four-day work week, based on the idea that well-

rested people with good work-life balance can be as productive in 32 hours as they are in 40 hours.

These recommended working hours take little note of the complexities of parenting and the implications on childcare and domestic workers, which must be considered, especially in the case of women’s participation in the labour force. Only about a third of Sri Lankan women of working age embark on careers and those too become short-lived as they make the choice to slow down or take a break to focus on their family duties. The disparity between men and women grows progressively higher up the ladder of leadership with a disappointing dearth of women at both senior management and board levels.

Retaining women in the workforce is a critical need if Sri Lanka is to achieve its development goals. Unlocking the potential of women workers

however will take real action to identify the issues surrounding their employment and to offer them the required flexibility and balance to retain careers while also raising families. We’ve missed many opportunities to create the right conditions to keep women in the workforce. The great Work From Home experiment conducted over lockdown should have led companies to consider long-term changes to the way we work, but businesses in Sri Lanka have lost no time in reverting to the same

old formats that have been the norm for decades.

The working world has changed; with access to better technologies and connectivity, it is no longer necessary to only work set hours from formal office spaces. Flexibility in hours and remote working arrangements can make for happier people who give of their best to both their work and their homes. Covid-19 gifted businesses the opportunity to trial remote working; while economic conditions were admittedly extraordinary, it should have been a good time to gauge the impact of such an arrangement on each business.

Overall, the consultative committee would have done well to also consider the impact of applying flexible working hours and remote working arrangements to improve traffic snarls. But that’s too much to ask when we habitually miss the wood for the trees.

THE HEADLIGHT

New hours, old problems

Cargills Ceylon PLC, through the Cargills Foundation, has implemented an early childhood education (ECE) programme to provide preschool-aged children with an opportunity to learn English whilst developing their foundational skills and being introduced to basic concepts of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) subjects.

“Cargills believes that children having an early start to learn English and acquire STEAM skills would equip the next generation of Sri Lankans to lead and compete as confident individuals in any international environment. The programme has been developed in partnership with Calm Island Inc. of South Korea, by customising their Badanamu ESL programme to suit the preschool learning standards of Sri Lanka,” the company said.

The programme essentially involves a method of blended learning, which combines traditional classroom methods and digital technology in developmentally appropriate ways to create a learning environment where children can grow and flourish. The programme uses music, storytelling, and sensory play to make learning English fun and emotionally engaging while digital activities help to reinforce learning and fill children with the natural wonder and curiosity of learning through play.

Over a two-year period, the programme introduces the child to up to 19 thematic areas, ranging from colours, numbers, and shapes, to nature and healthy habits. The curriculum has been tested for relevance to Sri Lanka and is aligned to meet the learning guidelines at the provincial level. It is reviewed by an esteemed global advisory board comprising highly respected scholars representing diverse fields of expertise including literacy and language education, developmental psychology, teaching English to other language speakers, early childhood education, special education, and English linguistics and literature. Interactive devices enabling the monitoring of progress of the child against defined learning outcomes and implementation support for teachers are vital aspects of the programme.

This programme is currently piloted in select preschools in the Western Province. The intention of the Cargills Foundation is to implement this programme in wider Sri Lanka, so as to provide a greater opportunity for many children to learn English in the future.

Alongside the classroom-based programme, the opportunity for self-learning is available via the Badanamu ESL digital app. The Badanamu ESL app provides young learners, aged three and above, with access to thousands of minutes of engaging and structured English education material across a variety of topics and interactive activities.

In light of the prevalent situation, the Cargills Foundation is offering a 1,000 free access passes (i.e. learning passes) for the Badanamu ESL digital app in support of home learning among preschool children exclusively in Sri Lanka.

The great Work From Home experiment conducted over

lockdown should have led companies to consider long-term changes to the way we

work, but businesses in Sri Lanka have lost no time in reverting to the same old

formats that have been the norm for decades

Cargills to uplift preschool education standards Pelwatte Dairy looks to Government

for lands and livestock

Pelwatte staff with local dairy farmersA Pelwatte Dairy Industries Shipping container at the factory

The current ratio when it comes to

dairy products in the local market is somewhere between 30-35% which is produced locally, and 60-70% imported products. So in order to enhance the local segment and

industry, a lot of effort should be put into developing the dairy farmersPelwatte Dairy Industries Sales and

Marketing Office MD Akmal Wickramanayake


5

VIEWS/TECHWITH OUR READERS’ HEALTH IN MIND A SPECIAL ANTIMICROBIAL INK HAS BEEN USED IN THE PRINTING OF OUR NEWSPAPER

BY UWIN LUGODA

Fintech has transformed the way we handle our finances and has brought convenience to day-to-day activities such as banking and other financial transactions. Now, Fipbox is taking fintech in Sri Lanka a step further by helping people find better lending options and fixed deposit (FD) rates from a variety of banks and finance companies around Sri Lanka.

The start-up is an intermediary web platform that helps people borrow faster with better rates on personal loans, vehicle leasing, housing loans, and credit cards. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, Kalana Meneripitiya, stated that they were looking to solve two problems; finding better FD rates with the respective credit ratings of the bank or finance company, and solving the issue of acquisition for banks and finance companies.

“We act as the first layer of the detailed quality check they go through to find a credible customer for a loan or fixed deposit.”

Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, Meneripitiya stated that they observed that people face many problems when searching for personal loans, housing

loans, leasing facilities, and credit cards. He attributed this to the lack of financial knowledge, which leads them to either choose bad loans with high interest rates or lose money through certain FDs, where they only consider high interest rates but not the security and stability of the bank or finance company.

“These types of issues do not usually happen in the corporate world where finance professionals manage billions in funds.”

He stated that after seeing this, Capital Alliance Ltd. (CAL), a leading investment bank in Sri Lanka, was inspired to create

Fipbox to empower people to make informed financial decisions on day-to-day banking and financial matters.

First launched on 8 February 2018, Fipbox now works as a marketplace for financial information, and helps customers compare products of multiple banks and finance companies in the market with ease.

Meneripitiya stated that the information on the verified section of the website comes directly from the banks and finance companies, and that the information in the comparison rates section comes from the public sources of the respective banks and finance companies. He explained that they work with trusted and licensed banks and finance companies such as Seylan Bank, Commercial Bank, HNB, LB Finance, HNB Finance, Arpico Finance, Senkadagala Finance, Commercial Credit and Finance, Prime Finance, Alliance Finance, Softlogic Finance, and more.

According to him, one of the first challenges they faced when launching the app was introducing their services to the customers who were familiar with traditional banking. However, he went on to state that they now see a trend in customers opting for fintech solutions.

Meneripitiya stated that one of the bigger challenges they faced was the legacy system

used in the banking and finance sector. Despite this, he explained that the Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s present engagement by introducing “FinTech Regulatory Sandbox” has paved the way for fintech and banking and finance industry consumers to work together.

“Fipbox works closely on this initiative, in order to provide a seamless experience to fixed deposit and lending customers.”

Speaking on how they make money, Meneripitiya stated that financial institutions pay a service fee for providing access to valuable customers with verified information. He stated that they reduce the customer acquisition costs for the banking and finance industry and also allow customers to find products that suit their needs.

He stated that so far, the response to the start-up has been encouraging, with about 3,000 registered users, and their social media channels have about 30,000 engaged followers; they saw an even larger reach with a single video producing 55,000 impressions. As an intermediary, Fipbox currently facilitates Rs. 11.5 million in fixed deposits and Rs. 3 million in loans.

Fipbox is also a fintech start-up that has received support from HatchX, Sri Lanka’s first fintech accelerator programme, which is run by Hatch in partnership with Lankan

Angel Network (LAN). Meneripitiya explained that HatchX has

helped them to accelerate growth as a fintech and has created opportunities to engage with peers in the ecosystem where fintechs, regulatory authorities, banks, and finance companies work and integrate with each other to make financial inclusivity available digitally to every Sri Lankan. Furthermore, he stated that HatchX has helped prepare them to be more “investable” for local and international start-up investors.

“We were also provided with mentorship sessions from industry experts. This is among the support we received from HatchX to strengthen Fipbox as a strong fintech start-up.”

Speaking on the Fipbox team, Meneripitiya stated that they currently have an agile team of six members. Their elite panel of directors include Hatch Co-founder Jeevan Gnanam, CAL Group CEO Ajith Fernando, and Capital Alliance Partners Global Markets and Investment Banking Managing Director (MD) Deshan Pushparajah.

Meneripitiya stated that in the future, they are looking forward to expanding their services to traditional banking and finance sector customers, and that their aim is to create a financially literate customer who makes informed decisions.

Last week in this column I shared thoughts on “defending mediocrity or catalysing proactivity”.

The recent events while prompting today’s caption, “the Peter Principle in a bureaucracy” also made me reminisce about my years as a bachelor, when I worked with Deloitte in The Bahamas. Sundays in Nassau were certainly enjoyable. A mid-morning walk along famous Bay Street was almost routine. Beyond one side of the road was another parallel street that bordered the Nassau Harbour, with several cruise ships docked all the time. On the other side were perfume and clothing stores, bars and restaurants, bookstores, and of course great merengue music that yet rings in my ear, which wafted through the air.

I often spent hours in a particular bookstore, and by noon, would join our crowd of men and women, locals and expatriates, and then move on to a beach barbeque or beers and lunch by the harbour. It was on one of those days that the paperback “The Peter Principle Revisited” by Laurence J. Peter captured my mind. The book was so interesting that I had read several chapters while standing, when I realised I was running late. Buying the book, I dashed out to join my friends. That night, I read the book from cover to cover, laughing out loud (or as the internet slang now goes: LOL) most of the time.

Laurence J. Peter Laurence J. Peter, a Canadian

psychologist, presented a paradoxical principle subsequently named after him, which states that: “Every new member in a hierarchical organisation climbs the hierarchy until he/she reaches his/her level of maximum incompetence.” A humorous way it is presented is that “the cream rises until it sours”.

Promotions based on prior performance

Essentially, the point he makes is that employees are promoted based on their performance in the functions currently assigned to them, and pursuant to the promotion, they reach a level at which they are no longer competent. The reason is that the knowledge, skill, or competence in the immediately previous job does not necessarily translate to the one he/she is promoted to.

The next promotion – and Peter›s Plateau

If however the person is competent in the new role, he or she will be promoted again, and will continue to be promoted

until he/she reaches a level at which he or she is incompetent. Once this level of incompetence is reached, the employee will not qualify for further promotions and will stagnate at that final level. This level is termed the «Final Placement» or «Peter›s Plateau”.

The organisation – transition to mediocrity

Peter says, in an organisation, given time and many promotions, most employees may rise to their level of incompetence. Thus in time, many positions in an organisation will be occupied by employees who are incompetent to carry out their duties, leading to low productivity, poor performance, and ineffectiveness. Organisational mediocrity then sets in.

Peter’s classic example – the teacher

A competent schoolteacher is promoted to Vice Principal and is successful in meeting and talking with parents and members of the teaching faculty. Let us say she is then promoted to the position of Principal. However, while the teacher may have been good at teaching and educating children, and meeting with fellow teachers, preparing curriculum and study packs, as the Principal, however, she may be poor at overall administration. Thus, the cream has risen and will now begin to sour since she has reached her level of incompetence.

Peter’s classic applied to economists, accountants, and others

Over the years, I have endeavoured to apply Peter’s classic example to many situations in organisations I have worked with, or advised or analysed in order to understand why a person is unproductive, ineffective, insecure, or simply unable to perform.

Here are some examples: An economist who is an academic most of her life may be a poor economic strategist in a corporate; a strong auditor in charge in the field may be a poor manager of people; a strong manager may be a poor partner; a strong partner may be a very poor managing partner

or thought leader, or even poor at practice development viz. the professional services equivalent of marketing and business development; a lawyer very good at litigation may be ineffective as a partner of a law firm or an administrator; an eminent surgeon may be a poor registrar or managing director of a hospital. These are only a few examples.

Peter’s literary satire I thought I must share at least

a part of the following literary satire, so that we can identify and empathise with many situations in the public sector in particular and

try to build safeguards to prevent and pre-empt certain situations in the interest of the institutions. Of course, all of these can well apply to the private sector.

Percussive sublimation I term this deliberate promotion

of incompetents. Some call it a «kick upstairs». It is actually a move from one unproductive position to another. The morale of certain staff members is given a boost by this, and these employees believe that they also will soon be promoted even without performing!

The lateral arabesqueThis is when a person is moved

laterally, out of the way and given a new job title.

I am sure we have seen this happening in the public sector a lot.

Incompetence, super-incompetence, super-competence

While incompetence is a barrier to promotion and super-incompetence a case for dismissal, the politics of a hierarchy, whether in the private or public sector, may perpetuate both types of people and positions.

Interestingly enough, super-competence can well result in a superior transferring such a person out to a job function that stifles creativity and performance so that the superior can look good while yet underperforming.

Methods of achieving promotions – ‘Push’ and ‘Pull’

Push refers to a committed and productive employee achieving a promotion through his own efforts and self-improvement. However, the next level is occupied, blocking his path to promotion. Pull refers to accelerated promotions brought about by an employee›s mentors, patrons, or sponsors!

‘Growing with Giants’ and the Belt and Road Initiative

I have conveyed the principles behind Laurence J. Peters’ thesis, in “lighter vein” above. It can be a guide to the public sector in progressing to a higher stage of productivity and organisational effectiveness, via better talent sourcing and selection, the right promotions, and the most appropriate resourcing of administrative and technical cells. Let me now share a statement I released to the media, three years ago, at a “Growing with Giants” forum at the Cinnamon Grand, Colombo.

Public sector institutions – building capacity, catalysing facilitation

This is what I said in June

2017. “There is a need for the incumbent Government to review, restructure, re-skill, capacity-build, and reposition public sector institutions if we are to truly realise or leverage even part of the potential of the much-spoken-of abundant opportunity vis-à-vis, the ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiatives, or trade and investment with China, India, or any other.

Public investment in capacity building

I posed the question: “How much do we allocate to train, develop, and deploy people of public sector institutions? Not only the heads of institutions, and departments alone but a large cross section of people, should be re-skilled say by rotation. How much of unlearning and relearning are they exposed to? How much succession planning do we have in the public sector?”

Ministries need a wholesome partnership with public officials

“We need a coalition of stakeholders, between ministers, ministries, public officials, and private investors. There has to be a wholesome alignment of interest. Whether it is to attract foreign direct investment through the Board of Investment or foreign portfolio investment through our capital market and the Colombo Stock Exchange, or to negotiate trade agreements with the Department of Commerce, Ministry of International Trade and Development Strategies, or a public-private partnership through the new PPP unit of the Ministry of Finance, we must build capacity and capability within our institutions, on a priority basis.”

Though the names of Ministries and subjects have now changed, I like to think that this thought yet has value.

