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India can’t be trusted as genuine trade partner: GMOA

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17 May 2016 10:20 am - 36     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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GMOA President Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya said yesterday that his organisation was not against India but that the country can’t be trusted as a genuine trade partner.

Addressing a forum under the theme ‘Lets defeat the ETCA invader’, he alleged India had already ruined Nepal and identified India as a dishonest and unfair trade partner.

He said so called economic consultants who were promoting the Indo-Sri Lanka Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) had claimed that Sri Lanka should sign as many as trade agreements it could and the pacts should be signed as soon as possible if the country to be developed.

“If this is true, Nepal should be the most developed country today. It had signed more than ten trade agreements but it is still at the bottom of economic development,” Dr. Padeniya told the forum which was organised by the ‘Duty-Discussion Panel’ headed by Gevindu Kumaratunga.

Dr. Padeniya highlighted that Sri Lanka lacked a national policy on foreign trade agreements unlike India and said the existing Indo-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA) which was implemented since 2000, was in favour of India.

“If we are to expand the ISFTA into a service sector, we should first review it. More importantly, we should draft a national policy on foreign trade agreements. A proper mechanism should be set up on the proposed agreement with clear cut benefits and expectations. We are also in need of an authority which should take responsibility of drafting the agreements,” he said adding that it’s better to dump the agreement into the ocean than allowing Parliament to draft it.

He warned that they would launch stern trade union action without further notice if the ETCA was signed.

Meanwhile, Senior Lecturer Dr. Lalithasiri Gunaruwan of the Colombo University’s Economics Department also said the faults in the ISFTA should be addressed before signing a new agreement. “We should rectify faults and make the agreement viable instead of jumping into a more complicated one with the false hope of better results,” he said.

He said India’s behaviour was suspicious and it was suspicious whether they were attempting to poke their fingers in nerve centres in Sri Lanka and to loot profits. “To make this process easier, we have Sri Lankan match-fixers who are playing for India,” he alleged. (Lahiru Pothmulla)

(Pix by Kushan Pathiraja)


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  Comments - 36

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  • ja Tuesday, 17 May 2016 05:02 PM

    This is the problem with us. Every Tom, Dick and Harry trying to run the country.

    Ajithkumar Tuesday, 17 May 2016 03:53 PM

    I am more interested if this Dr fights for prescribing general names for medicines than the brand names. That is helping the people but that too would eat your profits Dr. Please focus on the field what you have chosen to represent.

    daughter boru Tuesday, 17 May 2016 03:59 PM

    Bingo, what about the medicine? via DM Android App

    Sam w Tuesday, 17 May 2016 04:25 PM

    Yes he is correct, if SL is having a national policy, the monopoly of GMOA will not exist. Who let this guy to talk about economies than concentrating on his own field. Kindly stop fighting for your own benefits, if you all are so competitive in the market why you should worry about inferior Indian doctors?

    Hemanth Tuesday, 17 May 2016 04:31 PM

    China is also same as India. They are concern their advantage. Both countries are developing countries. If Sri Lanka want to get some advantage, it would sign agreements with USA, EU countries, Middleast countries such as UAE

    willa Tuesday, 17 May 2016 04:37 PM

    No wonder the medical doctors are not doctors anymore. They are unqualified economists and lawyers! Patients are neglected.to die.

    Aba Jayasekera Tuesday, 17 May 2016 04:52 PM

    In Indo-Pak war of 1971 India was trying to break up Pakistan. We were correct in opposing this.India has never, never, helped us.

    nihal Tuesday, 17 May 2016 04:54 PM

    Dr. P is correct ! not only jobs but citizenship also....

    malij Tuesday, 17 May 2016 05:00 PM

    My dear doctor, please stick to your trade. Let the politicians handle the economy.

    J.waduge Tuesday, 17 May 2016 03:52 PM

    Attributing Nepal's underdevelopment to trade pacts with India shows the ignorance of this person who knows nothing about the internal politics, backwardness and social divisions in Nepal. Being a landlocked country Nepal has benefited very much with its trade agreements with India.

