“This government is following RW’s economic agenda” -Ravi Karunanayake New Democratic Front MP

• You ask me the question about the government, yes they are pursuing what was inherited by them and they are pushing that without very much alteration which is keeping them afloat. But this is insufficient for a 21st century economy where we are wrapped in ourselves coming out of debt
• When you speak about E-Procurement this was something dished out around 2005. It had its momentum, but it was always progressively slowed down. And I think government bureaucracy has been partly responsible because they think if they utilise it that their role will be less important and this has been one of the stumbling prophecies from my personal experience

New Democratic Front MP Ravi Karunanayke in an interview with Daily Mirror said that the government isn’t playing a better role in strengthening regional cooperation amongst neighbouring countries, especially using Sri Lanka’s geographical location. He further stated to allow the justice system and not social media and other platforms to deliver justice to the victims of Easter carnage.

Following are the excerpts from the interview:

Q As a former Finance Minister, what are your thoughts about the current economy? Do you think the current Government is reasonably handling the situation? 

I think we are at a crossroads where the economy is made to look good, but it is only skin deep. And my feeling is buttressed with the feeling that the government servants who are made to run the economy are not putting their best interest at this particular moment because there is a lower legislation and there is no discretionary power that was there previously that made a true bureaucrat able to prove himself. If you may ask me why, because the general tendency today is why trouble trouble? Because if I do something I am going to be held responsible for it and if I don’t do something I just become another player in the system. So why do I need to trouble myself and get to that point, hence do nothing and let it be. That is what is lacking in the energy of the country. 

My fear is that there is a degeneration that is taking place. If we do not address this quickly ramifications could be felt very badly over a passage of time. You ask me the question about the government, yes they are pursuing what was inherited by them and they are pushing that without very much alteration which is keeping them afloat. But this is insufficient for a 21st century economy where we are wrapped in ourselves coming out of debt, bankruptcy if I may say so and it is basically too little that is being achieved on pure macro growth. 

 

Ravi Karunanayake, New Democratic Front MP  Pic by Waruna Wanniarachchi

Q Do you think what they have done so far is commendable and if not what they could have done differently? 

If I may say from a socialist background that was projecting a completely different type of an environment background I think it is commendable they have not walked the talk in that area. But that is insufficient when you need brave and time oriented changes to the economy. It’s a volatile dynamic economy that needs to have changes according to what is being dished out at the moment. 

Q You presented a private members’ Bill to the Parliament to repeal Online Safety Act No 9 of 2024. As you have mentioned in a few media publications this could affect GSP+. Could you please explain to us what impact we will have? 

I was one of the persons who liked this Act coming in. Some will ask if you’ve duplicity at that time you said it was good. I wanted some control but when it came to force it was selective control. It did not dish out what is expected. With that particular one, the control that was expected did not come in uniform places; it was from selective places. So the answer is to go away with an obnoxious type of a law and bring it to a drawing board in a proper way.  Because at that point the government then just brought it in thinking it will achieve something, but it achieved nothing and we lost a lot. But there were many media institutions that would look at the Port City to establish themselves.  And with this particular Act coming in it was vanished out of the country.  It was a private members motion that went through in due time and it came in this week for the second reading. And my basis for that was that European Union was basically looking at the online act as being a deterrent to bringing in free trade and also free media. As a result they say that this is conditional that there is and certainly this will be a bar to a safe progressive approach. And this has to be looked at either abolished or strictly amended which is bringing it into international approach. So I base myself where I prefer where the European Union GSP is being invoked rather than lose that also, so that was one of the linkages . But that was with conviction and not with compulsion. 

QApart from GSP, do you think the Online safety Act would impact our country? 

No as I said earlier it only helped a selective lot. And it certainly did not dish out what was expected. That was one of the reasons. 

QWhat could we do differently? 

I would involve more stakeholders to bring something comprehensive which basically brings in the true spirit of what is expected to control. Not bringing control for the sake of controlling from a state point. But look at what are the detrimental injurious acts that are coming for the stakeholders and make that as a way forward. 

Q What is your opinion about the governments’ efforts in combating corruption with the e procurement system taking place and governments’ efforts in digitization of public services?  

I would say this was a change that took place from the 90s. And it is slow and it has been something moving forward. But the velocity of the utilisation of that has been slower than what was expected. My feeling is it is drastically slow and it is insufficient to get on the top in changing times. I think we must have a quantum change, but we see very slow progress. When you speak about E-Procurement this was something dished out around 2005. It had its momentum, but it was always progressively slowed down. And I think government bureaucracy has been partly responsible because they think if they utilise it that their role will be less important and this has been one of the stumbling prophecies from my personal experience. I think you got to rev it up from the perspective. 

QThe government has formed an Organization-Govtech to speed up digital transformation. Don’t you think the government is expediting the digitization process more than it was ? 