Facilitation cells As a strategy to enhance

co-ordination and facilitation across ministries and government departments, I suggested as follows: “We need an adequate number of up-to-date and aware, qualified, skilled, competent people, who work with a sense of urgency and a level of seriousness if we are to leverage the opportunities that we speak of at various times. We need ‘facilitation cells’ (technical and administrative, and perhaps multidisciplinary) in public institutions, with people who are optimally equipped to make things happen.”

(Across the Years, Beyond the Oceans is a column by Chartered Accountant Ranel Wijesinha to share thoughts and ideas generated by his years of experience in Sri Lanka and beyond the oceans in many parts of the world he has lived and worked)

Helping businesses decide on the best bank loan

The Peter Principle in a bureaucracy

The Peter Principle: Why things always go wrong paperback cover

Fipbox CEO Kalana Meneripitiya

By Ranel T.

Wijesinha

I have conveyed the principles behind Laurence

J. Peters’ thesis, in “lighter vein” above. It can be a

guide to the public sector in progressing to a higher stage of productivity and

organisational effectiveness, via better talent sourcing

and selection, the right promotions, and the most appropriate resourcing of

administrative and technical cells


6

EDUCATIONWITH OUR READERS’ HEALTH IN MIND A SPECIAL ANTIMICROBIAL INK HAS BEEN USED IN THE PRINTING OF OUR NEWSPAPER

The good news is that the University of Peradeniya was ranked 401-500 in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2020 last month.

The bad news is that the overall performance in the rankings of Sri Lanka’s universities is weak when compared to the western world and many Asian nations. China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and India count multiple universities among the world’s top 500.

It is perhaps time to change this situation among our many state universities, to gain a better reputation for higher education in Asia on a consistent basis.

Globally, the three main rankings are compiled by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings; Times Higher Education (THE); and Shanghai Ranking Consultancy – Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), which assess universities on multiple factors. Universities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Harvard University, and Yale University are consistently recognised as among the best in all rankings year after year.

The University of Peradeniya is still ranked only 1,896 in the QS World University Rankings 2021. The University of Colombo is ranked outside the top 1,000 in both QS and THE.

It is a matter of prestige for a country to have many universities in the top 100 or top 200 in all three of these rankings. In the QS Rankings, 20 nations have at least one university among the top 100, almost 30 have among the top 200, and almost 50 have among the top 500. Sri Lanka is not among them. In fact, no Sri Lankan university is among the top 1,000 in QS, although 293 Asian universities are. Of the top 100, the US has 27, the UK 18, and Australia seven. But many Asian universities have been climbing up the rankings, and no less than 26 are in the top 100. China and South Korea each

have six and Hong Kong another five. Singapore has two and both Malaysia and Taiwan have one each.

QS assessment criteriaCriteria Percentage

Academic reputation 30%Employer reputation 20%Faculty/student ratio 10%International research network 10%Citations per paper 10%Citation papers per faculty 5%Staff with a PhD 5%Proportion of international faculty

2.5%

Proportion of international students

2.5%

Proportion of inbound exchange students

2.5%

Proportion of outbound exchange students

2.5%

It is of course easier for a full university with many faculties

in different disciplines to have a stronger ranking than a specialised university. Thus, the University of Colombo would always have a far higher ranking than the Ocean University of Sri Lanka.

Assessment of current situation

It is important to obtain a thorough understanding of why a university is ranked low and what its shortcomings are. Obtaining the views of students and faculty is important in this regard, as are surveys of employers and the public. It also wouldn’t hurt to hire professional consultants who render advice on a master plan to improve overall rankings.

It would help to rate other institutions for meta-analysis on the same attributes. The repeat functionality of surveys is a simple and efficient way of gathering student feedback and enhancing the credibility of the university.

Academic standards and reputation

What’s the difference between a village school and the leading schools in Colombo and Kandy? It’s the academic standard of the leading schools, built up and consistently maintained over many years. The same applies for the reputation of universities. That said, it doesn’t take a lifetime to turn around any institution.

Reputation of facultyHow good is your faculty? Do

they have multiple qualifications? How many books have they

written? How many papers have they published? How much research has been done? How many conferences were addressed?

Career prospects of graduates

One of the most important points is how much students can boost their job prospects by choosing a particular university. Are graduates of a particular university sought after by leading global and Sri Lankan companies? A university doesn’t have to be Oxford or Cambridge for this to happen. One of the UK’s most prestigious and respected universities among employers is the University of Glasgow, a member of the Russell Group, with strong ties to almost 10,000 employers and a large alumni network around the world.

Graduation rateWhat’s the percentage of

students who graduate within four years when enrolled in a four-year degree programme? On the other hand, many universities with top degrees are often the most selective, elite-specific colleges. They accept only exceptional, high-performance students, so that more of them graduate.

Cutting-edge researchMuch of the world’s advances

in all academic fields – medicine, law, sociology, physics, biology – come from research-oriented universities. These advances and patents are highly sought after by companies, as are the faculty and students who invent them. So the more cutting edge research a university carries out, the better its reputation.

Vocational researchA major role that a university

plays is equipping students

with skills that match the job market. It is therefore vital for universities to be fully aware of the employment requirements of a country into the future. There’s no point in having a high percentage of lawyers if your country and the global job market actually require electricians. The first step in educational policy information support in the shifts from unemployment to job policy are the results of research on vocational training. Job markets increasingly present new demands for knowledge, credentials, and abilities, and vocational training is the first step forward in the pursuit of a sustainable life, prosperity, and integrity.

Industry partnershipsA list of foreign institutions

is given in the Times Higher Education World Rankings industry income pillar, where universities in Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America are at their highest. The pillar estimates the sum of research industry revenue per university employee, a metric for the transfer of their expertise. Companies are interested in research and form an important part of their revenues for universities that score well in this pillar. The schools, however, drive the industry for more than profits. It is a way to make a meaningful difference to society and educate students in the real world.

Undergraduate programmes

The more undergraduate programmes that a university conducts, the wider its reach and reputation and its connectivity with society and the world. Thus, universities should constantly be looking at how best to expand their undergraduate programmes.

Graduate programmesSomewhat akin to

undergraduate programmes, a graduate programme has the added importance that much of a university’s research and teaching must be borne by graduate students, whether at a master’s level or doctoral and postdoctoral researchers.

Brand strategy for university

It is important to focus on student experience in the institution and the academic offering. Universities must meet a higher education “brand strategy”, as with any organisation that is competing with others. Don’t fall back. Keep the curriculum up-to-date to reflect changing market conditions and higher education dynamics. The growing impact of globalisation should be taken into account. This has brought not only new academic topics but also institutions for non-traditional students and the elderly. Your university must try to manage these changes successfully to strengthen brand positioning and reputation.

Collaboration and engagement

It makes sense to start developing a better image for each Sri Lankan university brand in order to boost rankings. Operating together with foreign universities and with international academics attracts international exposure.

Recruitment of international staff

The recruiting of foreign staff to make their university courses easier for international students is a major move that demonstrates the global vision of a university. The good news is that given that there are so few international staff in most Sri Lankan universities, it is easy to significantly improve by a few new faculty members each year.

Contd. on page 7

Peradeniya University’s global ranking boost: Why we shouldn’t celebrate

A major role that a university plays is equipping students

with skills that match the job market. It is therefore vital

for universities to be fully aware of the employment requirements of a country

into the future

By Dr. Nicholas Ruwan

Dias and Niresh Eliatamby

China, Hong Kong, and South Korea have steadily increased their top 100 universities; Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan have held a steady number; Malaysia joined the club three years ago; and India has fallen out of the top 100

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021China 2 4 2 3 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 6 6 6 6

Hong Kong 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 4 3 4 4 5 4 5 5India 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Japan 4 3 3 4 4 5 5 4 5 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

South Korea 0 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6Malaysia 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1

Singapore 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2Taiwan 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Total 13 15 13 13 13 15 15 15 17 17 17 17 19 20 23 24 25 26

Top 100 universities from each Asian nation

(Source: Thepienews)

QS Rankings 2021 – countries in the top 100

Current Sri Lanka University World Ranking

Province UniversityCentral University of PeradeniyaEastern Eastern University of Sri Lanka

Southeastern University of Sri LankaNorth Central Rajarata University of Sri Lanka

Bhiksu University of Sri LankaNorth Western (Wayamba) Wayamba University of Sri LankaNorthern University of JaffnaSabaragamuwa Sabaragamuwa University of Sri LankaSouthern University of RuhunaUva Uva Wellassa University of Sri LankaWestern University of Colombo

University of Sri JayewardenepuraUniversity of KelaniyaUniversity of MoratuwaUniversity of the Visual and Performing ArtsThe Open University of Sri Lanka (Main campus;

it operates satellite campuses in several provinces)General Sir John Kotelawala Defence UniversityOcean University of Sri LankaBuddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka

List of state universities by province2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

National University of Singapore 18 22 19 33 30 30 31 28 25 24 24 22 12 12 15 11 11 11

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 50 48 61 69 77 73 74 58 47 41 41 39 13 13 11 12 11 13

Tsinghua University 61 62 28 40 56 49 54 47 48 48 48 47 25 24 25 17 16 15The University of Hong Kong 39 41 33 18 26 24 23 22 23 26 26 28 30 27 26 25 25 22

Peking University 17 15 14 36 50 52 47 46 44 46 46 57 41 39 38 30 22 23The University of Tokyo 12 16 19 17 19 22 24 25 30 32 35 31 39 34 28 23 22 24

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology 42 43 58 53 39 35 40 40 33 34 34 40 28 36 30 37 32 27

Fudan University 195 72 116 85 113 103 - 91 90 88 88 71 51 43 40 44 40 34Seoul National University 118 93 63 51 50 47 50 42 37 35 35 31 36 35 36 36 37 37

Kyoto University 29 31 29 25 25 25 25 32 35 35 35 36 38 37 36 35 33 38Korea Advanced Institute of

Science & Technology 160 143 198 132 95 69 79 90 63 60 60 51 43 46 41 40 41 39

The Chinese University of Hong Kong 84 51 50 38 42 46 42 37 40 39 39 46 51 44 46 49 46 43

Shanghai Jiao Tong University - 169 179 163 144 153 - 124 125 123 - 104 70 62 62 59 60 47City University of Hong Kong 198 178 154 149 147 124 - 110 95 104 - 108 57 55 49 55 52 48

Zhejiang University - - - - - - - 191 170 - - 144 110 110 87 68 54 53Tokyo Institute of Technology 51 99 118 90 61 55 60 57 65 66 66 68 56 56 56 58 58 56

Universiti Malaya 89 169 192 - - 180 - - 156 167 - 151 146 133 114 87 70 59National Taiwan University 102 114 108 102 124 95 94 87 80 82 82 76 70 68 76 72 69 66

Korea University - 184 150 - - - - 190 137 145 - 116 104 98 90 86 83 69Osaka University 69 105 70 46 44 43 49 45 50 55 55 55 58 63 63 67 71 72

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University - - - - - 195 - 177 159 161 - 162 116 111 95 106 91 75

Pohang University of Science And Technology 163 - - 233 188 134 - 98 97 107 107 86 87 83 71 83 87 77

Tohoku University 153 136 168 102 112 97 - 70 75 75 68 71 74 75 76 77 82 79Yonsei University - - - - - 151 - 129 112 114 - 106 105 112 106 107 104 85

Sungkyunkwan University - - - - - - - 259 179 162 - 140 118 106 108 100 95 88University of Science and

Technology of China 154 93 165 155 141 154 - 188 186 174 - 147 113 104 97 98 89 93

Nagoya University - - - - - 92 91 - - 99 - - - - - - - -Indian Institute of Technology 41 50 57 - - 163 - - - - - - - - - - - -

Indian Institute of Management - 84 68 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Many Asian universities have had an impressive climb up the rankings. Only a few have fallen

Top 100 universities from each Asian nation by university

The top 20 in the Asian ranking is dominated by Singapore, Hong Kong, China, South Korea, and Japan, with Malaysia and Taiwan also present

QS University Rankings for Asian 2020 – top 20

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 202114 15 13 13 13 15 15 15 17 17 17 17 19 20 23 24 25 26

The number of the top 100 Asian universities is growing fast

Number of Asian universities in the top 100


7

FUELWITH OUR READERS’ HEALTH IN MIND A SPECIAL ANTIMICROBIAL INK HAS BEEN USED IN THE PRINTING OF OUR NEWSPAPER


You could own a vehicle or take public transport to work, but while pumping fuel or travelling in the bus, and paying extra for a litre of fuel or the bus ticket compared to what you paid the previous week, have you ever wondered how fuel prices are determined in Sri Lanka?

We Sri Lankans are convinced that local fuel prices are increased when global fuel prices increase and vice versa, despite occasional revisions to or maintenance of fuel prices solely stemming from political reasoning.

According to the famous fuel price formula introduced by the previous Government, fuel prices were supposed to be revised on the 10th of each month and a number of factors in addition to global oil prices were taken into consideration when doing so.

The main purpose of the formula was to reflect fluctuations in the global oil market, locally. Although this original purpose was more often than not served, there were times the formula ran counter to its initial purpose – when fuel prices were decided based on political reasons. Nevertheless, this formula was abandoned under the present Government. In fact, the Government that was elected in November last year is yet to announce a revision of fuel prices.

Since then however, and notably over the past three months, global oil prices reached historic lows due to reduced demand driven by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, at one point, global prices hit negative levels, but the Government didn’t reduce oil prices.

In February this year, when global oil prices started to plunge, Minister of Transport Services Management and Power and Energy Mahinda Amaraweera noted that the drop at that point in global oil prices was not sufficient to warrant a reduction in local oil prices; he stated that should the declining trend persist, the benefits will be passed onto the consumers. However, even though the declining trend persisted in the following weeks, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa directed the reduction of the prices of dhal and salmon, as an alternative method to pass on the benefits of global oil price reductions to consumers, so it could be felt by more people.

Nevertheless, these reduced prices prevailed only for a couple of weeks. At the end of April, the Government issued gazettes lifting the maximum retail price restrictions on these items, effectively taking away the

so-called benefits of reduced global fuel oil prices felt by the people.

At a time when the benefits of a drastic drop in global oil prices hasn’t been passed onto Sri Lankans, either in the form of reduced prices for essential items or reduced local oil prices, The Sunday Morning Business decided to take a look at how fuel prices are being determined in Sri Lanka and the factors that contribute to the local pricing of fuel.

From importing country to local petrol shed

Countries we import from Last year, Sri Lanka imported

petroleum products worth about $ 3.8 billion, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL). As a country which heavily depends on imports when it comes to fuel, Sri Lanka’s fuel importing markets have mainly been a number of Middle Eastern countries.

Iran’s oil market According to research by former

Treasury Secretary Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga, Sri Lanka was importing crude oil largely from Iran and a minor portion from Saudi Arabia. However, after the US began imposing sanctions on Iran, Sri Lanka faced complications as it was majorly dependent on Iran for fuel. Following this, Sri Lanka began importing fuel from other Middle Eastern countries, especially the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Placement of ordersAccording to the state-owned

Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) Chairman Sumith Wijesinghe, CPC places petroleum orders for the whole year, mostly at the beginning of each year.

