A pall of gloom hangs o’er Lanka - EDITORIAL

On 22 September 2024, Anura Kumara Dissanayake leader of the National People’s Power was elected President of our country. Sadly he could not cross the Constitutional threshold of winning the 50% plus one votes required to win the presidential election outright. He made it on the Constitutional second count.

Perhaps, the masses were a bit wary of the promises Dissanayake and his party made in the run-up to the election. Some of the promises made were regarding transparency in matters of governance; bringing the costs of basic foods to levels poorer sections of our community could afford. He also promised to bring down the cost of fuel.

But these are dark days for Lanka. Hardly a day passes with people not being shot like dogs on the streets, numbers of others have been injured. This paper early on 11 January reported, shootings linked to organised crime had left 66 people dead in over 100 incidents reported across the country since January 2024. Thirteen of these deaths were organised-crime-related shootings. 

In 2023, 61 people were killed and 47 were wounded in more than a hundred shootings. According to police, most of these incidents too were related to disputes among underworld gangs. Many of these ‘incidents’ took place in broad daylight, with gunmen firing in the presence of witnesses.

Making matters worse as at 21 February this year, 17 brazen shootings and 5 killings occurred. 

However, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala quoting statistics relating to the period 2016 and 2017 said there had been no significant increase in the number of crimes during the recent past. Come on Mr. Minister, face facts and come clean. Live up to your promise of transparency.

Our President comes from an agricultural background. Sadly, in more recent times he seems cut off from the reality of the farming community. In response to an unexpected shortfall in stocks of rice in the market, the president accused large-scale rice millers of hoarding stocks as well as exploiting the farming community by purchasing their products lower than the market rates.

Through his Minister of Agriculture the president announced a purchasing price for paddy. He also requested paddy farmers to sell their product to government departments and help build up a government buffer stocks to avoid future shortages in stocks of paddy/rice. 

The plan fell through as there is competition among buyers in the open market and brings greater profits for farmers. Again, private traders literally come to the farmers’ door to make their purchases whereas farmers must physically take their produce to either the Paddy Marketing Board or Multi Purpose Co-operative centres to sell their products to government controlled bodies at specified prices.

This further discourages farmers selling stocks to government controlled bodies. As the saying goes, you cannot put new wine into old wine-skins. Similarly old socialist mechanisms cannot solve problems in an open market economy. 

The president and members of his party also claimed (before elections) the price of fuel could be reduced by more than Rs. 100/- via removal of taxes on fuel which burdened the public. 

With great expectations and bated breath the electorate waited...  

Fortunately the people did not hold their breath. Today five months after Dissanayake was elected, and three months after his National People’s Power (NPP) group received two-thirds majority in parliament, government has made a token reduction of Rs. 21/- per litre of petrol. Earlier he claimed the price could be reduced by Rs. 100/-

Government in its budget also promised of a free basket of nutritious food to low income families. In government’s own estimate, the measure will cost Rs. one billion. It sounds more like a vote-winning sop to garner votes at the forthcoming local government elections rather than good mathematical calculation. 

We can only hope government is not playing ducks and drakes with the IMF facility, which if God forbid is withdrawn, could lead the country once again into bankruptcy.

If so, we might soon be invited to become the 29th state of India as a way out of the mess.