    Ja Tuesday, 17 May 2016 05:11 PM

    When did the GMOA come forward to save the poor in this country? They are only a greedy, self serving bunch, only after fattening their bank accounts. Now suddenly they have become the guardians of poor, shedding crocodile tears because they know that, their monopoly would be broken once the government signs the ETCA.

    ja Tuesday, 17 May 2016 05:22 PM

    Correction - during During Indo - Pak wars SL had always stayed neutral.Also, it is common knowledge that India was behind breeding the Tigers. But all this has nothing to do with ETCA - Good for the country if we handle it wisely.

    karsha Tuesday, 17 May 2016 05:24 PM

    Wow look at the audiance. Did one of them write the speech for you Dr.

    ja Tuesday, 17 May 2016 05:38 PM

    Sorry. But it is "koheda yanne malle pol"

    Aba Jayasekera Tuesday, 17 May 2016 06:16 PM

    Staying neutral means opposing an unjust war

    nihal Tuesday, 17 May 2016 06:19 PM

    GMOA is one of the worst organization and lost faith just because of politicization. They never wanted to serve to the poor and much think about their bellies. Look at the audience..

    lokka Tuesday, 17 May 2016 06:27 PM

    dose this guy know anything about trade or politics

    WTF Wednesday, 18 May 2016 04:31 AM

    You people are trained medical practitioners (at taxpayers expense). Not economists. Do your job properly and leave running of the country to the Govt!

    a.k Tuesday, 17 May 2016 11:59 AM

    hello Mr., india have helped many times to srilanka but at the time of 1971 indo pak war srilanka helped to pak even then during internal war of srilanka against Bhaskaran india was with srilanka and payed for this (lost their pm in bomb attack).so please improve ur knowledge.

    karsha Tuesday, 17 May 2016 10:57 AM

    So you prefer China for example. Use some cough syrup Doc. Your coughing is for somebody else

    Shifa Tuesday, 17 May 2016 11:01 AM

    For once I agree with you.Indians are a selfish and greedy lot.

    De Silva Tuesday, 17 May 2016 11:40 AM

    What does Padeniya know about trade?? Let talk about his own subject

    ramkumarrajin@gmail.com Tuesday, 17 May 2016 11:42 AM

    dr. Are u afraid of indian doctors appointment here?How a medical doctor analysis and predict the political situation.

    Raj Tuesday, 17 May 2016 11:42 AM

    We the public feel that you are not genuine medical professionals for the benefit of the people!

    Sincere Tuesday, 17 May 2016 11:44 AM

    See who is talking. A mouth piece of the former regime!

    kan Tuesday, 17 May 2016 11:47 AM

    Why are you worried? Let the Indian Doctors come to Sri Lanka and practice right here. All your doctors and specialists specially in private hospitals are rogues because once a patient goes to see a specialist, he or she becomes their life time patients on the rhetoric of monitoring their health and make billions for private hospitals.

    Savithri Tuesday, 17 May 2016 11:48 AM

    India does not come to help us unless they have a huge profit . I am totally agree with these dr"s .soon there will be many Indian workers resides in Sri Lanka because of their surplus population . So Sri Lankans will gain nothing . Profits will go to India . Labour is also from them , we get hulan "

    annoyed Tuesday, 17 May 2016 10:50 AM

    When have these guys taken interest in economic matters? Looks like their black-economy getting affected.

    BuffaloaCitizen Tuesday, 17 May 2016 12:03 PM

    However our politicians are worse, they have robbed this nation right left and center...since independence, bought in racism in governance and hardly developed the country since british handed over in 1948.

    Jayantha Tuesday, 17 May 2016 12:48 PM

    Can we general people trust GOMA as a genuine organization who take care of the needs of general public?

    BV Tuesday, 17 May 2016 12:49 PM

    DR.PARDENIYA IS FREE TO EXPRESS HIS VIEWS BUT REMEMBER WE HAVE NOT ELECTED YOU TO TAKE DECISIONS ON BEHALF OF US. via DM Android App

    Nuke Tuesday, 17 May 2016 01:04 PM

    Your india played double game in the war against LTTE, india trained them and fought them. As a result you lost your own PM. Lol.. India has ruined sri lankas development for 30 years. Please improve your knowledge

    moorkara Tuesday, 17 May 2016 02:07 PM

    once again government shown its failure policies...missed to alliance with Russia.. via DM Android App

    karu Tuesday, 17 May 2016 02:25 PM

    This doctor still thikns he is a university student to poke on everything.

    daily boru Tuesday, 17 May 2016 02:38 PM

    Yes, you doctors can trust only the medicine which you prescribe to patients. They all come from India. Why didn't you tell these fairy tales about the Indian medicine. Idiots.

    Bingo Tuesday, 17 May 2016 02:40 PM

    99% Indian doctors or any professionals are very sub-standard with average brain. We dont need them in SL. Thanks


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