Long-term tender processSpeaking to The Sunday Morning

Business, a former chemical engineer and Deputy Manager at the CPC noted that generally, the CPC either floats six-month or one-year tenders to procure fuel or purchase fuel in the spot market.

“If you are going for a term contract, they will float the tender and it will be for six months or one year,” the engineer noted.

After floating a tender and signing the agreement with the seller, the average of the Singapore Platts prices of that particular month would be the price at which fuel is purchased. However, if there is a price hike during the agreement period, buyers might have to pay the increased price for the fuel imported during that period.

Spot purchases“If they are purchasing in

the spot market, it will be a bit different. Anyway, it too is based on the Singapore Platts prices,” the engineer stated.

Spot purchase or spot buying is the practice of buying to meet immediate requirements, rather than for stock or to meet future demand.

Spot purchases too, according to him, will be done through a tender process, in accordance with the approved procurement guidelines of the Government of Sri Lanka. Even though the tender process is not lengthy like the aforementioned long-term method, for this process also, fuel is purchased at the average of the Singapore Platts prices of that particular month.

Sri Lanka purchases petroleum products at Singapore Platts prices. The Singapore Platts benchmark prices are the daily average of all trading transactions between buyers and sellers of petroleum products, as assessed and summarised by the Standard & Poor’s Platts, a Singapore-based market wire service.

When the fuel price formula was in effect, the Government at the time noted that it took the average global oil prices of the previous month in revising local fuel prices.

Journey to Sri LankaAs the engineer noted, oil

shipments imported from Middle Eastern countries reach Sri Lankan ports directly with generally no stops in between as there is no need for transit.

“If we are importing crude oil, it comes directly from the UAE. The majority of the petroleum products we are selling in the country are refined products that are mainly imported from the Singapore market and also from a few Middle Eastern countries like Fujairah in the UAE. Murban (oil) too comes directly from the UAE,” he added.

According to him, even though at times refined products are processed

in China and then transported mostly to either Singapore or India, Sri Lanka usually places orders from Singapore and not from the country that processes refined products, which is again a direct shipment.

“There is no way it will go to another country and come, especially as we pay for the specific voyage. It gets loaded at the respective country’s port and comes directly to Sri Lanka,” he noted.

At the port Once the fuel shipment reaches Sri

Lankan ports, the ownership and risk of the consignments are passed onto the Sri Lankan authorities, he noted.

This is where the landed cost component comes in. Landed cost is the total cost of a commodity or a product when it lands at the port of the country importing the commodity/product.

The landed cost includes manufacturing costs of the product quoted by the supplier, all transportation costs including from factory gates till the loading port and into the vessel, Cost, Insurance, and Freight (CIF), custom duties, taxes, currency conversion, crating, and handling charges and payments. Only once these costs are cleared by the buyer is the product allowed to move.

In addition to this, in Sri Lanka, losses due to evaporation at the point of unloading are also taken into consideration when deciding on the local prices of fuel. This loss is incurred pretty much at every step right up until fuel gets pumped into a vehicle at a fuel station.

This can also be called “breathing loss” (also known as standing loss), due to the release of gasoline vapour to the ambient air as a result of the expansion and contraction of vapour inside storage tanks. The breathing loss results from changes in the temperature and pressure inside and outside the storage tank. Breathing loss occurs irrespective of changes in the liquid level inside the tank.

Gasoline storage tanks are exposed to changes in temperature, pressure, and, in the case of aboveground tanks, solar radiation. As a result, the mixture of trapped air and gasoline vapour inside the tank experience passive heating and cooling cycles. This causes expansion and contraction of the vapour mixture, resulting in the release of vapour to the surrounding environment.

Life at storage and refineryHandling charges at the local port

too have to be cleared by the buyer. After the fuel consignments have been cleared from the seller and local port charges are settled, these consignments go to different places.

These consignments are usually of two types – crude and refined. Crude oil is a naturally occurring, unrefined petroleum product composed of hydrocarbon deposits and other organic materials. A type of fossil fuel, crude oil can be refined to produce usable products such as gasoline, diesel, and various other forms of petrochemicals.

Refined petroleum products are derived from crude oils through

processes such as catalytic cracking and fractional distillation. Refining is a necessary step before oil can be burned as fuel or used to create end products.

As the engineer noted, when Sri Lanka brings down crude oil, it is transferred to the Orugodawatta Tank Farm via a crude oil transfer line from a single-point buoy mooring (SPBM) located at sea, 10 km away from the Colombo Harbour.

“At Orugodawatta, they have holding tanks. From there, it will be taken to the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery. All the crude oil that was brought in gets refined here and distributed to the filling stations,” he noted.

According to him, even though the price of a barrel of crude is lower in comparison to that of refined oil, Sri Lanka adds value to the crude oil at the Sapugaskanda Refinery, for which the country incurs a significant cost.

Meanwhile, in terms of refined oil, Sapugaskanda produces about 25-30% of the local requirement of refined fuel, while the rest is imported. The imported refined products do not need to be refined again in Sri Lanka.

In the case of imported refined products, these get transferred to two places. Either it will go to the Kerawalapitiya Tank Farm or to Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Ltd. (CPSTL) where the fuel gets stored, he added.

CPSTL owns the Common User Facility (CUF) consisting of oil terminals, storage facilities, pipelines, and the bowser fleet. Crude oil too gets stored at CPSTL.

He stated that for storing at this facility, CPC has to pay CPSTL, and that these charges are passed onto the consumers in the local fuel prices. Moreover, when transferring fuel into the storage facility, another loss is incurred due to evaporation.

During these procedures, transport costs, losses due to evaporation, handling charges, dealer margin and taxes that include Customs Import Duty, Excise Duty, Port and Airport Development Levy, and Nation Building Tax, are being incurred and added; these are again passed onto the consumer.

Sapugaskanda Oil RefineryThe Sapugaskanda Refinery is

the single largest oil refinery of

Sri Lanka. The refinery was built by Iran under the guidance of the CPC in August 1969, initially designed to process 38,000 barrels per stream per day of Iranian Upper Zakum crude oil and Arabian light crude oil.

According to Samaratunga, the refinery at Sapugaskanda was built with the aim of processing Iranian-type crude oil and so only Iranian crude oil matched the technical specifications of the refinery, and processing other types of oils requires modern technology which the refinery lacks.

Even though Sri Lanka managed to import similar types of oil from other countries, in the opinion of University of Moratuwa Prof. Ajith De Alwis, Sri Lanka is still working on ways to procure oil from Iran without settling them in US dollars.

A barter system was proposed by the former Government where Sri Lanka exports tea to Iran which could be balanced against Sri Lanka’s pending payments on Iranian fuel imports. It is unknown whether the current Government has given up on this plan.

Not solely on oil pricesFuel prices are based on a

combination of monetary and fiscal factors even though global oil prices are a major determinant. According to the fuel price formula that was introduced by the previous Government, the maximum retail price of fuel is an addition to the landing cost, processing cost, administrative cost, and taxation.

Nevertheless, global oil prices are the biggest and most important component in deciding local fuel prices, indicating that the loss-making CPC might have profited from the ongoing situation. However, when we spoke to CPC Chairman Wijesinghe following the Covid-19 situation in Sri Lanka, he stated that orders are placed at the beginning of the year. He also reminded us that Sri Lanka does not have large storage facilities to enable the storage of imported fuel in humongous quantities when its price is low in the global oil market. He also added that since travel was heavily restricted, people did not pump fuel like they usually do, meaning that the CPC did not reap any benefits from maintaining local oil prices amidst negative global oil prices.

zGlobal oil prices not the only factor

Publish English articles in journals and address conferences

Research and citations play an important role in rankings. In many foreign universities even student assignments are available to be cited online, as well as dissertations, theses, journal articles, and conference presentations. Each time a piece of work under the name of the university

is cited, it strengthens the reputation of the university and the person whose name is cited.

Strengthen English and academic writing

The academic world is dominated by the English language, and it is important that faculty, researchers, and students possess a working knowledge that will

enable them to publish papers in peer-reviewed journals, publish books, and make presentations at conferences. Simple English courses could thus substantially improve university rankings.

Contribution and participation to international conferences

Whether or not your university co-operates abroad, attending foreign conferences is an excellent way to make your university name known. Conferences are an important way to create international relations and foster relationships that could

lead to eventual collaboration.

ConclusionUntil our university rankings become

competitive, the dream of Sri Lanka becoming a regional hub for university education will remain elusive, despite every government over the last 25 years having made it a cornerstone of economic policy.

Dr. Nicholas Ruwan Dias is a Managing Partner of Cogitaro (www.cogitaro.

com). He is a digital architect at Aegon Asia, based in Kuala Lumpur. He holds a BSc. in Computing from the University of

Greenwich, a Master of Computer Software Engineering from Staffordshire University and a PhD from the University of Malaya.

He is completing a second doctorate (DBA) at Universiti Utara Malaysia (ruwan@

cogitaro.com)Niresh Eliatamby is a Managing Partner

of Cogitaro (www.cogitaro.com). He is an author and a lecturer in HR, tourism

marketing, and journalism. He holds an MBA from the London Metropolitan University and an LLM in International Business from the Cardiff Metropolitan

University ([email protected])

Contd. from page 6

How Sri Lanka really prices fuel

Peradeniya University’s...

A Singaporean oil tanker transporting petroleum products

Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Limited (CPSTL)

Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery (Source: Dockyard General Engineering Services)


8

BANKING/CO-WORKING



BY UWIN LUGODA

The current pandemic has forced many companies to change the way they work, with most opting to allow their employees to work remotely until the end of the year. This has now led to an uptick in the interest towards co-working/flexible workspaces. Most co-working spaces/flexible working space providers around Colombo reported an increase in interest in their services, following the lifting of the lockdown. Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, they stated that they have been getting inquiries from companies and industries that previously had traditional workspaces.

Hatch

Hatch Co-founder Brindha Selvadurai-Gnanam stated that they have seen a rise in companies looking for alternatives to permanent office spaces, and seen traditional businesses now opting to use their customised packages to allow their teams to work from Hatch once or twice a week; managements of businesses conducting bi-weekly team and strategy meetings; as well as teams working together on project sprints. She explained that their flexible packages which enable remote workers to come in and utilise the meeting rooms and desks whenever they need it, has by far been their most popular package post lockdown.

“We have spent time listening to our clients and designed something that we know meets three primary demands – cost efficiencies through reduced overheads, scalability through pay as you grow, and moving beyond cost efficiencies; it helps build team synergy,” she noted. Hatch has become a hub for startups in Colombo, and gives its members access to a members’ lounge, meeting rooms, auditorium, and various other amenities. Hatch also fosters a connection between its members and a global network of accelerators, incubators, and venture capital firms.

“Community is at the core of our space and even through these unprecedented times, this has remained unchanged. While physical distancing will be part of our new normal, collaboration and human connection remain more important than ever and having a safe space to do this is essential. That is why we have adapted our space to protect the wellbeing of our community,” said Selvadurai-Gnanam. She stated that the Hatch team has stepped up its sanitisation, conducts routine clean-ups in high-traffic areas, and frequently deep cleans meeting rooms and offices, in order to keep their community safe. She went on to state that based on the new standard they have revised their auditing framework and increased the frequency of manager oversight and review, and that with the help of engineers, they have taken immediate steps to deliver more fresh, clean air into their space; filtration will also be closely monitored. Furthermore, Selvadurai-Gnanam explained that they are prioritising personal space, creating comfortable buffer zones in meeting rooms and lounges to maintain a safe six-foot distance. This is followed by sanitiser dispensers integrated in shared spaces such as the entrance, common areas, meeting rooms, and workspaces; quick ways to maintain personal hygiene and the cleanliness of spaces.

“All of these changes are reinforced with strategically placed signage and wayfinding, friendly reminders to members

and guests that the well-being of our community depends on all of us. As we look ahead, we are committed to making sure that all our members can come back to the workspace with peace of mind to focus on their work,” she said. According to Selvadurai-Gnanam, they have been careful to ensure that they followed all instructions issued by the Ministry of Health (MoH) and World Health Organisation (WHO) to ensure that they took all the necessary steps. She stated that they have been transparent with their members throughout the lockdown and post-lockdown periods, and amended their guest policies to ensure traceability and capacity management.

Speaking on whether co-working spaces will increase in popularity post-Covid, she stated that employers and employees find the flexibility of co-working more productive and cost effective, and entrepreneurs, business owners, and workers will see that they need social networks and local connections more than ever to regain their footing.

Colombo Co-operativeAccording to Colombo Co-operative

Community Manager Aisha Wahab, they have seen a surge in demand for flexible workspaces from people who are looking to downsize their current offices and want to move into smaller private office spaces. She stated that at the same time, they are also seeing companies which are currently occupying their space, cut down their teams into smaller, more flexible teams that can adapt to co-working spaces better. She explained that they have also started to get inquiries from startups that launched during the lockdown period, looking to expand and wanting a space for their backend employees. She stated that this was also due to the support they give startups by giving them business services, such as helping them incorporate and finding partnership agreements.

“So we already have a lot of inquiries coming in from people who have just started businesses recently and want an office space in a central location like ours, where they can conduct business and meet their clients,” she noted.

Located in Kollupitiya, the co-working space provides a variety of services for those who are looking to move away from traditional office spaces. Its office space services include flexible desks which allow people to pick any desk they want during business hours, dedicated desks which

are desks of their own that they can use during all hours, private offices, enclosed spaces for people to work in, and meeting/board rooms that can host up to eight to 10 people.

“The main thing about Colombo Co-operative is that this is not a commitment; they can choose whether to come back instead of signing up for a whole year, and can pay on a monthly basis,” said Wahab.

She stated that currently their network, in terms of capacity of individuals, is at about a 100, but this number does not translate into how many physically come into the space at a given time. She explained that while they have not put any restrictions on the number of members that can come in, the members who are a part of teams come in on a roster basis. Wahab stated that due to Covid, the co-working space has had to adopt some new policies, the first of which has been to cut down the amount of people allowed in the boardrooms by 50%, and not allowing any external parties to use their spaces until the situation is more stable. She explained that this was for the safety of their members; they wanted to prioritise member safety.

“Right now we have restricted our space to our members and their network, so if someone is not a member, they will not be able physically come into our space,” she reiterated.

As for the space itself, she stated that they disinfect the whole space every morning through their cleaning service, and have also assigned disinfectants to every work station for the members to

wipe down the station when they come in or when they leave, as an added precaution. She went on to state that members are also given gloves, masks, and sanitisers at the space.

According to Wahab, they have established regulations on members; to wash their hands and sanitise before entering the building and get their temperature checked at the entrance. The space has also provided their members with another sanitiser at the reception and have informed them to wear their masks and maintain distance when in the reception area. However, she stated that while in the co-working space, these members do not have to wear their mask as long as they are practising social distancing.