All governments say that they like to see the process expedited, but the final result is not being realised. If you say the biggest amount of digital crimes, cybercrimes, hacking or phishing all are happening now. That is why I said you need to progressively change with the timely advents. The world is experiencing and if we sit and think nothing will happen. And that will be the root cause of being completely taken by a storm. 

About your previous question about corruption, no government would permit corruption. It’s a fallacy that has been marketed around. It so happens if you look at it from a different perspective. When you look at certain sectors they are highly prone to vulnerability of corruption. I believe a handful of government servants with a handful of politicians that get involved. Not that corruption is a divorced activity and it keeps going on. So if you look at the circumstances it is the same. If you think that this is completely devoid of corruption, why are investments not coming into the country?  I am basically saying that corruption is going on without any reduction.

There is a lot of cynicism in the system. People love to say anybody who is adventurous, who is proactive, who is innovative gets a tag of being corrupt and that has gone on without impunity. 

And that needs to have its connectivity. 

A government servant or anybody is subject to AR,FR,CID, CIABOC, Inland Revenue all of them. When you look at the ambit of his being questioned by this institution you are basically having a fear of psychosis. 

As I mentioned, a handful of politicians are engaged in corruption and I don’t think everybody should be painted with the same brush. Even with regard to the bureaucrats. It’s only a handful of them who are involved in corruption.  

Q What impact would there be to Sri Lankas’ economy when debt repayment starts in 2027/2028? 

The progressive approach that we have got to take is that come 2028 March, April, sovereign bonds need to be repaid. Then you will have an increase in your payments from about 2.9 billion to 3.7 or 4 billion. So as a result you have to pay foreign exchange. Your healthy rupee earnings must be converted into dollars.  So as a result you are going to build up your own foreign reserves in dollars. Those dollar reserves need to be done organically or it has to be intercepted to build up your reserves. So you are going to need 14.5 billion dollars by 2028 April. That would mean from today 6.9 to then that you are going to earn 250 million dollars a month. Are we doing that? No. Is the intention there? Rhetoric. You have got to walk that talk. 

The Central Bank that is supposed to do the independent governing and basically has to either bring those incentives for reserve build up. Or they must convince the government to build up the reserves. But I don’t see it. The government is credited for following Ranil Wickremesinghe’s economic agenda in the same strict manner of collecting them.  Spending is not there, collecting is there. That would mean that there is a wish to pay, but the affordability is losing by the day. 

Q There is a public outcry to bring perpetrators of the Easter attacks to courts and provide justice to the victims. What are your views on the government’s efforts regarding this?

Any government would not stop their efforts to bring justice to Easter attack victims, but they must be fair, decent and legal. You should not have social media doing what is done by the honourable courts. And that is very visible. There are things happening outside the justice system which is trying to provide justice and make it a mockery. 

Q It has been two years since the government assumed power and one of its promises was to bring justice to Easter attack victims. Do you think this government has taken the necessary action? 

I think they are taking action But I think the previous governments have also done the same. It is just that they colour it and flavor it differently, but it is the same effort that has been put in before. I emphasise it must be done decently, legally and not be a political onslaught. 

Q What is your opinion about the government’s foreign policy? Is it healthy? 

For a government that hasn’t been governing previously it is an arduous task to take it in its stride like an established previous governments that were before them did. But you don’t see a diplomatic stand taken. It is more or less proceeding in the lines of previous governments. I would prefer a better economic diplomacy being brought into Sri Lanka. Having more regional support with the neighbourly friendliness that exists and taking advantage of the weakening Middle East confidence, look at Sri Lanka’s geographical location to optimise Sri Lanka’s geographical location for betterment of Sri Lanka’s economics.  There are golden opportunities that lie ahead of us. But lack of foresight or hands-on experience makes us miss opportunities. But certainly for a new type of administrative government the fact that they intend pursuing certain good policies pursued by previous regimes is appreciated. 

Q Do you think we are playing a better role when it comes to regional corporations? 

No we are certainly not. This is the Asian region. And this is the Asian times. We can play a huge role with India leading us. And being our closest neighbour and a gigantic player, which is moving into maybe the third biggest economy next year. We have a huge advantage before us. We have a phobia. Worried about our neighbours rather than their bigness for our benefit. We must use our friendly neighbours to our advantage such as India. We must use the economic mind of the Chinese. We must look at American dominance, Russian diplomacy, the opportunities presented by the European Union and have the backing of industrial experts like Japan and Korea and also use Sri Lanka’s geographical location. This is how a minute, small island nation can be pivotal in the world. 

We must also realise that Sri Lanka is part of the world and not that the world is part of Sri Lanka. Then we can move from our ocean of prosperity. We are a nation in poverty in an ocean of prosperity. This ideology can help to radically change.