Financial Times

Will Indian professionals awaken our leaders?
There are many Indian professionals now working in Sri Lanka under official work permits issued by the Immigration Authorities, presumably approved by the line Ministries. There is no doubt that these professionals are adding value, and are capable and cost effective.

The scope of work of these professionals vary widely, ranging from serving in the manufacturing sector and extends across the trading, plantation, agricultural, commercial and service sectors.

In the professional services sector their presence extends from advertising and research to entertainment, medical, nursing, restaurants and logistics. With the exception of closely guarded professional services like legal, all other professions including audit and accountancy, architectural and similar appear to have benefited from these professionals. In areas like manufacturing and marketing these professionals serve in very senior positions adding value. The lack of competent doctors and nurses has led to these competences being acquired from across the Palk Strait. It is however surprising to see Indian professional models being deployed in local advertising commercials and also engaged as programme coordinators, technicians and announcers in TV and Radio and even as waiters and hotel staff.

Going down memory lane we clearly remember the days over 15 years ago, when the extremist chauvinists of the South campaigned against Indian goods being imported and this boycott even covered the import of cheap pharmaceuticals serving mostly the poorer segments of society.

We must not forget that these very same elements, who went to the extent of killing the Chairperson of the Pharmaceuticals Corporation for using the services of the Navy under emergency regulations to clear consignments of imported pharmaceuticals are again active and in the forefront of national leadership, though presently not with similar open hostilities towards Indian goods and services.

It was once reported that a young team of professionals in the pharmaceuticals trade and later another group engaged in research and advertising agencies had met the chamber leadership and asked that their vehement objections against professional positions being filled by Indians without restriction, even extending to not so senior management positions, be canvassed with the authorities.

The chamber leadership having given a patient hearing to the grievances had told the local professionals “not to worry as the private sector will soon realize that these professionals are more costly, and less competent, committed and also less adaptable to local conditions!” The team of local professionals had admitted the opposite, confirming that these professionals were more competent, committed adaptable and cost effective. The chamber leaders had then asked the young professionals to get together with their professional associations, educational, training and development institutions and mentors and work out their own competences and commitments as then there would be no need for deploying any professionals from overseas, reminding the team that many young Sri Lankan professionals similarly take up positions in other countries.

It is common in business to find that young Indian professionals excel in their fields of competency, work longer hours, put in a more committed effort and are in an overall terms more cost effective to employ.

The writer recollects an incident at a Board meeting, going in to the late evening, where in the presence of an Indian finance professional a new angle of possible investigation that may help in reaching a more informed judgment by the Board was discussed, recognizing that this will require a new set of data to be collated, adoption of new techniques of evaluation and agreeing the best professional option for investigation. When the director who raised the query received a call at eight in the morning the next day he thought it was to get some clarifications to begin the investigation. It was a surprise that the professional had already completed the assignment, working up till two in the morning. This very same professional on being elevated to the position of Finance Director assured his Board colleagues that his services were available 365 days and 24 hours a day whenever he is in Sri Lanka. That was his commitment and attitude to work.

How many Sri Lankan young professionals would have this work ethic? What are our chambers, businesses professional institutions, universities and training and development institutions doing to endow in our young professionals the required capabilities (knowledge, skills and attitudes) and ensure a conducive work ethic with facilitative support whilst being good role models?

Whilst acknowledging that senior professional positions will benefit from the engagement of Indian professionals, to adopt the same attitude with regard to more junior skilled positions, merely because of not having the required educational and training opportunities, skills development, shaping attitudes and establishing a conducive work culture is unacceptable and a dereliction of duty by our business leaders leaving aside the policy makers and government.

In fact will not the citizens and the government also benefit by bringing in for a few years selectively, senior Indian Civil Service officials in key decision making positions in government ministries, regulatory institutions, research institutions, universities, revenue services (Customs and Inland Revenue), health and educational sectors?

Chamber leaders … why not reactivate the HR and Educational Round table to address the emerging issues of capability development? Plaster treatment of problems and treating the symptoms and not the cause of the illness will not deliver sustainable growth in a competitive world of trade, commerce and service.

(The writer could be reached at wo_owl@yahoo.co.uk).

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