She stated that one of the tricky challenges they are currently facing is allowing members to bring in their networks. However, she stated that the current members have been understanding and have not brought anyone in since the space opened after the lockdown. She added: “Limiting the number of outsiders coming into the space will definitely be a challenge when we need to grow our membership and bring in people from outside.”

Despite these challenges, Wahab stated that she is hopeful for the idea of flex work places post Covid, because they require little to no commitments, which most companies will be looking for. She stated that they witnessed this when they used to rent out their private offices and ask for a minimum commitment of six months, where a lot of the companies requested a reduced commitment period. “People are in a very unsure state and do not want a long commitment. I think that people who are currently remotely working want to bring in a work-life balance instead of just working from home. So it is going to be very positive for co-working spaces post Covid,” she noted.

HUB9HUB9 Directors Charitha Rasaputra,

Kamraan Bhaila, and Rishan Thambinayagam stated that they have experienced mixed responses post lockdown. They explained that many of their members and private offices are startups, and hence were some of the first to be hit in an economic downturn. This has led startups to experience a complete loss of revenue generation/product development, but have shown resilience

and found ways to survive until they can push ahead when conditions get better. This has also translated into HUB9’s survival and recovery as well.

Despite this, they stated that they have seen an increase in demand from another sector of the economy such as medium-sized companies that are looking to find alternative ways to work, given the era of effective streamlining and Zoom. According to the trio, these companies have found that working out of shared offices spaces like HUB9 fulfil a lot of these requirements.

“Ultimately while this won’t be the solution for all companies, we believe most organisations should shift to an outsourced, community-driven workspace where productivity, effectiveness, and creativity flourish, especially because it’s cheaper to do so while taking away the management of an office space,” the trio stated.

They also stated that due to many companies resizing their operations and moving out of their larger premises, they have seen a high demand for their private offices.

HUB9 currently has a total of over 150 members from over 25 companies, spread across three different locations. They provide a complete range of solutions for their members ranging from individual seating packages which consist of daily, weekly, and monthly rates, and private office spaces offered on a monthly basis. The space also offers a virtual office option where individuals/companies may use their premises as their business and mail correspondence addresses, as well as receive meeting room and desk space hours per month.

“If this current economic climate continues, more and more companies will look to cut cost and downsize and therefore the most suitable and flexible option for them will be shared offices,” they stated.

Furthermore, they explained that the shared model offers much higher efficiency and cost benefits to companies as opposed to operating their own offices, with access to amenities such as multiple meeting rooms, lounge/relaxation areas, and a vibrant startup community. According to the trio, the co-working space has taken the current pandemic and the ease of transmission of the virus very seriously, especially since it’s a workspace with many individuals coming in and out, sharing common areas. They stated that they set up measures to screen the temperature of every person that enters the buildings; made hand sanitisers available at the entrances and in common areas; and require any guest to wear a face mask and provide their contact information for contact tracing if necessary.

Other measures include all three locations being disinfected at regular intervals during the day and reducing the number of available desks, enabling their members to social distance effectively. “We have also reduced the maximum number of people allowed in the meeting rooms at a given time, and have stopped the use of shared plates, mugs, and other utensils within the spaces,” they noted. Speaking on whether the popularity of co-working spaces would increase post Covid, they stated as everything returns to normalcy, they are certain that the popularity of co-working spaces will also return to their upward growth trend seen pre-Covid-19, which was around 13-15% globally.

“As startups and freelancers grow, the demand for co-working spaces will also grow as it is the more efficient and beneficial method to maintain office spaces for companies of any size.”

Co-working riding the Covid wave

zSpace providers see surge in popularity

People’s Bank marked its 59th anniversary on 1 July, having been established as a licensed commercial bank in 1961. It became the country’s first state-owned commercial bank, having been established under the People’s Bank Act No. 29 of 1961.

The bank’s formation was driven by T.B. Ilangaratne, who served as the Minister of Trade, Food, Co-operative, and Shipping in the then-Government of former Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike.

It started off operations under the chairmanship of Vincent Subasinghe. Co-operative bank branches islandwide were converted into People’s Bank branches.

Sharing his thoughts, People’s Bank Chairman Sujeewa Rajapakse stated: “During the past 59 years, People’s Bank’s historical journey has seen it sustain its leadership and status while securing its position as a preferred choice among the industrial sector of the country. A large number of

local entrepreneurs have made rapid progress in their fields of business by obtaining finance

loans from the bank.“Entrepreneurs who have built

their reputation in industries

such as apparels, construction, agriculture, imports and exports, real estate, food and beverage, health services, manufacturing, energy, fisheries, tourism, transport, and communications, are among them. The bank has been able to successfully provide various types of business loan services to perfectly suit the varying needs of each of these entrepreneurs.

“Another reason for the success of People’s Bank can be attributed to the short-term and long-term loans at concessionary

interest rates provided for small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) as well as various types of loan schemes provided to uplift the self-employed.”

Expressing his views, People’s Bank Chief Executive Officer/General Manager Ranjith Kodituwakku stated: “Over the course of the past 59 years, the bank has continued to perform a leading role in the banking and finance sector, meeting and even exceeding expectations in terms of services to the general public.”

People’s Bank celebrates 59th anniversary

People’s Bank Chairman Sujeewa Rajapakse People’s Bank Chief Executive Officer/General Manager Ranjith Kodituwakku

Colombo Co-operative HUB9

Hatch

brunchSunday, July 5, 2020


BY DIMITHRI WIJESINGHE

The Newspaper, co-directed by Sarath Kothalawala and Kumara Thirimadura who are also featured in the main cast, was screened at a special screening at PVR Cinemas last week at the theatre in One Galle Face and was attended by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The film tells the story of an unwavering friendship between two individuals on a journey to right a wrong; it is the story of two men from rural parts of Sri Lanka wading their way into the city to request a correction be printed on a newspaper which falsely accuses one of them to be a terrorist and the turbulent passage they endure along the way.

The movie premiered on 2 July and the first show at 10.30 a.m. was made open to the public free of charge. Healthcare services, tri-forces, Police, and media personnel who had been actively engaged in eradicating the Covid-19 virus are allowed to watch the movie once, using their office IDs.

We spoke to both Kothalawala and Thirimadura about the film and this intriguing time in which they are screening their movie.

Household names in the Sri Lankan cinema circuit, especially well-known as comic actors and theatrical performers, the duo stated that they screened the film very briefly prior to Covid-19 and once the pandemic hit; like all other films, they were forced to shut down distribution. However, now with the Government having

given the go-ahead for cinema halls to reopen to the public, they said it is their responsibility to provide content that would entice the public to come to the theatres.

They shared that there really is no purpose of cinema halls reopening if there are no films to be screened particularly, as certain films are being withdrawn from cinemas because it would be a loss-making move to keep it up during these times where people are less

likely to come see their film.

The Newspaper Breathing new life into Lankan cinema

I was devastated when I heard it would close down. It is a shame that this is the state the local cinema industry has come toCo-director and co-star of The Newspaper Kumara Thirimadura

FOUNDER AND OWNER PASINDU PEIRIS

As a Japanese restaurant, Sushi Kai

uses mainly imported ingredients; the

scarcity of these and the related increase

in the cost of these ingredients has put a

strain on Sushi Kai

Sushi Kai BY NAVEED ROZAIS

Giovanni’s took things day by day and through it all,

the team has been staying positive. The

demand for their pizza has stayed

more or less constant throughout

OWNER DIMUTHU GAMAGE

OWNER CHEF GERMAN DIMAANO

Giovanni’s Presto Pizza

Laksa Noodle Bar

The Bread Company

CO-OWNER PRASHAN BUTANI

The rest of the world is starting to experience second

waves, but so far Sri Lanka is safe, which is a blessing…A lot

will depend on how the Government

handles the reopening of foreign

borders

While previously selling retail, The Bread Company was overwhelmed with

orders for bread during the lockdown, needing to make up to 500 loaves a day

Colombo’s little food hood then and now

Thimbirigasyaya Road, or Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Nahimi Mawatha, is a central main road running through Colombo 5 from Police Park down to Baseline Road (Elvitigala Mawatha). Having been dramatically widened a few years ago, it is now a main street that is home to an interesting mix of businesses, both large and small.

Locale of Thimbirigasyaya Road, Colombo 5 and how small eateries are faring post Covid

│Contd. on page 2

│Contd. on page 2

In order to support work such as this,

I brought Ravindra Guruge and H.D. Premasiri and created the company which will function not as a profit-making entity, but one that will aid

filmmakers in a corporative wayCo-producer of The Newspaper

Dr. Bandula Gunawardana

PHOTOS ESHAN DASANAYAKA

MENTAL HEALTH INTERVENTION IN THE

NEW NORMAL»SEE PAGE 4

UBER EATS LOOKING AT THE CONCERNS, PRAISE, AND EVERYTHING ELSE »SEE PAGE 3

PEOPLE/CAUSEthe sunday morning brunch


the sunday morning brunch editorial 011 [email protected]


Many of these businesses are eateries, from large established chain outlets to smaller eateries that range from family businesses to one-man bands. This eclectic mix of cool little eateries has made the locale of Thimbirgasyaya Road an interesting little hub of sorts for foodies, with essentially all tastes being catered to in some form.

The Sunday Morning Brunch visited and spoke to a few of these small eateries in the area to learn more about how things have been in the wake of Covid-19.

A second wave could prove disastrous

Doner and Durum (D&D), a Turkish-German street food establishment founded by a group of five friends – Waqar Moulana, Abdul Ghouse, Atif Haariz, Sharanga Hettiarachchi, and Niki Senanayake – opened about one-and-a-half years ago, offering an interesting mix of street food with both Turkish and German influences. D&D uses these interesting influences to create delicious, comforting street food-inspired meals.

Speaking to Waqar Moulana, one of the Co-founders, we learnt that D&D moved fast to get back up and running during the lockdown, commencing delivery operations on 28 March with a restricted menu and being one of the few restaurants doing so in the early days of the lockdown.

Adapting to the post-Covid world, Moulana explained that D&D has implemented health and safety protocols with the installation of a portable sink and

hygiene station before entering the restaurant, by carrying out temperature checks, by rearranging the layout of the space itself to allow appropriate distancing to take place, and by cutting seating capacity by 50%.

He explained that with the lockdown only being recently relaxed, they haven’t been overwhelmed by dine-in customers yet, adding that although their delivery orders have been steady, sales are dropping, which Moulana attributes to customers needing to be more careful with spending and an element of market

saturation with almost all restaurants now moving to online delivery through platforms like Uber Eats, PickMe Food, and Eatts, as well as an influx of home cooks and bakers on these platforms.

Looking to the future, Moulana shared that there is a sense of doom; while things could possibly pick up in the next few months, a second wave could prove disastrous.

Delivery platforms an integral part of keeping businesses afloat

Sushi Kai, a quirky Japanese restaurant more or less across the road from D&D, ceased operations until mid-April, with Founder and Owner Pasindu Peiris using the time to approach public health inspectors (PHIs) and get everything set up to resume operations. With the majority of his 16-member team being out of Colombo for the entire duration of the lockdown, Peiris resumed operations with a skeleton crew of four members doing delivery orders until the lockdown was slowly eased.

Taking health and safety into account, Sushi Kai has invested in automatic hand sanitisers and restricted the number of customers to only taking in 50% of its

maximum seating capacity at a time. Customers also have their temperatures checked when they enter. Furthermore, they only take in guests of very small groups while larger groups are only taken via prior reservations.

A challenge faced by Sushi Kai in the wake of the pandemic is that of ingredients. As a Japanese restaurant, Sushi Kai uses mainly imported ingredients; the scarcity of these and the related increase in the cost of these ingredients has put a strain on Sushi Kai. They have had to increase prices, but it is not feasible to put such strain on customers, particularly in times of economic uncertainty.

In adapting to the changing and difficult times, Peiris noted that delivery and delivery platforms were an integral part of keeping businesses afloat, although the commissions charged by such platforms are not always sustainable. Sushi Kai, along with other restaurants in Colombo, has appealed to Uber Eats in particular to negotiate on commissions at least on a temporary basis but to no avail.

Peiris too stressed that now is an important time for customers to come and dine in at their favourite places. Everyone is hurting and dining in keeps small restaurants in business and allows them to keep full earnings within the company and reinvest.

Customers hesitant to venture out

Epi-Q Express Gourmet is a fairly new eatery in the area, offering waffles, crepes, pizzas, wraps, and ice cones along with mojitos and tea. Epi-Q Director Shazmin Ismail explained that after having Epi-Q shut down for two months after the curfew was declared, it reopened in mid-May for pick-up and delivery via Uber Eats, PickMe Food, and Eatts, with such platforms integral in helping Epi-Q keep going through this difficult time.

A small family-run outfit managed by two sisters with a team of four staff members, the biggest challenge Epi-Q is facing is the fear of customers to eat out. Epi-Q has always held health and safety close to heart, with the restaurant featuring an open kitchen for customers to see just how their food is made. Adapting to the health and safety regulations set out by the authorities, all staff members wear masks and gloves and sanitise tables and chairs within the restaurant between customers.

Commenting on Epi-Q’s outlook, Ismail explained that Epi-Q expects dine-in footfall not to be great for at least a year. While dining in is encouraged,

Ismail explained that she understood why customers, particularly those who are parents, are hesitant to venture out.

Staying positive despite challenges

Giovanni’s Presto Pizza opened to great buzz a few years ago and has retained a fiercely loyal customer base ever since, becoming a go-to name for great pizza and expanding to offer pasta and other Italian food as well.

Owner Dimuthu Gamage shared that he and the entire team at Giovanni’s strive to live and work positively, creatively, and productively. Giovanni’s resumed operations as soon as it could, following the curfew, offering a limited menu for delivery through their own delivery service and even managing to expand and beautify their premises during the lockdown by adding in family rooms for small groups while also adjusting appropriately to maintain social distancing.

For the most part, Giovanni’s took things day by day – some days have been very successful while others haven’t – and through it all, the team has been staying positive. The demand for their pizza has stayed more or less constant throughout, and Giovanni’s has always limited the quantity of their production to ensure quality.

Gamage had anticipated an issue with the supply of ingredients when Covid-19 struck Italy (Giovanni’s depends heavily on Italian produce) and ordered in bulk, receiving his shipment before the lockdown and import restrictions were put in place in Sri Lanka. As such, he doesn’t anticipate any issues in being able to supply his customers for the next few months.

He is very thankful for his loyal customer base, and though there has been a drop in sales, Gamage shared that this is quite understandable given the current situation. He and the team at Giovanni’s are very optimistic that things will pick up soon once the immediate danger of the pandemic passes.

No idea what to expectLaksa Noodle Bar is a quaint

establishment on Thimbirigasyaya Road that serves noodles, soup noodles, ramen, and laksa. Chef German Dimaano, the Owner of the restaurant, shared that Laksa Noodle Bar shut down for two months post curfew before reopening for delivery via Uber Eats and PickMe Food.

A big challenge for Laksa Noodle Bar is accommodating health and safety regulations within such a small space; distancing protocol leaves them able to accommodate no more than four

people at a time.Ingredients were also a

challenge for Laksa Noodle Bar which imports a lot of their noodles from Malaysia. While Dimaano also makes his own noodles and has been able to work out alternatives using locally available ingredients, it does impact the authenticity of his cuisine, especially with no clear information on when import restrictions are likely to be relaxed.

Commenting on the general outlook post Covid-19, Dimaano explained that he had no idea what to expect. The rest of the world is starting to experience second waves, but so far Sri Lanka is safe, which is a blessing to Dimaano. A lot will depend on how the Government handles the reopening of foreign borders, he pointed out.

Predicting trends, a challenge

The Bread Company, at seven years old, is the oldest small food business in the area. Co-owner Prashan Butani shared that the lockdown, while unexpected, opened up an unexpected avenue of business with regard to bread. While previously selling retail, The Bread Company was overwhelmed with orders for bread during the lockdown, needing to make up to 500 loaves a day. With his staff on leave and locked out of Colombo by the curfew, Butani became a one-man operation, baking, packing, and delivering bread sometimes to locations as far as Angoda on request.

Eventually, through a serendipitous connection with the Red Cross, Butani was able to get some of his staff carefully brought back to Colombo to help him with operations and get some of his other menu items up and running again, with the staff members taking extra care with health and safety.

A big challenge for The Bread Company is predicting trends; keen to avoid wastage, there is no precedent on how to accurately gauge demand. Some weeks are bad and others are phenomenally good, while there was also a variation in between. A key component of The Bread Company is mothers and working parents on the school run in the mornings, and with schools closed, it’s hard to tell what the new normal is going

to be since a large portion of their market is not yet leaving the house regularly as they used to.

In terms of ingredients, The Bread Company has had both good and bad experiences; some suppliers have voluntarily extended large periods of credit to help customers in difficult times, while others have responded by more than doubling their prices.

Commenting on delivery platforms like Uber Eats, PickMe Food, and Eatts, Butani explained that while commissions are substantial and deliveries were booming, there is still an overall drop in deliveries because not everyone is still locked in, and with groceries now delivering ingredients and people being more used to eating at home, there is going to be a relative drop in delivery sales. It is important for platforms to recognise this when setting delivery targets that could end up hurting partners, he added.

Butani also commented that the Colombo City Restaurant Collective (CCRC) is working on negotiating a review of commissions charged by delivery platforms but has not yet made any official progress. His key outlook to the future is staying strong and doing everything possible to be better in this uncertain time.

Looking to the futureA key theme in how the future

will unfold is how the reopening of our international borders will take place and how effectively strategies and protocols are followed to avoid a second wave.

For the most part, the little food hub of Colombo 5’s Thimbirigasyaya Road is making it through the current post-lockdown period. While uncertainty reigns supreme and the coming months will be crucial, these personality-packed eateries are looking to stay strong and get through it all with optimistic outlooks to the future.

PHOTOS ESHAN DASANAYAKA

Colombo’s little food...Contd. from page 1

Adapting to the health and safety regulations set out by the authorities, all staff members wear masks and gloves and sanitise tables and chairs within the restaurant between customers

Looking to the future, Moulana shared that there is a sense of doom; while things could possibly pick up in the next few months, a second wave could prove disastrous

Epi-Q

Doner and Durum

Thirimadura stated that they have chosen to screen their film in this way because they do not mind biting the bullet if it means it would encourage people to visit the cinema halls to watch the movie, thereby keeping the local cinema industry alive as well.

The duo also stated that as they do hail from the theatre background and are theatre people at heart, there is an underlying hope of success of cinemas reopening, lending itself to the eventual opening of stage dramas to the public as well. Their wish is that in contributing to the reopening of cinemas and hopefully providing for crowds to make their way to the cinema hall, they would in turn make it so that stage dramas too get back to normal and open up.

According to Thirimadura, while globally the entertainment industry is at an all-time high in terms of progression, Sri Lanka is still lagging behind; this is particularly due to the lack of collaboration and involvement on the part of the audiences in the island with the growth and sustenance of the cinema industry. Of course, there are numerous alternatives available now and unless the industry comes

up with an extraordinary product, there is no need for the general public to spend their hard-earned money and precious time in a cinema hall.

Noting the fact that there are only 117 cinema halls in this country, which is shockingly low, he said live theatre and cinema are a dying art as technology and streaming has made it so that people would rather stay at home to watch new releases at home.

Thirimadura further shared that in Moratuwa, where he spent his childhood running from one film to the other, there was a total of six halls – namely, Tower, Emess, Manel, Vijitha, Odeon, and Padma – out of which four have been closed down. He said when he first heard that Odeon might close down, his heart skipped a beat and he was overcome with a melancholic feeling because that is where he has caught so many cinematic masterpieces that have inspired him to this day; it had been a place that holds a special place in his heart.

“I was devastated when I heard it would close down. It is a shame that this is the state the local cinema industry has come to,” he emphasised.

While The Newspaper has been highly anticipated, there was another element that was cause for intrigue even before its

release – it was co-produced by Co-Cabinet Spokesperson Dr. Bandula Gunawardana, Ravindra Guruge, and H.D. Premasiri.

We asked both Kothalwala and Thirimadura about the involvement of a prominent political figure in the country, particularly at such a time when the election is coming up and the political sphere is charged up. They both stated that they are not and have never been the type of people who wish to be entangled with politics, and while the nature of our country is such that one cannot speak or think entirely in isolation without the involvement of politics, their film is not a piece of propaganda and you are sure to know this when you watch the film. They said they see no reason to either hide the involvement of a political figure or distance themselves in anyway.

They added that, however, if ever there was anyone who should be recognised for their contribution to cinema, they would have to say it is Minister Bandula

Gunawardana as he has been a part of some of Sri Lanka’s cinematic masterpieces and facilitated the creation of them.

With regard to the co-production credit on the film, The Sunday Morning Brunch reached out to Minister Gunawardana. “I have been making efforts to be a part of good cinema in Sri Lanka for about 37 years now. At first, I wanted to help make Dharmasiri Bandaranayake’s debut film Hansa Vilak, but I was unable to do so. However, in 1987, I was able to make his film Suddhilage Kathawa which went on to become the Best Film in Sri Lanka that year. Then in the case of Siri Medura, I brought down Parakrama Niriella to direct it, which went on to win nine awards that year including the Best Film. I gave Ayoma starring Swarna Mallawarachchi to Parakrama as well because I have already seen what he can do.”

Speaking about the current film, he said: “As for this particular script, Thirimadura is an old student of mine and I saw that he has written a great script and that they were making rounds trying to find someone to produce it for them. They were told that since they are theatre folk coming from the theatre background, they should bring in somebody else to direct it. But I felt that if they wrote the script and will be acting in it, then they are best to direct it too. The concept in their heads cannot be executed better through an outside perspective.”

The Minister went on to add that he has cared deeply about local cinema for years and hopes only to contribute quality productions that we as people can be proud of, through which it will gain worldwide recognition while being entertaining to all.

“I have made my best efforts to support good local cinema; back in the day, there was a system where the (National) Film Corporation would provide funds for filmmakers to produce films. However, that is no longer available. In order to support work such as this, I brought Ravindra Guruge and H.D. Premasiri and created the company which will function not as a profit-making entity, but one that will aid filmmakers in a corporative way. If there is a profit to be made, then that will go into a trust to be used for other good films,” he said.

He added that with the accreditation those involved in the film have received, he is glad to have been a part of something that could contribute significantly to Sri Lankan cinema.

Co-directors and stars of the production Kothalawala and Thirimadura stated that they believe their part of the deal is now complete; it is now up to the Sri Lankan audiences to show their support and play an integral role in reviving the local cinema industry. They said that they have created a piece of art they are proud of and hope it will be well received. They invite all Lankans to go and see the film in theatres and have an enjoyable time.

The NewspaperContd. from page 1

A scene from the movie

PEOPLE/CAUSEthe sunday morning brunchSunday, July 5, 2020

3


BY DIMITHRI WIJESINGHE

Uber recently came under fire with its partners questioning how ethical their business practices actually are. There appears to be a clear divide between the two camps – they view it either as a saviour or an absolute devil.

Many were singing a different tune during the times when the pandemic was at its peak, praising delivery services such as Uber Eats which had stepped in to provide access to delivery even during times of difficulty.

Stemming from the various changes and adjustments businesses have had to endure during the past few months, many business partners relying on Uber Eats have expressed their dissatisfaction with regard to how the platform functions, including technical failures that go unaddressed, disregard for the customer’s relationship with the business, and most prominently, the supposedly exuberant commissions charged by the platform.

We spoke to a number of vendors who currently are or were at some point in partnership with Uber Eats to share their thoughts on the matter and whether they truly believe there is a satisfactory alternative to the delivery service if the platform refuses to make acceptable changes.

Platform practices and treatment of partners

We reached out to Isso Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Apinash Sivagumaaran, who recently announced that Isso will no longer be working with Uber Eats. About the move to remove their business from the platform, Apinash said that while it was a result of a culmination of a number of factors from Uber’s end, for them it no longer felt like a sustainable business model. “When Uber took us online, we were at a 15% commission for a while and then we were pushed to 27-30%, which felt unfair for us, and it doesn’t make sense; as a business model, it is not sustainable. You cannot make money that way.”

Adding also that with these spikes, it didn’t make sense for them from a business perspective, he stated: “The increase in commission was originally imposed during Covid-19, which was a tough time; our business model changed a lot and a large percentage of our business was reliant on deliveries. As such, we requested for data from them, and the reply we received was an increase to our commission. At the time, we felt we were being exploited,” he said. He shared that they were told they had to pay a higher commission in order to have access to that information. This, to them, felt extremely one-sided. “If someone has access to that information, then others should too, it shouldn’t matter what commission you are paying.”

He said that they are now focusing on their in-house dining services and their own delivery service which can be accessed through their website where 10% of your delivery charge will be returned to you in a loyalty points system, which to them feels like a more sustainable model – to pass on value to their customers.

RAW Sri Lanka Founder Ronali Perera also shared that she too might consider opting out of Uber Eats, stating: “I have two major issues with Uber – the commission structure and the way it is awarded, and also the radius it allows my business to reach. I dispatch my product from Pepiliyana, but the radius does not reach my customer base,” she said.

She added that when it came to commissions, she signed up with a low commission rate for about three months, after which it was increased. When she questioned whether they could possibly reconsider the increase, she received a blanket response that it is not a fixed commission structure.

Ronali said that as she handles a perishable product, she has decided to rely on her own outsourced delivery service, website, and Instagram to receive orders. And if push comes to shove, she would have no qualms in leaving Uber. As of now, she said she barely utilises it as their delivery radius offered to her does not reach far enough and when she requested that it be altered, the response was that she must move up to a higher commission rate to do so.

Sushi Kai Owner Pasindu Peiris also shared his dissatisfaction with the way things have been handled on Uber Eats despite being one of the first businesses to partner with the platform when it was first introduced in Sri Lanka. He said: “I am personally dissatisfied with the way things have been running with Uber Eats. I was one of the first to register with the platform and yet right now we are not in a favourable position.”

Pasindu said that at first when he first began his business, he had originally employed his own riders while simultaneously partnering with Uber;

however, he proposed to move exclusively with Uber if they were to reduce his commission. They did bring it down to 25% he said, adding that however since then, he has not been able to make the move. During the Covid-19 times, he shared that he had requested at least a 2% deduction, but they were very rigid and did not reduce it. “In my case, most of our ingredients are luxury items and the taxes were so much higher during those days; it was a difficult period,” he shared.

He added: “During the Covid period, there were also system issues they refused to fix – for vendors, we have a help button which offers three options when an order comes in: Cancel, delay, or mark it unavailable. However, that button was taken down and we were forced to prepare every order that came in, without any control of the situation.” He also stated that one of the major issues he has with the platform is that he is unable to access his own data. He shared that they have time and again denied his requests to access important analytics, including the more popular areas his orders come from, the peak time, the more popular items, etc.

Finally, with regard to commissions and the issue at large, he said: “This commission issue makes us look bad to our customers because they often think we are crazy to display the prices we have to quote on the application; it is so much cheaper to dine in.”

He said that he is prepared to move out of Uber Eats if things continue as they do, and that he only relies on about 20-30% of his business from the application. However, his only fear is that they would promote his competitors aggressively, which would hurt him in the long run.

Uber Eats was the only rescue during difficult times

While there are such vendors who feel

that they are being slighted by the way things are going, there are others who feel differently.

Particularly with regard to the past three months, at the height of the pandemic, some of these vendors shared their thoughts, stating that when all business came to a total standstill, Uber Eats was the only option and was a saviour for some of the businesses where 100% of their sales were from Uber. Some also shared that at the time, irrespective of whatever Uber may have demanded of them, they would have agreed and jumped right onto the platform. They said that people had reached a point where if they were asked to pay 50% commission, they would have agreed. However, now of course they feel differently, because the situation has changed.

Some vendors even went on to say that at a certain point during the Covid-19 lockdown, Uber Eats themselves were incurring costs such as hygiene costs to provide the necessary gear to their drivers to accommodate the deliveries and demand during the pandemic. They said that while at the time you may have felt that they were a godsend, after some time now things are starting to look bad.

They also highlighted that Uber is not a compulsory service. If their business practices do not align with your model, then you are free to move out. However, some are entirely reliant on the platform and because it is an individual commission rate and not a blanket rate, it allows for many to start up businesses, absorb the commissions, and keep a business going.

Great addition to our country?Harpo’s Hotels, Cafes, & Restaurants

CEO and Founder Harpo Gooneratne shared with us his thoughts on the matter. “I know that certain businesses are

currently unhappy with the commissions, and we have also moved from that range of 15% to 18% and now to 30%, however as it is now, suits us.

“I cannot speak for how everyone else is performing, but I feel it is an individual and not a collective thing. However, if your business is 99% reliant on the service, then it is a tricky thing to decide on. Quite a lot of people depend on Uber to carry out their business,” he said.

He shared that there are numerous others who have been able to do so because of it. He did however acknowledge that it is unpredictable and that they have the opportunity to leverage your data; one day they say there is going to be a change and by that time you are already hooked.

However, for Harpo’s Hotels, Cafes, & Restaurants, he said that there are no issues. “I think it is a great addition to this country; everybody can have a meal at home.”

He also said that despite having his own delivery service, his partnership with Uber Eats has allowed him to expand his business. “While right now the movement is to support people and be local, which is fine, for us, if there is a negotiation and for me it is not advantageous with Uber, then I will tell them to go away.”

Harpo spoke of how on Uber’s first anniversary in Sri Lanka, he met Kattoo Mittoo Achcharu Hut Founder Amna Anas, who is a mother of two, who launched a business purely because of the availability of Uber.

Kattoo Mittoo Achcharu Hut Founder/Owner Amna Anas also shared her thoughts with The Sunday Morning Brunch.

“We personally have not had any

issues with Uber Eats and for the past one-and-a-half years or so we have been a part of the platform; they have not increased the commission that we initially agreed upon. I have to say that their presence here in Sri Lanka has really helped a lot of businesses, especially for women, because there have been lots of home bakers coming up, purely because of the role Uber (Eats) has played in uplifting and supporting small business owners. But I can only speak from my point of view, and on my side of the story, there have been no concerns,” she said.

MSD Productions (Pvt.) Ltd. Group Managing Director (MD) Dinesh Wijesinghe also said: “I cannot speak for everyone in general on what is exuberant in terms of commissions. However, there are those businesses that are entirely reliant on Uber and more often than not, it is someone’s livelihood and they are happy to part with the 30% because they have built it into their costs. I am not speaking for how some people might be feeling; 30-35% is a lot to pay, but nobody is forced onto the platform. It is not a compulsory thing for you to have Uber.”

Business interests of all partners important: Uber

We posed these concerns to Uber, and Uber Eats Sri Lanka Lead Bhavna Dadlani shared that Uber Eats has always been equally fair to all their partners and that the business interests of all their restaurant partners are important to them.

“We support businesses of all sizes, and given that each restaurant has its own unit economics, we negotiate commissions with each one based on a number of variables. Uber Eats remains committed to providing earning opportunities to hundreds of thousands of businesses and individuals, offering them a platform to grow and flourish.”

She also added that during the pandemic, they made great efforts to provide optimum services. “We have been working tirelessly to provide food to our eaters even through the ongoing pandemic, while ensuring the convenience and safety of our consumers.”

With business owners’ dissatisfaction continuing to grow, we are bound to see a notable shift in the way food delivery is handled in the island. Regardless, Uber at present remains a gargantuan presence in the local restaurant industry, with firm enough footing that it may not be going anywhere anytime soon.

Uber EatsLooking at the concerns, praise, and everything else

I have two major issues with Uber – the commission structure and the way it is awarded, and also

the radius it allows my business to reach. I dispatch my product from Pepiliyana, but the radius does not

reach my customer baseRAW Sri Lanka Founder

Ronali Perera

I cannot speak for everyone in

general on what is exuberant in terms of commissions. However,

there are those businesses that are entirely reliant on Uber and more

often than not, it is someone’s livelihood and they are happy to part with the 30% because they

have built it into their costs.MSD Productions (Pvt.) Ltd. Group

Managing Director (MD) Dinesh Wijesinghe

I know that certain businesses are currently unhappy with the commissions, and we have also

moved from that range of 15% to 18%, and now to 30%, however

as it is now, suits us. I cannot speak for how everyone else is

performingHarpo’s Cafes & Restaurants CEO and Founder Harpo Gooneratne

The increase in commission was originally imposed during Covid-19, which was a tough time; our business

model changed a lot and a large percentage of your business was reliant on deliveries. As such, we

requested for data from them, and the reply we received was an increase to our commission. At the time, we felt

we were being exploitedIsso Co-Founder and CEO Apinash Sivagumaaran

During the Covid period, there were also system issues they refused to fix – for vendors, we have a help button which offers three options when an order comes in: Cancel, delay, or

mark it unavailable. However, that button was taken down and we were

forced to prepare every order that came in, without any control of the

situationSushi Kai Owner Pasindu Peiris

For us personally, we have not had any issues with Uber Eats and for the past one-and-a-half years or so that we have been part of the

platform. They have not increased the commission that we initially agreed upon, and I have to say that their

presence here in Sri Lanka has really helped a lot of businesses, especially for women, because there have been

lots of home bakers coming upKattoo Mittoo Achcharu Hut Founder

Amna Anas

We personally have not had any

issues with Uber Eats and for the past one-and-a-half years or so we have

been a part of the platform; they have not increased the commission that we initially agreed upon. I have to say

that their presence here in Sri Lanka has really helped a lot of businesses

Uber Eats Sri Lanka Lead Bhavna Dadlani

MENTAL HEALTHthe sunday morning brunch



Mental health as a topic in Sri Lankan society is one that tends to get swept under the rug. No one ever wants to admit that they need mental health support or treatment because of the stigma attached to it and the chance that people will treat them differently.

However, in recent years, with the whole world beginning to prioritise mental health, and organisations in Sri Lanka working to build awareness while breaking the stigma, more people are talking about and seeking support about their mental health than ever before.

Like almost every other industry, the field of psychology and mental health intervention services too has been affected by Covid-19. Lockdowns and curfews have made it so that professionals and patients in this field of healthcare have had to adapt to meet new challenges.

Sri Lanka’s nine-week lockdown meant that patients who depended on seeing their therapists regularly were suddenly unable to get help at the level they needed. The aura of doom and gloom that came with the first few weeks of Covid-19 and lockdown did little to help those who were already anxious, stressed, and depressed.

In light of this, The Sunday Morning Brunch reached out to psychologists and therapists to learn more about mental health intervention and how Covid-19 has affected the field and those in it, be it on a professional level or personal level.

Adapting to the lockdownSpeaking to clinical

psychologist Dr. Suhaila Shafeek Irshard who serves as the Director of Child Adolescent and Family Services (CAFS), an independent not-for-profit organisation headed by a group of psychologists that provides multidisciplinary mental health services, we learnt that virtual mental health intervention, particularly virtual counselling, was not unheard of. It has been used extensively abroad to varying, situation-specific levels of effectiveness.

Locally, virtual intervention has been limited mostly to over-the-phone counselling through organisations like Sri Lanka Sumithrayo which provides free virtual counselling and mental health support to those who come forward, working with them via the phone as well as in person depending on the situation.

Clinical psychologist Roshan Dhammapala, who has worked as a counsellor on the recent helpline set up by the Government during the pandemic, explained that people from very diverse backgrounds and settings reached out for support on the helpline, adding that despite these differences in demography, people still managed to make successful connections and speak about their issues and seek support/advice.

In her own practice, Dhammapala made the switch to consulting with her clients remotely and not just with her existing clients, but also with lots of

new ones who reached out for support and treatment during the lockdown. Dhammapala made an effort to be flexible in how she consulted, whether it was over the phone or through video conferencing, accommodating clients’ need for privacy as the situation demanded.

In terms of anxiety, Dr. Irshard shared that there were three “peaks of anxiety” that she had observed when dealing with her clients. “There has been a rise in reports of anxiety over the last few months, with roughly three ‘peaks’. The first was at the start of the lockdown amidst all the

uncertainty at that time. The second was at the one month mark of

the curfew, with people very worried, and the last one, which is more recent, took place once restrictions relaxed and people started to go back to their daily lives,” Dr. Irshard said.

With face-to-face counselling and intervention

no longer an option, many psychologists, Dr. Irshard included, needed to make the shift to virtual intervention,

moving to interact with patients and clients via video conferencing platforms, the phone, and text.

Pros and cons of virtual intervention

Virtual intervention carries with it a lot of benefits, particularly in times like these when public health is a major concern. It provides a safe way for psychologists to consult with clients, touch base, and help work through issues without needing to interact physically.

Speaking to clinical psychologist Lakmal Ponnamperuma, we learnt that another benefit of virtual mental health intervention techniques was that of time and cost savings. With traditional physical intervention and counselling, there is an amount of time that is lost, particularly on the client’s side. They have to take time

out of work or away from their families, travel to meet their therapist, spend time in waiting rooms, spend an hour or so with their therapist, and then travel back. Virtual intervention saves on this aspect of time, with clients given the ability to engage with their therapists in a familiar setting while saving time that can be used in other ways. It also stops clients from running into people they know due to privacy reasons.

Privacy is also a benefit that clients can expect from virtual intervention. The aspect of being uncomfortable while in a hospital waiting room and potentially worrying about stigma is also cut out with the clients being able to consult remotely. The stigma surrounding mental health in general makes many clients reluctant to admit that they are seeking mental health support and intervention.

Dr. Irshard also shared that with the pandemic serving as a catalyst to normalise virtual interaction, on the whole, services like personality assessments and similar questionnaire-based assessments were made available in a virtual context, which has made assessing new clients possible and working out therapy techniques easier.

The drawbacks of virtual mental health intervention mainly stem from lack of physical interaction. Dr. Irshard explained that particularly when dealing with new clients and those with specific difficulties like extreme grief, for example, there is an element of agency lost on behalf of the therapist because of the lack of physical connection. In moments of distress, it is very easy for clients to disconnect or cut the session short, whereas with physical intervention, being in the room with someone makes it easier to power through unpleasant or uncomfortable moments in the process and work through issues.

Ponnamperuma also commented that there are types of clients who are

less suited to virtual intervention because of their specific needs; some need more physical interaction than others. Dr. Irshard also commented in a similar vein, explaining that this was particularly relevant in cases like younger children

where building a rapport and holding attention is key.

However, doing this effectively from behind a screen is not easy.

Privacy was also an issue raised by Dhammapala, Ponnamperuma, and Dr. Irshard, although in different respects. Ponnamperuma talked about the aspect of privacy in terms of platforms, explaining that he had dealt with clients who were reluctant to turn to video

and phone conferencing as methods of consultation because of the chance the platforms or apps themselves may be insecure and subject to security breaches that could compromise their privacy.

Dr. Irshard said privacy became an issue with clients because of the change in surroundings. While clients are consulting from their own personal and familiar spaces, and this can be positive, there is also an inherent lack of privacy in these spaces for clients. Many people live with their families, which can make honest, open dialogue difficult. This is

particularly true in the case of clients who have children and in the

case of clients who live in abusive environments or are otherwise keeping their treatment private.

Another major drawback of virtual intervention is technology,

with only some clients being technologically savvy

to be able to benefit from virtual counselling effectively. Unease with technology will

automatically impact the quality of the session because the client is distracted and uncomfortable. When compounded with issues like internet access and quality, this can become an obstacle.

Dhammapala also weighed in, explaining that sometimes the disadvantages of virtual intervention can also be advantages, particularly in cases where the client has to gauge the therapist based on one sense, like over the phone where it is entirely voice-driven. Sometimes this can help because it blocks out other data that may interfere, but it can also make things harder if the client and therapist are both people who also need to make a virtual connection. The inability to be able to respond to non-verbal cues like facial expressions or body language can also make intervention harder on both ends.

Treating clients with specific physical needs

Counselling as we know it is not the only form of mental health intervention; there are many techniques, with some being more interactive than others. One interactive form of intervention is drama therapy, a creative arts psychotherapy that uses the medium of drama to help clients process, building in elements and practices like storytelling, enactment, movement, and art to build awareness between the mind and body.

Forms of intervention like drama therapy require a strong physical presence within a space, which limits how therapists can adapt in a virtual environment. Drama therapist Tehani

Chitty explained that given the nature of drama therapy, adapting to a virtual environment is quite challenging, adding that technological difficulties can also hamper the process further.

The biggest challenge to conducting intervention forms like drama therapy virtually is that drama therapy in particular is heavily client led, with therapists acting as facilitators. In an online environment, therapists need to be direct, which can hamper the process if not done carefully. Chitty did adapt to conducting therapy online during the pandemic but is now back on track, meeting clients in person for maximum effect.

Sharing her views on the short term, Chitty feels that there will be an increase in virtual intervention in the short term, but shared Dr. Irshard’s feelings on clients feeling safe in their own environments in situations where confidentiality is a priority. Sri Lankan culture is such that many people live with their parents or other family.

Chitty was of the view that the ideal form of mental health intervention is physical because the relationship between the client and therapist has always been an important part of the process of healing, and there are elements of this that are lost in a virtual environment.

Impact of mental health intervention in the long term

In general, treating issues with mental health is something that is very hands-

on, particularly given its sensitive nature. To truly measure the

impacts of virtual intervention techniques versus physical health techniques is something that would require in-depth studies to be conducted.

Ponnamperuma explained that recent studies

conducted abroad have indicated that for the most part,

virtual intervention is as effective but quite subjective, which makes

the weight of these studies potentially problematic. Locally, no such studies have yet been conducted, so gauging how this works in a Sri Lankan context is not yet possible.

The year 2020 and the global pandemic have served to normalise digital working methods across the board. Commenting on the long-term viability of physical intervention, Dr. Irshard commented that physical intervention will always be more effective because of the infinite possibilities of physical interaction. However, Covid-19 has shown that everyone needs to change and that anything is possible. It may not be a matter of online being better than physical or vice versa, but more about virtual intervention improving and growing as a standalone form of treatment for specific clients.

BY NAVEED ROZAIS

A mental health intervention, put quite simply, comprises the variety of techniques used by psychologists to treat individuals with issues pertaining to mental health and wellbeing. A common misconception is that mental health intervention is simply counselling, but this is not so. There are diverse techniques with various levels of physical and emotional interaction. These techniques include counselling, psychotherapy, vocational therapy, and even medication.

MENTAL HEALTH INTERVENTION IN THE NEW NORMAL

Rise of digital

mental health intervention

techniques and their impact in the long run

Roshan Dhammapala

Dr. Suhaila Shafeek Irshard

PHOT

O SE

RGEY

ZOLK

IN/U

NSPL

ASH

Lakmal Ponnamperuma

Tehani Chitty

HEALTH/CAUSEthe sunday morning brunchSunday, July 5, 2020

5

The following article was penned by consultant physician Dr. Kayathri Periasamy.

The current worldwide health situation is ambiguous, novel, and unpredictable and has forced the small things that make up our community to change. Since mid-March, we have been told to socially isolate ourselves from the family, friends, and colleagues we were regularly in contact with. The economic disruptions Sri Lanka is forced to go through at the moment have caused many individual-level disruptions. To top it off, the highly contagious nature of Covid-19 has conditioned us to be extremely fearful, anxious beings as life slowly returns to a sense of normalcy, setting back into our old routines of work and education.

This sentiment is especially true of individuals who were deemed “at high risk”

of developing and succumbing to the more fatal symptoms of Covid-19 – the elderly and those with chronic medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart problems, and obesity. While this holds true, this mostly applies to people whose medical conditions are not controlled properly. It is generally seen that even during normal surgery or a common flu, it is the “uncontrolled” medical conditions that cause serious complications.

Sure, the new normal feels scary and unknown, but let us not forget that mankind has navigated through numerous “new normals” in the past such as wars, famines, financial crises, the digital era, post-9/11 era, and even other epidemics such as dengue. But over time, we have always

adapted to living with each of these new realities. This is not to belittle some of the woes certain industries are facing nor the many deaths that have occurred, but we are constantly learning and will certainly win over this problem too. After all, challenge drives innovation.

So how do we build self-resilience to not just survive,

but also to thrive amidst a pandemic? y Take full control over your chronic medical conditions – work closely with your family doctors to keep track of your body’s progress and have a month’s supply of medicine at any point. Patients can contact doctors through reliable remote consultation and channelling apps as well.

y Identify whether your worry is a “real

problem” or a “hypothetical worry” – if you’re experiencing hypothetical worry, remind yourself that your mind is not focusing on a problem that you can solve right now.

y Postpone your worry – postponing hypothetical worry allows us to build a different relationship with our worries.

y Notice and limit worry triggers – it is best to limit the time that you are exposed to worry triggers each day; listen to the news for only a set time each day, or cut back on time spent on social media.

y Practise mindfulness and self-compassion – this can help us let go of worries and brings us back to the present moment.

y Foster a balanced routine that helps

keep your mind and body active – maintain a regular schedule to give structure to your day.

y Practise gratitude – at times of uncertainty, developing gratitude can help you connect with moments of joy, aliveness, and pleasure

y Rely on reputable news sources – it can also help to be mindful of where you are obtaining news and information from. Be careful to choose reputable sources and limit your exposure to negative news cycles that will only result in worry.

(The writer is a consultant physician MBBS [UK], MRCP [UK], and board-

certified in international medicine [USA]. She is the Founder of Healthy Life Clinic

located in Colombo 3)

Building self-resilience and adapting to life in the new normal

Dr. Kayathri Periasamy

BY DR. DINESHANI HETTIARACHCHI SIRISENA

Depression and other mental illnesses are on the rise globally. Feeling sad, overwhelmed, and/or losing interest or pleasure from routine activities are common feelings to most of us at some point in our lives. However, if these feelings persist and if one feels an unrelenting form of sadness and despair affecting their daily lives substantially, then depression could be the cause. At its worst, it can lead to ending one’s life. Depression is estimated to affect 350 million people worldwide. If it’s long-lasting with moderate to severe intensity, the affected person can suffer enormously, resulting in functioning poorly at work, school, and within the family.

Sometimes due to its debilitating nature, it can become a serious health condition. In this light, we spoke to senior consultant psychiatrist and General Sir John Kotelawala Defense University (KDU) senior lecturer Dr. Neil Fernando. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), depression is the main cause of disability worldwide that can affect children, adolescents and young adults, the middle-aged, and the elderly from any socioeconomic status. Depression is found to be commoner among the poor and socially marginalised populations. Women also tend to be more prone to depression, although the exact reason for it is unclear. According to statistics, women have a 25% chance of developing depression during their life, whereas men have a 10% chance.

How do you know it’s depression? It is the commonest mood disorder

where one is in a persistent state of sadness with interference to their daily activities. If you are persistently sad for over two weeks and your activities of daily living are disrupted, you may be having depression and it is advisable to seek professional help.

The symptoms of depression can be categorised as:

y Negative thoughts which include negative ideas about self, negative ideas about your family and friends, and negative ideas about the future. This is called the triad of depressive thoughts

y Negative emotions which include persistent sadness, inability to experience pleasure, having low spirits, loss of energy, excessive tiredness, and for many Sri Lankans, irritability and poor anger control

y Negative behaviour which includes sleep disturbances, impaired eating habits, reduced libido, inactivity, impaired performance and reduced productivity, and self-harming and occasionally harming others

For some, just trying to get through the day may feel overwhelming and it is often described as the feeling of impending doom or “living in a black hole”. No matter how difficult it may feel, with proper medical care, things will get better. Depression can be classified as mild, moderate, and severe

depending on the number of symptoms present in a person at a given time. Furthermore, depression can be associated with features of psychosis such as delusions, hallucinations, and thought disorders. The impact of depression can be for the individual, family, and the community.

How is the diagnosis made? The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual

of Mental Disorders: DSM-5 lists the following symptoms of depression:

y Depressed mood on most days, including feelings of sadness or emptiness

y Loss of pleasure in previously enjoyed activities

y Too little or too much sleep on most days

y Unintended weight loss or gain, or changes in appetite

y Physical agitation or feelings of sluggishness

y Low energy or fatigue

y Feeling worthless or guilty

y Trouble concentrating or making decisions

y Intrusive thoughts of death or suicide

These symptoms vary between individuals and may change over time. For a doctor to diagnose depression, a person must have five or more symptoms that must be present during a two-week consecutive period.

Effects of depression On the IndividualDepression disables the person

mentally and can also manifest in many

other physical forms (Figure 1). Currently, depression is the second most disabling illness and is expected to be the most disabling illness by the year 2030. When a person is depressed, it makes the person more vulnerable to physical diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and infections. Depressed persons are more at risk of suicide. A study done by Dr. Ranil Abeysinghe in the Kandy District showed that unrecognised depression and alcohol-related problems were the main reasons for suicide.

On the familyFamily members need to recognise

depression early on and seek effective treatment for depression. Many family members feel helpless when it comes to looking after someone who is depressed in their family. Hence, once a diagnosis is made, it’s crucial to provide the family with adequate support and skills to look after their loved ones. As such, it’s important that they are made aware of the nature of depression as an illness and it should not be compared to or treated as a sign of weakness. This is where most of the stigma associated with mental illness stems from. Hence, addressing the root causes should entail educating persons close to the individual, in turn creating a safe environment for them.

On the communityThe effect of depression on the

community is mainly on its economy. With the current pandemic, we have witnessed that there might be a rising trend in mental illness in the coming years. A study conducted in the US has estimated that the loss to the US economy amounts to $ 24 billion annually. This is due to premature death due to suicide and loss of productivity. There is a close association between depressive illness and poverty. Depressive illness leads to an impaired economy that in turn makes the person poorer and more vulnerable to depression. Therefore, having more depressed persons in a country impairs the productivity of a country. Every country should recognise this and have systems in place to curb and support individuals with depression, so they can get the proper medical attention promptly.

Why does a person get depression and how to prevent it?

According to Dr. Fernando, a person might experience depression due to multiple reasons. Genetic predisposition, loss of a parent during childhood, parental discord and conflicts at home, traumatic experience during childhood, experiences of loss, childbirth, financial difficulties, marital problems, unemployment, and psychological trauma are thought to be some of the main triggers for depression. Hence, it’s a result of a complex interaction of social, psychological, and biological factors. If you or anyone around you is showing symptoms of depression, talking to family members or a friend is beneficial as social connectedness promotes mental

health. Daily physical exercise and mindfulness meditation have also shown to have a positive effect on mental health.

Having a conversation and eliminating the stigma around depression can be achieved by prevention programmes at the workplace and community level. School-based programmes to enhance a pattern of positive thinking in children and adolescents along with interventions for parents of children with behavioural problems may reduce parental depressive symptoms

and improve outcomes for their children. The elderly can also benefit from exercise programmes and activities that improve their mood.

Depression can be treated Once a diagnosis of depression is

made, there are effective treatment methods. For moderate and severe depression, psychological treatment such as behavioural activation, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) or antidepressant medication will be employed by healthcare providers or psychiatrists. Psychosocial treatment is effective in mild cases of depression. Medication should be used under strict medical supervision.

Beyond treatment: Things you can do

Here are other tips that may help you or a loved one during treatment for depression:

y Try to be active and exercise

y Set realistic goals for yourself

y Try to spend time with other people and confide in a trusted friend or relative

y Try not to isolate yourself and let others help you

y Expect your mood to improve gradually, not immediately

y Postpone important decisions, such as getting married or divorced, or changing jobs until you feel better

y Discuss decisions with others who know you well and have a more objective view of your situation

y Continue to educate yourself about depression

(Source: National Institute of Mental Health)

About the writerThe writer, Dr. Dineshani Hettiarachchi Sirisena, is a family physician with a special interest in rare genetic diseases and regenerative medicine currently working as a lecturer at the Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Depression estimated to affect 350 m people worldwide

Senior consultant psychiatrist Dr. Neil Fernando

Figure 1 (Source: The Effects of Depression in Your Body/Healthline)

For some, just trying to get

through the day may feel overwhelming and it is often described as the feeling of impending doom or “living in a black hole”. No matter how difficult it may feel, with proper medical care, things will get better


WILDLIFEthe sunday morning brunch



BY JITHENDRI GOMES

With the recent reports of many leopards being found dead in the estate and hill areas and a dog being left as bait for this predator going viral on social media, it was hard to ignore the problem. Both these were shared by Lepocon Sri Lanka, a non-profit devoted exclusively to the conservation of Sri Lankan leopards and their ecosystems. The focus on these killings is certainly taking centre stage with the public putting more pressure on the authorities.

Organised killings of leopards must be given sufficient attention

Rukshan Jayewardene, who has for the past 25 years been a wildlife photographer, writer, and a populariser of Sri Lanka’s amazing biodiversity, shared his thoughts with The Sunday Morning Brunch. Jayewardene has an MPhil in South Asian Archaeology from the University of Cambridge with 14 years of field experience working on the Sri Lankan early historical period. He has intensively studied the Sri Lankan leopard in the wild and through that exposure been inspired to work for its long-term conservation.

His involvement with five (non-profit) conservation/environmental NGOs (non-governmental organisations) over a 20-year period, working with broadly common goals and likeminded individuals, has resulted in both success and failure. He continues to fight for avoidable biodiversity loss in order to conserve the common heritage of all Sri Lankans.

He sees this new decade – starting with 2020 – as a deciding decade for Sri Lankan leopards, both in and outside legally protected areas, and a host of other animals on land that are co-dependent.

Addressing the question as to whether there is in fact an increase in the killing of leopards or an increase in the number of cases being reported, he answered yes to both. The reason for this, he said, is because there is an increase in awareness about the plight of leopards in the Hill Country area and as a result, the reporting of it is also more frequent.

“Adding to this, there is a definite increase in killings as well. In addition, most of the leopards caught in these snares were found alive and these incidents were reported by parties that were not involved in putting that snare in place. It could have been someone just passing by. They either report it to the Police who then inform the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), or call the Department directly even if the leopard is dead.”

Jayewardene said that we must think

rationally about whether the snares were directed at wild boar or other animals, or whether it was set for the leopard itself. “If the person who set the trap gets to the place before anyone else (after the animal is caught), regardless of what is caught in the snare, there will be no reporting done,” he said, also explaining how snares are banned and it is now illegal to set these as traps.

If the trap was set for the leopard and if the animal was still alive, the person will kill it somehow and the meat and body parts would be collected to process as per their requirements. The person will also remove all evidence from the site including the snare, he shared. “The man who put a snare for the leopard knows very well that

it is an offense – a scalable offence with a fine involved – as it is a highly protected animal. The people are no longer ignorant about the gravity of a leopard being caught in a set snare, the consequences, and how the authorities are going to react to it. Organised killings of leopards must be given sufficient attention.”

Being lenient with farmers is an old story

In response to increased incidents of this nature, Jayewardene pointed out a direct connection with the role played by the DWC, or lack of it. Accordingly, the Department has not paid enough attention to the leopard populations living outside of the protected areas and national parks.

“Even within protected areas, their services have not been good enough; outside, there is no concern at all. It is only now, as a result of the pressure put by the public, that the Department is forced to look into those areas, especially in the Hill Country. Public pressure has actually brought about change and I urge the public to continue to engage and question authorities regarding their code of conduct and fulfilling their duties. With the Right to Information (RTI) Act, every citizen who is concerned about the environment now has the right to demand information.”

Jayewardene went on to explain that we cannot be in denial and think that leopards are merely “by-catch” of people putting snares for crop protection. Being lenient with farmers who are protecting their crop from animals is now an old story, according to him.

“The DWC is also the custodian of leopards, wherever they live. The Department cannot hide behind privately owned estates; they have the right to go in whenever required. There is a dereliction of responsibility that has led to this increase in killings. And there is a clear difference in their approach in the last six months, which proves the importance of public pressure.

It is up to the Department to find the mechanisms and the manpower with which to approach this problem.”

With the picture of a dog left for bait circulating on social media, we asked Jayewardene for his thoughts on this matter as well. “I am not very sure of the picture circulating, but someone else may see it and think it to be a good way to attract leopards. I can also see how using a dog as bait can be practised by those who want to capture leopards. However, I haven’t seen it happen with my own eyes on the field, so I will not have a conclusion; one photograph won’t tell you the whole story.”

He went on to explain how this could be a possibility. According to some, dogs are left tied in crops in a way that they are able to move about enough to warn the farmers of any intruders. This also limits the dog’s movements in case there is a predator approaching it, which could even be wild boars or porcupines. As such, it cannot run away from a leopard when tied.

“People cannot be unaware that there are leopards in their surroundings and that putting the dog on a leash makes it a sitting and easy target for the predator. When you think about it that way, it proves that there

is a good chance that there is a connection to the leopards. At the same time, the dog can warn its owners by barking if a predator is in sight, which gives the people the opportunity to capture the leopard. However, the leopard is capable of killing the dog and taking it away before the people react to the warning given by the dog. Dogs are not a challenge for the leopards.”

Jayewardene shared that some say leopards prefer dog meat but clarified that this information comes from those who live in rural areas and realise that their dogs go missing. This is also how they find out that there are leopards in the area. While leopards stick to their usual feed of deer and sambar, there are ways of luring them to us, he said, noting that “these are all possibilities”.

Stringent law enforcement is imperative

Lepocon Sri Lanka utilises human resources and methods for raising awareness, providing education, and conducting research to safeguard the country’s apex predator. They tweeted the picture of the dog kept as bait, which caught a lot of attention on social media.

We spoke to Leopocon Sri Lanka Founder Sethil Muhandiram, who is an environmentalist and conservationist active in the field of preserving wildlife and the environment in Sri Lanka for more than eight years.

“We received these images from Jinapriya Gallage, a wildlife photographer and wildlife enthusiast who happened to be in the Udaweriya area at the time of the incident. He posted those images on his social media account. We identified it as a trap for leopards and later on, the DWC raided the same based on Gallage’s information; they rescued two dogs and captured two people in connection with the snaring.”

Muhandiram said that, as reported by seasoned hunters, this dog trap is used to lure leopards and is called “pani mula gahanawa” in Sinhala (similar to honey traps in English). It was partially famous around the mid-80s and early 90s. Farmers used this brutal method to protect their livestock from leopards, as for the leopard it was a sure kill.

“Though not as frequent as the common snare set for wild boar and deer, dog trapping is emerging again in the Hill Country as a means to kill leopards for their body parts, subsequently for animal body parts trafficking. This is rather unfortunate for the leopard, given the ongoing increase in the number of leopard deaths reported in the central highlands.”

Muhandiram explained that the “human-leopard misunderstanding”, erroneously referred to as the “human-leopard conflict” by many, which is on the rise, began in the 80s due to expansion of tea estates and deforestation. Leopards used to roam in vast forest areas earlier and rarely within plantations. However, due to rapid deforestation, these animals are faced with limited forest patches and lack natural prey, which in turn cause them to roam near human settlements seeking easy prey like dogs and goats.

“We believe that the Covid-19 lockdown played a significant role in the recent killings in the Hill Country, where economically unstable people see hunting as a source for money. Authorities should have a proper management plan to conserve leopards in these tea estates and it is mandatory to conduct daily patrols in the area to identify and remove snares. Furthermore, it is imperative to carry out stringent law enforcement to reduce wildlife crimes such as these snaring attempts.”

ROAMING IN THE HILLS

THE PLIGHT OF OUR

LEOPARDS

The picture of a dog left for bait, which circulated on social media

I am not very sure of the picture

circulating, but someone else may see it and think it to be a good way to attract leopards...

However, I haven’t seen it happen with my own eyes on the field,

so I will not have a conclusion; one photograph won’t tell you the

whole storyWildlife photographer and writer

Rukshan Jayewardene

Though not as frequent as the common snare set for wild boar

and deer, dog trapping is emerging again in the Hill Country as a means to kill leopards for their body parts, subsequently for

animal body parts trafficking. This is rather unfortunate for the

leopard, given the ongoing increase in the number of leopard deaths reported in the central highlands

Leopocon Sri Lanka Founder Sethil Muhandiram

PHOTO KRISHAN KARIYAWASAM

GAMES/TOONSthe sunday morning brunchSunday, July 5, 2020

7

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk.Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONSudoku

(Answers next week)(Last week’s)

Across1 Graf with 22 Grand Slam singles titles7 Epcot’s Spaceship Earth, e.g.12 Sacha Baron Cohen alter ego16 Part of HMS19 Soup dish20 Like many feedbag cereals21 NFL analyst Tony22 Big name in kitchen gadgets23 *Pro in a ring25 Helped throw a party27 Boxers’ org.?28 Birth day ordeal29 Boxer’s wound31 Clock watchers32 Bygone Russian ruler34 Sonic the Hedgehog creator35 Math class for coll. credit36 *Challenge for a hopeful collegian40 Footnote abbr.42 Removes fasteners from45 Hand-rubbing chuckle46 Trawler’s catch48 Firewood option49 Title for Marian50 Reacts with obvious pleasure

52 Comply with53 Pet peeve?54 Cap-and-crown org.?55 *Multi-faceted stage performance58 Believer60 Least amt.61 Reasons against62 Lands’ End department63 Barrier __64 Historic toolmaking period66 Practices, as a trade68 Eyes and ears71 Chocolate-caramel candy brand72 Industrial arts class, informally73 Actor Cumming of “The Good Wife”74 River inlet75 International economic coalition77 *Military stint80 One of the Bobbsey twins81 Valley with cellars and sellers82 On the fence84 Loathing85 “__ Misbehavin’”: Fats Waller song86 Suffix with glob87 Ingratiates oneself (to), with “up”89 The NBA’s Magic

90 Leave the larval stage92 __-Croatian language94 *Act of genius97 Plant-based sugar substitute99 Charged atoms100 Earliest work in a musical chronology104 One making amends105 Winter coat?106 Afghan capital108 Initialism for some time away from work109 Met a monthly obligation111 Ribbon-cutting event, or what the starts of the answers to starred clues can have114 Canon initials115 Singer from County Donegal116 Like many roofs117 Parking garage designation118 Just make, with “out”119 Insect repellent120 Gushes121 Forensic competition

Down1 Mar. 17 figure2 Ankara natives3 “Fear of Flying” author Jong4 Topper for 2-Down

5 Premonition6 Hospital deliveries7 Disco era word8 Lion player Bert9 5’9” Giant Mel10 Disco band brother11 Makes hopping mad12 Foot part13 Bath bathroom14 “Gotcha, man”15 Perp’s pretend friend, in interrogation16 *1977 Eagles hit17 Works out18 Reel holders24 Letter-shaped girder26 Hand-to-hand sound30 Brass band members33 Marsh plant34 Bonehead35 Yves’ squeeze37 Interruption lead-ins38 Tide type39 “We Have the Meats” sandwich chain41 This, when over there42 Fish sauce taste43 Low point44 *Liszt list, e.g.47 “I’m buying”50 Downfall51 Part-time player53 Bank add-ons55 What weight watchers watch56 Access, as a site57 Drive origination point

59 __ Penny: folk tale name65 Smoked salmon66 Calls work from home67 Grant on old TV68 Blighted area69 Mirthful70 “À votre __!”72 Stretch mark, say73 Grownup75 Safari sights76 Pitch from a rep78 Lysol targets79 Stands in the forest, perhaps83 Baum princess85 A group of them may be called a shrewdness87 Dealt with88 Memorable pie throwers90 Window one would rather keep closed91 Tiny Tim’s strings93 Oregon golfing mecca95 Swathe96 Automaton prefix98 Sherlock’s foe Adler101 Three-time A.L. batting champ Tony102 Nine-piece combo103 Sharp-eyed bird104 Cathedral recess105 ER directive106 Had already learned107 Supplements, with “to”110 Emmy-winning scientist112 Melrose in L.A., say113 Lincoln’s st.

Crossword CROSSWORD CLUES

SOLUTION FOR 21 JUNE


Entries should be written clearly and addressed to: The Features Editor, The Sunday Morning, No 91, Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 7 to reach us on or before 12 noon on 15 July, 2020.

Write ‘The Sunday Morning Brunch’, on the top left hand corner of the envelope.

Name: ............................................................................................................................ ............................................................................................................................Address: ............................................................................................................................ ............................................................................................................................Contact No: .......................................................................................................................Bank account details: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

(account number, bank name, branch name, and name as per bank account)

This week’s winners will be announced on 19 July

CROSSWORD WINNERS OF 21 JUNE

Consolation prize winners 1. Almass Shemal, Trincomalee2. Shanthi Rajapakse, Colombo 153. G. Kirupanandan, Kalmunai4. Mrs. Chadrapalathage, Kandy5. J.A.B.L. Ranasinghe, Ganemulla

First prize (Rs. 5,000) Dylan Fambeck, Colombo 05 Second prize (Rs. 3,000) K. Gallassage, Dehiwala

PEOPLE/EVENTSthe sunday morning brunch




Facebook: slpulse Instagram: @pulse_lk YouTube: Pulse.lkTHIS WEEK ON

Juicy Palu brings out sleepy sloth bearsLog onto our YouTube channel for the full video

The Clever Tortoise | Read-aloud videos with Room to ReadPulse Kids together with Room to Read is bringing quality education with fun and easy reads. Log onto our YouTube channel for more!

Articles to check out1. Types of people at work in

light of Covid-19 2. Sri Lanka’s substandard pet

shops need to go 3. Extra spicy cheese kottu 4. Nelum ala salad 5. Did you know? 6. R&B every Friday on

Island Pulse

English Nursing Care Sri Lanka (ENC), a leading elders’ home nursing service, recently conducted a comprehensive training session for their team of nurses with the aim of educating and reinforcing the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE). The training programme was conducted by their offsite nursing supervisor Maria Diaz who is qualified in tropical nursing care and has a master’s degree from Plymouth University, UK.

ENC hosts frequent training sessions for their nursing teams to reinforce the best of hygiene and care standards for their customers. This month’s training programme reinforced the best practices in PPE for their home-nursing teams amidst the challenging times of Covid-19; from maintaining the highest

hygiene standards to be practised when visiting a client’s home to the most updated nursing techniques when using PPE in carrying out their varied daily tasks such as managing catheters, patient peg feeds and other such medical equipment.

As Sri Lanka fast moves into an ageing population demographic, it is important that its elders get the

best care during the most challenging period of their lives. English Nursing Care Sri Lanka looks at creating a compassionate service that is reliable, trained, and knowledgeable.

For more information, visit their website www.

englishnursing.com, ring them up on 0114 500 117, or drop an email to info@

englishnursing.com.

UK standard training of eldercare services at English Nursing

Executive Premium, the travel partner of all business travellers to and within Sri Lanka, is turning one. A strategic investment by serial investor Alex Lovell, Executive Premium has earned a strong reputation as an exclusive service provider within a short span of time.

Executive Premium Chief Operating Officer Dhanushka Weerasinghe noted that the journey has been memorable albeit challenging. “We started in July 2019 as a very small operation with just 11 vehicles in our fleet. Today, we have grown this business to a 24-vehicle fleet and 71-strong team under the guidance of Alex Lovell, our Chairman. Our key differentiator is our exclusive service which is so reliable and of star class that all of the premium hotels are now looking to align with us.”

Executive Premium currently provides services to Taj Hotels, The Kingsbury Colombo, and Galle Face Hotel and is the travel partner for the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), Oman Air, and Lot Polish. It provided travel services for the entertainment industry as well. The company is also engaged in chauffeur training.

Commenting on their performance

over the past 12 months, The Indian Hotels Company Ltd. Director of Finance and Area Financial Controller to Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and the Maldives Soumitra Ray said: “Special emphasis is drawn to their excellent service during the Covid-19 epidemic where they really rose to the challenge to support us with urgent travel arrangements. We have a very cordial relationship with them and we wish them all the very best in growing their business in the future.”

“We are operating in a very sensitive industry. No matter what happens in the external environment, travel and tourism is the first to get affected. When we started operations, Sri Lanka was just recovering

from the Easter attacks and we built the business from scratch, and now again with the epidemic, we faced a serious threat but were able to emerge from this period without laying off a single team member. This is due to the strength of our team. Our chauffeurs are of excellent quality and we have a dynamic management team led by Manager of Business Process Engineering Chathuranga Udawatta, Manager of Operations Francis Olangaratnam, and Finance Manager Romesh Samarasinghe, all of whom have worked hard with their teams to bring Executive Premium to stability and financial strength in a very short span of time,” added Weerasinghe.

Executive Premium celebrates a successful first yearLooking to expand operations in the aftermath of Covid-19

Executive Premium Chairman Alex Lovell MBE Executive Premium Chief Operating Officer Dhanushka Weerasinghe

This month’s Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) lecture is titled “Do or do not, there is no try: Mangroves and their future”, and will be delivered by Dr. Sevvandi Jayakody on 16 July 2020 at 6 p.m. via Zoom.

Mangroves are groups of trees and shrubs that live in the coastal intertidal zone. The ecosystem they create is known as a mangrove ecosystem and in addition to mangrove plants (true mangroves), it consists of other plants commonly found in coastal areas (mangrove associates), micro and macro fauna which have adapted to live permanently or seasonally within this ecosystem, as well as the unique physiochemical conditions created by tides, fresh water flows, and silt.

Sri Lanka is home to one-third of the known mangroves in the world, but sadly, coastal development has shrunk the mangrove cover to less than 15,000 hectares and badly fragmented and destroyed its connectivity.

What’s in place that will further degrade mangroves? Pressure to clear pristine mangrove areas to expand aquaculture and salterns continues, and the industry is even eyeing the de-gazetting of already protected areas such as Vidaththalaithiv. Impacts of waste accumulation, sand mining, river diversions, invasive species, land grabs, and unsustainable fishing escalate yearly. The current situation is a clear demonstration of conflicts of interest and disregard to the true value of natural capital.

Dr. Sevvandi Jayakody (PhD) has a BSc (Hons.) in Zoology from the University of Kelaniya, a Postgraduate Diploma in Wildlife Management and Conservation from the Wildlife Institute of India, and a PhD in Zoology from the University of Aberdeen, UK. She did her postdoctoral research at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Australia, James Hutton Institute in Scotland, and International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in Canada.

Dr. Jayakody joined the Department

of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) as an Assistant Director in 1997 and currently serves as a senior lecturer at the Wayamba University of Sri Lanka. She served as the Co-ordinator for the 18th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP18) and she currently serves as the Chairperson of the National Mangrove Expert Committee. She is a member of the Commonwealth Blue Carbon Initiative and the National Environmental Council, and a Director of Environmental Foundation Ltd. Her research interests include coastal ecosystem management, policy, and impacts of human disturbance on ecosystem processes and functions.

Registrations for the lecture are now open online at https://forms.gle/Ks5TRqm13pqgZ3Mo9.

Do or do not, there is no try: Mangroves and their future

Dr. Sevvandi Jayakody

The Merrill J. Fernando (MJF) Charitable Foundation launched “disABILITY”, an English, Sinhala, and Tamil YouTube channel that will share information, access to therapy, and practical guidance for the care of children with disabilities. The disABILITY channel aims to support families, caregivers, and medical practitioners in rural Sri Lanka and South India.

The disABILITY channel offers free, on-demand content for parents and caregivers of children with cerebral palsy (CP), Down syndrome, autism, and other childhood disabilities who may not otherwise have regular access to medical professionals, therapists, and guidance on life skills development. Parents can access resources to create a conducive environment for the development of their child. The channel also seeks to support parents through online peer support groups in Sinhala and Tamil. disABILITY will connect caregivers with others who are experiencing similar challenges, while also offering access to specialised therapists and doctors.

Dilmah’s Founder established the MJF Foundation to fulfil his wish to share the success of his Dilmah business. He explained his reasons for forming his foundation. “There is a purpose beyond profit and this is it. The satisfaction I derive from seeing these children and their families blessed is greater than any commercial success I have known.”

His son Dilhan Fernando, who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dilmah and the Trustee of the MJF Foundation, added: “Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and other developmental disorders are stigmatised to an unacceptable extent. We want parents to know that there are many others who face the same daily challenges, and we want to ease

their burden. Technology is an enabler that we will use to offer that support, and the specialised guidance that mothers, fathers, and caregivers need to nurture ability in children with these disorders.”

Most children and people with disability require holistic interventions; the channel breaks the sessions down into five categories: Family resources, therapy, education and lifestyle, general health, and advocacy. “Even today, disability remains a social stigma and its impact on the individual and their entire family is not discussed openly,” said MJF Foundation Head of Rehabilitation and NCCCPDD (National Centre for Children with Cerebral Palsy and other Developmental Disorders) Director Gopi Kitnasamy. “We hope to dispel common misperceptions and highlight the ABILITY in each child and young adult.”

Established in 2016, the

NCCCPDD began as a joint venture between the Cerebral Palsy Lanka Foundation and MJF Charitable Foundation. In 2017, the first augmented alternative communication (AAC) app in Sinhalese and Tamil “Avaz” was launched with support from the Disability Studies Unit at the University of Kelaniya to enable those unable to express themselves verbally with a communications tool. In 2018, a series of trainings and workshops for midwives, medical practitioners, and families commenced with partners including World Vision

Lanka, Cerebral Palsy Alliance Australia, Multi Agency International Training and Support UK, Madras Dyslexia Association, and Vidhyasagar and Sathya Special Schools from India. In 2019, a cerebral palsy hotline, 077-7116116, was launched in October including a nationwide campaign to raise awareness on CP and community prevalence. (The YouTube channel can be found via the link https://bit.ly/LookBeyondDisability.)

A minimum 15% of the pre-tax profits from the global sales of Dilmah Tea and the activities of the MJF Group are used to fund the humanitarian work of the MJF Foundation including NCCCPDD. These extend to supporting sustainable livelihoods, vocational training, nutritional support, education, and a host of projects. Settlor Merrill J. Fernando committed Rs. 450 million towards relief and post-Covid recovery.

MJF Foundation launches

on ‘disABILITY’

first trilingual online channel

WNPS MONTHLY LECTURE

Documents

topads.lk - The Morning